“My name is Seth, and I have your son because he was in danger. The Nightblades came for him earlier tonight. Your friends live, though they were unable to protect your son properly,” Seth explained as he rose slowly from the chair and walked toward the bed. He kept his gaze on her as he moved slowly to set the bundle down. “You are wise to be cautious, Lady Merrodin. I respect you for that. Let me assure you that I mean no harm to you or your child, though.” Seth spoke softly as he unwrapped the blankets to reveal the child sleeping soundly within. He stepped back as slowly as he had approached the bed and kept both of his hands upraised and well away from the weapons that lined his belt. “This is a lesson for you, Lady Merrodin. Never leave something you love behind. Your enemies will use love against you at every opportunity, and there won’t always be someone there to stop them.”
Jala stared at her son in disbelief and started toward the bed, but froze before she had taken more than three steps. It took all of her willpower to keep from rushing to Legacy, but she forced herself to call on her magic instead. As quickly as she could she poured through every spell Sovann and Neph had taught her to examine the child. “It’s really him,” she gasped as the truth of the matter was proven with magic. Rushing forward she leaned over her son searching for even the slightest bruise on his tender skin.
“He is in perfect health. I promise you that. Though he will likely be hungry very soon,” Seth said quietly.
“Why would you help my son? I don’t know you. I don’t even know who you serve,” Jala whispered, her eyes searching the man for any emblem that might give her some clue of his origin. His dark leather armor was of simple fashion without even the slightest embellishment and the long feathered cloak had no ornamentation other than the feathers themselves.
“Memories. I helped him for the sake of memories. You didn’t know me, but you do now, Lady Merrodin, and as to who I serve… Well he prefers to be anonymous, though I promise you he is not your enemy or affiliated with any of your enemies,” Seth answered, his words so cryptic that they didn’t even begin to answer her questions. Smiling faintly Seth bowed to her and pulled his cloak back around himself once more. “Do you know why Dashara failed, Lady Merrodin?” he asked as he stepped back from her toward the room’s only window.
“No,” Jala answered in confusion, caught completely off guard by the change of topics.
“She wasn’t strong enough when things got dirty. She couldn’t stand the sight of blood or to actually cause pain to others. Her companions did all of the messy work for her. Dashara was beautiful and compassionate to a fault and could speak with such eloquence that you could believe the Divines themselves guided her. Twice she had the chance to end the rebellion with one thrust of a knife and twice she showed mercy and lost that opportunity.” Seth shook his head slowly and let out a long sigh before looking toward her once more. “They repaid that mercy by flaying her skin and salting the wounds. Dashara died in complete agony because she wasn’t strong enough to strike.” He paused again to open the window, turning his back toward her, but not before she caught the look of pain on his features. “Fiona was the complete opposite. She had the strength and the resolve, but none of the compassion and charisma,” Seth continued, turning back to look at her, his expression neutral once more. “Despite what they lacked and their faults, both of them nearly changed the face of this world, and neither of them had Divine blood.” He winked at her and smiled. “We share enemies, Lady Merrodin, and for that and the sake of memories you may call on me if you are ever in dire need. They call you Dasharan and there are those who seek to kill anyone given that title. Call on me if they try and you think they might succeed.” He pulled a feather from the edge of his cloak as he spoke and laid it carefully on the table by the window before slipping out into the night.
Are you all right? Valor’s voice in mind broke the spell of silence she had been lost in and she shook her head quickly before answering.
I’m fine Valor. I just had a very strange visit and Legacy is here now, Jala explained, still in a bit of a daze. Seth’s words had left her in a state of confusion. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was wanting from her. Did he expect her to change the world? Would he still help her when he realized she had no intention of changing anything aside from the population of the Avanti lands?
What? How is Legacy here? Is he OK? Wait to answer. I’m coming to your room, Valor’s voice was filled with concern as he broke the mental link. Within a breath, her door was opening and he stood there, his gaze sweeping the room as if he had expected trouble.
“A man by the name of Seth brought him,” Jala said when he turned his gaze toward her. Her eyebrow raised in question as she watched the color drain from Valor’s face. “I take it you know him?”
“Only through stories and few of them are pleasant,” Valor murmured.
“It is likely that Valor only knows stories from after Seth’s death. He became much more brutal after he died. The part that is important here is what he did in life,” Vaze’s voice echoed from the shadows and Jala whirled to face him.
“How long have you been in here?” Jala demanded, her eyes narrowing. Seeing him in Kithvaryn’s rooms had been a shock. Knowing he was spying on her was infuriating. Her feelings were still mixed when it came to Vaze. Part of her hated him for what he had done to Finn, and the other smaller side wanted desperately to keep him close for the simple fact that he was her Uncle.
The shadows faded a just enough for her to make out the look of sadness on his face. “You truly hate me now don’t you Jala?” Vaze sighed.
“How could I not after what you did to Finn. Did you even check on him after you sent him back to hell?” Jala demanded, her voice cracking a bit on the words. It wasn’t true. She didn’t entirely hate him. She wasn’t even sure it was truly hate instead of simple anger. Her emotions were guiding her words now though rather than logic. “I can’t check on him you know. I’ve tried. I managed to cut her strings on him, but I couldn’t get him out of there again,” she admitted her voice thick.
“I did check on him, Jala. You did save him from being a puppet. He is free of the Dark lady now, but he is beyond either of our reach. I’m sorry, Jala. If I had seen any other way I wouldn’t have done what I did,” Vaze said as the shadows began to thicken around him again. “I’ll go, Jala. I had no intention of upsetting you. I just wanted to make sure Seth was here with peaceful intent. Given that he had Legacy, I assumed he was, but I have a hard time trusting good intentions in anyone.”
“Wait,” Valor broke in before Vaze could leave. “What did you mean about it was important what Seth did in life?”
“He was the first slave that Dashara freed in her rebellion. He is quite possibly the biggest enemy the Avanti have. The only reason he hasn’t destroyed them before now is because he was on a very short leash. I do believe that has changed now though, and he will have more freedom to act in the future. Funny how history repeats itself, isn’t it?” Vaze’s voice grew fainter as the shadows darkened around him until the last words were barely a whisper.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jala asked, but Vaze was already gone from the room. Or at least she thought he was. The man was sneaky enough he could have been standing directly behind her for all she knew. Sighing she looked to Valor who simply shrugged in confusion.
“I have no idea. The sun is already coming up, though, so I don’t think we have time to ponder it now. It would be best to get what sleep we can before Kithvaryn summons you,” Valor said in a weary voice. He crossed the room silently and looked down at Legacy, a look of concern on his face. “He seems fine, but what about Wisp and Jail?”
“Seth said they lived. Beyond that I don’t know and I don’t think I can contact them from here. Not with the amount of magic I have left anyway. I believe a mental link across that distance would be quite draining,” Jala said with a frown of her own. Carefully she lifted her son into her arms and rested her chin gently on the top of his head. “I can
’t believe how much I missed him,” she sighed. Her worries and frustration seemed to fade a bit just from the contact with the child. Legacy stirred in her arms and her frown changed to a faint smile.
“I’d give just about anything to see that look on your face all the time,” Valor said softly as he leaned back against the bedpost watching her as she rocked her son in her arms.
“I’d love to be able to tell you that I would smile more often, Val, but Legacy is about the only thing I have to smile about,” Jala sighed and felt the weariness of the past few days wash over her once more. “I believe I will take your advice, Val, and sleep while I can. Thank you for checking on me.”
“Always,” Valor said softly as he turned for the door.
“Maybe one day I will find more to smile about,” Jala said softly as he opened the door. She wasn’t sure exactly why she had spoken the words. Maybe it was to reassure him, or maybe it was simply wishful thinking. Life had to improve. Surely it couldn’t always be filled with frustration and sorrow. Wrapping her arms tighter around her son she exhaled softly, her breath stirring the wispy strands of his red hair.
“I’ll wait patiently for that day then, Jala. Goodnight,” Valor replied as he stepped into the hall.
“Goodnight, Val,” Jala replied despite the fact that he was already gone. Carefully she set her son back down on the bed and moved to close the window. “Good morning rather,” she sighed as she stared at the lightening sky. “One day, no one will be trying to kill us. War will not be looming. The entire world will not be in chaos and we will get a full night’s sleep every night,” Jala whispered to her son as she climbed into the bed beside him. “I promise,” she added through a yawn and pulled him close to her side.
Chapter 23
Merro
Pain lanced through her body as her eyes slowly flickered open. Morning sunlight shone brightly through the window, blinding her momentarily. Blinking slowly, Emily tried to sit up, but only managed to flop over on the floor as her body refused to respond to the commands she gave it. The coppery tang of blood was still thick in her mouth and no matter how hard she tried to summon the memories of the night before, they eluded her. Aside from Seth. That, she could remember with painful clarity.
“What the hell are we going to tell Jala?” Wisp demanded from somewhere nearby. Emily tried to speak but her mouth refused to form the words and all she managed was a guttural mumble that not even she could understand.
“She’s awake,” Jail hissed. The Mind mage moved with exaggerated slowness as he crossed the room toward her. Emily watched him with growing concern, trying desperately to remember what she had done. Jail never showed this much caution around her. He had respect for her, that was true, but this seemed more like fear.
“Can you understand me, Emily?” Jail asked in a soft soothing voice. He held both hands out before him as if he were trying to calm a spooked horse.
“Jail, don’t get too close,” Wisp pleaded as she moved swiftly behind Jail and clutched his massive arm in her delicate hands. “She didn’t know us last night. There is a good chance she won’t today,” the Fae added, her voice shaky. Both of them wore clothes that were bloody and torn and Emily could see bandages covering a good portion of Jail.
“She is calmer today and badly wounded,” Jail assured Wisp as he carefully pried the Fae’s hands from him. “It will be OK, Wisp,” he promised.
What are you both babbling about? Emily demanded in Jail’s mind. Her mouth still refused to form words to speak aloud.
“Emily, look at yourself,” Jail said firmly.
Struggling to sit once more, Emily gazed down at herself and gaped in complete shock at the dark fur that covered her skin. Eyes wide, she ceased her struggles to rise and stared in growing wonder at the thick limb ending in razor sharp talons that should have been her arm. It wasn’t even remotely human in shape.
“Congratulations, Emily. You are the first of the shifter blood to find an affinity with the Bendazzi,” Jail said cautiously, his eyes still watching her every move.
Bendazzi. The word filled Emily’s mind and her heartbeat increased. I’m a Bendazzi. The thought brought such elation to her mind that she felt dizzy for a moment. Her eyes poured over her new form from the thick black fur to the tuft on the end of her tail. A tail! The idea was so unbelievable that she would have laughed had she the energy for it. Simply moving as much as she had was sending small waves of agony through her.
“Careful how much you move right now, Emily. The Assassins had Tevrae coating their blades. That’s a poison that halts regeneration. You aren’t healing as you should and you are badly wounded,” Jail warned her as he began to approach again.
“Jail, don’t get too close,” Wisp hissed, her bright green eyes as wide as saucers.
“She is fine now, Wisp,” Jail assured her once more.
“She wasn’t fine last night,” Wisp snapped as she took a step away.
Did I hurt her? Emily asked with growing concern. Wisp had never been afraid of her before, and it had never bothered the Fae that she was a Blight. Wisp had always been just as trusting as Sovann and it hurt to see her back away now. There was a time when Wisp and the others should have feared her, but Jail had helped her work past that. With his and Madren’s help, she was becoming one of them. Until now. If she had destroyed that trust last night she might never earn it again.
“You clawed her a bit, but nothing life threatening. You mostly just scared her. I will admit you scared me too. You were in some kind of frenzy when we found you and you had no enemies left to vent your rage on. I regret that some of the damage you have is from me, but I had to stop you before you left the house,” Jail explained in a calmer voice. The fear was slowly fading from him, but she could still see hints of caution in his movements as he knelt beside her. “Obviously, we can’t get a healer to see to you, Emily. None of them even realize you exist and we can’t let word of a Blight living in the city spread through the commons. It would raise panic. We will have to tend your wounds ourselves.”
“I’m not tending anything on her until she explains where Legacy is. If she hurt him, Jail, I will kill her myself,” Wisp broke in, her voice cracking as she spoke and tears quickly filling her eyes. “There was so much blood in there Jail, what if she…” her voice trailed off into choked sobs.
I didn’t, Jail. I didn’t hurt him. I swear it. I was trying to protect him, but I failed. Emily fairly screamed the words in his mind. Desperately she looked between the two of them shaking her head. I didn’t, Jail. I swear it by all of the Divine and my mother’s soul. I wouldn’t have hurt Legacy.”
“Then where is he, Emily? We found no trace of him in the room, but it is as Wisp says. The entire room is destroyed and drenched in blood. You were eating someone when we found you. I’m inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I’m afraid Wisp is not.” Jail kept his tone calm as he leaned back on his heels and met her eyes. She could see his doubt clearly now, too. Part of him was wondering exactly how much of a monster she truly was.
I don’t think you will believe me, Emily spoke the words softly in his mind, her hopes falling as she recounted her meeting with Seth. How could she possibly expect either of them to believe that a damned bird had abducted the child? Swallowing heavily she lowered her head back down to rest on her paws. The elation of her new form was completely gone now, replaced by sorrow.
“Try me Emily. You would be amazed at the things I believe,” Jail pressed, his dark eyes searching her. “Your mind is a jumble right now. I’ve been trying to scan it all morning. Just tell me please.”
Do you remember all of the damned birds outside yesterday, Jail? Emily asked softly, and when he nodded, she continued. I was on the roof watching them when I heard Legacy cry. It was early evening and the birds should have been shutting up by then, but they weren’t. I went into his room to check on him and grew worried when Wisp didn’t answer his cries. One of the birds landed in the windowsill not long after
me and when my back was turned…”
“It turned into a man. Seth,” Jail broke in, his tone going cold. Slowly he rose to his feet and turned to look at Wisp. “Seth took him. This has to be revenge from Death. He is her lackey.”
He said he was taking Legacy to Jala, Emily added quickly as she watched fear turning to anger on her friend’s faces.
“What?” Jail exclaimed, turning to look back at her in complete shock. “Wisp, tend to her wounds. I have to contact Jala. Apparently Seth might have done a good deed.”
Wait, Jail. What about Devony. Is she all right?” Emily called before the Mind mage had a chance to make it more than two steps toward the door. The child had been annoying to her at first, especially when the Blight instincts were at their height. Recently, however, she had begun to notice the qualities about Valor’s niece that endeared her to every person in Merro. Devony was quick witted and beautiful, even as a child. If the Nightblades had killed the girl, both Jala and Valor would be devastated.
“Devony was with the Knights all day yesterday, which is quite fortunate for us. The Nightblades only attacked here, and lucky for us all they managed to kill no one. Though I’m sure they thought they had finished Wisp and me. Silly bastards should know better than to believe anything when they are fighting a Mind mage,” Jail explained and then smiled. “I’m glad you asked about her, though, Emily. It shows you are truly one of us,” he added before turning once more toward the door.
“I’m sorry, Emily. I shouldn’t have thought that you, that you, well…” Wisp’s voice trailed off once more as she knelt beside Emily. Her small hands began to prod at the wounds checking each one.
“It’s OK, Wisp. Given the circumstances, what else would you think,” Emily assured her and nearly laughed at the shocked look on the Fae’s face. It wasn’t often that she spoke to anyone other than Jail or Jala through the mind links. Now did not seem the time to be picky about such things, though. She needed to reassure Wisp. Especially if she wanted to be healed.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 36
