“I feel inclined to mention that it isn’t exactly anger you are radiating right now, Valor,” Ash said quietly.
“Shut the hell up, spook,” Valor growled, his voice low and dangerous as he whirled to face the Soulreaver.
“OK, now it’s anger,” Ash amended quietly as thunder cracked in the sky above them. “We should probably get the child below until landfall,” Ash suggested to Jala, giving one last glance at Valor and the worsening weather.
With a heavy sigh, Jala nodded and moved toward the ship’s hold. “I never try to piss you off, Valor,” she murmured though she doubted he could hear her through the rain and wind. The smell of fish hit her the moment the heavy door was opened. “I really don’t want to go down there,” Jala sighed with a glance back to Ash.
“I apologize for the ship, Jala. It was the best I could do on short notice. There aren’t many passenger ships left on the water and there were no Spell Hawks available,” Ash said with an apologetic shrug.
Moving another few steps down the stairs, Jala found a perch that was reasonably dry and sat down. She heard the sound of the hold door closing and then Ash was beside her. “Valor is being stubborn, eh?” she asked softly. She hadn’t really expected him to come into the hold, but she had been hoping he would, regardless.
“Hurt, angry, defiant, grief stricken, but not stubborn,” Ash corrected as he took a seat beside her. He wiped the rain from his face and brushed his long white hair back from his eyes and looked over at her with his pale, almost colorless gaze. “May I speak bluntly without offending you?” he asked cautiously.
“Will it involve a typhoon if I don’t say what you want to hear in reply?” Jala returned dryly.
“You know it won’t,” Ash said with a smirk.
Jala sighed again and nodded. Then looked around in shock as she realized Marrow hadn’t come down with her. She’d been about to lean up against him, but he wasn’t there. She turned her head to gaze up at the hold door, a faint pang in her chest at the realization that Marrow had chosen the cold and rain rather than her company.
“Jexon is a son of a bitch. He is ruthless and cold, Jala. He loves power more than anything else in this world and you will be nothing more than a stepping stone for him,” Ash began slowly and Jala felt her hopes sinking farther. “However,” Ash said and paused until she looked up at him. He exhaled heavily and gave her a faint smile. “However, if you are set upon this and you need the shamans. I think I might have a plan that will work,” Ash said slowly, each word spoken grudgingly.
“What?” Jala asked after a long pause.
“You have to tell me why you need the shamans first, Jala, and then I will decide if it is worthy of what you will suffer to attain them,” Ash said as he leaned back against the wall. He looked even more like one of the Darklands’ spirits in the shadows of the hold. His white clothing and pale, almost translucent skin made him seem more dead than alive to her eyes. The sight only strengthened her resolve.
“I go to war in the spring, Ash. There is no question of that. The Avanti will march and I will face them.” Jala paused as she tried to find the right words. If she phrased this poorly Ash would abandon her just as quickly as Valor and Marrow had. “I need the Shamans to hold my people in this world, Ash. There will be those that fall. I know that, but I won’t let them die. I will give her nothing, Ash, nothing. She has already taken too much from me and I won’t let her claim a single soul. There are three Divines in this world, Ash. I will only feed one of them. I will not fear and I will not die.” Jala spoke the words with such vehemence that Ash simply stared at her. “Will you help me?” she asked softly.
“Are you sure you wish to involve the Divine in this war?” Ash asked cautiously.
She could see the doubt in his eyes clearly and she knew how the Soulreavers felt about Death. It was a gamble telling him her plan, but she needed his support.
“The Divines helped create this mess. They involved themselves in it. I’m simply the one calling them out,” Jala replied with a shrug.
Ash nodded slowly with a thoughtful expression and let out a long sigh. “I won’t tell my people what you have told me. They would call you mad and there is a possibility they might try to cleanse you.”
“Cleanse me?” Jala asked in confusion.
“It typically involves an angry mob hurling rocks at you violently. After the mob is dispersed and the body is removed the officials claim it was a cleansing of a tainted soul,” Ash explained with a smirk.
“Lovely,” Jala mused and shook her head.
“OK. Well, this is my plan,” Ash began with hesitation in his voice. “I can’t win the votes so if you marry me, it will be just me you get in the bargain. There will be no political advantage. We both know that and understand that. Jexon will sue for your hand because he wants your land. He will see you as disposable once he is settled in Merro.” Ash gave her an apologetic look as he spoke and she nodded her understanding. “I pretend to fight him on the matter and draw the council out for a day or two at least. In that time the allies I have on the isles can make provisions as to who goes in the army with Jexon. He will be allowed to take a set number from each Circle. The Masters decide who is to be in that number, though. If I stage it correctly we could have an army comprised of my supporters led by Jexon and I doubt he will be any the wiser. He will pay attention to his officers, but not the common soldiers.”
“He won’t move against me until he is sure of his hold on Merro,” Jala mused as she turned the plan over in her mind. “How many officers do you think he will have?” she asked after a moment’s consideration.
“That depends on the size of the force he plans to take. Jexon will want to guarantee he can overwhelm your own forces in Merro. So I would guess ten thousand common soldiers at the least, perhaps three hundred officers if you include the low ranked ones. Jexon won’t bother with knowing the low ranking officers, though. He will pay attention to the top tier. So perhaps twenty that we have to watch,” Ash surmised.
“This plan has merit,” Jala said with approval.
“It’s dangerous, though. He won’t acknowledge the child you have now. He will want an heir of his own to secure him in Merro,” Ash warned, his gaze dropping to Legacy who was peacefully asleep.
“Will he try to kill my son?” Jala asked. She would gamble a lot for vengeance, but not Legacy. If her son was in danger with this path, then she would have to find another way.
Ash shook his head, his expression still thoughtful. “When we negotiate the contract, make strong references to the ties your child has to Arjuna Firym. If he knows Legacy is the High Lord of Firym’s nephew he won’t touch a hair on his head. There are a few other details we have to work out, but, Jala, I need you to understand this before we continue. Jexon sees absolutely no value in women beyond warming his bed. He will not respect you, he will not treat you kindly, and he will do everything he can to break your will. Are you still willing to walk this path?” Ash watched her closely and she knew he was reading her emotions as well as her expression.
“As long as my son is safe, there is nothing he can do to me that will be worse than what I’ve already seen. To see Merro safe from the Avanti and to repay the Dark lady for what she has done, I will willingly suffer anything,” Jala answered quietly with resolve thick in her voice.
“A life lived for vengeance is a life not truly lived.” Ash continued to watch her as he spoke the proverb as if he expected to see some shift of emotions, perhaps a moment of indecision.
“To set aside my vengeance would be the same as saying I don’t care. The Avanti killed my husband and now they threaten my people and lands. Death is corrupt. She kept me from bringing Finn back and has wrongfully kept thousands from returning to the life cycle. I do care, and I plan to let them know exactly how much I care. They are a festering wound to Sanctuary. Their corruption taints everything they touch, but I will cleanse them,” Jala said with promise thick in her voice. Carefully she brushed a
strand of hair back from Legacy’s face and smiled down at her son. “They will never take anything from me again,” she added in a softer voice.
Nothing about the Seravae islands was inviting, from what Jala had seen since their landing. The entire place reminded her of what the Darklands would be if the sun turned its face on the shadows there. Cold fog rolled across the rock strewn fields outside the window and she wondered if even a goat could survive on the vegetation that struggled to grow there. The view was utterly dismal, and yet it was still more appealing than the view of the room she sat in.
She had been in the room for hours now while the High Lord and Ash verbally battled over who would win the honor of leading an army to Merro. It had been a constant debate for the past two days and the arguments were beginning to run in circles with both men repeating themselves. That hardly mattered though. Ash was buying time now and nothing more. They both knew she would end up in a marriage with Jexon.
At the thought, Jala turned her gaze toward the dark haired man standing before the heavy oaken table. At a glance, Jexon was attractive as all Elder Blood were. When you looked closer, though, you could see the truth of him. Every time his dark eyes settled on her she could see the calculations and lust for power. She could see the distaste there as well. Jexon had made no secret of what he thought of her. At least he is honest about that, she mused.
“I’ve heard enough of this. We are repeating ourselves here,” the Master of Blades proclaimed in a disgusted voice. Ash had said the man’s name was Scythe, but no one had ever bothered to properly introduce her to him. He was lean and sharp of features and a cold bluntness to his words that made her rather glad no one had bothered to introduce them.
“I agree.” The words were faint, barely a whisper, but then as the title implied the Master of Silence rarely spoke loudly. She was the only woman Jala had seen since her arrival that actually had a voice of power. Though saying she had seen the woman was a bit of a joke in itself. The lady kept herself covered from head to toe in a long grey dress. A veil of matching silk fell over her face and covered her hair. Not a single trace of the woman could be seen through the garb. Jala couldn’t even begin to guess the woman’s age through the clothing.
“I think this has all been a marvelous waste of time to begin with. We all know Jexon holds the advantage here. Ash’s loyalties are questionable at best. He fled from his country and went into hiding rather than abide by our laws. If we are truly going to form an alliance with a country as questionable as Merro, then we must send a trusted leader. Jexon has proved himself time and time again.”
Jala turned to gaze at the last speaker and forced her face to remain neutral. It wasn’t the first time the Master of Spirits had insulted Merro, or her for that matter, and she doubted it would be the last. The man was old, wrinkled, and balding, and by far the ugliest creature she had ever seen among the Elder Bloods. He was half-blood if she guessed and took his physical traits from the commoner side of his family.
“I regret that the council stands against me on this matter,” Ash said with a bow of his head. He had regained the serene bearing the moment they had landed on Seravae and had managed to keep it through the entire debate. He never showed anger, he never smiled, and he never gloated, which was more than could be said for his father. She had witnessed all three emotions in the High Lord.
“There should have been no debate on this at all. The matter is settled now, though,” Jexon said, his voice thick with triumph. Turning, he looked Jala over with a faint expression of distaste and then looked past her to Neph as if she wasn’t worthy of his direct words. “If you seek an alliance with Seravae you will deal with me. If she simply wishes a marriage to something better than an exiled bastard then I suppose Ash qualifies.”
“She seeks an alliance with Seravae to support Merro in this time of conflict,” Neph said formally and she could tell he had to fight to hold back saying more on the subject.
“Then we will draw up a marriage contract,” Jexon agreed with a smug smile of satisfaction.
“We have stipulations on that contract,” Neph began, and the attention of the entire room riveted on him. Standing slowly, Neph straightened the knee length coat he wore and rolled his shoulders. She knew he hated the clothing as much as he hated holding his tongue. This entire fiasco was taxing on Neph and she loved him all the more for enduring it. “First and foremost, would be the matter of Legacy, my Lady’s son. It is to be clear to all parties involved with this alliance that Legacy is not to be involved in this contract. It is understood that the new High Lord of Merro would wish his own blood to be heir in his kingdom and for that reason the High Lady has decreed that her only son will follow in his father’s path and will be considered in the succession of Firym under his uncle High Lord Arjuna rather than be considered for heir of Merro,” Neph said in clipped tones and Jala wondered if the Soulreavers in the room were reading his emotions. If they were, they would no doubt give Neph a wide space at the dinner table tonight. Even though she couldn’t sense the emotions with magic, she could see the fury he was containing.
“Next, it is to be understood that in the event that should the High Lady die before an heir has been born that the lands will revert to her brother-in-law Sovann Sovaesh rather than to her husband. If this should happen, it is understood that Seravae will consider the alliance null and the strength that they have brought will return to the isles,” Neph continued, his expression growing darker. “Lastly, my Lady wishes me to remind all present that this alliance will be occurring after other promises have already been made. There is a structure in Merro that must be upheld regardless of Seravae tradition. She has a council of Lords that will continue to hold power after this marriage. They are to be given choice lands after all conflicts have settled and will continue to help in the governing of Merro in times of peace. The individuals are as follows, Nephondelvayon, Wisp Faydwer, Valor Hai’dia, Jail Han’shy, and Sovann Sovaesh. If there are any problems with these conditions, please speak now.” Neph finished and sat down in his chair, his back rigid. He glanced over at Jala, his pale blue eyes stormy and nodded once to her. She could tell she was in for a rant from him, but he didn’t dare risk a mental link in their present company.
“I see no issue with these stipulations,” Scythe said slowly as if he was still trying to determine the catch on her demands.
Jala smiled faintly and glanced to Neph. He returned the look with a grudging nod. Neither of them had been sure if the Seravae would accept the terms of her lords or not.
“I find no objections,” the Master of Silence spoke once more in the hushed whisper and Jala wished she had managed to catch the woman’s name. The woman reminded her so much of Ash in her speech and bearing that she was sure the two were related.
“Then we have the votes required and the contract will be written. We will sign it this evening and the marriage will commence,” Jexon announced with a firm nod.
To his credit, Ash did a perfect job of showing disappointment. “Then there is nothing more for me to say on the matter, I suppose,” Ash said and bowed his head to Jexon. “As usual, you win,” he added softly. He watched silently as Jexon left the room and then turned back to Jala and nodded toward the door. “Call Valor,” he whispered.
Jala nodded slowly and rose from her chair. On the surface it was said that Valor was keeping her child away from the meetings to keep Legacy’s fussing from interrupting the council. In truth, Valor had been given the job of guarding Legacy to keep his own fussing from interrupting the council. The knight’s mood hadn’t improved in the least, even after she had explained their plan to him. If anything, Valor’s mood had grown darker, though thankfully he seemed to be gaining more control over the weather that reflected his emotions. She knew he was still furious and yet the weather outside was dismal and foggy rather than the raging storm she had expected.
Leaning out through the door she peered down the hallway until she spotted Valor seated in a window ledge w
ith Legacy curled on his chest. He had balanced himself, carefully bracing his back against one side of the window and his knees against the other, forming somewhat of a living hammock for her son. Marrow lay sprawled beneath the two of them, his massive head balanced on his paws as he slept. She smiled faintly at the sight and approached slowly to speak rather than risk waking Legacy. She had thought at first that Valor was sleeping as well, but as she grew closer she could see his eyes were open and locked on the rolling waves beyond the keep.
“Is it done?” Valor asked quietly as she approached. His voice was neutral without the bite to it that she had expected. He didn’t bother to turn his head toward her as he spoke, a sure sign that he was still angry.
“The negotiations are finished. Ash asked me to bring you back to the room,” Jala replied softly, her eyes moving from Valor to Legacy who was sleeping peacefully with one hand clenching the front of Valor’s coat and the other curled into a fist by his mouth. “Has he been asleep long?” she asked, hoping the answer was yes. The child looked so peaceful she hated to disturb him, but it was necessary.
“About an hour or so,” Valor replied as he pulled his legs back from the windowsill and slowly stood. He kept one arm behind the child’s back, balancing his head and the other bracing his legs as he moved and Legacy continued to doze without so much as a flicker of his eyes.
“He always wakes when I move,” Jala murmured as she watched the child in amazement. Her gaze rose to Valor’s face and her smile faded. His dark blue eyes wouldn’t meet hers and his expression was distant. Swallowing heavily, Jala nodded to him and held her arms out to take the child.
“He is fine and likely will find more rest with me. I’m sure you will have a hundred things to attend to here,” Valor said quietly and brushed past her toward the council room. She watched him go and dropped her gaze down to Marrow.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 40
