“They follow me and acknowledge me as leader. I began the debate with them about coming to Merro and they pissed me off so I stoned them. The people of Delvay are in the bottom of my travel bag at the moment,” Neph explained with a shrug.
“Neph!” Jala gasped her eyes widening. “Neph, you can’t do that!” she added with a bit of alarm. “That is not leadership, Neph. When your people upset you, things must be solved logically. You can’t just say bugger off and put them in a rock until it’s convenient to deal with them.”
“Why? They are out of the way for now and I can focus on what I need to do without their hassle. Besides, I’m Delvay. By our laws, I do exactly what I want because I’m the strongest. I want them all in storage stones and out of my sight for a while,” Neph replied with a smirk.
Jala’s eyes widened again and she shook her head at him. “No, Neph, that’s just bad,” Jala murmured still shaking her head at him with a dumbfounded expression. “You have to let them out now, Neph,” she added firmly.
“Mmm. No,” Neph replied with a smile. “They really, really pissed me off, Jala. Let’s just think of this as time out for the kids and leave it alone for now. What else do you have planned other than reclaiming Delvay? I have to admit my homeland is my highest priority. There are things about Delvay that no one realizes and I have to reclaim it before the Rivasans discover them. It’s possible that there is something you have in mind that is more urgent, though.”
“You are just trying to change the topic,” Jala frowned at him, her expression still filled with disapproval.
“True, but you wanted to tell me about it anyway so I’m not asking for much,” Neph agreed with a shrug. His smile faded as the kitchen door opened. He stared at the girl for a long moment before he recognized her from the camps in Arovan. Her long leather coat was wrapped tightly around her and the heavy hood was pulled up concealing most of her pale face.
Jala smiled and waved for her to enter the kitchen but the girl balked and started to back out of the door. “Zoelyn, it’s OK. This is Neph. He is a very good friend of mine,” Jala said calmly and waved once more for her to enter.
“She knows me, or at least she has seen me before. I believe I was ripping a man’s tongue out before breaking his neck when we met,”
Neph explained with a smirk.
“Well, that explains why she looks ready to bolt,” Jala replied dryly.
“Valor said to tell you that Lord Dark is here with Havoc,” Zoelyn said quickly and Jala lurched from her chair at her words.
“Here? Now?” Jala gasped, her hand flying first to her hair and then to her tunic with a look of panic.
“I wouldn’t forget the flour on your face, either,” Neph added calmly and it was nearly impossible to keep the amusement from his voice.
“Hence, why I say you need servants.”
“Bugger it all,” Jala growled and looked from the oven to Neph then back again before turning to Zoelyn. “Please, Zoey. I know you are unsure of Neph, but please just stay in here a few minutes to get the tarts from the oven. I can’t greet them like this.”
Zoelyn nodded and stepped hesitantly into the room, barely clearing the doorway before Jala was through it. She moved slowly toward the sink and leaned against the cabinets watching him.
“So, I scare you then?” Neph said with a smirk and leaned back in his chair propping his feet out before him.
“No, dislike does not mean fear,” Zoelyn answered simply.
“Dislike, then? You don’t know me at all, girl. Wait a few days before you pass judgment on me and you can skip the dislike part and go right to hatred,” Neph replied in a voice that typically silenced further conversation from anyone.
“If you are a close friend of Jala’s, I fail to see how it would benefit me to try to hate you,” she replied without the slightest quaver in her voice to suggest his tone had disturbed her.
“Bloody hell. You are using logic. You won’t fit in here at all, kid.” Neph chuckled and rose from his chair. She was smaller than Jala and more petite. At his full height he towered over her like a child, but still she simply stood and watched him. “You didn’t seem this confident in Arovan. You reminded me of a cornered mouse when Valor called you out,” he observed.
“In Arovan, I was a cornered mouse. Here, I’m simply a bored girl listening to an ass bray,” Zoelyn replied with a shrug. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her fingers idly against one sleeve of the heavy leather coat.
Neph blinked once in surprise and for a long moment he was at a complete loss for words until it slowly dawned on him what was going on. A smile broke across his face and he chuckled. “Emily you bitch! Where are you?” he demanded.
The kitchen door parted once more and the black Bendazzi strolled in with a feline grin showing clearly on her face. She paced across the room and sat down heavily between Neph and Zoelyn and he could see the girl visibly relax, though she hadn’t seemed tense moments before.
“So you told her to talk tough to me and I’d leave her alone. Is that it?” Neph asked.
I told her you were a complete asshole and if you got too far out of line I would have Delvay for dinner. Emily’s voice echoed through his mind and despite the words he could hear the joy in her voice.
“Glad to see you too, pussy,” Neph replied with a smirk that earned a savage growl in response.
I never thought I would admit it, but I’m glad you’re back, Neph. Valor won’t rein her in. Sovann can’t talk her down. And Jail is in the city governing our quarter in Sanctuary. Jala needs a voice of reason. She is getting pretty obsessive about certain things, Emily said with a shake of her head.
“Marrow isn’t doing his job of keeping her in line then?” Neph asked with a sigh as he sat back down at the table once more. Things were not sounding good. Emily was probably the most brutally honest person in Merro other than him, and she was a staunch supporter of Jala. If she was talking this way, he needed to figure out quickly what Jala was planning.
Marrow is as fanatic as she is now. He tries to keep her from pushing herself too hard, but he is as obsessed as she is about bringing peace to the world whether they like it or not. When she first came back, she was content with just Merro. Then after reports from the other nations started coming in and she realized there was still fighting going on, she started her plotting, Emily explained.
“And the girl? Where does she fit into all of this?” Neph asked, his eyes moving to Zoelyn once more. She had fallen utterly silent and was simply watching him.
Jala’s crusade to save everyone, I suppose. Her opinion of the Blights has completely reversed, Neph. She keeps saying that we need them as allies not enemies. Emily’s frustration poured into her voice and Neph nodded.
“Has anyone bothered to remind her that they are allies with our enemy? Did she totally forget that they only attacked the nations we consider friends?” Neph asked. Glancing back to Zoelyn once more he waved a hand in the direction of the massive oven. “Tarts, girl, remember?”
“I can’t,” Zoelyn replied with a slight shake of her head. “What?” Neph snapped in response.
“The oven is magical. I can’t touch it without my gloves on, and I’m not stupid enough to reach into a hot oven with metal covering my fingers,” Zoelyn explained.
“Then why in the bloody hell did you nod to Jala?” Neph demanded as he rose from his chair and grabbed a towel from the rack by the sink.
“Because she was in too much of a hurry to listen to why I couldn’t,” Zoelyn replied calmly.
Rolling his eyes, Neph pulled the oven door open and carefully grabbed the pan with the towel. Moving quickly he closed the door and dropped the pan onto the countertop, glaring at Zoelyn. “Next time, attempt to explain to her. Never agree to do something you aren’t capable of doing. It’s a bad habit to get into.”
“I was capable of doing it. I simply had to use your hands rather than my own. Had you not mentioned the tarts I would have reminded you a
nd the task would have been accomplished either way,” Zoelyn said as she relaxed against the counter once more.
“Is she always like this?” Neph growled, his gaze dropping to Emily.
I told her to stand her ground with you and she would be fine. I warned her to not let you be a bully or you would be completely unbearable. Normally, she doesn’t speak and simply watches others. Of course, she has only been here for one night, so her “normal” is judged on a very short time-frame, Emily explained with another feline grin.
“Ignore what Emily told you. Do not stand your ground with me. It would be best if you simply duck your head and scamper away when I approach. I don’t like children and it would be less painful for both of us if we don’t have to deal with each other,” Neph growled as he reclaimed his chair once more.
“I’m older than Jala,” Zoelyn pointed out calmly.
“What?” Neph choked, his eyes scanning her once more. It was hard to determine much about her appearance through the coat and gloves, but he wouldn’t have guessed her much more than twelve by her size.
“I’m twenty-three. Jala is eighteen,” Zoelyn said softly. She shrugged her slender shoulders and the back of the coat bumped heavily against the wooden cabinets. Sighing she pushed off from the counter and looked down at her coat.
Neph couldn’t see her face, but he could imagine the look of irritation that must be there. He had been about to make a smartass comment but bit it back and simply looked her over again with new insight. The noise the coat had made suggested there was lead sewn inside the leather. Her gloves were bulky with metal plates covering each finger in such a fashion he wondered how she was able to do anything with her hands. Her boots were the sort that dock workers usually wore, bulky things to begin with, and then the added weight of the iron plates on top of that. In sword training his master had started him off with a sword filled with lead to build his strength. The girl’s entire life was a lead blade. Despite her size, she had to be strong, and without the garments she would doubtless be quick. With the garments, she was miserable and despite her silence on the matter, it showed.
“Tell Jala how much you hate those clothes and she will see that you have others,” Neph said quietly as he stood from his chair. He headed for the door and didn’t bother to look back at Emily or Zoelyn. He had enough things on his mind without the extra weight of the girl. She was Jala’s project, not his.
“Neph!” Jala exclaimed in surprise as he nearly knocked her over with the door. The black tunic and patched leggings had been replaced by a violet and silver dress and her hair was once again immaculate. In the manner of a few minutes she had transformed herself from a farmer’s wife to a High Lady once more. She stepped back and smiled widely at him. “I was just coming to get you,” she admitted and waved toward the back door of the house. “I think it would be easier if I explain my plans to everyone at once. They are waiting in the temple,” she explained quickly as she headed for the door.
“The temple?” Neph asked as he fell in step beside her. Jala had revered Fortune when he first met her, but she had never been truly devout.
“It’s an odd meeting place I know, but I trust it more than anywhere else to discuss things of this importance. My secrets will not be spied upon in the temple,” Jala said with a shrug.
“That depends on who is favored by the Aspects involved,” Neph pointed out mildly as he followed her across the courtyard toward a small building set to the side of the house. “You have a private temple? I was thinking a city temple,” he muttered as he realized where they were headed.
“There is a city temple, as well, but this is the House Temple, and the Divine involved favors me,” Jala explained as she pulled the massive doors open and stepped inside the dimly lit room.
Neph followed her inside, closing the door quietly behind him and then froze as he recognized the red-haired man from the battlefield standing just to the right of the door.
“I favor her,” the man agreed with a smile and winked at Jala.
“Grandpa, what are you doing here in the flesh?” Jala gasped as her face broke into a smile once more. “Important meeting. I will be in the background and I promise I won’t interrupt,” the man assured her.
Neph stared at him then to Jala as he quickly took in his surroundings. There were only two symbols in the entire temple and he knew without a doubt that this wasn’t Death standing before them. “You call the Divine of War Grandpa?” Neph stammered, his eyes flashing back to Jala once more.
“Well, he is,” Jala said with a shrug and hugged the Divine lightly as if he were simply one of the Elder Blood. “Don’t stay in the background; sit at the table. It’s Havoc and Zach. You know Zach will understand your presence and, well, I will just smack Havoc if he objects.” “You support Jala in her plans?” Neph asked before the Divine could begin walking.
War regarded him for a long moment with dark eyes and slowly nodded. “How much faster do you think Jala would work to regain Delvay if she knew what resided within the House Vaults?” War asked softly.
“Much,” Neph replied grudgingly. While he understood why the Divine of War knew his House secrets, he didn’t like it even being mentioned when there was a possibility of others over-hearing. Delvay had guarded their vaults jealously since the Barrier was raised around Sanctuary and Kadan had nearly destroyed his people trying to protect them. It was not a topic to be spoken aloud and the look he gave the Divine said as much.
“Then consider this: Perhaps Jala has secrets of her own that are fueling her, but perhaps, like yourself, she is unwilling to speak of them. Listen to what she says with both ears, Lord Delvayon, and consider how well you know Jala. Watch her face when she speaks and ask yourself what is motivating her right now,” War said with a wink and turned to follow after Jala who was already sitting down at the small table near the back of the temple.
The memory of the fear in her eyes earlier that morning returned to him and Neph sighed heavily. He didn’t need to watch her now to determine what was motivating her. He’d already seen a brief glimpse. Now all he had to do was figure out what was scaring the most powerful mage he had ever seen. Though, in all honesty, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to know what scared the Lady Bendazzi.
“Zach, Havoc I hope you don’t mind if Neph joins us. He is a bit clueless as to what is going on right now and I’d like to go over everything with him here,” Jala began, her violet eyes moving from Zach to Havoc.
“It would be more efficient,” Zachary Dark said agreeably and nodded to Neph. “Join us, please,” The candlelight flickered across the black enamel of his gauntlet as he motioned toward an empty chair. Neph nodded with a faint smirk as he realized Jala was the only one in the temple that wasn’t armed or armored. Lord Dark wore his plate mail as always and Havoc was geared in the leather and chain armor that was favored by the Flame riders.
“Have you figured out how they were being controlled, Vaze?” Jala asked, glancing toward the shadows behind her as Neph took his seat.
“Yes, but you won’t like it,” Vaze replied calmly. The darkness that had been cloaking the temple lightened, revealing Vaze sitting perched beside the altar to Death. Sovaesh sat on the opposite side of the altar, leaning back against the wall. Both men wore solemn expressions and Neph felt a chill down his spine at the sight of it. These two men were not known for fear or insecurity.
“Tell me anyway,” Jala pressed. All smiles and laughter were gone from her demeanor now. She was the High Lady of Merrodin and nothing else.
“It’s not through devices as we thought. It’s through Blood magic. The Blights are subject to obey those of a certain bloodline,” Vaze explained, his frown deepening.
“What Bloodline?” Jala asked quietly.
“Morcaillo,” Sovaesh answered with disgust evident in his quiet voice.
“So anyone with Morcaillo blood can control them?” Jala asked, her expression growing thoughtful.
“Shade could through his link to My
th. Sovaesh can’t. His line is through Kiernan and he is too far removed from Myth. It seems to only work for Myth’s direct line. We tested it earlier and Sovaesh nearly got his face ripped off for it by a Blight in Glis,” Vaze explained.
“Pity the Blight failed in that,” Havoc growled. The Firym shifted in his seat and folded his hands on the table, looking directly at Jala. “I want to work with you, Jala, but I won’t tolerate that man being in my presence much longer. He killed my Aunt, if you care to remember, and it is taking every ounce of will I have to keep from drawing steel.”
“Avanti killed your Aunt. Sovaesh was the knife they wielded. I understand how difficult it is to accept that logic, however, and I appreciate the restraint you are showing,” Jala said calmly, her eyes moving from Havoc to Sovaesh. “Kill them,” she said in a voice that was nearly as cold as the words she spoke.
Neph watched her for a long moment frozen in shock. The idea that Jala Merrodin had just ordered death by Assassin was difficult to grasp. Jala hated hired knives and yet she was sending one out herself.
“I cannot condone this path.” Zach leaned back from the table and started to rise from his chair but paused when Jala raised a hand.
“Please, allow me to explain why I gave that order.” Jala glanced back at Sovaesh and nodded and the Assassin rose quickly to leave the room. Turning back once more she looked at Zach and then to Havoc, her eyes finally coming to rest on Neph. He stared back at her and he knew his expression must have been painful to her by the look in her eyes. He couldn’t help it, though. Assassins were the coward’s way, and he had never considered Jala a coward before now.
“I’d love an explanation,” Neph said quietly, his eyes searching her face for any remorse for what she had just done.
“The Morcaillo are Changelings,” Jala began, her eyes following Sovaesh as he disappeared through the temple door. “I don’t harbor ill will toward them for that sole reason, however. As I say, often I judge by merit, not by blood. These Changelings, however, have proved themselves enemies with their manipulations. I would face them in honorable combat or challenge them directly if I could. They won’t face me, though, and everyone in this room knows it. They have existed the entire war in hiding and they will remain in hiding. The Blights failed to kill us off so they will find another way to attain their goal.” She paused and dropped her hand firmly to the table. “I cannot allow them to stab us in the back again. The only way to stop them is to kill them and the only way I have to do that is Sovaesh,” Jala finished, her eyes moving from man to man once more and then settling on Neph again. “It is cowardly in your eyes to use an Assassin and I regret that I may have lost your respect by doing so, but as far as I see it, I have no choice. You are the one that taught me magic, Neph. You drilled it into my skull for countless hours that you use the most efficient magic to preserve your strength. I could waste my own time attempting to find these creatures and then pray that I would be able to pin them down in a fight, but I can’t waste the strength. Sovaesh is the most efficient way.” “Vaze found them,” Havoc pointed out with anger still lacing his words.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse Page 15