The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse

by Melissa Myers

  “I did not find the creatures. I found the method that was used. It would take me months to track down a Changeling in hiding if I wanted to put forth the effort. I spent nearly a year trying to find the true Myth Morcaillo and while I have my suspicions, I still can’t say for a fact that I know where she is,” Vaze corrected.

  “How is Sovaesh going to locate them, then?” Havoc demanded.

  “He is one of them. He thinks like them and he has more experience in locating his prey than they have in hiding,” Vaze answered.

  “Once Sovaesh has eliminated the controllers, Shade will move into Glis to make contact with the Blights. I have arranged a territory for them to call their own that will not put any other lands at risk with their presence,” Jala said, her words pushing the conversation past the objections.

  “What territory?” Zach asked as he settled into his chair once more. The expression on his face wasn’t one of acceptance, but for the time being he seemed willing to tolerate the situation.

  “Tevonale,” Jala answered simply.

  “The cursed isles? While I agree that is a fitting place for Blights, I doubt you are going to convince them to stay there,” Havoc observed dryly.

  “I raised Tevonale. The territory is no longer cursed,” Jala informed them quietly and the room fell silent.

  Neph shook his head slowly and rubbed his face. “When?” he asked a bit sharper than he intended. So much was going on that he had absolutely no idea about that his frustration was hard to contain. The Jala he knew before never kept so many secrets from him, and yet here he was finding out everything at the last moment.

  “After the council meeting last night,” Jala answered gently.

  Jala watched him for a long moment and Neph could see the pleading in her eyes. She needed him to support her, but she was making it damned difficult for him. Neph nodded silently and motioned with his hand for her to continue. He couldn’t summon appropriate words at the moment. In all honesty, he wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled for all of the vague and cryptic behavior she had shown him recently.

  “I understand the harsh feelings the other High Lords have and I, too, felt the same way about the Blights at one time. I was wrong and so are they. I knew the moment I left that council that the Blights must have a land without borders to another country. Tevonale is just that. They will be isolated until they find acceptance.” Jala’s voice rose with her conviction and she let out a long sigh. “We have to have peace and we need the Blights as allies for the exact reason that Arjuna argued we should kill them. They are strong and their numbers will grow swiftly and by all of the Divine we need them. We are so weak right now that another push from our enemies and we will be gone.”

  “And if the Blights grow too powerful and turn on us?” Neph asked. He couldn’t understand Jala’s complete reversal on the creatures. She had explained about the Barrier threads, but that didn’t change the basic nature of the creatures. They might be innocent in the same way an animal was, but that didn’t make them good allies.

  “I have already proven I know how to bypass their natural immunity to magic. If they do turn on us. I will eliminate them all,” Jala said firmly.

  “It required you to destroy your own body to achieve that ability,” Neph snapped.

  Jala nodded slowly and met his eyes with a look of pure resolve. “Hemlock visited me four days after I returned from the Barrier. I was ready to kill him on sight. You know how much I hate him, Neph. The first words out of his mouth gave me pause, though. He sm iled at me and motioned toward the sky and said. You saw it didn’t you. The reason you have suffered so much. I didn’t have to ask him what he was talking about. I knew. He said that everything I have been through has been nothing more than honing the blade. He said that the trials that are coming will make this war seem like sitting down to tea. He said Myth is going to win unless I act.” Jala paused and tapped the table before her. “I’m acting and Myth isn’t going to win. The Barrier isn’t coming down and Sanctuary will not fall. I am honed and I am ready, and if you aren’t willing to help me save this wretched world, then bugger off.”

  “And saving the Blights will save the world?” Zach asked quietly, his expression thoughtful.

  “It’s a common tactic to turn your enemies’ strength against them. If you are fighting a dragon, you use its size against it. The Blights are one of Myth’s strengths,” War said with a smirk as he finally joined them at the table. “I would guess that you are asking yourselves why Jala believes anything that Hemlock would say. The answer is simple. She believes him because I agree. Sanctuary has many secrets. There is more locked away in this prison than any of you know. The Guardians built this world to lock away all that would destroy the worlds beyond and not all of it is awake. History tends to repeat itself, gentlemen. We have fought these evils before. The difference was, we weren’t locked down when we faced them. We could retreat and we could hide. On Sanctuary, neither is an option. When we fight here it is to the death. You might make peace with your current enemies, but you won’t find peace with what Myth awakens.”

  “What exactly is coming?” Havoc asked softly, his gaze moving from Jala to War. There seemed to be a bit of concern in his expression, though the Firym were typically fearless.

  “I wish I had a single answer for that,” War said wistfully and smiled at them all. “Until Myth is stopped, the question isn’t what is coming, it’s what is coming first. As I said, there are many secrets on Sanctuary and not even I can say what we will face first. All I can say for fact is Myth wants you all dead and Kali has failed with her creations. Myth’s next step will be a more drastic one. Myth is arrogant enough to believe she will survive the ancients if she wakes them. I’m not.”

  “The only option we have is to pool our strength. My army proves that we can work together if we try. Now all I have to do is get everyone to put their differences aside before it’s too late. I am preparing, gentlemen, and I have no idea how much time I have. So, to put it bluntly, my boot will be up your asses until I have you exactly where I think you need to be.” Jala smiled at War as she settled back into her chair. “I’m so glad you chose to join us at the table, Grandpa,” she added with a wink.

  “So, tell me where Delvay needs to be. I’ve seen how pointy your boots are,” Neph said with a sigh as he settled more comfortably into his chair. From what he had heard so far, it was going to be a long night. “I don’t understand half of what you are saying, Jala, but, as always, I’ve got your back.”

  Chapter 6

  Merro

  Zoelyn leaned back from the table and regarded the heaping plate of food before her with frustration. There was no possible way she could eat this much food, but Jala had become convinced she was underfed. Even Valor’s arguments that you didn’t overfeed the starving didn’t save her from the mountains of food at every meal.

  Her gaze slowly moved to Neph and she fought back the desire to kick the man. Had he not mentioned her clothing to Jala, the High Lady would have never made her remove her coat and no one would have ever known how thin she was. The sight of her jutting ribs and too thin arms had sent Jala into such a fit of anger it had taken both Neph and Valor to keep her from returning to Arovan to vent her anger on Dominic.

  “Quit glaring at me and eat your damned food like a good little girl,” Neph growled, his eyes never leaving the courtyard where Jala was sparing with Vaze.

  “It does no good to glare at Neph. He is immune to the emotions of others,” Shade observed casually as he leaned closer to Neph. “Does Valor look a bit twitchy over there or is it just me?” he asked in a quieter voice.

  “Valor never lasts through Jala’s sword practice. He always loses his temper with Vaze,” Sovann informed them with a sigh. Zoelyn hadn’t been given many chances to be around the mage, but from what she had seen of Sovann so far, she liked. Unlike most of Jala’s companions, he was soft spoken and always polite. Every time she saw him, however, he was busy with something and
always distracted. Even now, his eyes were locked on several sheets of paper spread out before him and he hadn’t even bothered to look up when speaking. Frowning, he tapped his quill against the table and shook his head. “The portal stones Jala wants created need to have security measures, but I’m not sure how to set them,” he mumbled and glanced up at Neph.

  “Keystones?” Neph suggested with a shrug.

  “Not practical. Jala wants them for everyone and making that many keystones simply isn’t practical. She intends for caravans to use these as well as commons. I was thinking perhaps a portal master who judges who passes through the stones, but maybe a parameter that controls how many pass through in a day would be better.” Sovann sighed and rubbed his face a look of frustration clouding his features.

  “The control of numbers wouldn’t work,” Neph said with a shake of his head. “What if we needed help and our allies could only send a set number of soldiers through per day?”

  “I will have a very difficult time finding people that are trustworthy to function as Portal masters,” Sovann complained and tossed the quill down onto the stack of papers.

  “Why not have it a set number unless you have a keystone and provide the High Lord of that nation with the keystone requirements for his soldiers?” Zoelyn suggested quietly.

  “That might work,” Sovann mused and picked up his quill again, his frown fading as he began scratching notes on the paper once more. “She helped you with your problem, Sovann. It’s only fair that you eat some of that food and help her with hers,” Shade said with a grin. Sovann glanced up at Shade and then looked to her. With a faint smile he snagged a piece of toast from the plate and nodded to her. “I really don’t understand it. Jala has been feeding her like this for a week now and she is still as frail as ever,” he sighed and took a bite.

  “Jala puts the food in front of her, but Zoelyn doesn’t eat it,” Neph said in a voice that showed how tedious he found the conversation.

  “Valor is about to break,” Wisp announced softly from the far end of the table. Grinning, she bounced Legacy on her knee and shook her head as she watched Valor. “Daddy is silly isn’t he,” she mused happily.

  “Why is he even allowed near her sword practice?” Shade mumbled as they all watched Valor draw his own steel and lay into Vaze with a vengeance that spoke of fury rather than practice. Jala fell back quickly from the match and tilted her head upward as if beseeching the gods before turning to walk slowly to their table.

  “I don’t know why I even allow him in the courtyard when I practice,” Jala said as she dropped into a chair beside Zoelyn and examined her plate critically. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Sovann munching on the piece of toast and she sighed heavily. “You know she might actually gain some weight if you wouldn’t take her food,” she grumbled and looked back at Zoelyn. “Eat, Zoey, you are skin and bones,” she pointed at the plate.

  Zoelyn nodded silently and tried to ignore the expressions of amusement that lit both Shade and Neph’s faces as she picked up her fork and began to eat once more.

  “So what is it that makes him snap daily?” Shade asked, his gaze moving back to the sparring match once more that was growing more intense with each breath.

  “Vaze doesn’t pull punches with me. When I miss a parry, I get hit. They are wooden swords, though. It’s not as if I’m truly going to get hurt more than simple bruising,” Jala explained and smiled as she leaned back in her chair and stared up toward the clouds once more. “Valor can’t stand to see me get hurt, no matter how small the pain, though. Every bruise and scrape is like a hot iron to him. I’ve tried to get him to find other entertainments while I practice, but he can’t focus on anything else. Yet, he is the one that insists I learn to use a sword.” Her smile widened and she closed her eyes. “He is unreasonable and stubborn and I love him so much for it,” she added in a wistful voice. “Bloody hell. I thought you were past the girlish romance phase of your life,” Neph grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Why doesn’t Valor just teach you if he objects to Vaze’s training so much?” Shade asked in confusion.

  “Because Valor can’t stand to hit her at all. He freezes in mid-swing,” Wisp explained, her voice filled with laughter.

  “I can learn as things are now. Each morning I get twenty or so minutes of sword training in and Valor gets an hour of sword sparring with someone talented enough to challenge him,” Jala said as she opened her eyes once more. Her smile faltered on her lips as her eyes locked on the corner of the roof and Zoelyn barely glimpsed the flash of sadness that crossed her features before Jala forced the smile back onto her face.

  Glancing up, Zoelyn caught the brief flash of black feathers as a crow took flight from the roof. Silently, she watched the others at the table and realized that no one but she had noticed Jala’s slip. It wasn’t the first time she had seen Jala falter at the sight of a crow. She had been in Merro for nearly two weeks now and there had been at least three occasions when the High Lady paused to watch one of the birds. It was odd behavior and Zoelyn wished one of the others had caught it. She knew without a doubt that Neph would have questioned Jala about it, but they were distracted with the fight in the courtyard. With a sigh, she took another bite of her food and watched as Jala rose from her chair.

  “You want to go play with mommy while they fight?” Jala asked as she held her arms out for Legacy. The child wriggled free of Wisp’s grasp and quickly moved to his mother’s side. Smiling, Jala nodded to everyone at the table and picked up her son. “We will be in the garden if we are needed,” she announced.

  Shade watched her for a moment and sighed heavily as he rose from the table as well. “I need to get my ship packed. I get to go play with Blights tomorrow,” he sighed.

  “May they strip your flesh for dinner and hide the bones well enough that not even Jala can bring you back,” Neph said with a smile.

  “If they do, I will bargain with Death for the chance to haunt you,” Shade replied with a matching smile.

  “I’m on good terms with Ash. I’m sure I could convince him to bind your soul to the privy,” Neph called before Shade had a chance to reach the door.

  “Pissed on in death, eh? They say the afterlife is supposed to be worse than life if you have lived in sin. I rather enjoy sin, and it sounds like nothing will change because of it. Good news for me, then,” Shade returned with a wink as he disappeared into the house.

  Neph watched the doorway for a long moment and then leaned forward on the table, his eyes moving from Wisp to Sovann and back again. “So, why do crows depress Jala?” he asked, calmly watching both of them for the slightest reaction. “What?” Wisp asked in obvious confusion.

  Sovann looked up from his papers with a thoughtful expression. “They are carrion birds and prone to following battles. Perhaps the sight of them reminds her of the war with Avanti,” he offered with a shrug.

  Neph shook his head at both of them and stood from the table. “You are both clueless on the matter. Has to be something to do with Seth,” he mumbled as he headed off for the garden at a brisk walk.

  “He is so strange at times,” Wisp mused as she watched him disappear. Shaking her head, she turned back to look at Zoelyn and smiled.

  “Welcome to our weird little world,” she sighed.

  “She has been part of our weird little world for nearly two weeks, love. It’s a bit late to be welcoming her,” Sovann pointed out in a distracted voice as his quill once again scratched noisily across the papers.

  “Better late than never,” Wisp said with a shrug and smiled warmly at Zoelyn. “So, how are your magic lessons going with Jala?” she asked.

  “They aren’t exactly magic lessons, love. Jala is trying to figure out how to stop her from siphoning magic. Zoelyn can’t work spells herself,” Sovann corrected, his brow furrowing as he scribbled more on the paper.

  Zoelyn watched them both in silence as they debated what exactly Jala was teaching her. Slowly she slid her plate to the side when it became obvious that they
were both fully distracted. She watched as the food quickly disappeared and mouthed the words thank you to the Blight. She waited until the food was mostly gone and silently pushed her chair back. “I was supposed to go find Jala when I finished eating,” Zoelyn announced as both Wisp and Sovann looked up at her. Carefully she picked up her plate and nodded to them both as she carried it back into the house.

  “Too many people here,” the Blight whispered beside her and she nodded in response.

  “I’m starting to get used to it, though,” Zoelyn sighed as she entered the kitchen and carefully placed the plate in the sink.

  She turned back for the door and paused as she noticed two men sitting at a table watching her. Vaze, she recognized from passing conversations with Jala. The other one, however, she had never seen before. He was deeply tanned with short, tawny hair and brands on both cheeks. He returned her curious gaze with a look of mild interest as he took another bite from the bread in his hand. His green eyes flashed toward Vaze and then back to her.