The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse

by Melissa Myers

  Seth’s fingers relaxed and he stepped back from Zoelyn wordlessly, still staring at Finn in mute fascination. He had never seen this side of Finn and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “Come here, Zoey,” Finn ordered in a softer voice.

  She rushed to his side at once and Seth felt his stomach coil at the fear on her face. It was what he had wanted, but it still hurt to see. He swallowed heavily as Finn pulled her close to him and wrapped an arm protectively around her. A flicker of jealousy rose in Seth and he knew he had no right, but emotions never acted with logic.

  “I’m sorry I let this go so far, Zoey. Are you 0K?” Finn asked softly as he gently pressed a hand under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

  Zoelyn sniffled and nodded slightly, but the hurt on her face was evident.

  “She is fine, Finn. I didn’t hurt her,” Seth snapped before he could stop himself. He didn’t want her comforted by Finn. He could barely stomach seeing her wrapped in his arms.

  Finn glanced up at him and back down to Zoelyn and smiled warmly at her. “She will be OK now. She is too strong to break from something like this.” He spoke in a soothing voice and Seth bristled further.

  Seth knew that voice and that smile. It was one of his own tricks, and to watch Finn using it on Zoey was too much. “I said s he was fine, Finn. Leave it at that,” he snarled as he took another step closer.

  Finn glanced back up at him and smiled coldly. Leaning down he kissed Zoelyn gently on the forehead and Seth’s anger broke at the sight. He was moving before he even realized what he was doing with his dagger in his hand. Raising the blade, Seth drove hard for Finn’s side and nearly fell as Finn caught his arm in a vice-like grip and stared hard at him. The Lord of Death had barely moved a muscle to block him and Seth realized with growing dismay that Finn had baited him and had been waiting for the attack.

  Finn held his gaze as firmly as he held this arm and smirked. “When you have calmed down, Zoey I want you to remember this moment. Replay all of this in your mind and ask yourself who was being the child today,” Finn said coolly as he slowly twisted Seth’s arm forcing him to drop his dagger. “Jala will welcome you back with no questions, Zoey, and you will be safe there,” Finn promised as he summoned the magic to send her from the Darklands.

  Seth watched in silence as she faded from the room and tried to forget the look of betrayal that was on her face. She had trusted him, and it had been so long since anyone had trusted him.

  “She didn’t deserve that, Seth, no matter how disappointed and scared you are,” Finn said quietly once she was gone. Slowly he released his grip on Seth’s arm and shook his head at Seth’s confusion. “It must have been difficult to keep your temper in check once you realized it was Neph that raised her. I know that had to be devastating to your plans.”

  “What?” Seth stammered, eyeing Finn with suspicion. He had believed Finn was oblivious to everything, but he was quickly realizing how wrong he was. “Why would that disappoint me?” he pressed, wondering exactly how much Finn had figured out.

  Finn smirked in response and shook his head slowly. “Because Neph was my friend in life and he wouldn’t move against me now. I’m not stupid, Seth. You were searching for a way out of hell and there are very few sacrifices that would be worthy of a creature as powerful as you. I dare to say, it likely would have taken a Divine for you to retain your memories and not become an Undrae yourself,” Finn explained in a calm voice.

  “Why did you allow it, then, if you knew what I was doing the entire time?” Seth demanded. It made no sense to him that Finn would simply sit by and do nothing when he obviously knew that Seth had planned to betray him.

  “Because Zoey needed your help and I thought perhaps she could help you,” Finn answered with a heavy sigh and gazed around the room sadly. “I was apparently wrong, though.”

  “Help me?” Seth stammered and backed away from Finn shaking his head. “There is no help for me,” he added in a harsh voice.

  “Do you know why I don’t feed you souls, Seth?” Finn asked quietly. He glanced at Seth as he spoke and smirked again. “I have been forcing you to face this room and hoping that one day you might come out of here saying look what I did, rather than look what they did to me.” Finn finished and rubbed his face.

  “You are saying all of this was my doing?” Seth snarled as his anger flared once more. “You think I wanted to warm a pedophiles bed?

  You think I chose to serve the Avanti? I was a slave, Finn!”

  “Life offered you shit, but look what you made of it, Seth. Your mother handed you over to that monster so you would live and you slit her throat in thanks,” Finn growled back and whirled on Seth.

  “She let him abuse me. She deserved to die!” Seth’s voice rose with his anger and he glared at Finn with pure hatred.

  “She wanted you to live,” Finn repeated coldly. “Do you think my own mother wanted to be raised by the Avanti? I highly doubt it, but you allowed her to be taken as a child because you knew even though it would be a harsh life, she would live. Do you think she could slit your throat, knowing you were her father, and not shed a tear for it?” Finn moved closer and shook his head slowly. “She couldn’t. I promise you that.”

  Seth stared at him and his anger faltered. He had never compared his own actions with that of his mother. All he had been able to focus on was how she had allowed him to be abused and he had never considered why she had allowed it. Finn’s words hit too close to home, though. He had known the same pain with Davahni and had no choice other than to allow her to be taken.

  “Do you think Dashara would have suffered as much as she did if you hadn’t forced Donrey’s hand with your actions?” Finn continued and the illusion of Dashara shimmered back into view. “She was freeing slaves, Seth. Do you think this is the death one earns for freeing slaves? I don’t. It was your actions that led to this. Your nightly hunts on the Avanti that brought Donrey to this point. He might have forgiven Dashara, if not for your vengeance. How many did you kill in her name without uttering a word about it to her?” Finn paused, waiting for an answer, but Seth could only shake his head in response. “It was never about making a better world to you. It has always been about vengeance,” Finn sighed and shook his head with disgust.

  “Why does it even matter to you?” Seth whispered hoarsely. Guilt was settling firmly on his shoulders and it wasn’t an emotion that he was familiar with. He had never wasted the effort on remorse and had always believed what he did was justified no matter how brutal it was.

  “Because I echo Zoelyn’s sentiments about you, Seth. I want to see you redeemed and I have been doing everything I can to push you down that road. I’m not your former master. I don’t want you to serve for eternity,” Finn answered sadly.

  “Why?” Seth asked softly.

  “Because when I look at you, I see what I would have become had Jala not appeared in my life. I was well on the way to being you, and I know you can change, Seth. I did.” Finn smiled and shook his head as he sighed heavily. “Besides, Fate has something in store for you. You might be blind to it, but I’m not. Everything is circling around you, Seth. It can’t be a coincidence that all of these things are happening. I mean, what are the odds of your son raising the only Undrae that has existed in centuries. Something is coming, Seth, and you will have a role in it. I’m certain of that.”

  “I truly hope you are wrong,” Seth murmured. The way he felt right now, he didn’t think he could face anything else. Finn’s words rang with too much truth and he had a lot to consider. His mind circled back to Zoelyn and his guilt increased. With shoulders slumped he leaned heavily back against the wall and shook his head at Finn. “I don’t think I could face more right now,” he admitted quietly.

  “Good. Then you are finally on the right path,” Finn nodded with approval and stepped closer to Seth. “You know, in time, she might forgive you. With Zoey, it probably wouldn’t even be that much time. She is a sweet girl. However…” Finn
paused and pressed his hand firmly against Seth’s chest. White fire coursed through Seth’s veins at the touch and when the Lord of Death pulled his hand back, Seth could feel his magic weaken. “You can do it without this. I think you have done enough damage with your Charm magic. If you want her trust back, Seth, earn it,” Finn finished as he stepped away from Seth.

  Seth gaped at him and slid down the wall to sit. He shook his head at Finn slowly and swallowed heavily at the thought. “I don’t even know how to talk to someone without using the Charm.”

  “I suggest you learn, then,” Finn began as he headed for the door. “Consider what I’ve said, Seth. I have to serve my own penance now so you should have plenty of peace and quiet to think.” “What?” Seth asked in confusion.

  Finn paused by the door and smiled back at him. “Did you honestly think the Aspects and other Divines would let your actions in Delvay slide? It’s time to pay the piper, Seth, and I’m not sure how long it will take me.”

  “You could have simply given them me,” Seth stammered as he rose to his feet once more. “I acted without your permission and you didn’t have to claim the blame for this.”

  “I didn’t have to,” Finn agreed with a nod. “But that’s what friends do, Seth, and you are more than simply a friend. You are family.”

  Epilogue

  Delvay

  Neph settled back on his throne and stared at the empty room dismally. Two days had passed since Jala turned her back on him and he had yet to find motivation to do anything. The only true accomplishment he could claim was cleaning the dead from the city and that had been a simple matter of magic. The rest of the time he had spent in thought and nothing that had crossed his mind had been good. As far as he could tell, no matter what he did he was fucked. Even if he woke his people from stasis, there weren’t enough of them to hold the city when Rivasa attacked, and he knew they would soon. By now, rumors of the attack had surely reached the High Lord of Rivasa and he had to know how weak Delvay was once Merro returned home.

  Muffled clatter from the courtyard beyond pulled him from his thoughts and Neph stiffened in his chair. That had been hooves, he was certain of it. Standing slowly, he moved to the door and braced himself for what was coming. He had known there would be an attack and the only thing he could do now was fight until he had nothing left to give. Closing his eyes, he summoned the memory of Jala’s face and seized the pain that rose in his chest for focus. Magic hummed through his veins and he pushed the doors open wide in front of him.

  “I’d really appreciate it if you would release all of that magic.” Madren’s voice rose from the courtyard beyond.

  “Madren?” Neph gasped in shock and the magic faded from his mind instantly. He couldn’t fathom a single thing that would bring the High Lord of Goswin to his door. In all the time he had known Madren, Neph had never once thought he would be happy to hear that voice, but he was.

  “Thank you, Neph. I really didn’t want to be cooked in my armor,” Madren called in response and stepped slowly through the doorway into the inner city. He was armored in shining plate with a massive sword across his back and looked nothing like the fragile boy Neph remembered from the city.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Neph demanded, though there was no anger in his voice, only confusion.

  “Protecting my ally,” Madren answered calmly and gazed around the empty hall curiously. His dark eyes found Neph once more and his expression softened. “Anthe saw what was coming, Neph, but I couldn’t say anything then. No one would have listened to me,” he explained and shrugged. “So I remained behind in Arovan and did what I could to ensure Jala had full support from those Lords so when the time came she wouldn’t need me. I knew I would be needed here.”

  “Madren you don’t even like me, remember?” Neph pressed as he stared at the man in wonder.

  Madren smiled and let out a short sigh. “I do at times, Neph. Besides, you aren’t the only one that knows how important this city is. Goswin and Delvay have been allies for a very long while if you remember correctly and it’s not just your Grandmother that cast the spell to contain the Veyetta, if you recall. My Grandfather helped with that as well and I know what must be protected.”

  Neph stared at him gape-jawed and tried to pull his thoughts back into order. Just when he had been mastering his own confusion, Madren had sucker punched him with another wave of shock. “I thought only Delvay knew about that,” he admitted quietly.

  “And I never thought I would have to admit to knowing,” Madren replied with a shrug. “But here we are, and from the looks of things we have a lot to do. I have to admit I expected you to have your people released by now.”

  “I couldn’t face them yet, and I really didn’t see the point in forcing them to die beside me when Rivasa showed up,” Neph said quietly. His own gaze moved slowly around the room and then back to Madren. Slowly he shook his head and smiled faintly. “I can’t believe how much I have underestimated you.”

  “Probably not nearly as much as I have underestimated myself in the past. Thanks to Anthe, I think I finally have it all together.” Madren glanced over his shoulder and then back to Neph. “I’ve brought five thousand with me, but most of them are guarding the border. Anthe is in charge there and she has promised that the Rivasans won’t pass without paying dearly for it. That should buy us time to get the city repaired and get your own people situated.”

  “Thank you, Madren,” Neph said quietly. After the way he had treated Madren in the time he had known him, he couldn’t believe that he had moved to help at all. Had he been in Madren’s place, he doubted he would have.

  “We are allies, Neph,” Madren replied with a smile. “And if we work quickly enough we might manage to get this done before your sister arrives,” he added quietly with dark eyes locked on Neph’s.

  “What?” Neph stammered once more. Madren had certainly grown adept at keeping people off balance in the short time he had been in Goswin.

  “In Anthe’s visions, Zyi returned to Delvay and woke the heroes. Anthe is very rarely wrong, and even though I am confused as to how your dead sister will arrive I can see there is a chance of it by the expression on your face,” Madren explained.

  Memories surfaced in Neph’s mind of his last days with Zyi and her tear filled words the night she left home. Maybe one day you will lead here, and I can come home again. The words had seemed unbelievable at the time, but now they echoed clearly with truth. He was the High Lord of Delvay now and Zyi was finally coming home. His throat tightened at the thought. “I don’t even care if she can awaken the heroes. It’s enough to have her home finally.” Neph spoke softly and wiped his face before the first of the tears could form. Looking up, he smiled at Madren and bowed his head. “Thank you, Madren. I was on the brink and if not for you I don’t think I could have pulled back.”

  Madren nodded once and gazed around the room. “That’s what friends are for, Neph. I know you have never considered me a friend, but I hope that changes in the future. I have enough enemies in life and there are too many people that simply don’t care. What I need is a true ally and Delvay has always been just that.”

  “And always will be,” Neph promised quietly. He looked slowly around the room once more and calculated everything that needed to be repaired. There was so much, but with Madren’s help he could probably have it done within a week. Nodding once, he summoned his traveling bag and dumped it on the floor in front of him. The storage gems clattered noisily to the cobbles and Neph stooped to pick one up. He paused before opening it and grinned at Madren. “I have to warn you. They still don’t think much of me as a leader and they most likely won’t be in a very good mood.”

  “I’ve dealt with you when you were pissed, Neph. I doubt there is anything they can say or do that will shock me,” Madren replied with a smirk.

  “Well here we go, then,” Neph murmured as he cracked the first gem.

  “All hail High Lord Nephondelvayon,” Madren said softly and bowed i
n Neph’s direction.

  “Words I never thought I would hear,” Neph muttered quietly as he cracked gem after gem. For the first time since Jala left, he felt a glimmer of hope building in his chest. The first step was securing Delvay. He wasn’t sure what would come after that, but perhaps Zoelyn would offer suggestions. She had always been wiser than he. He had just never truly listened to her before. It wasn’t until after she was gone that everything she had said made sense, and now he finally had a chance to prove that he understood her. The Delvay he rebuilt would be a place just like she had dreamed of, where you could speak the truth without fear and no one was forced into a life he didn’t believe in.

  The Elder Blood Chronicles

  Book One, In Shades of Grey

  Book Two Blood, Honor and Dreams

  Book Three, From the Ashes

  Book Four, The Blessed Curse

  Book Five, The Crow King's Wife – Coming Soon