He gazed in the direction the stone told him Charm was and then to the Fortress. If he moved quickly he could get there first. Leaning over the edge slightly he checked the street below and then stood slowly. It was empty for now. His eyes roved over the rooftops taking in low ledges and overhangings and mentally forming a map. With another quick nod he began moving, faster than before but not too fast to watch for danger. Thanks to his many excursions in Sanctuary as the commoner rogue, Chris, this was child’s play. The rooftops were relatively close together, making travel easy for now. As he grew closer to the fortress he would have to travel on the streets below, but for now he was fairly safe.
* * *
Charm was closing on the fortress quickly by the time Shade arrived. Shade kept one hand wrapped around the stone in his pocket and kept his senses on the rogue’s movements. He hadn’t crossed over the wall yet. He wanted to catch Charm on this side of it if he could. The rogue’s path shifted again and Shade once again changed his hiding location to intercept. This was the fourth time he had moved now and he was beginning to wonder if Charm was being chased. The rogue was moving much faster than he had expected him to and the changing path suggested he was trying to lose pursuers. His hand dropped reflexively to his side, ensuring his dagger was still there. While not as effective as a sword it was a cruel piece of steel. Besides, roof work and sneaking with a sword took more effort than it was generally worth. If you had stealth on your side, a dagger was more than enough to kill the average man. Of course these were Blights, not average men.
The path changed again and Shade moved quickly. Charm was close now. If he hesitated at all, the rogue would be over the wall before he could stop him. A flicker in a shadow ahead of him urged him to more speed. He was nearly to the rogue when a weight hit him heavy in the side, dropping him to one knee. Pain lanced through his ribs and he felt the gush of warm blood.
“Run, Charm, I’ll handle this one,” a girl’s voice hissed as pain tore through him again. Teeth sank deep into his shoulder and he tried to pull free.
“Wait, Charm, Lutheron sent me,” Shade gasped as he twisted, trying to get the child off of him. He tried to stand and his throbbing knee protested. The child’s claws tore through him again and fresh pain blossomed. He couldn’t see where she was. He could feel the agony she inflicted and knew by the weight she wasn’t large, but he couldn’t actually see her. It was like fighting a ghost, a ghost with very sharp claws and teeth. He wasn’t sure if the rogue had heard him but he didn’t dare yell. Already he was terrified the scent of his blood would draw more Blights. Twisting once again, he managed to pull away from the tearing ball of fury that was trying her best to kill him.
“Please, if you are protecting him, I’m here to help him,” he whispered quickly, hoping the Blight would listen. He couldn’t fathom why a Blight would be helping Charm but didn’t have the time to ponder it just now.
“Emily wait, look at his arm. He is Fionaveir.” The voice was male and sounded exhausted.
Shade remained tense expecting another attack and didn’t dare turn his gaze to find Charm. He was sure the words had been the rogue’s but he wasn’t sure the child would listen.
“He is Blight,” the girl hissed as if that were reason enough for him to die.
“So are you,” Shade pointed out, hoping to get her to speak again. If he could determine where the voice was coming from he would have a better chance of dodging the next attack. Taking a quick tally of his wounds, he realized he would need to dodge the next attack. His ribs were scored deeply and bleeding freely. His shoulder was a ragged mess and he wasn’t sure if his right arm would hold for combat. That wasn’t good. Shade was right handed. He pushed down weight on his leg, testing the wounded knee, Not good. Dodging would be slow. He would be better off ducking than trying to move quickly.
“Why did Lutheron send you?” Charm’s voice broke through his mental inventory and Shade looked up to find the rogue standing barely two feet away. He was dirty and his clothing was tattered but he seemed unharmed. Dark circles hung heavy under his clear grey eyes but they were filled with intelligence none the less. Charm was obviously one of those rare individuals that could stay awake for days without losing their sanity. Most didn’t fare so well using magic to stay awake, it tended to cause minds to fray. “I know you, despite the claws and talons you still resemble your true self, Christian Morcaillo.” There was disgust in the rogue’s voice when he spoke the name, “Morcaillo,” and Shade couldn’t blame him for it.
“I was Christian Morcaillo. I go by just Shade now,” he whispered back, pressing his hand against his side trying to stem the blood. The wound was healing quickly. Thankfully the Blights had good regeneration. “Lutheron sent me to get you out and take you home,” he said at last, his eyes still roving the area trying to figure out where the demonic little child hid.
Charm snorted with amusement, looking at his ragged state. Shade felt himself flush under the scrutiny. He had just told Charm he was here to rescue him shortly after the rogue had seen a child maul him. He didn’t blame the man for doubting him. “And just how exactly do you plan to do that, Shade?” Charm asked, the amusement still present in his voice.
“I have my spell hawk stored in a gem. All we need to do is get to a place big enough to bring it out and then we are as good as free. One of the gardens in the noble district should work,” Shade explained and he watched the amusement flicker out of the rogue’s eyes replaced by hope.
“This way, come on Emily,” Charm said quickly and glanced over Shade’s wounds one last time before turning on his heels. He moved with speed and grace through the shadows and several times Shade lost him in the alleys. A small hand would tug on him when he hesitated and he had to restrain the urge to pull away from it. He could feel the talons there and he knew well how sharp they were.
They reached the gardens without incident and Shade wasted no time breaking the gem open. He stared at his ship for a long moment as it appeared. He loved his ship like he had never loved anything else, but at this particular moment it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “Thank you for the help, Emily, good luck,” Shade whispered as he opened the door to the ship and motioned Charm in.
“Don’t bid her good bye, she is coming with us,” Charm said as he stepped into the ship.
“What?” Shade spoke louder than he had intended and flinched at the sound of his own voice.
“I wouldn’t be alive still if she hadn’t warned me of the other Blights. She is coming with us. I won’t leave her here. She isn’t like them,” Charm motioned again. “Come on Emily.”
“I’m already inside,” The child’s voice called back to him and Shade glanced into his ship nervously. He hadn’t felt anything pass him and he was standing right by the door. The only presence he had noticed was Charm’s.
“She has to drop the camouflage,” Shade said, his voice firm. “I won’t fly without knowing where she is.”
“Fine, get in the ship and close the doors before more show up,” Charm agreed irritably.
Finding no reason to argue with that logic, Shade stepped into the ship and sealed it closed. He turned back from the door to find a naked child that looked perhaps eight, watching him. She was filthy with dirt and gore and her dark brown hair was tangled beyond salvation. If her hair had ever been brushed in her life, it didn’t show. “She is naked,” Shade said lamely stating the obvious.
“Yes she is, but you wanted her visible so she is. Now get us out of here and explain to me why Lutheron sent you,” Charm replied, the irritation still present.
Moving cautiously past the child, Shade let the Blight form fade returning to his own familiar body. With a sigh of relief he dropped into the pilot’s seat and placed his hands on the controls. The panel flickered to life and he began raising the ship quickly. The draw of magic might attract the Blights in the city. He had no desire to have them swarming over his baby like ants. The ship hummed softly and responded to his touch gr
acefully. He heard the Blight child hiss behind him and successfully managed to not flinch. The pain in his shoulder was fading now but the memory of the wounds was still very fresh. It would have been embarrassing to die to a child but she was formidable.
Charm dropped down in the seat next to him and leaned back with obvious appreciation. “I need sleep desperately, but I need answers first. Why did Lutheron send you here?”
“Because I could become a Blight. He and Caspian thought it would be the only way I could get in. They didn’t think the Blights would attack their own kind unless provoked and I had no intention of provoking any of them,” Shade explained. He glanced over to Charm and found the rogue swaying slightly in the seat. “Caspian said to tell you that you are my mentor now. He said we would do well together.”
Charm’s eyes flashed back open and he regarded Shade with a mixture of emotions. To Shade’s relief there was only a bit of displeasure present. “Well, if we are to work together, help me with my first task,” Charm said slowly, his eyes locked on Shade. “Tell me what to do with Emily. I owe her my life but I can’t take her to the Fionahold. She looks too much like her mother and the Fionaveir would resent her for the woman’s death. Not to mention she is a Blight. They would likely lock her up and analyze her to find weaknesses.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he studied the child for a moment and then looked to Charm. “She helped you and guarded you?” he asked cautiously.
“From the moment she saw me,” Charm replied smoothly.
“Do you think she would guard another person?” Shade asked.
“I suppose it depends on the person,” Charm said cautiously. “What are you thinking of?”
“I know someone in Sanctuary we can send her to. If she would be willing to guard her as fiercely as she was guarding you, it would benefit them both,” Shade said hesitantly. “If she stays camouflaged or hides her talons, she could pass as normal there.”
“Who?” Charm asked, his voice bordering on demand.
“Jala. I doubt you know her. She is open-minded, though and she has a good heart. If I write a letter for Emily to give her, Jala will give her a chance,” Shade explained.
A smile broke across the rogue’s face and he nodded slowly. “I hadn’t even thought of that, but you are right. Jala will give her a chance,” He nodded again to Shade with approval. “Perhaps we can work well together.”
“You know Jala?” Shade asked a bit incredulous.
“I guarded her when she first arrived in Sanctuary. I was her shadow,” Charm explained. Leaning out of his chair, he looked back to Emily. “All you will have to tell her is you want to be a lighter shade of grey,” He told the child who looked at him with obvious confusion.
Shade smirked and nodded once. “That will do it. Just show yourself to Jala. Don’t show yourself to her husband. He is an asshole and he won’t listen,” Shade added. He could well imagine how Finn Sovaesh would react to a Blight, be it child or not.
“Husband?” Charm gasped he stared at Shade with widened eyes. “What husband? Who did she marry?” He asked in disbelief.
“Finn Sovaesh. About two weeks ago,” Shade explained, somehow managing to keep the bitterness from his voice. While there was no reason she should have left the city with him, not after he had abandoned her in Rivana, to have her marry Finn was salt in the wounds.
“You will have to catch me up to speed after I’ve slept. Apparently I’ve missed a good deal,” Charm said quietly and Shade couldn’t tell if it was shock or displeasure in his voice.
“Before you go to sleep can I ask a question?” Shade said quickly, noting how the rogue’s eyes were already closing.
“Go for it,” Charm said quietly as he shifted his position, seeking a more comfortable way to rest.
“It’s an abrupt change of topic I know, but I’m wondering if you noticed the same as I did while you were in the city or if I was mistaken.” He paused and watched the rogue’s eyes flicker back open. He hadn’t been sure Charm was still awake.
“Ask, I’m tired,” Charm urged.
“On a basic level did the Blights seem to react like goblins to you? I thought I noticed a lot of similar behavior. We had issues with the goblins in Morcath a few years back and I got to know them better than I ever would have wanted to. When they were afraid, they found the deepest darkest hole to crawl in. They lived in hives there, communities of several dozen. They would fight among themselves but never anything serious, just scrapping. From what I saw of the Blights they seemed to act the same way on a basic level.” He watched Charm for a reaction as he finished and the rogue seemed to be in contemplation.
“I suppose they did, now that you mention it. They do live in hives as you call it, and they do tend to prefer subterranean areas. They are thick under the palace. Why?” Charm said, his grey eyes filled with interest.
“I think I know how to clear out Eldagar,” Shade said quietly, and smiled faintly.
“You know how to clear a massive amount of Blights from a city that has never fallen?” Charm asked skeptically.
Smiling wider Shade nodded. “Yes I do, but go ahead and rest. We can talk it over once you have slept.”
Charm’s eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed on the point of arguing. He was obviously curious but in the end fatigue won out. Nodding his acceptance, he leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes again.
With another smile, Shade turned his attention to the flight ahead and working out the minor details of his plan. It was an unconventional one to be sure, but it would work.
Chapter 3
Sanctuary
Jala tried to focus on the road ahead but her eyes kept trailing back to Valor. His tall bay horse was prancing sideways down the road with every point of it glittering in the sunlight. Bright emeralds flashed from the bridle and saddle, with smaller diamonds sparkling among them. His saddle blanket was heavy black silk with silver thread embroidery and she was positive the bit in the horse’s mouth was solid gold. Between the horse’s regalia and Valor’s own perfectly tailored suit of black and silver she felt like she was riding with royalty.
“You have a beautiful horse, Valor,” she said at last, unable to keep silent about the spectacle any longer. “Is his bit actually gold?”
Finn gave a shake of his head at her and rolled his eyes. “You will regret that,” he muttered under his breath.
Valor turned his attention back from the crowded streets and smiled at her. “Did you not have a chance to see Vanguard at the spring games?” he asked, and gave her a look that suggested she had missed one of the most important events of her life. “And, no, the bit isn’t solid gold. That is far too soft a metal. It’s plated,” he said, patting the horse on the neck.
“I suppose I must have missed seeing you joust,” she admitted with a shrug. She was positive she would have noticed a knight with a gem encrusted horse on the field. The bridle alone was worth enough to feed a large city for a week. She had only gone to the first day of the Joust and then spent the rest of the games wandering through the markets. On the day she had gone, the armor and horses had been impressive but nothing like what Valor wore now.
“Well we will have to make sure you see it this year. The Joust truly is the best part of the Spring Games. It’s what most come to see you know.” He patted the horse’s neck again and smiled proudly. “And Vanguard is the best horse on the field there. He is sired by Wilhaven’s Roan stallion who goes back to Selvin’s Glorified, an excellent animal, probably the best in Arovan, or he was before Vanguard was foaled. On the top side anyway. On the bottom he is of Archlen stock with a pedigree that goes back to Foxfire who was known as one of the best chargers ever to take the field from any land. Foxfire’s line is rare now since he was lost in the last Seravae conflict.”
Jala blinked a time or two and looked to Finn. “I have no idea what he is talking about,” she whispered.
“Valor, she doesn’t know Arovan horse bloodlines. You are just babbling to yo
urself and not impressing her at all,” Finn called to Valor who looked ready to continue the genealogy of his horse.
“He knows his horse’s lines better than I know my family lines,” Jala said with a sigh. She hadn’t even named her gelding yet, though she had a feeling that wasn’t something to mention to Valor after his recital. After Marrow’s teasing her about Cap’s name she was hesitant to try to choose one and had decided to wait until the perfect one came to mind.
“Well how is she supposed to learn if I don’t tell her?” Valor asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I think she has enough on her plate to learn without the addition of pointless equine bloodlines,” Finn countered with a smile.
“Pointless?” Valor demanded, turning to lock his gaze on Finn.
Smothering laughter, Finn looked to Jala and shrugged. “In Avanti, you show prestige by clothing and jewels. In Firym, it’s weapons and skills. In Arovan, it’s your horse,” he explained.
She raised an eyebrow and let her gaze travel across Valor from his glittering horse to the silk and linen of his suit, to the finely polished long sword at his side. “So Valor is in fashion in any district,” she observed.
“Valor is what practical people call a dandy,” Finn said with a smirk.
Turning slowly to look at Finn she made a point of letting her gaze slowly travel across his own mount and silver filigreed tack, then up his shiny knee-high black boots to the pair of swords in their gleaming scabbards, resting finally on his face. “And what are you?” she asked in amusement.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams Page 4