Finn was still asleep when she entered his room, and she gave a wordless sigh as she closed the door behind her and selected a bottle from his table. Glass in hand she sat down in a chair near the bed and poured herself a drink. It was possible the drink could settle her nerves. It would be nice to be more composed when he did wake up. She needed someone she trusted to help her sort this mess out, and if that meant waiting until Finn woke up, she was fine with that.
Sunlight shone down on her cheek warming it to uncomfortable measures. Stirring sleepily, she rolled away from the light and encountered an obstacle in her movement. Blinking her eyes open, she stared down at the arm across her. Turning slightly, she traced its line back up to Finn’s sleeping form. Her gaze traveled to the table beside the bed and her eyes locked on the empty decanter with the glass lying on its side near the edge of the table. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked down at Finn and cringed at the pounding of her head. The blankets fell away from her as she moved, and the cool air prickled across her skin. Absently, she rubbed her arms and then looked down in alarm as she encountered nothing but flesh. Eyes widening, she raised the blanket and looked down at herself. She was entirely naked, without a stitch of clothing to be seen. The pounding in her head increased and she dropped the blanket back down, clutching it under her ears.
“You told me not to give you the potion to cure drunkenness again, so I let you remain drunk,” Finn said, his voice still thick from sleep. His eyes were closed and he hadn’t moved yet.
“We didn’t…uh…we uh,” she stammered, unsure how exactly she should phrase the question.
Finn’s eyes snapped open and he looked at her with an offended glare. “I don’t care how drunk you were, Jala, you would have remembered if we had,” he said, his tone indignant.
“Well, where are my clothes?” She protested and raised a hand to her head. Raising her voice had been a very bad idea and her skull felt as though it was going to split apart.
“You fouled them rather well when you vomited in my trash can,” Finn replied, his expression returning to his usual smirk.
Her jaw dropped, and she felt the blood drain from her face at his words. “Oh, I did. Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her embarrassment now heating her face with a furious blush.
Laughing gently, Finn shook his head at her. “I keep six or seven decanters of hard alcohol in my room at any given time. Surely, you don’t think I’ve never been drunk enough to vomit.” He tugged her back down beside him and rested a hand gently on her temple. “I’m not much of a healer but I can cure a hangover. It’s a skill I’ve honed to perfection,” he promised, and she felt her headache easing and then fading completely.
“Did I make a fool of myself?” she asked, fearing the answer.
He crossed his arms behind his head and shrugged. “I woke up when you were already half way through the bottle. Your crying was what woke me. I spent a bit trying to figure out what was wrong, and you did talk some. You cried mostly and drank more and babbled a lot drunkenly. Most of it, I didn’t understand.” He brushed some hair back from her face and met her gaze. “Some of it, I did, though, Milady,” he finished.
“I am horrible at keeping secrets,” she said mournfully.
“You did promise you would tell me,” he pointed out in her defense.
“I did,” she agreed with a nod. “Jail knows too,” she added with a frown.
He raised an eyebrow at her, his look incredulous. “You told Jail before me? You just met Jail,” he said, sounding a bit insulted.
“I didn’t tell him. He saw it when he checked my mind for damage,” she explained. He seemed to relax and gave a nod of acceptance. “There is more, though, I’m not sure what I babbled about to you and what I still need to tell you.”
“Mostly, it was about Shade wanting to save you, but you couldn’t let him. Then how you didn’t want me to die and then more about Shade. You only mentioned your home once or twice. The crying seemed to revolve primarily around my dying. Which I would normally laugh about, but given recent events it doesn’t seem quite so funny,” Finn said with a sigh.
“Then you haven’t talked to Neph or Jail yet?” she asked hesitantly.
“Mmm, no, should I have?” he asked, looking puzzled.
“Neph wants to explain it to everyone. I’d rather he be the one to tell you,” she said as she wrapped the covers around her tighter.
Finn’s eyes narrowed and he looked over at her. “You remember how I said I would kill Valor if you chose him,” he began, his voice low.
“No,” she cut in shaking her head. “No, no, nothing like that,” she said again following the path of his thoughts and not liking the ending. “Oh, Fortune, no. Are you insane, Finn?” She shook her head in disbelief and rested her head back on the pillow.
Finn’s expression lightened and he burst into laughter. “Can I tell him how you reacted to that suggestion, please? I’d love to see the look on Neph’s face,” he asked, still laughing.
She gave him a dry expression and shook her head. “Don’t you dare, he has just decided that he can consider me “friend,” and if you ruin that I won’t forgive you,” she warned.
He grinned at her and rolled closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her up against him. “Fine then. I can’t have you mad at me,” he agreed amiably.
She squirmed a bit trying to move away. “Finn, I’m naked. I really shouldn’t be cuddled against you like this,” she objected, trying to silence the voice in her that thought she should, in fact, cuddle closer.
“No, you shouldn’t. We should be cuddled in different ways. If you will give me a few moments I’ll remedy that,” he teased.
“I told you I wouldn’t ever sleep with you.” She squirmed again trying to get out from under his arm. He watched her with amusement on his features. and raised an eyebrow at her when she finally gave up. “Will you let me up, please?” she asked with a resigned sigh.
He shook his head and grinned. “Nope. I’m perfectly happy with where you are right now. As far as never sleeping with me, well, you’ve already broken that rule. As I recall, you woke up right there.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she objected, while straining against his arm, trying to lift it. If it budged an inch, she couldn’t tell. Releasing her grip on his arm, she looked at him in helpless annoyance. “What if I need to use the privy?” she asked.
“Do you?” he returned.
She frowned at him, and he laughingly moved his arm. “Feel free to get up then.” He sat up on the bed and leaned back against the headboard watching her.
“Could you maybe look the other way?” she asked after a moment.
“I’m the one that put you to bed. I’ve seen you naked,” he reminded her.
Her blush returned and she glared at him. “I realize that, but I wasn’t awake then to object. I am now. Would you please look away?” she asked again through clenched teeth.
He smothered a chuckle and shook his head, a wide grin on his face. “Nope,” he said and motioned for her to get up.
Snatching the blanket off the top of the bed, she wrapped it around herself and rose with as much dignity as she could muster. She tilted her chin upward a bit, and sniffed indignantly at him. “You are an ass, Finn,” she said turning and partially tripping on the blanket as she exited the room. Thankfully the hall was clear as she hurried back to her own room. Closing the door behind her, she looked around, realizing Marrow hadn’t followed her in. She opened the door a crack to look back out at the hallway and found it empty.
Turning back around she spotted the Bendazzi sprawled on her bed, his belly rounded from a recent meal. “What are you doing in here? I thought you were in Finn’s room with me,” she said, shutting the door once more.
Marrow opened an eye and sat up with an exaggerated yawn stretching his legs and flexing his claws as he did so. He shook himself and hopped down off the bed to sit. Looking up at her, he yawned again, showing rows o
f sharp white teeth. Your wailing made my head hurt and your mate had things in order. So I begged food from Wisp and took a nap, he explained.
“He is not my mate,” she objected mildly. Ignoring his growling snicker, she locked the door and headed straight toward the bathtub. She had obviously been cleaned before they put her to bed but somehow the magical cleaning wasn’t quite the same as bathing. She dropped the blanket on her bed as she passed and used a simple spell Sovann had taught her to fill the tub with steaming hot water. Sliding down into it, she let herself sink down below the water. She closed her eyes and relaxed letting the stress of the past week fade as much as it would.
Why are you so stressed? Marrow asked, his puzzlement clear.
I never expected to be a High Lady of any house. I don’t know the first thing about being nobility. I would run the other way as fast as I could, if it weren’t for my family. When I first called you, I showed you the wasteland as my home. In my heart, it is my home, Marrow, and I have a chance to rebuild it. I just don’t know how or where to start, she explained, using the link rather than rising from the water to speak aloud.
Shouldn’t that make you happy, though, not so worried. It can’t be too difficult, he objected. While Marrow had a very good grasp of most human behavior, some of it was still quite puzzling to him. To a Bendazzi, this was a simple matter and nothing to get upset over.
They won’t want me to gain power, Marrow. The High Lords will try to kill me before I can. It will be a delicate dance to stay alive long enough to rebuild. Frowning at the thought, she sat up from the water and smoothed her hair back. There was no real hope of total relaxation with everything on her mind. With a sigh, she turned to simply bathing quickly and climbed from the water.
Why don’t we kill them first? Marrow asked. Judging by the time it had taken him to speak again he must have been putting considerable thought into her problem.
She stopped in front of the mirror and glanced his way before looking back at her own reflection. Because that isn’t the way things are done, and I don’t want to have to kill them. I’d rather only fight to defend myself, she replied, frowning at her image in the mirror once more.
Sighing, she toweled herself dry, trying to ignore how painfully thin she was now. It was a wonder Finn had still found her attractive at all in this state. That thought stopped her from continued drying, and she stared at the mirror image. The thought of no longer being attractive to Finn was unreasonably upsetting to her. Frowning, she drew from her magic cautiously and tried to restore her body to what it had been before. Nodding happily, she watched her limbs thicken once more and the skeletal appearance fall away. On impulse, she drew on the magic again and her body gained more curves than it had originally held. She stepped back and surveyed her work with a growing smile. “Much better,” she murmured. Another caress of magic and her hair darkened to a deep burgundy with only a few strands of curls remaining the original mulberry.
You are vain, Marrow pointed out, dropping his head back down onto his paws as he watched her.
She stuck her tongue out at him and continued testing her magics. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a dress so dark purple it was almost black. She carefully pulled at the magic until the low cut bodice fit like a glove and the skirts flowed down her side like the sheerest of silk. “I wonder,” she mumbled to herself, and set the color of the dress swirling slowly with various shades of purple. Stepping back, she examined herself again, watching the dress to see if the patterns would continue to shift once she had stopped focusing. To her delight they did and she grinned happily, looking over at Marrow with a wide smile. If the Bendazzi was impressed, he hid it well, merely twitching an ear to acknowledge her. So I’m vain. There are worse faults, you know. She sighed and went back to her reflection a bit disappointed that he hadn’t shared her enthusiasm. Of course, asking a predator to admire a dress was rather foolish on her part, she supposed.
At least you are willing to admit it, Marrow replied.
“I’m more than willing to admit to my faults,” she said not bothering to look at him. With another few quick gestures, she fixed her hair and added jewels. She cocked her head at her reflection again and turned from side to side examining the results. Her hair was swept up with only a few tendrils curling down by her face. Rather than one of her jeweled nets it was held in place with magic. She had accented it here and there with sparkling amethyst that seemed to catch and hold the light. “Do I look like a High Lady?” She asked Marrow, turning fully to the Bendazzi and holding her hands out delicately to her sides.
Marrow looked her over and twitched his tail in thought. No, they scowl a lot more from what I’ve seen.
She mimicked a scowl such as she’d seen Cassia use, and Marrow nodded his agreement. With a giggle, she let the expression fall from her face. “I don’t think I could maintain that look for long,” she admitted with a shrug.
She was darkening her lips and adding more ostentatious jewelry when a light knock came at her door. Blushing as if she had been caught playing dress up with her mother’s clothes she looked at the door not wanting to respond.
“Jala, are you awake?” Wisp called through the door, her tone cautious.
“I am. Come in and shut the door quickly behind you,” Jala called back, relieved that it was Wisp and no one else. Wisp might actually understand the desire to play dress up.
The door opened and the small Fae darted in and shut the door quickly behind her. She turned to Jala, her mouth open to speak, and froze simply staring.
Jala’s blush deepened and she waved a hand at herself absently. “I was just playing around with my magic, Wisp. I don’t actually plan on leaving my room like this,” she explained, her embarrassment growing by the moment.
Shaking herself from the daze, Wisp moved forward quickly her eyes wide. “No, Jala, you look beautiful. It’s just the way you looked when we brought you back, I didn’t expect to see you looking, well, better than any other woman I’ve ever seen,” she said quickly, pulling Jala’s hands back down before she could remove the earrings she had been reaching for. “You were so thin and weak, and now you are so…well, stunning.”
“Stunning,” Jala repeated the word and smiled happily. “Do you really think so?” she asked a bit giddy. Realizing how foolish she must look she calmed herself back down and tried to force an expression of dignity back onto her face.
“This is perfect, actually. They sent me to get you and I can’t wait to lead you in looking like this,” Wisp bubbled with obvious delight.
“Who sent you? Lead me in where?” Jala asked.
“Neph sent me to get you. He has everyone gathered in Finn’s room, and they have food. Jail thought you would be hungry, so they waited till the food arrived to get you,” Wisp explained, already tugging her toward the door.
Planting her feet Jala shook her head. “I don’t want to go in there looking like this. Let me change,” she objected, grabbing onto a chair as the Fae continued to drag her. The little Fae really was quite stronger than she looked, Jala realized, as her grip on the chair began to slip.
“Oh, stop it; you are acting like a cat before a bath. C’mon, it will be fun,” Wisp coaxed as they neared the door.
“No, really, I’d like to change,” Jala pressed, grabbing onto the door frame as Wisp swung it open. “It won’t take me more than a…Ouch!” The last coming out more of a squeak than actual word and she looked back at the Bendazzi and rubbed her backside. “You bit me,” she accused.
Only lightly and it got you through the door. Now follow Wisp, this is the price of vanity as a fault, Marrow said with a toothy Bendazzi smile.
“Traitor,” Jala grumbled and followed after Wisp who was giggling merrily at her pain. She turned her frown to Wisp and shook her head at the Fae. “Sadist,” she mumbled which sent Wisp into further fits of giggling.
Everyone was present in Finn’s room, she noted as she entered. Even Sovann was there though he didn’t even attend the Aca
demy. Chairs had been brought in, and everyone but Finn was seated. Finn himself was sprawled on the bed and had apparently been involved in an animated discussion with Valor before they entered. Upon hearing the door open, everyone looked up, and as it clicked shut behind her, the room was deathly quiet. All eyes were on her, and Jala could have kicked Wisp for not letting her change.
“Brought her as directed,” Wisp said with a grin and bowed to Jala. “The floor is yours, madam.”
Jala looked around at all of the faces turned to her and lifted a hand and waved slowly at them. “Hi, umm, please stop staring,” she said quietly and several sets of eyes suddenly shifted from her.
“Here, take my chair,” Valor offered, getting up quickly and motioning to his seat. “I’ll get you some food. Jail said you would be hungry.” He moved before she could reply and she simply nodded and sat down.
“I’ll kill you, Val,” Finn warned, his eyes fixed on his friend.
“For what? Getting her food?” Valor asked, his expression nothing but innocence as he handed her a plate and sat a glass of wine down beside her. Valor smiled down at her, his blue eyes sparkling. By the look of him, he was planning on his usual trips to the bars soon. He was dressed in his house colors of black and silver, and his hair was pulled back and tied with an elegant black ribbon. By far he was the best dressed in the room with the exception of herself.
“I know what you are doing, Val, and I’m just saying I will kill you,” Finn said, repeating his warning.
Valor looked offended at the suggestion and shook his head at Jala. “I have no idea what he is speaking of, but apparently he finds my courtesy distressing,” he said, his tone sounding mildly offended.
“For the love of the Aspects, sit down and shut up, Valor,” Neph’s voice cut off any further comment the young knight might have had, and Valor found a spot on the foot of the bed to sit. Neph glanced over at Jala and raised an eyebrow. “Want me to tell them or would you like to?” he asked.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Bk 1 In Shades of Grey Page 41