From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(102)

I haven’t located him yet. If I do I will tell you at once. I am trying to determine exactly where we are at the moment, Marrow informed her.

“Valor!” Jala called, her voice breaking as she contemplated the heavy armor he had been wearing. Even with Valor’s strength, swimming in all of that steel would have been next to impossible. “Damn it, Val why did you leave the armor on,” she hissed as she blinked rain back from her eyes. Another violent gust of wind drove hard across the beach and she clenched her teeth against the cold. She’d lost her cloak at some point on the journey and the sheer material of her dress was no match for the weather.

“No sign of him yet?” Sovann asked as he approached her quickly, his cloak pulled tight against the wind.

Jala shook her head and chewed on her lower lip as she continued to stare hopelessly at the beach. “I think magic is my only hope here. I’m too damned blind in this murk and rain,” Jala informed him and let out a long sigh.

“Let me. I doubt you have had a chance to rebuild all your power from Goswin and you may need what little you have for the negotiations with Kithvaryn,” Sovann offered with a frown.

“Well, look for my staff as well as Valor, if you would please. Valor first, though,” Jala agreed and rubbed her face with both hands. This was not exactly how she had planned to make an entrance to the isle of Kithvaryn. From what she had learned of the man, Kithvaryn was a meticulous person with an eye for details that made most seem blind.

“This way,” Sovann urged after a long pause and she followed after him quickly as he moved toward the ship wreckage. He stopped just short of the main body of the ship and began frantically pushing the tattered remains of their sails from his way. “He is under here somewhere,” Sovann called over his shoulder.

“Is he living? Can you tell?” Jala asked frantically as she dropped to her knees and began pulling the cloth back as quickly as she could.

“He is pureblood Immortal, Jala. It will take more than a simple ship wreck to kill him,” Sovann assured her, but the expression on his face said otherwise. “Here, Jala I’ve found his arm,” Sovann exclaimed and Jala moved quickly to his side.

Pushing past Sovann she forced the remainder of the wreckage back and stared down at Valor’s pale face and the streak of coppery blood that tracked down from his temple. “He is alive, but he will need healing. Give me a bit of room please,” Jala said, her words coming out in a rush as her eyes lingered on the color of his blood. It was too dark to be sure, but it didn’t quite seem red. It wasn’t gold she could tell that much, but it still wasn’t quite the right color.

“Should I look for Marrow as well, or just the staff?” Sovann asked as he stepped back away from her.

“Marrow is fine just the staff please,” Jala replied softly her eyes never leaving Valor.

“I will find it then. If you need me, call. I shouldn’t be far off,” Sovann said as he backed away farther.

“Valor can you hear me?” Jala whispered. Carefully she placed a palm on either side of his face and gently smoothed his hair back from the wound. Leaning back a bit she daubed at the blood with the sleeve of her dress. It didn’t look like a deep gash, but she could already see the lump rising beneath it. Chewing on her lip once more she looked down at his pale face and swallowed heavily. “I don’t ever want to see you like this again, Valor Hai’dia. I’d rather you be fuming and cursing me then bleeding on the ground before me,” she whispered hoarsely as she began to form a healing spell in her mind.

“I’d rather you not give me a reason to fume and curse,” Valor replied in a broken whisper, his eyes still closed. “Gods be damned but it feels like my head is split in two,” he mumbled.

“My father always said that it’s easiest to fight with those you care for. And it’s not quite split in two but it is a nasty bump. Give me a moment and I’ll have you fixed up,” Jala returned softly. The glow of magic radiated off her hands and highlighted his face making it seem even more ghostly. “I know I’ve seen you wounded before, Valor, and I don’t recall you bleeding like this.”

Valor’s eyes flashed open at her words and then widened quickly. “Jala duck!” he bellowed weakly.

Ducking quickly, Jala snapped her head to look behind her as she rolled to the sand beside Valor who was trying desperately to free himself from her and rise. Lightning flashed in the sky illuminating the edge of a sword blade as it fell directly toward her. “No!” she screamed uselessly as she frantically tried to form a spell.

“Yes,” came the mocking reply as the flat of the blade connected solidly with her head. Spots danced before her eyes and she struggled to remain conscious. “Tough little bitch, aren’t you?” The voice was faint from the ringing in her ears, yet she still tried to target where he must be standing now.

“You will die for that,” Valor snarled and she felt the wind rise once more. This time however she knew it was not the storm causing the violent gust.





“Tasty little peach isn’t she.” Hot breath washed across her face with the words and Jala struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt exactly as Valor had described his own wound earlier. “And already waking up. Can you hear me, little girl?” the voice called again, thick with mockery.