From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(116)

“No,” Jala answered in confusion, caught completely off guard by the change of topics.

“She wasn’t strong enough when things got dirty. She couldn’t stand the sight of blood or to actually cause pain to others. Her companions did all of the messy work for her. Dashara was beautiful and compassionate to a fault and could speak with such eloquence that you could believe the Divines themselves guided her. Twice she had the chance to end the rebellion with one thrust of a knife and twice she showed mercy and lost that opportunity.” Seth shook his head slowly and let out a long sigh before looking toward her once more. “They repaid that mercy by flaying her skin and salting the wounds. Dashara died in complete agony because she wasn’t strong enough to strike.” He paused again to open the window, turning his back toward her, but not before she caught the look of pain on his features. “Fiona was the complete opposite. She had the strength and the resolve, but none of the compassion and charisma,” Seth continued, turning back to look at her, his expression neutral once more. “Despite what they lacked and their faults, both of them nearly changed the face of this world, and neither of them had Divine blood.” He winked at her and smiled. “We share enemies, Lady Merrodin, and for that and the sake of memories you may call on me if you are ever in dire need. They call you Dasharan and there are those who seek to kill anyone given that title. Call on me if they try and you think they might succeed.” He pulled a feather from the edge of his cloak as he spoke and laid it carefully on the table by the window before slipping out into the night.

Are you all right? Valor’s voice in mind broke the spell of silence she had been lost in and she shook her head quickly before answering.

I’m fine Valor. I just had a very strange visit and Legacy is here now, Jala explained, still in a bit of a daze. Seth’s words had left her in a state of confusion. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was wanting from her. Did he expect her to change the world? Would he still help her when he realized she had no intention of changing anything aside from the population of the Avanti lands?

What? How is Legacy here? Is he OK? Wait to answer. I’m coming to your room, Valor’s voice was filled with concern as he broke the mental link. Within a breath, her door was opening and he stood there, his gaze sweeping the room as if he had expected trouble.

“A man by the name of Seth brought him,” Jala said when he turned his gaze toward her. Her eyebrow raised in question as she watched the color drain from Valor’s face. “I take it you know him?”

“Only through stories and few of them are pleasant,” Valor murmured.

“It is likely that Valor only knows stories from after Seth’s death. He became much more brutal after he died. The part that is important here is what he did in life,” Vaze’s voice echoed from the shadows and Jala whirled to face him.

“How long have you been in here?” Jala demanded, her eyes narrowing. Seeing him in Kithvaryn’s rooms had been a shock. Knowing he was spying on her was infuriating. Her feelings were still mixed when it came to Vaze. Part of her hated him for what he had done to Finn, and the other smaller side wanted desperately to keep him close for the simple fact that he was her Uncle.

The shadows faded a just enough for her to make out the look of sadness on his face. “You truly hate me now don’t you Jala?” Vaze sighed.

“How could I not after what you did to Finn. Did you even check on him after you sent him back to hell?” Jala demanded, her voice cracking a bit on the words. It wasn’t true. She didn’t entirely hate him. She wasn’t even sure it was truly hate instead of simple anger. Her emotions were guiding her words now though rather than logic. “I can’t check on him you know. I’ve tried. I managed to cut her strings on him, but I couldn’t get him out of there again,” she admitted her voice thick.

“I did check on him, Jala. You did save him from being a puppet. He is free of the Dark lady now, but he is beyond either of our reach. I’m sorry, Jala. If I had seen any other way I wouldn’t have done what I did,” Vaze said as the shadows began to thicken around him again. “I’ll go, Jala. I had no intention of upsetting you. I just wanted to make sure Seth was here with peaceful intent. Given that he had Legacy, I assumed he was, but I have a hard time trusting good intentions in anyone.”

“Wait,” Valor broke in before Vaze could leave. “What did you mean about it was important what Seth did in life?”

“He was the first slave that Dashara freed in her rebellion. He is quite possibly the biggest enemy the Avanti have. The only reason he hasn’t destroyed them before now is because he was on a very short leash. I do believe that has changed now though, and he will have more freedom to act in the future. Funny how history repeats itself, isn’t it?” Vaze’s voice grew fainter as the shadows darkened around him until the last words were barely a whisper.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jala asked, but Vaze was already gone from the room. Or at least she thought he was. The man was sneaky enough he could have been standing directly behind her for all she knew. Sighing she looked to Valor who simply shrugged in confusion.

“I have no idea. The sun is already coming up, though, so I don’t think we have time to ponder it now. It would be best to get what sleep we can before Kithvaryn summons you,” Valor said in a weary voice. He crossed the room silently and looked down at Legacy, a look of concern on his face. “He seems fine, but what about Wisp and Jail?”