From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(12)

“Are you OK?” Jala asked ducking her head a bit to try to get a look at his face.

“Broken ribs. Breast plate is bent back on them. Rather uncomfortable,” Valor replied, his words choked. He stood once more, slowly, and she could see the aftermath of the last savage blow the Shifter had delivered. His breastplate was caved in as he had said with jagged holes punched through it where the talons had found flesh. Blood seeped from the holes, though he didn’t seem to be paying any attention to his wounds now. His gaze was focused on the figure approaching them, dressed in white plate mail and a mottled white cloak. Long dark hair showed from under the hood as well as a delicate pale face.

“Symphony?” Jala whispered as the woman drew closer. It made no sense whatsoever for the future Empress to be in hell with them, but this woman was a mirror image of the girl she had met in Firym. The white armor looked battered and the cloak wasn’t mottled she realized suddenly, it was bloodstained.

“Fiona Veirasha,” Valor breathed as the legendary knight of House Veir continued to approach in deathly silence.





Chapter 2





Merro





“But I don’t want to go in here, it’s haunted,” the little girl objected, bracing her hands and feet against the door frame. Her silver hair hung in beautiful ringlets around her pale face and her blue eyes were wide with terror. Despite the tantrum, Devony was the same as all immortals Emily had met so far – perfect and beautiful, even at her tender young age.

Emily started to object to being referred to as a ghost but she wasn’t sure if pointing out that she was, in fact, a Blight, would make the child feel any better, so she remained silent and simply watched. Wisp was behind the child trying to force her through the door, with little success. The small Fae was barely bigger than Devony, despite the fact that the Arovan child was only six or seven. Emily wasn’t exactly sure on the child’s true age. For all she knew it might be closer to five. The Immortal children were difficult for her to judge. They grew so slowly in comparison with the Blights.

“It’s not haunted, Dev, that voice is Emily. We have talked about this before,” Wisp assured her. The Fae had managed to pry one small hand loose from the door frame and was working on the second. “I need to talk with Sovann and I can’t leave you alone,” Wisp insisted, redoubling her efforts on the second hand as Devony scrambled to secure her hold better.

“Devony, it’s perfectly all right in here. I promise. Emily is a friend and is helping me with an experiment. She is not a ghost and this house is not haunted. How could it be haunted? After all, we just built it, remember?” Sovann said gently, his voice filled with patience. “Maybe you should show yourself, Emily. That might make her feel better,” Sovann suggested, turning to look in the direction he thought Emily was in.

Emily fought back a snort of amusement as she watched him gaze at the empty corner. She remained silent and turned her attention outside the window she was perched in, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she knew she wouldn’t see. Jala and Marrow had been gone for days now and no matter how long she watched for their return, she knew in her gut she wouldn’t see them. Jala had left her behind, just as Shade had done, and she had never seen Shade again.

It wasn’t truly Jala that she missed, though. It was Marrow. She identified with the Bendazzi better than she did these perfect pretty Immortals. He was a predator as she was, and he understood things the immortals couldn’t seem to grasp. Like the smell of scented soap alerts prey. Emily grumbled silently and shifted a bit closer to the window. She had no doubt at all that if she showed herself to Sovann and Wisp another bath would be in her future.

A ragged sob followed by a slamming door heralded Wisp’s victory, and Emily watched in amusement as the child ran to huddle beneath the window barely inches below her. The desire to reach down and touch the child flashed through her mind, but she ignored the impulse. While it might be funny for a moment to see the child shriek and jump it wouldn’t be worth the lectures from Sovann that would ensue afterwards.

“What did you need to speak with me about?” Sovann asked quietly as he gave Devony a reassuring smile.

Wisp looked over her shoulder at the door and then back to Sovann. “Are the wards in place?” she asked quietly.

Sovann returned her gaze and arched an eyebrow before nodding slowly. “Whenever the door is closed the wards are active. No one can hear us,” he assured her.

“My brother is here. He wants to speak with Jala. I haven’t told him what is going on. I left him in the main house with some food and drink while I came to speak with you. The only company he has right now is the maid and she had no idea where Jala is. What should I tell him? The truth didn’t seem a good idea at the time,” Wisp explained, her words pouring out in a flood. Wisp brushed a strand of hair from her face and stared at Sovann, her big green eyes full of expectation.

Emily’s attention turned from the window to them and she watched Sovann as he considered the Fae’s words. On the surface, Sovann was a slender mirror of his dead brother. He had the same bronzed skin and tawny hair, though he wore his hair longer than Finn had. Emily, however, had been around Sovann enough lately to know appearance was the only thing the brothers had in common. Finn was passionate and spontaneous where Sovann was calm and thoughtful. He was displaying that thoughtfulness right now and didn’t seem in a hurry to answer Wisp, though the Fae was quite obviously in a hurry.