From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(130)

“It’s dangerous, though. He won’t acknowledge the child you have now. He will want an heir of his own to secure him in Merro,” Ash warned, his gaze dropping to Legacy who was peacefully asleep.

“Will he try to kill my son?” Jala asked. She would gamble a lot for vengeance, but not Legacy. If her son was in danger with this path, then she would have to find another way.

Ash shook his head, his expression still thoughtful. “When we negotiate the contract, make strong references to the ties your child has to Arjuna Firym. If he knows Legacy is the High Lord of Firym’s nephew he won’t touch a hair on his head. There are a few other details we have to work out, but, Jala, I need you to understand this before we continue. Jexon sees absolutely no value in women beyond warming his bed. He will not respect you, he will not treat you kindly, and he will do everything he can to break your will. Are you still willing to walk this path?” Ash watched her closely and she knew he was reading her emotions as well as her expression.

“As long as my son is safe, there is nothing he can do to me that will be worse than what I’ve already seen. To see Merro safe from the Avanti and to repay the Dark lady for what she has done, I will willingly suffer anything,” Jala answered quietly with resolve thick in her voice.

“A life lived for vengeance is a life not truly lived.” Ash continued to watch her as he spoke the proverb as if he expected to see some shift of emotions, perhaps a moment of indecision.

“To set aside my vengeance would be the same as saying I don’t care. The Avanti killed my husband and now they threaten my people and lands. Death is corrupt. She kept me from bringing Finn back and has wrongfully kept thousands from returning to the life cycle. I do care, and I plan to let them know exactly how much I care. They are a festering wound to Sanctuary. Their corruption taints everything they touch, but I will cleanse them,” Jala said with promise thick in her voice. Carefully she brushed a strand of hair back from Legacy’s face and smiled down at her son. “They will never take anything from me again,” she added in a softer voice.





Nothing about the Seravae islands was inviting, from what Jala had seen since their landing. The entire place reminded her of what the Darklands would be if the sun turned its face on the shadows there. Cold fog rolled across the rock strewn fields outside the window and she wondered if even a goat could survive on the vegetation that struggled to grow there. The view was utterly dismal, and yet it was still more appealing than the view of the room she sat in.

She had been in the room for hours now while the High Lord and Ash verbally battled over who would win the honor of leading an army to Merro. It had been a constant debate for the past two days and the arguments were beginning to run in circles with both men repeating themselves. That hardly mattered though. Ash was buying time now and nothing more. They both knew she would end up in a marriage with Jexon.

At the thought, Jala turned her gaze toward the dark haired man standing before the heavy oaken table. At a glance, Jexon was attractive as all Elder Blood were. When you looked closer, though, you could see the truth of him. Every time his dark eyes settled on her she could see the calculations and lust for power. She could see the distaste there as well. Jexon had made no secret of what he thought of her. At least he is honest about that, she mused.

“I’ve heard enough of this. We are repeating ourselves here,” the Master of Blades proclaimed in a disgusted voice. Ash had said the man’s name was Scythe, but no one had ever bothered to properly introduce her to him. He was lean and sharp of features and a cold bluntness to his words that made her rather glad no one had bothered to introduce them.

“I agree.” The words were faint, barely a whisper, but then as the title implied the Master of Silence rarely spoke loudly. She was the only woman Jala had seen since her arrival that actually had a voice of power. Though saying she had seen the woman was a bit of a joke in itself. The lady kept herself covered from head to toe in a long grey dress. A veil of matching silk fell over her face and covered her hair. Not a single trace of the woman could be seen through the garb. Jala couldn’t even begin to guess the woman’s age through the clothing.

“I think this has all been a marvelous waste of time to begin with. We all know Jexon holds the advantage here. Ash’s loyalties are questionable at best. He fled from his country and went into hiding rather than abide by our laws. If we are truly going to form an alliance with a country as questionable as Merro, then we must send a trusted leader. Jexon has proved himself time and time again.”

Jala turned to gaze at the last speaker and forced her face to remain neutral. It wasn’t the first time the Master of Spirits had insulted Merro, or her for that matter, and she doubted it would be the last. The man was old, wrinkled, and balding, and by far the ugliest creature she had ever seen among the Elder Bloods. He was half-blood if she guessed and took his physical traits from the commoner side of his family.

“I regret that the council stands against me on this matter,” Ash said with a bow of his head. He had regained the serene bearing the moment they had landed on Seravae and had managed to keep it through the entire debate. He never showed anger, he never smiled, and he never gloated, which was more than could be said for his father. She had witnessed all three emotions in the High Lord.

“There should have been no debate on this at all. The matter is settled now, though,” Jexon said, his voice thick with triumph. Turning, he looked Jala over with a faint expression of distaste and then looked past her to Neph as if she wasn’t worthy of his direct words. “If you seek an alliance with Seravae you will deal with me. If she simply wishes a marriage to something better than an exiled bastard then I suppose Ash qualifies.”