From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(136)

Jexon won’t let Jail anywhere near him. The moment Jail enters a room Jexon leaves it, Marrow reminded her.

Emily rose from the floor and stretched, the feline grin still showing on her face. Get packed, Jala I’ll see to the rest. Jexon may avoid Jail when he notices him, but in all that chaos out there. I doubt he will see him and Jail doesn’t need to be close. Just within sight, Emily said with a flip of her tail as she turned to leave the house.

And Legacy? Marrow asked cautiously.

“Goes with me. Seth warned me once about leaving those I love behind. I do not need to be warned twice on that account,” Jala said firmly. It was risky, of course, taking her son along, but then her mother would likely be going with Nathan, and he was still young. The supply wagons and the camp followers wouldn’t be anywhere near the actual fighting. She could simply leave Legacy in her mother’s care during the actual conflicts. The rest of the time he would be with her and far safer than he would be if she left him behind in the city.

Her gaze moved to the window once more, only this time with a smile on her face. Things were finally falling into place and she was about to receive the reward for her obedience over the past three months. Avanti was about to fall and every bruise and insult would be worth it.





Her horse shifted under her and Jala leaned to the side to pat the gelding lightly on the neck. She couldn’t really blame the horse for being restless. She was sick of waiting, too. Badger let out a long sigh beside her and relaxed more in his saddle, one hand loosely holding his reins. Her father had been her constant company during the trip north, and only left her side in the evenings to seek out his wife and leave her with Jexon.

Glancing over at her, he smiled reassuringly and let out another sigh. “I really hate that veil you know,” Badger muttered sourly. “I’ve been back among the living for three months and I’ve only seen my daughter a handful of times before this march and I’ve yet to see her face. I can’t even tell what you are thinking with that thing on.”

“I’m wondering why we are still standing here. They should be calling people forward to unload the ships by now,” Jala returned lightly, her gaze moving to the wooden gates of Brannaford. Jexon and several of his officers had ridden into the city hours ago and they were yet to receive word back from them.

“My guess would be that the ships haven’t arrived yet. Though I would have thought someone would have sent word to strike camp by now,” Badger said with a shrug.

“I think I may ride through and try to determine the problem,” Jala said hesitantly. She knew she should stay with the main army but Jexon hadn’t officially told her to wait. Though there was, of course, the chance that he would simply ignore her when she asked what the delay was, and he would no doubt be furious with her for coming to find him.

“You missed your friend riding through those gates half an hour past didn’t you?” Badger asked with a grin.

“Which one?” Jala asked, quickly turning back to look at her father. She hadn’t noticed anyone approach the gates though she had been keeping most of her attention on the city.

“The big one with the tattoos around his head. Jail, I believe his name is, though why anyone would name their child that is beyond me,” Badger replied with a smirk.

“He probably used a mind fog to keep anyone from noticing him,” Jala mused quietly and looked at her father with surprise. “You shouldn’t have been able to see him,” she pointed out in a slightly louder voice.

“Aren’t you glad I did, though? Saved you from approaching that horse’s ass that you married. Now we can just wait and see what your friend has to say when he gets back.” Her father grinned at her as he spoke and she felt herself returning the smile. He was exactly as she remembered him from childhood. Calm, logical, and able to make everything better with a few simple words.

“You shouldn’t call him that, daddy,” Jala scolded quietly without much enthusiasm toward her husband’s defense. Her gaze lingered on Badger for a long moment before looking away. It seemed strange to call him daddy or to even think of him as father when she truly looked at him. When Jala was a child, Badger had seemed old. Now she realized he wasn’t much older than Finn had been when she married him. His hair was still dark and only the small lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes showed the hints of his age. Had he been full Elder Blood she doubted he would have looked any older that she did.

“Quite right. It insults horses,” Badger agreed with a grin and nodded his head toward the gates. “See your friend is already on his way back. Not so long to wait, eh.”

Jala turned her attention toward the city and stared hard at its gates before turning back to look at her father with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t see a thing,” she muttered dryly.

“Well, he is walking right toward you. Are you blind girl?” her father teased, raising his eyebrows at her twice with a grin on his face.

“Jala,” Jail’s voice came from directly beside her horse and Jala jumped in the saddle at the sound, despite the fact that she should have been expecting it. Looking down she met the Mind mage’s eyes and scowled at the faint smile on his face. “Sorry I should have given you warning,” Jail whispered in a voice that wasn’t the least bit apologetic.

“No worries, Jail. What is it?” Jala said calmly and resisted the desire to glare at her father for the chuckling behind her. It wouldn’t do much good to glare at him anyway. With the veil he would have no way of seeing the expression.