From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(144)

“You stupid bitch! Do you have any idea what you have done?” Jexon bellowed as the back of his hand connected solidly with her face. Staggering back from the blow, Jala reeled in shock, more from the words than the actual blow. She doubted Jexon even realized that he had quoted Finn’s last words to her, but the memory stung regardless. She could hear movement from behind and then Jexon was on his back on the ground with Valor’s fist rising for another blow.

“Are you all right?” Her father demanded as he pulled her farther back from Jexon.

Jala nodded absently as she watched Valor’s fist rise again and again, his metal gauntlet coated with Jexon’s blood. A faint smile tugged at her lips though she knew it was the last expression she should have.

“Are you going to stop Valor?” Jail asked softly and elbowed her lightly in the side. “Because it would really be a good idea to do so before he manages to kill Jexon,” he added when Jala didn’t show any signs of moving.

“Valor,” Jala called out loudly as she stepped toward the two men.

Valor stopped his next blow, but didn’t look up from Jexon. He crouched there, his face a mask of fury staring down at Jexon. She could see the muscles in Valor’s neck quivering with the desire to continue the assault.

“Could you sleep at night if you murdered him?” Jala asked calmly, repeating his own words back to him.

“Soundly and with a smile on my face,” Valor replied in a voice that was choked with anger.

“What happens when Legacy reads about this at the Academy?” Jala asked as she drew closer still.

“Then he will ask what took me so bloody long to kill the son of a bitch,” Valor shot back but she could see his body relaxing.

Slowly, Jala closed her fingers around the wrist of the hand he still held upraised for another blow. With a gentle tug she pulled him to his feet and looked down at the blood soaked gauntlet. Without bothering to even look at her husband she began to undo the buckles and pulled the gauntlet from Valor’s hand, gazing down at the bruised and scraped knuckles.

“Seize him!” Jexon bellowed from the ground, his voice distorted by his broken nose and bleeding lips.

“Uh, beg pardon but who exactly are you telling to seize him, Milord? We knocked your two guards out cold and disarmed them when the Commander moved toward you and the rest of us were cheering him on and hoping he would kill you,” Noble said with amusement in his voice.

“That’s not entirely true. I wasn’t cheering I was holding a sword out in offering in case he wanted to use something other than his fist,” Foster objected.

“There is nothing to seize him for. He hasn’t committed a crime,” Jala said quietly as she healed Valor’s hand and stepped back from him. Looking down at Jexon she shook her head slowly and smiled. “Valor is my Warder, remember? He was simply doing his job and protecting me. Unlike you, Jexon he does his duty,” she finished.

Jexon struggled to sit up, his face still filled with anger. Raising one arm he wiped the worst of the blood from his face and staggered unsteadily to his feet. “I was trying to protect your lands you stupid little bitch. We were outnumbered we had no choice but to find terms with the Avanti.”

“And yet we won,” Jala pointed out coldly, her eyes narrowing.

“Against an army of rabble. That was nothing more than show. They will send true soldiers against us now. Before, they were just bluffing. Now they will attack in truth,” Jexon snarled back in disgust.

“Then I suggest next time you actually fight,” Jala returned, then turned toward Jail. “Take my husband to the healers, Jail. I have no energy to spare to heal his wounds,” she ordered and turned back to look over the battlefield. “Father, have our dead and wounded cleared from the field. I will see to them as soon as I have the prisoners situated,” With one final glance at Valor she moved to stand in front of Cassia once more. Looking down, she stared at the woman and shook her head slowly. “This isn’t salvation, Cassia. This is a delay. Valor stopped me this time, but if you so much as whine in my presence, he won’t stop me a second time. I promise you that,” she whispered, her voice pitched just loud enough for Cassia alone. “Valor, set your own guards on the prisoners and Jail will question them when he has time. I don’t want any of Jexon’s guards watching them at any point.”

“As you say,” Valor agreed with a sharp nod. “Jala, are you truly planning to raise all of the fallen?” he asked as she moved toward her horse.

“Every last one of ours. Death will get nothing from Merro,” Jala promised as she swung into the saddle once more. Her eyes fell on the dragon’s corpse once more and she paused before turning to tend the dead. “Valor,” she began as she calculated the exact size of the beast.

“Yes?” Valor asked, glancing back from his place beside the prisoners.

“Are dragons edible?” Jala asked thoughtfully.

“What?” Valor and several of the knights echoed the word their voices filled with disbelief.

“It’s that or horse meat. We are low on meat and the army could use the protein. I’ll leave it to Arovan to decide what is in the stew tonight,” Jala said calmly as she turned her horse and rode toward the waiting dead.





Chapter 28