From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(173)

The room beyond was silent as Jala stepped from the bathroom. With a heavy sigh she gazed around the empty space and her eyes stopped on the silver tray on the table. She moved closer and lifted the lid to examine the assortment of food. Plucking a piece of meat from the tray she took a bite and chewed slowly as she looked around the chamber once more. The sheer size of the room made her feel more alone than she had since she was a child. Carefully, she covered the plate once more and headed for the door, finishing the meat as she crossed the room.

The hall beyond was black but she could see light faintly from under a door a short way down the hall. Quickly, Jala padded barefoot across the plush carpet and slowly pushed the door open a crack. Peeking inside, she spotted Valor seated on the foot of a bed turning a small wooden sword over in his hands. By the expression on his face he was lost in thought and hadn’t even heard the door open. As silently as she could, Jala slipped through the door and closed it behind her. She paused, amazed that he still hadn’t noticed her presence and looked around the room. Trophies lined the shelves along one wall while the rest of the room was lined with various objects ranging from broken weapons to carved figures. Glancing back at Valor, she cleared her throat and smiled widely at the wide eyed expression that crossed his face.

“I almost got lost in the room you assigned me. Do you happen to have a map of it so I can find my way out in the morning?” Jala teased quietly.

Valor smiled and shook his head slowly. “If you aren’t out of there by lunch, I’ll send in a team of scouts to locate you,” he promised.

Moving slowly, Jala crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. Leaning over, she examined the wooden sword more closely, noticing the worn polish on the hilt.

Valor hefted it with one hand and smiled. “Honor made it for me when I was little. I was thinking I might take it back to Merro. In a few years, Legacy will be able to bruise some shins with it,” he explained as he lowered the toy sword once more.

“I’m sure he is fine, Val,” Jala said softly. The expression of concern had been fleeting when he spoke his brother’s name, but she had caught it.

“I’m not sure if any of them are fine, honestly, Jala. On a clear night such as this we should be able to see the lights of Amdany lighting the sky to the east. It is nothing but darkness in the east. Amdany is the largest city in the south. I can’t even imagine the thought of evacuating that place,” Valor said as he tossed the sword lightly onto the floor near his travel packs.

“We will find them,” Jala promised and leaned on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen for a moment and then relax. Tilting her head upward she watched his face and smiled when he glanced down at her. His expression softened and the lines of worry faded. The silence stretched between them and Jala closed her eyes, simply content with his company. “Valor.” Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke.

“Hmm?” His voice sounded as content as her own and she opened her eyes to gaze up at him.

“I don’t want to stay in that room alone,” Jala said quietly, her eyes watching the expression on his face carefully. A look of surprise crossed his features, followed by one of disbelief. She smiled again as he continued to stare at her. “But I can if you keep looking at me like that,” she added.

The expression vanished from his face instantly and he shook his head quickly. “No, it’s just…” His voice trailed off and Valor snorted in amusement. “I’m not thinking quite as clearly tonight as I normally do. I was about to offer you another room until it dawned on me what you were saying,” he admitted with a heavy sigh and rubbed his face. “I was saying that I want to stay with you tonight,” Jala pressed, her eyes watching him closely for any signs of hesitation. “I can’t look at you as a friend anymore, Valor. You are so much more to me than that,” she added in a softer voice.

“I haven’t thought of you as just a friend in a very long time,” Valor admitted softly. He looked over at her with a faint smile and shook his head slowly. “I had just convinced myself that you were never going to share the same sentiments.”

“I didn’t know what it meant,” Jala said as her hand rose to touch the black earring he wore. Her fingers trailed past the earring to brush gently through his hair. “I wish I hadn’t been so thick. I was blind to everything but protecting Merro.”

“It’s OK, Jala,” Valor said, his dark blue eyes watching her. “You did what you had to. At first I was angry that you turned to Seravae rather than Arovan, but after what I’ve seen here, you made the right choice. I didn’t realize Arovan had nothing left to give.”

Tracing her fingers slowly down to his cheek, Jala leaned forward to kiss him. She felt her pulse quicken as Valor leaned into the kiss, his arm moving behind her to pull her closer. Pulling back, she stared into his eyes and saw her own feelings mirrored in the dark blue depths. “I love you,” Jala whispered as she moved closer, sliding her leg across him to straddle his lap. Gently she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled back, her weight resting lightly on his knees.

Valor’s gaze flicked down to where her robe had fallen open in the front and she felt him tense again. With painful slowness he slid his hands beneath her robe to rest lightly on her hips. “I have forced myself not to say those words to you for so long, it almost feels wrong to speak them now,” Valor said, his voice low. His thumb moved in slow circles across her skin, tracing a circle around her hip bone.