From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(18)

Shade stole a glance at Charm and found the rogue looking uneasy. That was certainly not a good sign. Of all of them in the room, only Vaze seemed at ease. Shade flicked his gaze to the warrior and watched him, hoping to get some sort of sign as to how to act.

Vaze had lowered the globe and was watching Lutheron with a thoughtful expression. “I could go after her,” he offered finally. “I know the Darklands better than anyone living that I know of.”

“Absolutely not. She has made this mess. I can’t risk losing you over it as well,” Lutheron grumbled. His temper seemed to be cooling.

“Actually, whoever killed the Sovaesh boy started the mess,” Vaze corrected, his dark eyes locked on Lutheron.

“Ridiculous. People die. That doesn’t mean you go traipsing off into hell to collect them when they do. Chances are if they go to hell when they die they don’t bloody well need to be brought back to life,” Lutheron snarled.

“That is a very good point,” Shade agreed quietly, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room.

“Shade, shut the hell up,” Charm hissed, eyes flicking back to Lutheron with a meaningful look.

“She has very little chance of success alone,” Vaze pointed out quietly.

“Then we have to factor her out of future planning. I regret it, Vaze, I truly do, but she made the choice,” Lutheron said in even tones. His anger had apparently passed as swiftly as it had risen.

“What do you need of me that is more important than Jala Merrodin?” Vaze asked, his voice level, but holding a hint of warning in it. His posture had changed too, Shade noted silently. The warrior no longer lounged. Instead, he stood rigid with every muscle coiled as though he expected a fight.

“I expect you to secure the city. There are Blights running loose within the bounds of Sanctuary. I expect you to kill them. I’d give the task to another, but they would die,” Lutheron replied with faint smirk. He knew he had won the argument with those few words.

Letting out a long sigh, Vaze nodded slowly and relaxed against the wall once more. “As you say, Lutheron. Do we have a location for them?”

“No, which brings me to another matter. Charm, I had planned to send you to help the Merrodin girl. That was before I realized what a fool she was. Now I will keep you close to help someone that is more worthy of your skills. You and Shade will both be assigned to guard and help Symphony when she arrives. Shade, I understand you have more practice with the Blight form. Is it true they can sense their kind when they draw near?” Lutheron spoke with a calm authority and it seemed the matter of helping Jala would be forgotten.

“You know, I could go in Vaze’s place. I’m not irreplaceable to the Fionaveir and Jala is a friend of mine,” Shade offered. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground by ignoring Lutheron’s question completely, but he wasn’t willing to let the topic of Jala simply slide away so easily.

“No, you are needed here. Now can you sense the Blights?” Lutheron said with a bit of irritation.

“No, I can’t. I’ve heard they can sense each other but I haven’t figured out how they use that particular skill. I can camouflage and that’s about it,” Shade answered bluntly allowing a bit of his own irritation to seep into his voice. He understood leadership well enough, but Lutheron wasn’t so much a leader as he was a tyrant. The man simply refused to listen to any logic other than his own.

“Then you will accompany Vaze on his first hunt to see if you can master it,” Lutheron said with a nod and then looked back to Charm as if in dismissal. “You will stay by Symphony as much as she will allow it. Watch everyone that speaks with her and take notes of what they speak about. There is a question of trust in the Fionaveir right now and I don’t want Symphony being fed lies. If you see anything questionable, make note of it and inform me at your first opportunity. When she dismisses you, ensure that Shade is there to take your place. In the Blight form, of course, and unseen.”

“Wait! You want me to watch her without her knowing I’m there?” Shade objected, stepping closer to the table as he spoke.

Lutheron looked back toward him with annoyance gleaming in his dark eyes. “For her protection, Shade. She won’t allow a guard on her night and day, as she should. I do what I must to keep her safe. Without Symphony, there isn’t much point in this rebellion now is there?”

“I won’t do it,” Shade said firmly. “I’ll guard her if she knows I’m there, but I won’t skulk in the shadows with her oblivious to my presence.”

Lutheron gave an exaggerated sigh and looked back to Charm. “I will leave it to you to explain it to him. See that you are prepared for her arrival. Until then I have no further orders.”

“When should we expect her to arrive, Sir?” Charm asked politely as he stood from his chair and cast a withering look in Shade’s direction.

Shade glared back at him and shook his head in silent refusal. The simple idea of spying on Symphony was appalling to him. He didn’t want to invade her life in that way. To put himself in her place and know that someone was watching him twenty-four hours a day, was horrifying.

Lutheron pursed his lips and glanced out the window toward the wreckage of the city, then let out a long breath. “Three days, I would guess. I want most of this mess cleaned up before she arrives,” he answered and then motioned toward the door. “You may go. I have a few things I need to discuss with Vaze and then I’ll send him to Shade to arrange a hunting time.”