From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(47)

“Valor, what are you doing?” Jala hissed as she watched piece after piece of the battered plate mail fall to the floor.

“I will have a hard enough time with this on my conscience, Jala. I don’t want the added burden of believing I won because my sister was unarmored. I will do this with honor,” Valor explained quietly, his attention fully focused on the remaining buckles.

“How noble. How ironic, too. I thought your brother was the one named Honor. From what I hear, that name wouldn’t suit you at all, Valor,” Hemlock chuckled.

“I’ll not be judged by the likes of you,” Valor growled as his gaze briefly flicked to the Assassin.

“I thought you had already been judged. Isn’t that why you were in Sanctuary?” Hemlock pressed.

“Shut your dog up before I do,” Jala warned, her magic rising once more. She had no idea what Hemlock was referring to, but Valor was tormented enough without added pressure from the Assassin.

“Such a temper,” Death chided. “I’m tempted to let you try, but later perhaps. I have entertainment for now.”

The last bit of armor dropped to the floor beside her and she looked up to find Valor’s gaze on her once more. She stared back at him in silence, her heart hammering in her chest at the thought of what he must be thinking. Bowing his head deeply to her he turned and pulled one of the swords from the air. With a practice swing, he tested the weight and balance and nodded with slight approval as he watched his sister claim the blade’s twin.

“You always did make the wrong choices, Valor. Should you win this fight, may Sebastian’s death be branded on your soul forever,” Chastity whispered as she twirled her own sword expertly in her hand.

“Do you have your magic, Chas? If not, then I will not use my own,” Valor said, his expression and voice devoid of all emotion.

“I do not,” Chastity replied formally.

“Then strictly blades,” Valor decreed with a slight bow to his sister. “It will be branded there, Chas, I promise you that,” he added as lunged toward her, his sword moving in a graceful arc.

Chastity dodged back, managing a clumsy parry. Shifting her feet, she regained her balance and caught the next blow evenly on her sword. Spinning to the left, she drove her blade toward Valor’s unarmored side. Chastity let out a faint gasp as Valor’s sword scored a long line across her shoulder, then drove hard with her own blade leaving a scarlet trail across Valor’s cheek. The knight didn’t flinch or even acknowledge the wound, his face still as emotionless as stone.

Jala watched the two with held breath as the swords clashed time and time again. She had believed Valor would have the advantage, given all the practice he had against Finn, but Chastity was holding even with her younger brother. Jala moved back farther from the fight and wrapped her arms around herself. Her hand brushed against the spirit stone in the pocket of her grey cloak and she wrapped her fingers around it tightly. Her eyes still fixed on the battle raging she focused on the magics Ash had placed on the small gem stone. Only precious things work for spirit stones. Gems are the most common things used. This only works once however so whatever is used is destroyed when the spirit is pulled free of the stone. His words rang in her mind and she turned to look once more at Finn. He still hadn’t moved at all and the scales were tracing farther across his skin as Death’s transformation continued.

Jala shifted where she stood and felt another heavier object in the cloak pocket brush her fingers. Her finger traced across the heavy gold coin outlining the twin swords that had represented Finn. Her gaze rose once more to the fight and she stared hard at Valor’s face as he tried his best to kill someone he had nearly died to save not so long ago. It wouldn’t be simply Sebastian’s death that he carried branded on his soul after this. How could he even look at his niece again with that kind of guilt on his conscience?

Another gasp from Chastity made her decision for her. “To hell with honor, I don’t need it,” Jala hissed as she drew her power in a massive surge and unleashed it at the floor beneath Death’s throne. She knew better than to cast the opening spell against Death or her throne itself. There were simply too many wards to get through to do enough damage for a distraction. The air cracked like thunder as the stones exploded sending shards raining down over the throne room. A cloud of dust rose to envelope both Hemlock and Death making it impossible to see if either had been harmed.

“Jala, what the hell?” Valor demanded behind her. The ringing of swords had ceased and she could feel the eyes of both Hai’dia on her back. She had no time for them however. Pulling the spirit stone from her pocket she focused on Finn and activated its magic as the black robed figure of Death emerged from the cloud of dust.

“You treacherous bitch!” Death screeched as the air around her crackled with power. “Kill them!” she bellowed, her voice shaking the stones of the hall. The drifting spirits swarmed at her command as demons began to pour through the doors.

“So, perhaps you should fight together rather than against each other. Demons would be good targets,” Jala suggested calmly to the stunned duelists behind her. Pulling on her power once more she hastily raised shields around herself and sent a force bolt toward Death. She meant it as more of a delay than an actual attack and was unsurprised when the Divine brushed it off as if swatting a fly.

“If that is the best you have, you are already dead, child,” Death hissed as she began to advance, her hands moving in intricate patterns as she began her own spell.