From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(82)

“Relax, Jala. It’s OK. He isn’t so fragile that you can’t simply hold him. It will be OK, just relax,” Wisp assured her.

Jala forced herself to relax and brushed a finger through his thick red hair. “He looks so much like me,” she whispered, her finger pausing at a streak of white along his temple. “What happened?” she asked her panic rising again.

“Calm down,” Wisp pressed and shook her head at Jala. “He is fine. He was born that way, I promise you. I was here the moment he drew his first breath. Kendry checked it and believes it was a side effect from the magic Death placed on you, but there is no harm to the child. Look at him; he is healthy and whole.”

Jala relaxed once more and smiled down at the child. “He is perfect,” she agreed in a soft voice, her hand moving from the streak of white hair to the tiny hand that was grasping at the side of his wrappings. “So tiny and so perfect,” she breathed as she felt the knots in her chest slowly loosening. Everything in the world beyond was a bloody mess right now and life was complicated beyond words, but finally she had a reason to face the mess and sort through the complications. So tiny, and yet the answer to her every problem. For her son, she could put aside the pain. For her son, she could face the responsibilities ahead of her. Looking up, she turned to look at Wisp and smiled faintly. “I know I have been useless to all of you since the battle in Sanctuary. That will change, Wisp, I promise. It still hurts so much, but I believe I can face it now.”

“You were grieving, Jala, not useless, and we all understood. Well, except for Neph, but, then, he is an insensitive prick. He didn’t even show pain when we received word that his father was dead. The Delvay are as cold as their mountains. You take as long as you like, Jala, and we will keep it going until you are ready to take over,” Wisp assured her with a smile. Leaning over she brushed a hand across Legacy’s cheek and smiled up at Jala. “Give him at least a few days of your undivided attention,” she urged with a growing smile.

“He will have as much of that as I can possibly give him for his entire life,” Jala promised as she gazed back down at her son. The small hand had moved from tugging on the wrappings to brushing at her hand and she felt a smile growing on her own face. “Everything I need,” she whispered to him.

And you have your balance back. Marrow’s voice came softly as the Bendazzi jumped lightly onto the foot of the bed. You had me worried for a bit. I thought you truly had gone mad.

I think I did go mad for a bit there, Jala admitted to Marrow through their mental link. She didn’t think Wisp needed that particular confession. They likely already had enough doubts about her resolve without raising concerns on her sanity. The baby squirmed in her hands again and murmured softly.

“He is likely hungry, Jala. It’s been several hours since he was fed. I’ll leave you to tend him and let the others know you are awake and coherent now. Everyone was worried,” Wisp said as she stood slowly. Pausing she scratched Marrow behind the ears and then headed for the door quietly.

“Thank you, Wisp. Thank the others for me too, please, and let them know that I am much better now,” Jala called after her.





Chapter 16





Merro





“Poised and dignified,” Jala reminded herself in a whisper. She stood in front of the mirror and studied herself. The last time she had even attempted to look at herself she had been ragged and worn to the breaking point, but then that had been before Legacy’s birth. She inhaled deeply and practiced a serene expression in the mirror. The statue of Lady Veyetta had mastered the expression much better she decided with a slight frown. Carefully she tucked a stray wine colored curl back behind her ear and checked her hair once more in the mirror. Every lock seemed to be in place. Smoothing her dress for the last time she turned back to Marrow. “Do I look poised and dignified?” she asked quietly. The dress she wore was so dark purple it was almost black and the style was much more subdued that the Firym clothing Finn had preferred. It seemed appropriate to her, however. It matched her mood. She had no desire at all to be brightly clad and even her jewelry was dark toned.

You no longer look like the village idiot, Marrow offered helpfully.

Jala narrowed her eyes at him and her frown deepened. “I thought you said the village nutter before? That implies simple insanity rather than stupidity.”

Right, nutter, that’s what I meant, Marrow corrected with a bit of sarcasm to his deep voice. He gave her a feline grin as he stretched and crossed the room to sit at her feet. Cocking his massive head from side to side he examined her slowly. Calm and sad would be my estimation, but that is world’s better than insane. We will work on the dignified and poised,he surmised at last.

Jala let out a harsh breath and glanced back at the mirror again. Her eyes fell almost instantly to the mangled hand. The scars on her side she could live with. Even with the Firym style dresses she wore on occasion they would barely show. The wound on her neck had barely left a mark, but her hand… No matter what Valor said, it wasn’t a badge of honor in her eyes. It was hideous. Pursing her lips she lifted it for a closer look and studied the roughly healed patches that covered what remained of her two fingers. Technically she couldn’t heal what was already healed. With a click of her tongue she moved to her dresser and retrieved the small ruby hilted dagger Havoc had given her, and then crossed the room to sit by the window. Glancing over to the crib she assured herself that Legacy was still deeply asleep before removing the dagger from its worn leather sheath.