The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4)(4)

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Morning sunlight filtered down through the trees as Neph guided his cat carefully up the steep mountain path. By tradition, the trials were held on the tallest peak of the three mountains surrounding the capital. His gaze rose to the snow covered heights ahead of him and then to his brother who rode beside him. “Are you going to say anything to me, Kadan?” he asked finally. Kadan was typically quiet, but today was extreme even for him. His brother had barely even looked in his direction since they had ridden out.

“Did you know she was running away?” Kadan asked, his voice low and filled with anger. His dark eyes locked on Neph and narrowed. “Did you help her run away?”

Neph watched him for a long moment and shook his head slowly. “I didn’t know she was going to do it, but I’m glad she did. I didn’t help her, but I would have had she asked.”

“I know she wouldn’t have left without speaking with you, Neph,” Kadan snapped.

“She said goodbye,” Neph agreed, his gaze moving once more to the mountain. Kadan would tell their father everything he said and he knew it. By the time he faced his father, however, he would be past the trial and could no longer be punished as a child.

“You should have stopped her, Neph. She is weak and has proven herself a coward by her actions,” Kadan’s voice rose and Neph turned to regard him again.

“She is our sister, Kadan. She is gentle and kind and has shown nothing but love toward us. You scorn her because she doesn’t wish to fight,” Neph said and shook his head slowly in disgust. “In my eyes, she should never have to fight, Kadan. She has two brothers that should have been more than willing to fight for her.”

“She is Delvay,” Kadan snapped, as if the words explained his anger completely.

“She was Delvay,” Neph corrected. “And Delvay didn’t understand her at all. Maybe she will find others that do,” he added hopefully. “Idiot,” Kadan growled as he pushed his cat forward into a lope. “C’mon. I’m eager to put this day behind me.”

“You and me both,” Neph agreed as he urged his cat forward. There was perhaps an hour left of riding and then the trial. He had no doubts he would pass his tests. As Zyi had said, he was one of the strongest in Delvay. His spells were perfect and his shields were stronger than anyone he had faced so far, including Kadan. With a faint smile he followed his brother in silence as they crossed through the thick pine forest surrounding the base of the mountain peak. Snow began to show on the ground and the air cooled drastically as they continued to climb, but he was used to the cold. He was Delvay and the mountains were as much a part of him as his own flesh.

Movement to the side of the trail caught his eye and Neph stared hard into the trees. His gaze locked on the woman crouched in the snow at the base of one of the massive pines. He knew her well enough, but he didn’t understand what she was doing here. He nodded in greeting and frowned when she looked away without returning the gesture. He knew she had seen him. Their eyes had met.

“Why is Kes here, Kadan?” Neph asked cautiously as he spotted another scout on the other side of the road. Kes herself was the leader of the Delvay scouts and by all rights she should have been south watching the borders. His brother continued on in silence, either pretending he hadn’t heard the question or simply choosing to ignore it. “Why is Kes here, Kadan?” Neph demanded as a sick feeling began building in his gut.

“You know what the punishment for cowardice is, Neph,” Kadan answered in a low voice.

Panic washed over him at the words and Neph dug his heels painfully into the cat’s sides sending it leaping forward on the path and past Kadan. Snow churned beneath the creature’s massive paws as it scrambled up the steep trail. “No, no, no,” Neph mumbled as the trial grounds grew closer. He knew it was futile, though. In his heart he already knew what he would see.

The smell of blood reached him before he had cleared the last of the trees. With an incoherent groan he stumbled from his saddle and staggered past the last of the pines and into the trial grove. A circle of guards surrounded the clearing and he could hear them move to block his way back out of the grove, but he didn’t bother to look back. His eyes were locked on the body swinging from the center post. Her pale blond hair was matted with blood and her clothes were shredded from being drug up the mountain side. His throat tightened as he moved quickly to her side. They had bound her wrists and hung her from the post as if she was a deer to be bled out. Tears burned at his eyes as he stared up at her pale bruised face.