The Crow King's Wife(111)

Syrah’s chin tilted upwards once more and a faint smile creased her lips as her father fell silent. “And so I will cleanse their filth from this world. In my righteous fury I will teach their children a fear so true that they will never again stray from the path of light.” She finished the verse with the same formality as her father.

“Live in peace Syrah and know that you were always loved more than life itself by both of your parents. I promise you love I will teach them fear and I will make them pay dearly for their sins.” Caleb’s voice was so soft Shade doubted most of the Rivasans could even hear what he was saying. If not for the heightened senses of the Blight form he wore he doubted he would have heard it. Caleb’s hand moved to rest on his daughter’s shoulder and her form shimmered under his touch. To everyone watching it looked as though Caleb had cast a teleportation spell upon the child, but Shade knew he had done nothing more than grant her a temporary invisibility to get her safely into the store. He wasn’t sure when Caleb had informed Syrah of what she was supposed to do, but guessed it was a mental link between the two of them.

A soft scuff sounded on the wooden floor beside him and Shade glanced down as Syrah’s form began to slowly fade back into view. Without hesitation he reached down and took the child’s hand so that his Blight camouflage would conceal her as well.

“Did your father tell you I would be waiting for you?” He asked as softly as he could. Voices were raised in the street once more, but Shade didn’t bother paying attention to the words. By the tone of it Derrick was blustering again and he doubted the man had anything to say that was worth hearing.

“You are Shade. You are supposed to kill Derrick and then we flee.” Syrah returned in a soft voice that was barely audible.

“A bit of a change of plans, but we will discuss it once we are in a safer place.” Shade corrected as he pulled her gently along behind him toward the back of the store. With luck there would be a back door, without luck he would make a back door. He wasn’t about to risk taking Syrah out onto the street where fighting might erupt at any moment.

Fortune was smiling on them. The store had a back door as he had hoped and it wasn’t locked or guarded. With a quick push Shade shoved it open and hurriedly boosted Syrah to the roof ledge. With a quick hop he latched onto the edge of the gutter and scrambled his own way up in less time than it took most to mount a horse. Silently he took Syrah’s hand once more and carefully guided her up to the arch of the roof just in time to watch Derrick Rivasa sending his son off with a small escort of guards. Caleb still crouched in the street watching Derrick with a grim expression on his face. His grey eyes were locked on the Lord of Prendington with the patience of a predator. He was waiting for the right moment to pounce and Derrick didn’t even seem to realize it.

“Was that a prayer to the Divine of Fear that you and your father intoned?” Shade asked softly. If it was a prayer and Caleb truly was an anointed priest perhaps his god would listen to him, because with the odds Caleb faced the man could dearly use a bit of Divine intervention. Caleb obviously wasn’t scared, of course a Priest of fear wouldn’t be, but Shade was certain that he was feeling enough fear for the both of them. His stomach was tied in so many knots that he doubted he would be able to eat properly for at least a month.

“That was Kevala’s Drin. The last oath she gave to her people before she marched on the Dark Brotherhood during the thousand year war.” Syrah explained quietly. “It was one of the first things Daddy made me learn when my schooling started.” She added in a voice that was thick with pain.

“Ready to die Bastard?” Derrick called in a voice that was filled with forced cheer. With one hand he motioned Grace forward and pointed toward Caleb. “Kill him.” He ordered casually and then glanced to his guards. “Help her and ensure it is done properly.” He added with distaste as he carefully backed his horse away from the open street.

Caleb leaned forward pressing his palm firmly to the ground as Grace started forward and magic roiled in the air around him. She had barely taken two steps before the entire city shook violently. Cries rose from the guards and the horses screamed in panic, but Grace simply stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at Caleb. Cocking her head she turned to gaze toward the heart of the city where buildings were shaking visibly. A cold smile curved Caleb’s lips and the tremors increased dramatically as vines wrapped around the distant buildings nearly covering the sandstone walls. Screams rose from further inside the city as the seeds Caleb had ordered scattered sprouted to life with more devastation than Shade would have ever believed possible. Even the walls surrounding the main fortress were giving under the punishment of the Stonevines, but he could tell how much magic it was draining from Caleb and prayed fervently that the man would stop while he still had enough energy to fight.