The Crow King's Wife(60)

“Always. I will always be here if you need me.” Jala promised.

“I know you will be. Take care, Jala, and don’t be too hard on Seth when he shows up to apologize. He is trying to find the right path he just really sucks at navigation.” Finn took another step back and the shadows began to grow around him.

“I won’t be. Good bye Finn.” She watched him fade from the room and sank back to the floor once more. Marrow rose from where he had been laying and moved to her side. Swallowing heavily she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his thick white fur.

“Will you be able to find peace now?” Marrow asked and she could feel his concern through their bond.

“The possibility is a lot more likely now. I needed that Marrow. There was so much that was left unsaid between us. I think what I needed more than anything was to be able to say good bye.” Jala replied through her tears. Now all she had to do was face everything else the day had in store for her. There was a chance though that by the end of the day she might be able to actually sleep without the weight of her guilt suffocating her. “I have a lot more to do before I can guarantee it though. We will see how everything else goes.”

“He left out the most important name on that list. He didn’t say my name, and no matter what the world throws at you I will be at your side. Even if you decide to say screw them all and burn it all to the ground to start over you will have my support without question.” Marrow informed her firmly.

“He didn’t mention you because he didn’t need to. It goes without saying that you are my strength and he knows that. It’s the rest that I tend to forget to lean on. You are my anchor, Marrow.” Jala returned with a smile. She turned her head slightly and stared into his golden eyes without loosening her grip on him in the slightest. “Such as now for example, I am leaning on you and you are holding me together and giving me the strength I will need for the rest of the day.” She slowly unlaced her fingers from his fur and stood. With a quiet sigh she brushed the dust from her dress and straightened the skirts. “And next I will be facing Valor. He deserves answers and I have so much to apologize to him for. I have been so horrible to him recently and he is still beside me despite it all.”





*





Jala opened the door silently and stepped into the shadowed room. She could see his outline at the window. He wasn’t sleeping, but then she really hadn’t expected him to be. Valor kept her hours for the most part, and had just as much trouble sleeping as she did.

“Did you wear yourself out enough to sleep?” He asked quietly, but didn’t turn to face her. He was sitting in one of the arm chairs with his feet propped on the window sill. A gentle breeze was causing the curtains to dance around him. She wasn’t sure if it was his magic or simply the weather outside. Valor was so subtle with his workings any more that even when she was standing beside him it was difficult to tell when he was using magic.

“Not really.” She admitted and at the sound of her voice he turned to face her. Even through the darkness she could see the concern on his handsome face. He could tell just by the tone of her voice that she had been crying. Jala tried to summon a reassuring smile as she moved to sit in the ledge of the window in front of him. “I spoke with Finn tonight.” She informed him as she pulled her legs up beneath her to sit cross-legged. The wind stirred her hair and she closed her eyes for a moment. It was definitely Valor’s magic. This late in the year the breezes of Merro were never that cool.

“And?” Valor asked quietly. There was hesitation in his voice and his expression had changed from concern to caution.

Jala let out a sigh as she watched and lowered her head to stare at the gardens below. “And I am a horrible person if that is the way you react. I’m so sorry, Valor. I haven’t been fair to you. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own mess of feelings that I never stopped to consider yours.” She pulled on her magic as she spoke and formed her memories of the conversation with Finn into a crystal. She set it down on the ledge beside her and looked to Valor once more. “That is everything that was said, and there are some things from that conversation that you should hear. I don’t want secrets between us, Valor. I learned my lesson on that already. “

Valor leaned forward in his seat and lifted the crystal, but his eyes never left her face. “You know I never blamed you right? I was content to wait as long as it took. Wounds like that don’t heal easily and despite what there is between us I knew it would take time.”