The Crow King's Wife(62)

“I don’t really see that you have anything to apologize for, but if my forgiveness is what you need to feel better than you have it for everything, Jala. I know how hard it is to push that kind of pain away. I kick myself nightly wondering if there was some way I could have saved Honor and Micah, or if there was more I could have done for Finn. Our world is brutal, and no matter how hard we are grasping for peace, as long as there is fighting there will be death. We have no choice but to accept it and deal with our grief in any way that we can. Even when it means we distance ourselves from those we love. You needed space and I understood. I was never angry, only concerned.” Valor’s voice was low and she could hear the grief etching his words as he spoke his brother’s name.

“They say the souls of the pure return to the Lifestream the fastest. Honor and Micah both passed through the Darklands without penance. They will return to this world soon, and I truly believe that we carry an echo of our former lives with us when we walk amongst the living again. You will see him again, Val. He might not remember you, but I have no doubt you will know him.”

“May they both return to Arovan. Both of them loved Arovan with every ounce of their souls.” Valor said softly as he settled into the bed fully and allowed himself to relax. It wasn’t often that either of them truly rested, and she couldn’t remember the last time they had simply rested together in peace.





Chapter 8





Merro





The air was thick with moisture and she could feel a slight sheen of sweat on her skin. No matter how long Zoelyn was in Merro she didn’t think she would ever adjust to the climate. It was the heart of summer here, and it showed in everything around her. The grass beneath her was prickly and dry, and the heat was oppressive even at night. She could remember Delvay perfectly now, and she knew it would be much cooler there with frequent storms that kept the mountains cloaked in fog on most nights. The sky would be too cloudy for the stargazing she was enjoying at the moment, but she wouldn’t be sweating through her tunic either.

A soft noise behind her drew her attention from the sky and she turned to stare into the darkness of the gardens. No one else should be awake now, not even Dray kept these hours. She half rose from the ground and peered into the shadows trying to find the source of the noise. It came again from behind her and she recognized it for what it was; the swish of feathers. She rose quickly and turned nearly colliding with him as she did. Seth’s arms steadied her and she stared up into his gold eyes unsure if she wanted to run or melt closer to him. She had been avoiding him for days. Every glimpse of black feathers had sent her back into the house. There was no way of knowing if the crows had been simple birds or one of his messengers, but she had avoided them all the same.

He remained silent with his hands still holding her shoulder. His golden eyes were locked on hers with such intensity that she couldn’t look away. The expression on his face seemed softer than she could ever remember seeing and there was fragileness about him that she could barely fathom. “Zoey.” He whispered as he drew her closer and the desire to run fled completely. Just the sound of her name from his lips held her transfixed. There was so much longing in that single spoken word that she simply stared at him unsure what to do or say. His lips brushed against her forehead and a flash of uncertainty filled his eyes as he lowered his head and kissed her lips as lightly as a breeze.

She hesitated for a long moment before wrapping her arms around him and leaning in to kiss him once more. It was foolish and she knew it. She had seen his temper, and she had felt his Charm magic peel away from her with Finn’s touch. She knew Seth had been manipulating her the entire time she had trained with him, but those were all things that her mind knew, and it was her heart that was returning the kiss. Her lips parted slowly and his kiss intensified growing deeper until her heart was hammering in her chest.

She felt him shiver in her grasp and pull back from the embrace. The scent of him was thick about her, that intoxicating mix of spice and sweat that was Seth’s alone. He stared down at her for a long moment and then his lips were on hers once more with what seemed like hunger. She could feel the heat from his body and the look on his face no longer held a trace of uncertainty. The fragileness was gone replaced with Seth’s pure confidence. His hands slid down her shoulders to rest on her hips and then he was pulling her down to the grass with him. She straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck as his grip on her tightened and pulled her almost painfully close. His lips moved from hers to trace a path down her neck and to her shoulder. She could feel the brush of his teeth against her flesh, but it wasn’t painful.