The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(116)
The tone of his voice drew her attention back to him once more and Zoelyn frowned at the look of hesitation on Neph’s face. He was nervous about something, and she couldn’t decide what it would take to make Neph nervous. Her brother was usually either calm or angry, she rarely saw him in any other mood.
“Show me what?” she asked cautiously and her imagination immediately supplied her with images of Shade’s broken corpse. It was possible that Neph had ignored Jala’s request to leave Shade be for now and gone after him. Shaking her head she cleared the image from her mind and let out a sigh. It was a silly thought. She knew Neph hadn’t left the city.
“As I said, it’s easier to show you than tell you. Come to my room for a moment and you will understand what I mean.” Neph sighed and turned for the door.
Numbly Zoelyn rose to her feet and followed him. She didn’t want to follow him. She hadn’t been sleeping well and exhaustion was dogging her heels almost as badly as the curse was gnawing at her gut. No matter how many mage stones she consumed it didn’t seem to quench the hunger. Her curiosity was too much for her to ignore his words despite her discomfort though. It was too unusual for Neph to act so mysterious about anything. He was usually painfully blunt on everything and rarely saw the need to dance around any topic no matter how painful it might be.
Neph moved in silence all the way down the stairs and only glanced at her once as he paused outside his door. “I’m not sure how you will react to this. I didn’t handle it well myself.” He warned her in a low voice as he pushed the door open slowly.
Zoelyn gazed at him with concern then slowly stepped inside the room and froze at the sight of the woman sitting across the room. She was an exact duplicate of the painting on the wall above her with the exception of the worried look that pinched her delicate features. “Momma.” Zoelyn gasped and quickly grabbed the door frame as her knees wobbled beneath her.
Cora rose from her chair and waved a hand toward her quickly. “Neph help her to a chair. I think she might faint.” She ordered with concern thick in her voice.
Zoelyn felt a solid arm brace her and could only stare at her mother as Neph guided her quickly to the small table. Cora paced beside them murmuring in worried tones until Zoelyn was seated then smiled sheepishly down at her.
“I’m so sorry love. I didn’t know how you would react to seeing me, but we couldn’t think of a better way to approach you.” Cora explained as she lowered herself to the chair across from her.
Zoelyn nodded dumbly and stared at the woman in confusion. Everyone had always told her that her mother was dead, and yet here she was looking as healthy as the last day she had seen her. “I don’t understand.” Zoelyn mumbled as she looked from Neph to Cora for some kind of explanation.
“But you shortly will.” A voice she didn’t know broke in and she turned quickly in her chair to regard the blond haired man by the bookshelf. She knew he hadn’t been there a moment before. The room had been empty aside from her mother she was certain of it.
“I don’t know you.” Zoelyn stammered dumbly as her confusion grew.
“But you shortly will.” The man repeated with a smile. He drew a heavy book down from the shelf and blew the dust from its cover. “Neph why don’t you fetch us some drinks? Cora would you be kind enough to roll a cigarette for me?” When both nodded to his requests he smiled at Zoelyn once more and raised an eyebrow. “Do you enjoy stories my dear? What am I saying? Of course you do. You are living one right now aren’t you?” He winked at her look of shock and dropped the book down on the table as he took his own chair. Leaning toward her he grinned conspiratorially. “Don’t worry I won’t let them know how that particular story ends. Neph would get bitchy and no one likes to deal with him when he is bitchy.” He whispered in a voice that was so low Zoelyn was certain only she had heard him speak.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Zoelyn lied then she glanced between the strange man beside her to her Brother and Mother.
“Of course not.” The man agreed as he flipped the cover of the book open to a family tree and turned it toward her. “Get comfortable. While I expect you will accept what I say far easier than your brother did, it will still take a while to explain.”
“Trust me Zoey. It is easier this way.” Neph grumbled as he placed several glasses down on the table and poured her a generous helping of Delvay dark whiskey. “And you will need every drop of that by the time he shuts his mouth.” He added ominously as he took a seat near Cora and glowered at the handsome blond man beside her. “Please Fortune, feel free to shatter my sister’s childhood memories as thoroughly as you did my own.”
“Ah, but the memories she has can only be improved by what I’m about to tell her.” Fortune returned lightly, but Zoelyn could only stare at her brother in shock.
If he was telling the truth then one of the Aspects was seated with them at the table sharing a shot of whiskey. Wide eyed she turned slowly back to the man feeling more than a little lightheaded.
“Steady yourself girl. If you faint now this will take even longer, and we are already running low on time. Better to be done with this quickly so you understand everything that lies before you.” Fortune said calmly as he pushed the glass of whiskey toward her.
“I promise you love it will all make sense soon. Even what you are will make sense.” Cora assured her in a voice that was far too calm for anything Zoelyn was feeling. With a shaking hand she lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip of the whiskey before nodding for Fortune to begin.