The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(128)
“Other matters to attend today.” Cora replied too casually as she upended the bag and began sorting through the various trinkets that clattered noisily across the polished tabletop.
“Here try this one first. You should enjoy it.” Cora offered as she pushed a tiny metal box toward Zoelyn.
Absently Zoelyn picked up the box and turned it slowly over in her gloved hands barely focusing on the hundreds of tiny runes that covered its surface. Even without removing her gloves she could feel the magic rippling off of the tiny thing. Her eyes moved back to Cora and she watched in silence as her mother sorted through the puzzles and lined them up before her. Fortune had designed the items with different weaves of magic in an attempt to help her learn how to siphon off individual spells without destroying every weave on an item. He believed that if she could master his puzzles she could awaken the heroes, though she herself had her doubts.
There was a vast difference in draining magic from a toy and draining it from living creatures. Had it been a simple commoner they wanted her to wake she would have been hesitant, but they expected her to use her abilities on legendary warriors that had been in stasis for well over a thousand years. If she failed and harmed one of them there was no replacing what she destroyed. Neph believed the heroes would be the salvation of Delvay, and if he was correct that meant the entire weight of her homeland was resting on her ability to control her curse.
“You have that look on your face again.” Cora said gently and Zoelyn could hear the smile in her mother’s voice.
Glancing up Zoelyn found the woman watching her and felt her own expression soften in response. “What look would that be?” she asked in amusement.
“The I no wanna face.” Cora clarified with a grin. Reaching across the table she took Zoelyn’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze. “You can do this love. I know this is a lot of weight to put on your shoulders, but you are Delvay to the core. You may not care for shedding blood but that doesn’t mean you aren’t a fighter. Have faith in yourself.” Her voice was so encouraging that Zoelyn felt her shoulders relax in response.
Leaning back in her seat she turned the box absently in her hands and eyed the long line of puzzles before her. “He usually only sends three a day.” Zoelyn observed quietly. There were at least ten on the table and the bag by her mother looked as though it might have more inside.
“He wanted you to have plenty of practice to keep you entertained while your brother is away.” Cora returned, but her smile seemed a bit forced and Zoelyn could hear an edge to her voice that hadn’t been there before.
“He wanted me to be distracted you mean.” Zoelyn corrected gently and raised an eyebrow at her mother. “From what I wonder?”
“Such a suspicious mind.” Cora chided but the teasing seemed just as forced as her smile had been.
“Are you going to open a scry of the council?” Zoelyn asked sweetly never taking her gaze from her mother.
“Of course.” Cora answered and shook her head slightly. “I didn’t think you would want one so soon. The council isn’t due to start for over an hour yet.”
“None the less I’d rather not miss out on anything that is said just in case.” Zoelyn returned in the same sweet tones. She could see her mother’s unease growing, but she was doing a remarkable job of trying to hide it.
With a slight nod Cora brought her hands before her and spread her fingers. She mumbled under her breath and the air above the table shifted subtly. For a long moment it looked like nothing more than heated air resting inches above the wood, and then it solidified into colors that slowly coalesced to form the figures of the council seated in the massive hall of the Palace in Sanctuary.
Zoelyn’s eyes scanned hungrily over the assembled High Lords and lingered on Neph’s drawn face. His mouth was a tight line and he was staring pointedly at the empty chairs across the room from him. She saw him glance toward Jala who was seated several feet away under the banner of House Merrodin and his expression darkened. Her gaze moved back to the empty chairs and she studied the banner above the seats. “Morcaillo.” She whispered as she recognized the blue and silver banner with the twining snakes. Her attention moved past the sigil to sweep over the rest of the room and her unease grew as she noticed the empty spaces below the banners of Rivasa and Nerathane as well.
“It’s early yet.” Cora offered in a hesitant voice.
Frowning Zoelyn leaned toward the scry. She could see unease written clearly on the faces of several of the assembled High Lords, but not all of them seemed to be fixated on the empty chairs. Lord Arovan in particular had his gaze focused on the silent row of figures seated just behind the Empress’s dais. Zoelyn’s eyes narrowed as she studied the priestly robes. “Death, Love, Fortune, Elusion, and Healing. What a very odd assembly of priests.” She observed dryly as she noticed the Priest of Fortune tapping his leg. There was a definite rhythm to the motion of his fingers and she could almost hear the song in her head as she lifted her gaze to meet Cora’s face once more. “Why is my father masquerading as a priest of his own order?” she asked sternly. Cora shifted uncomfortably and Zoelyn’s expression darkened. “More importantly why is Finn seated there as well? Those are warrior’s boots peeking out from under the Priest of Death’s robes and I recognize them all too well.”
“What is coming must happen, Zoelyn. I told Fortune we should warn you, but he forbade it. Finn has commanded absolute silence on this matter.” Cora explained with heavy sigh that was laced with frustration.