The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(14)

“I’d love to see you try that, Liadra.” Caleb shot back with venom lacing every word. His grip on Shade loosened as he half-turned to face the Blight. “My opinions are my own and I will voice them as I please. You have taken everything else that I have, but that is still mine and I won’t surrender it.”


“Is now really the time for this?” Shade asked quietly. The last thing he wanted was his meeting for peace with Onvalla to start with a brawl outside her front door.

“At the risk of sounding petulant, she started it.” Caleb muttered sourly.

“I’d say childish was a more fitting word than petulant, but as you like.” Shade sighed and pulled back from Caleb as he turned to face the stairs. He let out a rough sigh and hobbled closer to grip the railing as he studied the rough wooden slats and pondered exactly how he was going to accomplish this without further humiliation.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to have help with that?” Caleb asked quietly.

“I will be damned if I am going to be carried into this meeting. I don’t have much pride left Caleb, but I have too much to stomach that. I’d rather swallow a dagger than be carried.” Shade snapped in a tone that rang with more petulance than Caleb could ever match.

“As you like.” Caleb replied and Shade could hear the smirk in his voice without even turning to look.

Shade’s foot had barely settled on the first step when Caleb moved swiftly up behind him and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Blood rushed to Shade’s face as embarrassment and anger warred for control of his mind. In two quick steps Caleb cleared the rickety stairs and swung Shade down from his shoulder.

“Dignity aside Shade you are not as capable now as you once were, and the sooner you come to terms with that the better off you are. You will need help from now on, and we don’t have the time to waste for you to learn that lesson on your own.” Caleb spoke before Shade could even open his mouth.

Anger roared in Shade’s mind, but he forced it back down. No matter how much he hated it and wanted to deny the words there was a bitter truth to what Caleb said that he knew he couldn’t ignore. Swallowing heavily he bit the inside of his cheek until his anger faded. Nodding slowly he cleared his throat. “Thank you, Caleb.” His voice was colder than usual, but the words were genuine. It was difficult for him to say, but he knew it needed to be said. Had the Arovan been trying to humiliate him it would have been different, but Shade knew Caleb had acted with good intentions.

Caleb stared at him for several breaths and shook his head slowly. “You are a strange one, Morcaillo. Even Micah would have punched me for that.” He said quietly.

“Just Shade please. Don’t call me Morcaillo. I’m not the sort to lose my head to anger, even when I probably should. You were helping me, and no matter how hard it is to accept, you are right. For now I am crippled and for now I do need help.” Shade managed to keep his voice calm despite the bitterness the words summoned in his mind. It wasn’t Caleb’s fault he was crippled and it wasn’t right to take it out on him. He had no one to blame for his problems beyond himself, and Onvalla. If not for her Tevrae doses he would have healed, but he couldn’t dwell on that. He was here to make peace with her for Jala’s sake and he couldn’t allow his own personal grievance to risk his mission.

Turning slowly he pushed open the door of the house and froze as his eyes landed on the woman inside. She had been standing near the window when the door opened, but turned to face him at the sound. He had been expecting someone in armor and perhaps with facial hair by the sound of her voice the night she had visited the prison, but the woman before him was stunning. Her long golden hair fell in waves across her shoulders and her face was that of an innocent maiden with perfect full lips and pale skin. Wide blue eyes followed his every movement as he stepped fully into the room. She looked too delicate to wrestle a child to the ground and yet she was the current leader of the most savage race on Sanctuary.

Her long skirts swished silently against her legs as she stepped closer and then froze as Caleb entered the room. Her full lips curved into a smile and her face lit with delight. “Ah how the mighty have fallen. Did you enjoy yourself Caleb when you were arranging this meeting?” she asked in a honey sweet voice.

“I did what I had to do and nothing more.” Caleb replied in a voice so filled with hatred that Shade cringed at the sound of it.

He glanced back at the Arovan and wondered if he should have asked the man to wait outside. This conversation was going to be difficult enough without Caleb’s anger, and the man had already declared he wasn’t willing to keep his opinions to himself.

“Oh Caleb don’t be like that.” Onvalla purred, but her expression was anything but friendly. She was gloating and it was obvious that she was enjoying Caleb’s anger. It was like watching a child bait a bear, and Shade knew it would end just as poorly if he didn’t do something soon.

“Milady Onvalla I know you and Caleb have bad blood between the two of you, but I really think we should press onto business rather than prodding each other’s wounds. What I am here to discuss is important to everyone in this room and more important than personal grievances.” Shade spoke just loud enough for his voice to carry and took pains to keep his tone as respectful as possible despite his own feelings. In truth he wanted to punch her in the face for taunting Caleb almost as much as he wanted to stab her for leaving him hanging in a barn to rot. He sighed heavily and silently prayed she wasn’t scanning his mind, by her expression though she didn’t seem to be, unless of course she was as good at acting as Caleb was.