The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(17)
Onvalla glared at him for a long moment before turning back to the window. The silence in the room stretched for long moments before her shoulders slumped in resignation. “Give me your word that you will return here Caleb. I don’t know the Morcaillo enough to trust him, but I know you keep your word.” Her voice was so low the words barely carried across the room.
“I give you my word that Morcaillo will return Onvalla, I can’t promise more than that and you know it.” Caleb replied softly.
Onvalla nodded slowly and turned from her window. Her gaze moved across the room to rest beside a small table in what had seemed like a vacant corner. “Granger fetch the gear we took from them as well as the goblin. Our guests will be leaving today.” She ordered in a voice that was filled with trepidation. Her eyes returned once more to Caleb and her expression was somber. “I was a fool to lie to him Caleb, and I will be the first to admit it. Fear can make many people into fools though, and no matter how much I regret it I can’t take it back. I kept you prisoner here for the same reason, because I feared you, and as you say it is likely my fault they are dead because of that.”
“If you are truly going to lead here Onvalla you can’t be governed by fear.” Caleb spoke calmly and for the first time since he had entered the room there was no anger in his voice.
“Hatred and anger are my counselors now. Fear is an old friend that has been put aside. Make them bleed Caleb, not for any love you have for me, but to salve our mutual pain. Rivasa must fall. It was my intention to move against Rivasa myself, but I can’t with the Morcaillo still dominating my people. I have to break the hold they have over us first, and then I will finish what you start.” Onvalla’s words rang with promise and she smiled bitterly. “It’s the whole reason I fought so hard for leadership here. I never intended to attack Arovan, and I had to ensure my people didn’t either. Their bloodlust will be channeled to the ones that deserve the pain. First Rivasa, and then whatever remains of Morcaillo.”
“Please don’t take any steps down that path until after we speak again Lady Onvalla. I understand your pain and hatred, but revenge is a one way path. You are leading your people. You have to look at the broader picture if they are going to have any future at all.” Shade said with a note of pleading in his voice. If the Blights attacked Rivasa all hell would break loose again, and the world was in too delicate of a balance to risk that.
“I make no promises of that. I have people hunting the Morcaillo now and if they finish before you return I will move against my enemies.” Onvalla replied coldly. She let out a deep breath as her eyes locked onto his. “Now tell me where to find my son if you truly know where he is.”
“The last time I spoke with him he was living safely with High Lady Jala Merrodin. I will warn you though she has another Blight living with her as well. If you send your people there to take your son back with force, they will be found and they will likely die. If you want to speak with the boy I would highly suggest you approach Jala directly and politely rather than attempt to trick her. She has a temper to match your own Lady Onvalla, and she holds grudges for a very long time.” Shade answered with a faint smile.
He could feel Caleb’s eyes on him as well and he knew by the expression on the man’s face his words had held just as much interest for Caleb as they had for Onvalla. He just wasn’t certain what interest Caleb held in the boy though. It was possible he had just endangered Dray’s life with his words. There was a chance Caleb would want Dray dead to ensure Micah’s secret remained buried, but he didn’t think that was the sort of man Caleb was, and he was praying he was right on that matter.
*
“If you had a Spell Hawk in storage the entire time, may I ask why exactly we just walked three hours before you chose to use it?” Caleb asked in a weary voice.
Shade glanced back from his ship and smiled weakly at Caleb as he pried the goblin off his leg for the fifth time. He had chosen a clearing several miles from the Blight village to unveil his ship, and no doubt Caleb was thinking it was a splendid waste of time to walk when they could have simply flown. Considering his constant wrestling match with the goblin during their walk, Shade supposed it had wasted more time than he had intended. The creature had been frantic when it had been brought to him by Granger, and it seemed to think Shade would disappear if it wasn’t clinging directly to him.
With a sigh Shade looked around the forest and wondered how many sets of eyes Onvalla had watching them. “On the ship and I will explain.” He promised as he drew a pair of dark glasses from his coat pocket and scanned the trees around them. There was no way he was letting a Blight slip onto his ship since Onvalla hadn’t ordered one to accompany them.
Caleb sighed and gave a quick nod before stepping onto the Spell Hawk and was already seated before Shade closed the door. The goblin scrambled to the back of the ship with wide eyes and Shade grinned before tossing it some food. With luck the creature would content itself with eating for most of the trip and he wouldn’t have to worry about flying with a goblin on his face or shoulders.
Shade gave the ship another quick glance just to be sure he hadn’t missed anything before he moved forward and sat slowly down in the pilot seat. He took several moments to simply savor how good it felt to be in control of something again, no matter how fleeting that sensation might be. Once he was off of his ship again his life would be in chaos and he knew it. There was so much expected of him right now that it made him want to scream or hide.