The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(20)

“I can’t change my course now. I told Onvalla I would make them bleed. I can’t break my word.” Caleb muttered hoarsely. His face was still far too pale and his grey eyes had an almost vacant look as he leaned heavily back in his seat shaking his head slowly. “Syrah has been their captive since Amdany fell…” Caleb muttered weakly. His voice trailed off and he shook his head slowly.

“Make them bleed, but do it in a fashion that you can live through, Caleb. Save Syrah and then do what you have always been so god damned talented at and help Jala save everyone else.” Finn pressed and looked back to Shade. “He is quite possibly the most stubborn man alive, and I don’t have time to persuade him. I’ll leave that in your hands. As to what I need from you… well it’s a favor for an Aspect, but you have interest in it. It seems several of her followers are being held in prison in Sanctuary and she can’t seem to get them rescued. I need you to be a hero too and save her followers.”

“I can’t even step foot in Sanctuary. Every bloody person in that city knows I’m a wanted man.” Shade objected.

“Then I highly suggest you change your appearance before you go. One of the prisoners goes by the name of Charm. I believe you know him, and I believe you owe him. So suck it up Shade and be a damn hero and save him.” Finn snapped in annoyance as he rose from his chair. He glanced once more at Caleb and let out a heavy sigh. “I promise you Huntsman if you are stupid enough to make that little girl an orphan I will have you serving me for eternity. You can take your Grandfather’s place amongst my demons since Jala and Valor saw fit to kill Nasurai when they visited the Darklands.” Finn whispered as his form slowly faded from the ship.

Shade sat in utter silence for long moments trying to digest everything he had just heard. Charm was imprisoned, Caleb was the Bloody Huntsman, Caleb’s daughter was a Rivasan prisoner, and most terrifying of all Finn Sovaesh was the Divine of Death. He didn’t think he had ever been flooded with so much bad news at once before. He slowly glanced over at the passenger seat as Caleb dropped heavily into it.

“Bloody Huntsman eh?” Shade muttered quietly.

Caleb nodded slowly and let out a long sigh. “I’d like to say it’s been a while since I have done the sort of butchering that earned me that title, but that is exactly why Micah pulled me out of retirement.” He confessed in a low voice. “He needed someone who could spread fear amongst the Blights, and as it turns out I scare just about everyone including the Blights.”

“Did you really kill a Serpent with your bare hands in the Amdany harbor? One of the legends about you says that you did, but I always thought it was bullshit.” Shade asked in an effort to calm Caleb. The man was still far too pale and looked as though he might pass out at any moment.

Caleb swallowed heavily and nodded his head slowly his eyes still staring blankly ahead. “It tried to swallow me when I was knocked over the rail in the fighting. I objected.” His voice seemed almost mechanical as he answered and he raised a hand to rub his face as he fell silent.

“And Nasurai Blackwolf is your Grandfather? So you are Sebastian Blackwolf’s brother? I don’t understand how you have the name Faulklin then and why you are from Arovan. Shouldn’t you be with your own house?” Shade let his full confusion show in his voice as he tried once more to draw Caleb back with conversation.

Caleb looked at him slowly and lowered his hand from his face his expression shifting from grief to bitter amusement. “Why do you think they call me the Black Bastard Shade? Sebastian is my half-brother and I live in Arovan because High Lady Blackwolf can’t bear my presence in Glis. The sight of me is a constant reminder to her that her husband was unfaithful so I was exiled. I suppose I’m grateful she didn’t have me killed as a child.” Caleb explained and then paused as he rubbed his face once more. “Lady Faulklin is my Aunt on my mother’s side, and was kind enough to give me a home as well as her name. My birth mother’s name is Blue Bess, perhaps you have heard of her. She was at Amdany and the final stand, and if you didn’t meet her there perhaps you have seen her with High Lord Blackwolf serving as his Herald.” There was pain in his voice as he spoke and Shade could tell it was an old wound that refused to heal.

“I’m sorry I pried. I was confused that’s all.” Shade offered softly and let out a sigh of his own. “We can get your daughter back you know. Once we finish in Merro we will head straight to Rivasa and you can be the hero Finn was talking about without dying.”

“Merro? Why in the hell are we going to Merro first?” Caleb demanded with an almost frantic look on his face.

“Look I know you don’t want to leave her there any longer than you have to, but I have to see Jala before we can go. I have to be healed first, Caleb. I cannot stress how important this is. My magic isn’t what it should be and I am crippled in more than the obvious ways you can see.” Shade paused and ground his teeth in frustration as he contemplated what he was about to say. Glancing over at Caleb he grimaced slightly and let out a quick breath. “My turn for confession and I’m going to pray you don’t gut me for it. I had planned on telling you before Finn’s visit, but I have to admit finding out who you truly are is giving me a bit of pause.”

Caleb’s eyes narrowed at his words and Shade felt his throat tighten at the sight. He wasn’t comfortable with sharing any secrets, but for Caleb to understand fully he needed to know everything.