The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(26)

“His pet.” Caleb explained with a sigh and shifted Shade in his arms to an easier position. “Look he isn’t in a good way, and I’m going to assume you are the High Lady Merrodin.” He continued as his eyes settled on Jala. “He was coming here for healing from you, and I’d appreciate it if you perhaps start on that soon.”

“What happened to him?” Jala demanded and Caleb’s expression darkened a bit.

“You sent him blindly into a Blight hive to negotiate peace for you and you are confused why he comes back injured?” Caleb asked in an incredulous voice.

“But it’s Shade.” Jala objected as she moved toward Shade once more with obvious concern on her face. “Shade can dance through rain drops without getting wet.” She continued, but her voice faltered when she noticed his missing eye.

“It was a torrential rain and he was soaked to the skin. Can you help him?” Caleb pressed with annoyance clear in his voice.

“Those are old wounds. They are already healed. I can repair whatever is damaged recently, but the only way to fix his eye would be to…” Jala’s voice trailed off and she blanched at what she was about to say.

“Get a clean bed, a sterile knife, and keep him unconscious long enough to make it a fresh wound.” Caleb finished for her with a sharp nod. “Fine Lady Merrodin. You see to the first two and I’ll see to the last. If I make it a fresh wound can you truly return his eye? He says you can, but that is a difficult matter to heal.” Caleb spoke calmly as if they were discussing the weather rather than carving flesh from someone’s eye socket.

“I can.” Jala agreed hesitantly as she stared at Caleb for a moment and then turned to look at Valor with a questioning expression.

“His name is Caleb Faulklin. I will vouch for him. He was the High Marshall of Amdany for several years and I’ve known him for longer than that.” Zoelyn said before Valor could so much as open his mouth.

Caleb turned and looked at her with confusion and it was obvious he didn’t recognize her at all. Zoelyn supposed that was fair though. When she had known him she had been so thin she seemed to be starving, and dressed in rags with hair the color of snow. Much had changed since those days. She smiled sadly at him and bowed her head in respect.

“I thought you had died at Amdany and you have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive. It means Arovan still has hope.” Zoelyn said softly and bowed her head more deeply. “I am so sorry about Nel. I loved her like a sister.” She continued.

“Zoey?” Caleb gasped and his eyes went wide. His grip on Shade slackened in his shock and he had to scramble to keep from dropping him. “By the bloody Aspects Zoey what happened to you and why are you here?” Caleb demanded as he moved quickly toward her dragging Shade beside him. All thoughts of healing and Jala were apparently forgotten for the moment.

“So I take it you two know each other.” Jala observed dryly.

“His wife Evanell trained under Dominic. She was living in the village when I arrived there, but she hadn’t yet married Grim. I got to know Grim rather well while he was trying to talk her into marriage.” Zoelyn explained as the tears that had been threatening to spill earlier now filled her eyes. “There were so few people in that village that treated me well that I treasure each one of them that did, and Grim and Nel always treated me kindly while they were there.” Zoey continued and then paused and shook her head at Caleb with sigh. “I haven’t seen you in years and when I do everything is hell.”

“Everything is pure hell.” Caleb agreed as he stopped just short of her and stared down at her in utter bewilderment. “I can’t believe how much you have changed!” he shook his head again and then seemed to remember Shade. “Bloody hell. Let me see to Shade and then we talk.” His gaze moved to Valor and he sighed again. “We need to talk too I’m afraid. I have a lot of explaining to do, and a very large favor to ask of you.”


Valor nodded dumbly in response and then seemed to remember Caleb had no idea where he was going. “Uh yes, I’m sure we do, and as for a favor, well I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Let’s see to Shade first though.” He mumbled and waved a hand toward the main house. He stared at the goblin for several breaths and then looked to Jala before striding quickly after Caleb.





*





Zoelyn stood in absolute silence braced against the bedroom wall as Caleb calmly produced a black dagger from his belt and cleaned it as thoroughly as he could with hot water and clean towels. Jala stood just behind him with a look of pure trepidation on her face and she was paler than normal.

“Are you really going to carve his face?” Valor asked sounding a bit squeamish himself as he dropped lightly into a seat near the bed with a look of horrified fascination on his face.

Caleb glanced up from his dagger and looked slowly around at his audience before nodding slowly. “As well as his leg and back if the Lady Merrodin can heal that much in one day.” He replied quietly.

Jala swallowed heavily and nodded. “I’ve seen plenty of wounds from a battlefield, but the only time I’ve ever intentionally inflicted damage on an old wound to heal, it was my own wound. That was just a hand. It wasn’t nearly as delicate as an eye is. As for how much I can heal…we shouldn’t have a problem with my magic reserves.” She admitted quietly.