The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(28)

“What is Kevala’drin?” Jala asked sharply and from her tone of voice she obviously hadn’t approved of Zoelyn’s reaction to the word.

“The Final reckoning. It’s an old Glis tradition. Grim will fight until all of the guilty are dead…or he is dead.” Valor explained quietly and gave Caleb a solemn nod. “I respect you for what you do. May thousands die to your vengeance.”

“Valor how can you support something like this? It sounds like suicide to me!” Jala objected loudly.

“It’s sacred and most lack the courage to pursue it.” Zoelyn said quietly. The idea of Grim dying made her want to weep, but the act of Kevala’drin was the thing of legends, and exactly the sort of path a man like him would choose with everything he had lost.

“You too?” Jala gasped as she rounded on Zoelyn and shook her head sharply in disapproval. “Better to live and help others than to follow those you love to the grave.” She added with disgust.

“The favor I mentioned.” Caleb began as if Jala hadn’t spoken at all. “Is very important to me, and it has two parts.” He paused as he twisted his dagger in the wound carefully and glanced up at Valor. “Syrah still lives. I would ask that you return her safely to my family once I save her. My Aunt and Uncle will treat her well and see that she gets everything she requires in life. The second part of the favor is that you not speak of me at all. Let them believe I died in Amdany or whatever you must tell them, but leave my name out of this. I have too many secrets to take to the grave with me to allow any questions to be raised about my death.”

“Grim! The sun rises and sets with you in Syrah’s eyes. How can you follow this path if she still lives?” Zoelyn broke in quickly and moved to stand on the opposite side of the bed from him forcing him to meet her eyes. “This changes what I said Grim. This makes an act of bravery into something cruel.”

“Because I swore I would before I knew Syrah still lived, and you know I can’t break my word.” Caleb replied in a weary voice. “Look I’m going to get the same argument from Shade when he awakens so spare me Zoey please.”

“Bloody hell I’ll spare you, you stubborn ass.” Zoelyn snarled and shook her head savagely. “Nel wouldn’t want you to follow this path and you know it. She would want Syrah with you!”

Caleb pulled his knife back from Shade’s wound and closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a long slow breath. “Zoey do not make this more difficult than it is!” he snapped his voice rising and filled with pain.

“I will make it bloody impossible Huntsman!” Zoelyn promised matching his volume with her own voice.

“So who exactly is Syrah?” Jala asked quietly from somewhere behind Caleb.

“His daughter, she should be about six by now I suppose, and far too young to understand why her father is choosing this path.” Valor explained quietly.

“Not you too Valor.” Caleb groaned as he returned to his work on Shade’s eye. He shook his head and sighed heavily.

“I’ll do as you ask if you truly feel this is the path you must follow.” Valor said softly and by his tone it was clear he no longer supported Caleb’s choice.

“Thank you Valor.” Caleb said with relief. He glanced up at Zoelyn and frowned at her continued scowl. “Drop it Zoey.”

“No.” Zoelyn responded stubbornly and then on a whim she moved quickly around the bed and snatched his backpack from the ground. Not bothering to spare him another glance she began digging in the contents. She knew the amulet was in there somewhere. He always carried it.

“Zoey what in the hell are you doing?” Caleb demanded, but didn’t bother to rise from his chair. He had limited time to finish his work on Shade’s eye before Shade’s regeneration made all of his work useless and he was forced to start over.

“Looking for inspiration for you. Apparently you need guidance back to the right path.” Zoelyn grumbled as she continued to dig frantically through his gear. After several more moments her hand brushed against a metal chain and she pulled the amulet out with a triumphant gasp. “Hah!” she proclaimed happily as she carried it back to the bedside across from Caleb. Looking down she carefully studied the silver pendant. It was far too large to wear as ornament, especially for a man, but it wasn’t meant for decoration. Its basic shape was that of a flower with a gem set in most of the petals. Her fingers danced across the gems and she struggled to control her power. The last thing she wanted to do was drain something as priceless as the magic she held in her hand.

“Zoelyn don’t!” Caleb snapped and started to rise from his chair. His gaze flicked back to Shade and he ground his teeth in frustration.

“Jala, activate this gem.” Zoelyn ordered as pointed to a tiny blue stone and tossed the amulet to Jala.

Jala stared down at it bewildered for a moment, and glanced at Zoelyn once more before she activated the indicated stone.

At the slightest brush of magic against the amulet the blue gem flared to life and a tiny voice echoed through the room. “I miss you daddy, when are you coming home? Momma says you have been gone too long already. Will you bring me a puppy when you come back?”

“Syrah no! You don’t ask for things when sending love.” Another voice broke in with laughter hidden in the words and Zoelyn felt her eyes go glassy at the sound of Nel’s voice. It had been years since she had heard her, and a part of her had been praying Nel had escaped from Amdany and was in hiding. It was something she hadn’t allowed herself to think about at all, until Grim had stepped off of the ship today.