The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(29)

“So sorry. Love you daddy, just come home I don’t need the puppy. I just want you home again. We miss you. ” The tiny voice amended sweetly.

Caleb had frozen in place at the voices and the entire room was silent as the magic of the amulet went dormant once more. Tears had filled his dark eyes and Zoelyn could tell he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. “Damn you.” He muttered bitterly as he inhaled raggedly and tried desperately to focus on Shade’s wounds once more.

“I didn’t do it to hurt you Grim. I did it to remind you.” Zoelyn said softly. She met his eyes once more as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek. “I met Syrah before you did Grim. I was there when she was born, and I knew Nel better than anyone else other than you. You are walking the wrong path and I’m friend enough to tell you that no matter how much it hurts.”

“I do what needs to be done, and nothing more.” Caleb said quietly as he turned his full attention to Shade. Zoelyn could tell by his expression that he had pushed his emotions too far back for her to reason with him now. Grim was quite possibly the most stubborn person she knew, but then she was Delvay so she was more than up to the task of butting heads with him.

“You used to only say that when Micah sent you to do something you really didn’t want to do. No one gave you these orders Grim. You don’t have to follow them.” Zoelyn said quietly and stepped back against the wall once more. Jala was watching her and gave her an approving smile. She nodded in return and folded her arms across her chest.

Kevala’drin was a noble pursuit, and it required more courage than most possessed, but it was not something she would allow no matter how much she respected the man for suggesting it. It would have been hard enough to lose a friend no matter how noble the deed, but she wouldn’t allow Syrah to suffer more pain and loss than she already had.

“Rest easy where ever you are Nel. I won’t let him die, and Syrah won’t be alone.” Zoelyn promised in a voice so low her words wouldn’t carry to the others in the room.





*





Night had fallen before Zoelyn sought him out again. It wasn’t hard to track him down. Everyone else in the house had retired for the night, and the light in the kitchen led her right to him. He was seated with his back to the wall and holding the flower shaped amulet in his hands. Behind him water was boiling on the stove and Zoelyn recognized the scent of the herbs in it at once.

“Hero’s folly.” She observed quietly as she stepped into the room and let the door close softly behind her. The potion was a mixture of several very potent herbs and quite possibly the single most thing that healers despised more than violence itself. Once it was swallowed the potion would greatly increase natural regeneration and deaden the nerves allowing it’s user to fight far past the point they should. Dominic often said that only one in ten lived through the folly and the potion itself was often more deadly than the fight it was used for.

Caleb looked up silently and watched her as she approached. He look exhausted and so grief stricken that she felt like a bully for coming to pester him further. He gave a slight nod, but remained silent as he sat the amulet carefully down on the table before him.

“I take it that by brewing that I should accept that you haven’t changed your mind then.” Zoelyn muttered as she considered dumping the potion down the sink. He would likely throttle her for it though. The herbs used to make the potion were costly and very hard to find. He must have had them tucked into his backpack, because she knew Jala didn’t have them in her house.

Caleb closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his chin on his arms still silent. One hand reached out to push lightly at the amulet and he looked up at her with a sad smile. “There is nothing worse than to be the last one standing Zoey.”

“Agreed.” Zoelyn said softly leaving the obvious words unspoken. So don’t do that to Syrah. She slid slowly down into the chair across from him and crossed her own arms on the table. “When I saw you step off of that ship today my heart soared. They said you were dead, but part of me refused to believe that. People like you don’t die easily. It’s been years Grim, and now here you are, and I’m about to lose you again.” Her voice grew faint and she felt fresh tears stinging her eyes.

“Are you ever going to explain what you are doing here in the first place? I thought you would still be with Dominic.” Caleb kept his voice low as if he was afraid to wake the house. It had obviously been too long since he had been home if he feared waking anyone here. His own home in Amdany had been nearly as large as Jala’s house, and he should have realized he could have screamed and they wouldn’t be able to hear him in their bedchambers.

“Dominic took me to the last stand, and I had a bit of an accident at the river. People found out about my curse and Dominic handed me over to Elijah for safe keeping. Which I might add is much better than what your father wanted for me. If Lord Blackwolf had gotten his way I’d be dead and buried now. Long story short, Jala arrived in Arovan for a council, irritated every high Lord there and brought me home with her.” Zoelyn explained in the quickest fashion she could. She didn’t want to waste what time she had speaking with him on something as trivial as her life when his was at stake.

“Sounds about right for Blackwolf.” Caleb muttered before falling silent once more.

Zoelyn studied the dark circles under his eyes and the disheveled state of his clothes and hair and let out a soft sigh. “Why don’t you sleep Grim? I can finish the folly for you even if I hate what you will use it for.”