The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)(30)

“Sleep is a wasted effort for me these days. I haven’t been able to rest well since I heard of Amdany.” Caleb mumbled.

“Should I fetch a vial from your bag and tell you it will help?” Zoelyn asked dryly.

“I will have rest soon enough.” Caleb sighed.

“No you won’t. I’m on a first name basis with Death and I will whine at his door until he sends you back.” Zoelyn said firmly.

“Finn won’t see me at his door. I’m going for Derrick Rivasa and three of his sworn swords carry Soul blades. When I fall it will be final rest without penance for my sins.” Caleb corrected her softly.

“You saved Arovan from countless invasions. Nothing you have ever done has been a sin in my eyes, no matter how bloody the fight was.” Zoelyn whispered as she lowered her head to the table and buried her face in her arms. She could feel the tears coming again and didn’t have the will to fight them back. Neither of them would sleep tonight, but at least they both had company to share their misery with even if he was the source of hers tonight.





*





The room around him was locked in shadows as his eyes opened slowly, and for half a breath Shade thought he was somehow back in the prison in Glis. His breath caught and he sat up sharply before he realized it was a feather mattress he was laying on. It was another long moment before the fact that he had vision in both eyes dawned on him, and by that time he realized he wasn’t alone in the room.

“I didn’t think you would sleep the night through.” Jala whispered from her chair beside the wall. She rose slowly and moved to rest on the side of his bed looking down at him with concern. “Can you see clearly through both eyes?” she asked as she lifted a hand to wave it back and forth slowly in front of his face to test his vision.

“I can. You have my thanks for that, and the other healing as well.” Shade said hoarsely. His throat was so dry it felt as though he had been sucking on cotton.

“I’m so sorry Shade. I never expected you to return in this condition.” Jala began but Shade cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“It was my fault entirely. My arrogance bought my wounds for me.” He assured her as he sat up further in the bed and searched the side table for anything to drink.

She noticed the direction of his gaze and rose instantly from the bed to fetch water from a decanter across the room. Within a breath she was back with a glass of water and he took it from her gratefully. She watched him as he drained the glass and took it from him silently to refill.

Shade studied her face and the set of her shoulders and knew without a doubt that something was wrong. “Did Caleb leave already?” He asked and wondered exactly how long he had been unconscious. If it had been for more than a day than the Arovan likely had left him behind to finish the mission alone, which meant Caleb was likely dead already.

“No, he is downstairs, and your goblin is asleep under the bed, so there is no need for you to worry about your companions. They are both fine.” Jala assured him as she returned with the glass and sat it down on the nightstand beside him. She settled on the bed once more and folded her knees to her chest. It was the posture of a frightened child, and the last thing he expected from Jala Merrodin.

“What’s wrong?” Shade asked quietly, though he wasn’t sure she would answer him. She had never been the sort for complaining, and he knew she would see talking about what was troubling her as either whining or complaining.

“Beyond the obvious fact that I nearly killed a friend with my request?” Jala asked with a sad smile then shrugged. “Too much to bother speaking about.”

“I doubt I’ll sleep for the rest of the night, and it’s been a while since we have had a lengthy conversation.” Shade pressed.

Jala shook her head and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Tell me what the Blights said. That is more important.”

Shade frowned at her but nodded slowly. “I had every intention of screaming at you over that whole matter, but seeing you like this I can’t summon the will for it. So answer a question for me instead of listening to me rant. Did you know the Morcaillo line controlled the Blights?” By her expression he didn’t need to her say anything he could see the guilt written clearly on her face.

“Had I told you and had you known when they scanned your mind they never would have believed you weren’t associated with your father’s plots.” Jala said hesitantly.

“Funny thing, they still didn’t think I was innocent despite my ignorance. I’ve spent the past three weeks hanging from a rafter in a barn because of my last name.” Shade informed her with more bitterness than he had intended to use.

Jala’s shoulders slumped further and he could see her eyes growing glassy. She slowly lowered her head to rest on the tops of her knees and let out a deep ragged breath. “I’m sorry Shade. I never should have sent you in there knowing what I did, but no one else…” her voice trailed off.

“No one else would have understood, or gone for you. I know, and I’m not holding a grudge, just a bit of anger.” Shade assured her. He was certain she was crying by the way her shoulders were shaking, but she was utterly silent. It bothered him more than he cared to admit that somehow over the months Jala had learned how to cry without making a sound.

“Every choice I make is the wrong one, and someone I care for always ends up suffering for it.” Jala said quietly and her voice quavered with the words.