The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(16)

“Neph won’t kill him Wisp, and Victory will be less apt to press Neph for answers than he would you. Chances are, once Neph walks into that room Victory is going to accept whatever comes out of Neph’s mouth without argument, and hurry home just to avoid further conversation,” Sovann assured her with a wink.

“If you say so,” Wisp agreed, though she didn’t sound at all sure of the plan. Motioning to Devony she turned back toward the door. “Come on Dev, let’s go find Neph.”

Devony leaped up from the ground at a sprint and was through the door before Wisp had taken more than three steps.

Sovann shook his head and let out a long sigh. “I really wish you would help us ease her fear of you a bit, Emily,” he said softly as the door closed.

“Sometimes fear is healthy, Sovann. That child should be terrified of the unknown,” Emily replied in her customary whisper and moved silently to another perch in the room.

“The unknown, yes, but you, no. You are one of us, remember?” Sovann pressed gently and lifted his pen once more. A book lay sprawled in front of him, filled with random marks that Emily had never been able to decipher. Every time she had so much as glanced into the pages the ink seemed to writhe on the paper and made her head ache.

“If you say so,” she agreed in a skeptical voice. With Jala and Marrow here, she had felt as though she belonged. Now, though, it was harder to believe. She felt no connection with these people, not even with Jail who had helped her work through some of her more base instincts with his mind magics. They were one thing, and she was quite another. They are prey and you are predator, a small voice whispered inside her and she hushed it quickly. It had been whispering things in her mind for days and she wasn’t entirely sure if it was another’s words, or her own thoughts that she had been repressing.

“I do say so, Emily. I know you are out of sorts right now. We all are. The loss of Finn, and then Jala and Valor, combined with trying to get things started here, and we are all under tremendous stress. We have to work together and rely on each other now, though, and it is important to remember you are one of us,” Sovann said, his gaze locked on the book his hand, moving quickly as he added more notations.

“If you say so,” Emily repeated, moving her position again as she spoke. She never stayed put after making noise. It just wasn’t safe. Sovann wasn’t that paranoid though, she noted as she came to a stop right behind him. His head was still bent forward, his attention fully on his project. He didn’t worry at all about what was around him, or what might happen. One quick blow to the spine and he turns from annoying mage to meat, the voice whispered again and Emily stared hard at the bronzed skin on the back of Sovann’s neck. His hair was pulled back in a tail tied loosely at the base of his neck, just barely revealing that sweet spot on a human’s spine. The spot that held so many nerve endings and was so fragile. One blow there and no matter if it was Immortal or human, it was incapacitated.

“I think we almost have it, Emily. A few more days and I think I’ll be able to create the first runes,” Sovann said absently, once again speaking to the wrong area of the room.

Emily arched her brows and smiled faintly. He should learn to heed the advice she gave, even if it was directed toward the child. A little more fear would do wonders for Sovann’s survival.

Her attention snapped up as the door opened once more and Jail stepped into the room. Emily watched the big mage as he surveyed the room, then smiled faintly at Sovann. “I wondered if I might borrow Emily for a time. I think she is due for a bit of therapy today,” he said in a calm voice, though the expression in his eyes was one of anger. He was dressed casually in a loose tunic and breeches and, as always, had a neatness about him that seemed at odds with his huge muscular frame. The only difference she noted was the slender hilt of a sword that showed just over his left shoulder. Emily had never seen Jail armed before. He always fought with his bare hands.

Sovann glanced up at him and nodded faintly. “Of course, Jail. I hadn’t realized she was to meet with you. Forgive me for delaying her. I’ll see you tomorrow, Emily.” There was warmth in his voice as he spoke her name and Emily felt a twinge in her chest at the sound of it.

“Right behind you, Jail,” Emily whispered not bothering to respond to Sovann. It didn’t seem right to treat him as a friend with her earlier thoughts of meat.

“Ahh, how about right beside me, as friends should walk,” Jail countered and offered his arm to the open air beside him.