The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(40)

“Why isn’t the current distraction enough? Why do I have to be there?” Shade asked in confusion.

“Because I placed a few charms on you before I let you know I was here, and I need you close to her so my charms will affect Symphony as well as Lutheron. Faramir, too, hopefully, I don’t want her having any clue as to what I’m doing,” Vaze explained.

“Why me, exactly? Why not place your charms directly on them?” Shade objected, turning fully to face Vaze.

“Because you agreed to help, which means naturally that you agreed to accept my magic. They, however would object to this entire endeavor, which means my magic would be much more difficult to place on them. You really are making this more difficult than it should be, Shade. I thought you wanted to help Jala,” Vaze complained, the irritation finally seeping into his voice.

“I do want to help Jala. I’m just not sure I want to help you. I feel like there is something integral that I should know that you are not telling me,” Shade replied with a heavy sigh.

“Like what?” Vaze asked, the irritation thicker in his voice.

“Like why you want to help her?” Shade offered. “Like why Lutheron would object if you have already dealt with the task that he gave you,” he added his voice growing a bit louder.

“I want to help her because she is my blood kin and I owe her that much. I don’t want Lutheron to know because he sees her as a pawn that is no longer useful and has written her off. He would see me going after her as a waste of a valuable resource he could use elsewhere. Like in Glis and Arovan killing Blights for example as you apparently believe I should be doing,” Vaze snapped his own voice rising a bit.

“Damn, that is cold,” Shade said with a shake of his head and looked back toward Lutheron. “Is that really how he sees her?” he asked in a quieter voice. The more he learned of Lutheron, the more he disliked the man. The Fionaveir were supposed to be the good guys from what he had heard, but it certainly wasn’t looking that way to him.

“That is how they all see her right now, Shade. The moment this moved to war instead of a council vote, Jala lost her value to everyone but a handful of people,” Vaze explained.

“You don’t even know her, though,” Shade pointed out. He had spoken with Jala of her family before and she had never once mentioned Vaze. If she knew she had living family, she would have told him about it, regardless if the man was Fionaveir.

“Correction, she doesn’t know me. I know her quite well. I probably know the true Jala better than you. I was there the day Lutheron had the Mind magic worked on her so she would behave properly. That magic is gone now and as you can see by the fact that she is in the Darklands, she is no longer behaving properly. She broke the magic herself. I told Lutheron to have it removed when she came to Sanctuary but he refused. Serves him right that she is using her own mind rather than obeying him,” Vaze said with what sounded like pride in his voice.

“You think her going to the Darklands was a good idea then?” Shade asked in disbelief. That had been the last thing he had been thinking when he heard where she had gone. Insanity had been the first thing that had come to mind.

“If she truly believes she can accomplish her task, then yes,” Vaze replied, his gaze once more on the crowd around Symphony as if he was waiting for the slightest chance to shove Shade toward her.

“But you don’t think she can…” Shade pointed out, letting his words trail off.

“I never said that. I said she needed help or one of them would likely die, if not both. Likely, Shade, that means there is a possibility not a certainty. Jala has a rough road ahead. She can’t afford to lose any friends even a lush like Valor Hai’dia. I sincerely doubt I will have time or opportunity to help her in the future. I have to offer her what I can now and try to insure that she keeps what assets she has,” Vaze explained and nodded once again toward Symphony. “Go now. She is heading toward the hall. If nothing else, ask her about her flight. Just stick by her. Lutheron won’t object to your presence, given the task he assigned you.”

“Good luck,” Shade said with a sigh as he pushed off the ship once more and began to make his way toward Symphony. There was no reply behind him and when he glanced back Vaze was already gone. Shade shook his head and tried to sort through the feelings stirring through his chest. Disappointment, trepidation, and more anxiety than he cared to admit. The disappointment was easy enough to understand. He could have redeemed himself fully in his own eyes by helping Jala and wiped his failure in Rivana from his mind completely. The trepidation and anxiety were no doubt revolving completely around Symphony and his task of spying. He had a fragile friendship with her as far as he knew. How long would that friendship last, though, if she found out he was watching her and reporting back to Lutheron?