The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(70)

“In that case, Valor,” Jala called weakly and he stopped and looked back at her. “The bottle that waits for you will have to wait longer. I don’t have time to grieve and you don’t have time to drink. I need an army, Valor, and I depend on you to build it.”

It was a struggle to sit up but she forced herself to do so, her gaze slowly moving around the room to each of her friends. Aside from Valor, they all wore expressions of shock, but it was Wisp that broke from the trance first. With a gasp of delight, the Fae rushed toward the bed and wrapped Jala in a hug that nearly sent her crawling back for the safety of the blankets.

“I can’t believe it! Your fever is gone are you truly feeling well enough to sit up?” Wisp asked, her hand moving from Jala’s forehead to her cheeks.

“I don’t feel like moving much more than I have, but yes, sitting up is fine for now,” Jala replied calmly, though in truth she was gaining strength with each breath. With the borrowed power and Death’s spells sundered, healing herself was no longer a difficulty, and her spells were already fast at work on doing so.

“You want me to build an army from what we have out there?” Valor asked as he moved back toward the bed.

“To start with and then add to it with what we bring back when I free Goswin from the curse,” Jala replied, her eyes watching Valor’s expression as it shifted from disbelief to dismay.

“I have a very large collection of thieves, whores, gutter rats, and cowards and that’s not even touching on the dysfunctional lot of knights that I’m supposed to be commanding,” Valor continued, his hand waving toward the window as he spoke.

“And I have at least four nations that will want Merro to fall. I need an army, Valor. Try to look at what they could be instead of what they were. This is a new start for all of us. Give them a chance,” Jala pressed. She brushed a strand of curls back from her face and forced him to meet her eyes. “If you listened to the talk in Sanctuary, I’m no more than a peasant whore. Yet you gave me a chance to prove myself otherwise.”

“She got you by the balls there,” Neph said with a smirk. The Delvay settled back against the wall and crossed his arms over his broad chest watching Valor with amusement on his features. Of all of her friends, Neph appeared to be the best rested and least troubled. His blue eyes were bright and his clothing was fresh. The others in the room didn’t look in nearly that good of condition. Even Wisp had the dark circles under her eyes and pale skin that spoke of too little rest.

“Where we have thieves we could train rangers. The whores could be spies. The gutter rats, well I don’t know anything with survival skills like a gutter rat. I swear those children could survive in any terrain or circumstance,” Sovann offered with a shrug.

“You did just say you would be there any time she asked for help,” Wisp pointed out in a calm practical voice.

“I said to help, not grant bloody miracles,” Valor grumbled, but his expression was growing more thoughtful and less frantic. He turned and looked out the window once more and rubbed his chin. “There are a few that I might be able to do something with. My knights I can handle. I simply haven’t had the will to attempt it yet. My mind was more focused on the fact that you appeared to be dying,” he mused.

“I wasn’t dying. I was simply taking a vacation from good health,” Jala said with a slight shrug. “I wouldn’t ask you for a miracle if I didn’t think you could grant it, Valor.”

“You are quite possibly the only one that has that kind of faith in me anymore, Jala.” Valor’s eyes locked onto hers once more and he shook his head slowly in amazement.

“I know you better than they do, Valor. I’ve seen what you are capable of,” Jala replied, her voice holding a note of respect that was audible to all in the room. Valor watched her for a moment in silence and then moved to stand at the window, his back to them all. Slowly, Jala looked around the room once more and frowned as she noticed the missing faces. “Where are Jail, Madren, and Emily?” she asked.

“Jail is babysitting the other two for the time being. We didn’t want to let Madren in here until you were strong enough to smack him and we were afraid Emily would suffer Marrow’s fate,” Neph explained, his eyes flicking to the Bendazzi’s limp form beside her.

Jala frowned and ran a hand down Marrow’s back nodding slightly. “I wish I hadn’t had to drain him so much, but I was too weak to do what needed to be done alone.” Her spells of healing were already at work on the Bendazzi and he was sleeping peacefully now. He had earned the rest with his diligence of guarding her, but to the others he must appear to be on the verge of dying.