The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(89)

“I’m not?” Vaze asked in a mockery of a shocked voice.

“Damn it!” Shade burst out as he dropped down the last stair. He glowered at Symphony and then looked to Vaze who leaned casually against the side of the Spell Hawk with a smile on his face. “I was telling her a story about some idiot that thought you were scary. She has the same opinion as me though you are definitely not scary,” Shade said with a grin before glaring at Symphony once more as she burst into laughter.

“Shade you are a horrible liar,” Symphony managed through more giggles as she hugged Vaze and smiled up at him. “Welcome back. Where have you been the past few days? Not even Lutheron seemed to know.”

“Goswin, then the Darklands, then Merro,” Vaze answered. He motioned toward the crowd near the edge of the port and smiled at her. “I told them if they approached, I would eat their souls. If you want to speak with any of them you will have to call them over.”

“Eating souls now, eh? That’s a new one. So I am to understand that you have been assisting Lady Merrodin then?” Symphony asked as they began walking. She purposefully kept her gaze from the patiently waiting crowd and headed instead for the Justicar’s hall.

“So if you don’t see them, they aren’t really waiting for you. Is that how that works?” Shade asked, keeping his gaze on the ground as they walked.

“No, I don’t see them at all. Especially not the three that are waving for my attention,” Symphony replied. “Answer, Vaze,” she added with a bit of authority in her voice.

“To say yes would suggest that I had gone against Lutheron’s direct order not to intervene,” Vaze said softly.

“And to say no would be lying to me?” Symphony asked.

“I do find myself in a delicate place. I think I prefer to say nothing,” Vaze mused.

“Hmm. Was she successful?” Symphony asked in a softer voice.

“She was successful at returning with Finn’s soul. The resurrection however was not successful. I was forced to send him back to the Darklands. Death was soulriding him and he was a danger to everyone in the sunlit world as long as Death had him as a conduit,” Vaze explained.

Symphony let out a long wistful sigh. “I was hoping she would succeed all the way around. I can’t imagine loving someone so much that you would do such a thing. I feel sorry for her.”

“She didn’t even know him that long. There is no way she could have loved him that much,” Shade snapped irritably.

“Oh, that’s right. You had a bit of a rivalry on that account didn’t you?” Symphony asked, flicking her gaze in his direction.

“Not much of one, really. I was witness to the whole damned thing and there is no way it could have been that deep a relationship. Finn was too shallow a person for anything that deep,” Shade answered stiffly.

Symphony nodded in a mockery of agreement and then looked back to Vaze. “Is she truly as wounded as they say? Should we have her brought to the city for healing?”

Vaze raised an eyebrow and shook his head faintly. “She took serious wounds but she will recover of that I am certain. You show more interest in her than you do any other lord. Do you realize that, Sym?”

Symphony sighed and gave a nod of her own. “I feel responsible for her troubles and I suppose I relate with her better than I can the others. Elijah Arovan, Arjuna Firym, and Jaradon Faydwer all know exactly what they are doing and how to do it. Jala Merrodin is different. She knows what she wants to do but not how to do it,” she said softly.

“Exactly like you,” Vaze agreed with a nod.

“I have a council, though, and she has a court of those who are just as clueless as she is. So I worry about her,” Symphony continued, a frown creasing her full lips.

“Nephondelvayon is not what I would call clueless. That one is easily as formidable as his elder brother,” Vaze objected. Moving ahead of them quickly he took the stairs to the Justicars hall two at a time until he reached the door and then held it open for the pair of them as they walked through.

“I’m so glad Morcath doesn’t have names like that one. Can we call him simply Neph so I don’t tie my tongue in a knot?” Shade asked, glancing at Symphony hopefully.

She chuckled in response and the frown on her face disappeared as she nodded. Shade let out a dramatic sigh of relief and found Vaze watching him with an approving expression as he turned back toward the hall.

“I’ve heard he is difficult to deal with,” Symphony said to Vaze as she returned to their discussion.