The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams (20 page)

With a satisfied nod she let the sand
collapse once more and, turned to find a seat in the corner. Soon
enough she would have to go and tell Caspian that Oma was missing,
but then the poor girl hadn’t seemed right in the head since she
had arrived. Smothering a laugh Myth tapped her fingers idly on the
table and began to work the finer details out in her mind. Becoming
someone in truth required so many fine details and from now until
something better arose, she was Faramir.

Sanctuary

Warm lips brushed against her neck. “You are
going to be late for classes,” Finn whispered in her ear. Burrowing
further under the blankets, she pressed herself tightly against
him. He chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around her. “You are
going to be really late for classes,” he corrected.

“I’m not going today,” she mumbled through a
yawn. By the time Sovann had returned and she had explained
everything to them it had been late. She had decided she wouldn’t
be going to school when it had taken several hours past late to
clean up the mess in his house. Given the hour, they had simply
stayed at Sovann’s rather than return to the Academy.

“Hmm, neither am I. Imagine that,” Finn said
with a grin. “I have several very good suggestions on what we
should do with our day off,” he said and ran his hand down her back
lightly.

“Mmm. I have to help them with the orphanage
today,” she objected mildly and looked up at him with a smile. “If
you had your way we would never get out of bed.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged.
“And how is that a bad thing. I barely get to see you,” he said
with a sigh. “I leave before you wake up and I usually don’t get to
see you again until after you are done training with Neph. I never
see you during the day unless it’s a free day and then we are both
busy.”

“I know,” she said. resting her head on his
shoulder. “But it won’t be like this forever,” she promised and
hoped she was right.

“I have a duel against one of the most
dangerous swordsmen alive today. I’m not letting you out of bed
until I absolutely have to,” he said, his tone firm.

Groaning, she buried her face in his chest
and smacked him lightly. “I don’t want you to fight him,” she
complained in a pathetic voice, even to her ears.

“And I don’t want you to leave the bed,” he
countered with a smirk.

She looked up sharply, causing a wave of
curls to fall down over her face. Absently, she brushed them back
and locked her violet eyes firmly on Finn. “I’ll stay in bed for
the rest of the week if you cancel the duel,” she offered. One
eyebrow rose. “I will only get up to use the privy and bathe. The
rest of the time I’ll be right here beside you,” she added
hopefully.

Shaking his head slightly, he smiled faintly
and brushed the rest of the curls from her face. With a gentleness
he used with no other, he cupped her chin and kissed her lightly.
“If I could back out now, I would. That offer alone would be enough
to get me to go back on my word and take the dishonor. But I can’t,
Jala. I’ve bet too much.”

“What have you possibly bet that you are
being so stubborn about?” she asked dismally.

“Everything,” he answered, ignoring her look
of annoyance at his vague response. “Jala, I know you don’t approve
of all of my actions, but what I do, I have a reason for, I
promise,” he said softly and her annoyance faded.

“I know. I don’t understand a lot but I’m
learning faster than I care to,” she murmured.

“Don’t learn too many of Sanctuary’s lessons,
Vezradesh
. I don’t ever want to see that gentle side of you
die. You are what makes me try to be better. You are my conscience,
I think. I didn’t have one before I met you. No one else could make
me pull a sword blow, only you,”

“Neph says I need to learn to kill or I will
be killed,” she said quietly.

“I hope I am always there to do it for you. I
don’t want to see you become as callous as the rest of us,” Finn
replied, running his fingers through her hair. “It doesn’t even
faze us anymore, but then, I’m sure you noticed that last night. To
see you care so much for everyone …,” he trailed off as if
searching for words and then smiled. “It makes me want to see the
Merrodin you rebuild. I don’t think there will be another land like
it. It will be as beautiful as you are, I think,”

Jala gave a soft laugh and brushed at her
eyes gently with the back of her hand. She had no explanation for
why her eyes had gone glassy with his words. Sniffling slightly,
she shook her head at him. “That [b]we[b] build. You are going to
win today and be right beside me when we build it,” she corrected
gently and kissed him.

“I always win,” he agreed with a smile and
leaned back against his pillow, looking at her with a cautious
expression. “You know we could always build strength quietly and
let the worst of this blow over for now,” he offered with obvious
hesitation.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We could spend a year or two in Firym and
build resources and then rebuild Merrodin. It would be safer.
Things are in too much turmoil right now,” he explained. “With the
Blights and what the Fionaveir have planned, I mean. We made no
promises to them,” he added.

Leaning back to rest on her elbow, she
considered his words. The thought was tempting, in truth, but by
doing so she would be abandoning the people in this district for
even longer. There was the matter of the oaths sworn to her as
well. Would her friends understand if she simply changed her mind?
“I can’t, Finn. Too many people are depending on us to move soon,”
she said finally and felt her chest tighten at the wave of sadness
that echoed through their link.

“It was worth a try,” he said with a smile
that she knew was fake. “In for a copper, in for a gold then. To
hell with safety,” he added and shook his head at her frown.
“
Vezradesh
, you worship Fortune. How can I honestly ask you
not to gamble and take risks?” he said, trying to lighten her
mood.

“Why did I get so much sadness from you when
I said no, Finn? Do you not think we can do it?” she asked
quietly.

“I know we can do it, Jala. I just think that
the faster we move the more painful the road is going to be,” he
replied and pulled her close again. “I’ve had enough depressing
talk I think,” he said with a grin. “I love you, Jala, and whatever
you decide, you have my support. Let’s just leave it at that.” He
spoke quietly but the sincerity of the words rang loudly.

Smiling faintly, she kissed him again. “I’m
depressed and worried sick and stressed beyond all reason about
everything, Finn. Think you could possibly distract me from the
world for a while?” she asked quietly.

“I’m positive I can,” Finn replied with a
smirk and winked at her. “Give me an hour and you won’t even
remember your own name,” he promised and gave her another kiss.

Jala focused her full attention on him and
tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind that
warned that this might be the last time she ever kissed him.
Feeling her eyes going glassy again with the thought, she kissed
him harder and pushed all thoughts from her mind savagely. For now
she was content to simply rely on instinct and desire.

* * *

“I’ll see you at the Arena in a couple of
hours,” Jala promised as she watched Finn and Valor head for the
door.

Neph rose slowly from his chair and sighed.
“I’ll go keep an eye on the idiots,” he offered and followed after
them.

Finn paused at the doorway and looked back to
her. “The fight won’t be until this evening so do what you have to
do and don’t worry. I’m just going to get gear in order and take
care of a few minor details.” He pulled the door open and glanced
back again. “Keep Marrow and Emily close by you all day, though,”
he added.

“I will, I promise,” she agreed and watched
the door close behind the three of them. “I think I’m going to be
sick,” she whispered to Sovann and Wisp.

“He will be fine,” Wisp assured her with a
smile.

“He is going to get his ass handed to him in
several small pieces. It’s Kithkanon he is fighting, and the man is
a damned legend,” Sovann said, earning a sharp elbow from Wisp.

“Yes I’m going to be sick,” Jala said with a
slight nod and rose quickly from her chair. Her stomach roiled and
she took a deep breath and paced trying to calm it back down. She
really had no desire to see her breakfast for a second time.

“Just calm down. It will be okay,” Wisp said,
standing quickly to take Jala’s elbow and steady her. “Finn is the
best with swords. There is no one better, not even Kithkanon,” Wisp
continued, her voice soothing. Sovann gave a snort of amusement and
Wisp glared at him fiercely.

Clearing his throat, Sovann nodded at Jala.
“He will be fine. Finn is oh, so talented,” he said, managing to
keep most of the doubt from his voice.

Jala nodded and paced across the room again.
“How is Isador? Is she awake yet?” she asked in an effort to get
her mind off the duel.

“She was awake for a bit this morning but
seemed a bit out of it. I suppose she got a rather good knock on
the head in the fight. Your healing likely saved her life,” Wisp
explained. “I think she will be fine. It will just take some
time.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she
stays safe,” Sovann assured her. “Are you going by the Copper Penny
to check on the boy from Merrodin you mentioned?” he asked as she
began to pace again.

Jala nodded absently. “We are going there
first, actually. I want to know how he survived and if he is
willing to help,” she replied.

“We should probably go soon, actually, if we
are going to get anything done on the orphanage today,” Wisp
said.

“As soon as Emily and Marrow are done eating
we will go,” Jala agreed, glancing toward the kitchen where her two
guardians were dining. She had tried to get Emily to eat breakfast
with the rest of them but the Blight’s attention had been riveted
on Marrow’s food instead. In the end she had relented and given the
child her own portion of raw meat. It seemed simpler to agree than
risk the hungry Blight mauling Marrow for a beef bone.

“Did they find the hive last night?” Sovann
asked, his gaze still following her progress back and forth across
the floor.

Jala shook her head slowly. “They ended up
killing it before it could feed,” she replied with a shrug.
“Apparently it showed no hints of returning home and seemed intent
on killing someone. Both Marrow and Emily decided I would be
happier if they didn’t let it.”

“I’m sure that corpse has the guards
confused,” Wisp said with a shake of her head. “I can only imagine
what condition it was in when they were finished with it.”

“I, uhh, I don’t really think they left a
body,” Jala said quietly and repressed another roil of her stomach.
“I don’t think either Marrow or Emily would waste meat,” she
finished and gave a slight shudder.

“Oh,” Wisp murmured, her expression holding a
trace of disgust.

“Well they are both predators. It’s instinct
for them to eat what they kill,” Sovann added with a shrug.

“Just out of curiosity, what happened to the
one that Finn killed?” Wisp asked, her expression showing yet more
disgust.

“Neph stored it for later. He said he wanted
a chance to examine it,” Jala explained and smiled faintly at the
Fae’s obvious relief. “No, Wisp, we didn’t feed it to them,” she
assured her with a faint chuckle.

“Oh well of course not,” Wisp added quickly,
though her expression showed that was clearly what she had been
thinking.

I don’t think I would have eaten a second
one, not only was I already full from the first I greatly prefer
the taste of beef
, Marrow said as he stalked from the kitchen.
You are going to have to buy her more food. She is growing and
she is greedy. She tried to take mine again.

“I’m sorry. I will make sure she gets more
next time,” Jala said with a frown and ran a hand down Marrow’s
neck lightly.

“He bit me,” Emily’s voice came from the
doorway and she became visible long enough to show Jala a set of
teeth marks along one arm.

“Marrow, don’t bite her,” Jala scolded
lightly.

I did say she tried to take my food
,
Marrow repeated emphasizing the word “tried.”

She heard Sovann repress a snort of laughter
and turned to see the mage busying himself with cleaning off the
table. “You girls have fun today,” he said as he glanced up to see
her watching him.

“Oh I’m sure we will have loads of fun,” Jala
replied dryly and glanced to Wisp. “You ready?” she asked with a
shake of her head.

Nodding, Wisp grinned back at Sovann. “See
you at the Arena,” she called and headed for the door with
Jala.

“I’m still hungry,” Emily complained quietly
as they left the house.

“I’ll see that you get a big lunch,” Jala
promised and tried to calculate exactly how many cows it was going
to take to keep the Bendazzi and Blight fed. “I think beef is going
to be a major export of Merrodin when it’s done. I’m going to have
to buy a cattle ranch to feed them,” she told Wisp as they
walked.

The Fae grinned and nodded slightly. “Might
need to invest in a few cows before then. We could keep them in one
of the courtyards. I’m sure none of the instructors would notice,”
she suggested with a chuckle.

“Can you imagine the amount of complaining
about cow manure from Neph?” Jala said with a sigh and grinned at
the thought.

“Complaining. What a nice way to phrase his
bitching tirades,” Wisp replied with a grin. “Come on, the Penny
isn’t too far from here. I’m rather curious to meet this young man
too. It’s not every day that Finn is willing to spare someone. How
did you get him to pull the blow anyway?”