The Crow King's Wife (22 page)

He wrapped his fingers around the crystal and
closed his eyes. She could see the muscles in his jaw clench, and
knew just by that expression he was expecting the worst. Closing
her eyes she leaned back against the window sill and turned her
face toward the garden. The scent of lilacs was heavy on the air,
and despite the tension in the room it was almost relaxing.

When the silence between them stretched far
longer than it should have she opened her eyes once more and gazed
down at him. He was turning the crystal slowly over in his hands,
but at her movement he looked up. She held his gaze for a long
moment trying to gauge his mood from his dark blue eyes, but it was
hopeless. Valor was too much of a card player. When he wanted to
hide his emotions no one could tell what he was thinking.

“So where do you suppose this leaves us?” he
asked softly as he set the crystal gently back onto the ledge.

“One step closer to each other in my eyes.
We’ve had a lot between us Valor. Neither of us has been happy, and
both of us are carrying more guilt than we can manage. I needed to
say goodbye to him. I needed to know why he lied to me, and I do
still miss him, but I know you do too.” Jala answered quietly.

“Just hearing Finn say he approves of me
beside you helped ease some of my guilt.” Valor admitted with a
sigh.

“And I hope what I have planned for the rest
of the day will eliminate most of the rest.” Jala said as she slid
down from the window and moved closer to him. He watched her
curiously until she settled quietly into his lap. His arm wrapped
around her waist and she felt him relax beneath her. Still silent
she rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes once
more.

“Are you going to give me the slightest hint
as to what you are talking about?” he asked after a long
moment.

“We are going to Arovan today to return your
sister to her family, and I’m going to tell Elijah about Dray. I’m
not going as High Lady Merrodin. I’m going as Jala. I don’t want
anything political being drawn into this. I just want to know I am
doing the right thing, and ease both of our minds. We should have
done both before now.” Jala whispered.

“Are you sure you want to tell him about
Dray?” Valor asked doubtfully.

“I’m positive. They can choose to accept him
or refuse him. That is their right, but Elijah deserves to know he
has a grandson, and it will give him two choices for his new heir.
Chastity or Dray, I want him to take the burden from you soon.”
Jala answered and pushed off his chest enough to watch his face.
“If you still see it as a burden that is.” She added
hesitantly.

“I have no desire to be the heir of Arovan.
My heart is in Merro.” Valor assured her and pulled her closer to
him once more. “If that is one of the things standing between us
than I will be looking forward to visiting my Uncle. I should be
the one to talk to him about the heir though. If you say anything
it will seem political.” He added and kissed her gently on the top
of the head.

“Do you suppose perhaps that if Elijah agrees
to name Chastity heir, and if we are both dealing with our guilt
well that we could marry after the council in Sanctuary?” Jala
asked softly.

“After hearing you say those words I promise
you that Elijah won’t have to agree. I won’t give him the choice. I
will lay the signet before him and tell him to find another. If he
disagrees then he only has one choice.” Valor spoke firmly and she
could tell Elijah wouldn’t get him to budge on the decision he had
made.

“What choice would that be?” Jala asked with
a faint smile.

“To acknowledge that if I remain heir to
Arovan that his country will become an extension of Merro by
default if he should die.” Valor answered quietly.

“Ah, Chastity will make a fine heir and I’m
sure he will see that just as soon as you bring up that point.”
Jala said with a hint of amusement in her voice. “We have two or
three hours before we have to face the world, Val. I’d much rather
spend it curled in bed beside you than sitting in this chair.”

He rose without hesitation before she had
even finished speaking and carried her gently to the bed. She
crawled under the sheets and watched in silence as he removed his
shirt and kicked off his boots. Within a breath he was beside her
and she curled against his chest and wrapped her arm around his
waist. “I promise you, Val, that I will never turn my back on you
again no matter what weight is on my chest. I’m so sorry for the
way I’ve been acting. It was something I should have dealt with
sooner.”

“I don’t really see that you have anything to
apologize for, but if my forgiveness is what you need to feel
better than you have it for everything, Jala. I know how hard it is
to push that kind of pain away. I kick myself nightly wondering if
there was some way I could have saved Honor and Micah, or if there
was more I could have done for Finn. Our world is brutal, and no
matter how hard we are grasping for peace, as long as there is
fighting there will be death. We have no choice but to accept it
and deal with our grief in any way that we can. Even when it means
we distance ourselves from those we love. You needed space and I
understood. I was never angry, only concerned.” Valor’s voice was
low and she could hear the grief etching his words as he spoke his
brother’s name.

“They say the souls of the pure return to the
Lifestream the fastest. Honor and Micah both passed through the
Darklands without penance. They will return to this world soon, and
I truly believe that we carry an echo of our former lives with us
when we walk amongst the living again. You will see him again, Val.
He might not remember you, but I have no doubt you will know
him.”

“May they both return to Arovan. Both of them
loved Arovan with every ounce of their souls.” Valor said softly as
he settled into the bed fully and allowed himself to relax. It
wasn’t often that either of them truly rested, and she couldn’t
remember the last time they had simply rested together in
peace.

Merro

The air was thick with moisture and she could
feel a slight sheen of sweat on her skin. No matter how long Zoelyn
was in Merro she didn’t think she would ever adjust to the climate.
It was the heart of summer here, and it showed in everything around
her. The grass beneath her was prickly and dry, and the heat was
oppressive even at night. She could remember Delvay perfectly now,
and she knew it would be much cooler there with frequent storms
that kept the mountains cloaked in fog on most nights. The sky
would be too cloudy for the stargazing she was enjoying at the
moment, but she wouldn’t be sweating through her tunic either.

A soft noise behind her drew her attention
from the sky and she turned to stare into the darkness of the
gardens. No one else should be awake now, not even Dray kept these
hours. She half rose from the ground and peered into the shadows
trying to find the source of the noise. It came again from behind
her and she recognized it for what it was; the swish of feathers.
She rose quickly and turned nearly colliding with him as she did.
Seth’s arms steadied her and she stared up into his gold eyes
unsure if she wanted to run or melt closer to him. She had been
avoiding him for days. Every glimpse of black feathers had sent her
back into the house. There was no way of knowing if the crows had
been simple birds or one of his messengers, but she had avoided
them all the same.

He remained silent with his hands still
holding her shoulder. His golden eyes were locked on hers with such
intensity that she couldn’t look away. The expression on his face
seemed softer than she could ever remember seeing and there was
fragileness about him that she could barely fathom. “Zoey.” He
whispered as he drew her closer and the desire to run fled
completely. Just the sound of her name from his lips held her
transfixed. There was so much longing in that single spoken word
that she simply stared at him unsure what to do or say. His lips
brushed against her forehead and a flash of uncertainty filled his
eyes as he lowered his head and kissed her lips as lightly as a
breeze.

She hesitated for a long moment before
wrapping her arms around him and leaning in to kiss him once more.
It was foolish and she knew it. She had seen his temper, and she
had felt his Charm magic peel away from her with Finn’s touch. She
knew Seth had been manipulating her the entire time she had trained
with him, but those were all things that her mind knew, and it was
her heart that was returning the kiss. Her lips parted slowly and
his kiss intensified growing deeper until her heart was hammering
in her chest.

She felt him shiver in her grasp and pull
back from the embrace. The scent of him was thick about her, that
intoxicating mix of spice and sweat that was Seth’s alone. He
stared down at her for a long moment and then his lips were on hers
once more with what seemed like hunger. She could feel the heat
from his body and the look on his face no longer held a trace of
uncertainty. The fragileness was gone replaced with Seth’s pure
confidence. His hands slid down her shoulders to rest on her hips
and then he was pulling her down to the grass with him. She
straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck as his grip
on her tightened and pulled her almost painfully close. His lips
moved from hers to trace a path down her neck and to her shoulder.
She could feel the brush of his teeth against her flesh, but it
wasn’t painful.

A soft moan burst from her lips and she clung
to him. All desire for talk had fled her mind and the only things
that mattered were his hands tracing down her body and the feel of
his lips. Cool night air brushed against her bare flesh as he
unlaced her tunic. His lips found hers once more as his hands rose
to her breasts. Her entire body was screaming for more and she knew
no matter what Seth asked from her she would give it willingly.

“What I don’t understand is why you are
avoiding me, when you obviously don’t want to.” Seth whispered in
her ear and his voice was hoarse and filled with desire.

“I…I…” Zoelyn stammered but his mouth had
moved to her breasts and words would no longer form in her mind.
She felt the brush of teeth again and another moan burst from her
lips. His lips traced a path back to her neck and her own hands
scrambled to push away his cloak as her fingers frantically sought
the buckles of his armor. She wanted to feel his flesh against hers
and very little else mattered beyond that. They could talk later
when she could manage the words. The buckles seemed to evaporate
beneath her fingers and the armor fell away leaving nothing but
Seth’s pale scarred chest beneath her hands. Her nails dug into his
sides and she heard his breath hiss through his lips.

“Had I known your dreams were this
interesting I would have dream walked sooner.” He whispered and her
fingers froze on his back. “This is much more satisfying in reality
you know.” He added with amusement thick in his voice. She pulled
back and stared at him eyes growing wide and he smiled at her with
a devilish look in his eyes. “You can’t avoid me Zoey. I know the
truth of things now and I won’t give up. I promise you that.”

The garden seemed to swim around her as her
vision blurred and the feel of his flesh beneath her hands faded.
She pulled back further and the press of his hands against her
flesh was gone, and then she was falling.

Her eyes flashed open as her chair hit the
stone floor with a clatter and for several moments her mind refused
to comprehend what she was seeing. The kitchen ceiling above her,
the table beside her, and Grim’s boots as he rose from his chair to
move to her side. It all flooded back then in a rush, Shade’s
healing and Grim’s mission in Rivana. She had fallen asleep at the
table, and Seth had been a dream. A panic rose in her chest as his
words echoed in her mind.
Had I known your dreams were this
interesting I would have dream walked sooner.
He had truly been
there then. He had truly been in her mind and he had seen
everything. Her breath quickened in her throat as her panic rose
and she could feel the blush burning her skin as Grim crouched
beside her fallen chair and stared down at her with a mixture of
concern and amusement on his face.

“You know the noises you were making didn’t
seem like those of a nightmare, but the way you jumped and fell has
me wondering.” His voice was low, and to his credit Grim was
obviously trying to keep the smile from his lips as he spoke.

“I..I...” Zoelyn stammered and for the second
time she was at a loss of words. Scrambling quickly she pulled
herself from the chair and rose from the floor. The back of her
head throbbed painfully, but it was less than she deserved. She had
not only fallen asleep at the table, but she had shown Seth her
true feelings. The memory of his lips made her blush rise further
and she hurried to the cabinet to fetch down cups. Perhaps by the
time she had tea brewed for the two of them she could speak
rationally.

“I...I...indeed. So who is he? Someone I
would approve of?” Grim asked with the tone of an older brother as
he crossed the small room to stand beside her. He leaned with his
back against the cabinet and watched her frantic attempts to get
the canister that held the tea herbs open before taking it from her
hands and opening it himself. “Must have been one hell of a dream.”
He mused and the amusement was back in his voice.

“You wouldn’t approve of him, and it doesn’t
matter. It was just a silly dream there is nothing to it.” Zoelyn
muttered as she did her best to avoid looking at him.

“Dreams are the canvas that our desires are
painted upon. No dream is silly. They all have meaning. It’s just
too often that our minds aren’t clever enough to decipher what we
truly want.” Grim’s voice was gentle and while he was amused, there
was no mockery in his words.