The Crow King's Wife (7 page)

“I was sent here to offer peace to your
people, Lady Onvalla. I’m not trying to flatter you with pretty
words, it’s simply the truth. This is more important to me than any
personal feelings I have, and if you truly care for the well-being
of your people it should be just as important to you.” Shade
pressed and knew the moment the words were out of his mouth that he
had chosen poorly.

Her expression darkened and she stalked
closer to him her delicate hands clenching into fists. “Liar.” She
hissed. “Filthy Morcaillo liar. You say Jala Merrodin sent you to
make peace. The same Jala Merrodin that provided the gods accursed
glasses that allow my people to be seen? Do you know how many of my
people have died because of those glasses?” Onvalla pressed her
voice growing louder with each word and the threat in her eyes was
deepening with every step.

“One more step and I’ll be forced to restrain
you Onvalla.” Caleb warned. “I won’t kill you, but I will stop you
from killing him.” He added as he took a step closer to Shade.

Relief washed over Shade at the words and he
took a slight step back toward Caleb. It might look like cowardice
in Onvalla’s eyes, but it was practical in his. Even if she was
slight of build he didn’t want to fight her, and he wasn’t sure
that he could even dodge her blows.

“At the time Jala provided those glasses your
people were raiding without mercy Lady Onvalla. Jala took what
measures she deemed necessary to protect her people and allies. At
that time she believed your people to all be evil and animalistic
in nature. She has learned better since then and regrets her
ignorance on the matter. Her offer for peace is genuine and I
promise I’m no liar on the matter. Tell me what I can do to prove
myself to you please. We are running out of time on this.” Shade
spoke slowly and calmly and knew he only managed to keep his nerves
from his voice due to the fact that a very large and very
intimidating Arovan was standing just behind him. He was on
delicate ground and he knew it, but the fact that the Blights all
seemed to fear Caleb did a lot to build his confidence. Even if he
was useless in a fight right now, Caleb quite obviously wasn’t.

Onvalla glared at him for a long moment and a
smile slowly formed on her lips. If anything the expression was
even more unnerving than her anger. She was about to name a price
and Shade knew just by the look in her eyes that it would cost more
than he was willing to pay. “You want to prove yourself Morcaillo?”
She asked coldly and slowly nodded at him. “Fine then, I’ll give
you that chance. Bring me the head of the one that killed Micah and
I will listen to this Jala Merrodin’s terms. Prove you are genuine
by killing a Rivasan and avenging Micah. The Morcaillo and the
Rivasans are allies, and if you want to prove that you don’t serve
House Morcaillo than this is the best way I can think to prove
it.”

“I’m no Assassin, Lady Onvalla.” Shade
objected weakly as his thoughts spun from her words. That was quite
possibly the last thing he had expected her to ask and even as he
spoke his mind was desperately scrambling over how impossible the
task was. He had two days at best, he was crippled, and he didn’t
even know for a certainty which Rivasan had killed Micah. It was
doubtless one of the High Lord’s countless sons, but he didn’t know
exactly which one, and he wasn’t sure that anyone truly did.
Several of the Rivasan leaders had escaped the Last Stand in
Arovan, and it could have been any one of them that swung the blade
against Micah and Honor.

“Fetch our gear and he will do it.” Caleb
said firmly behind him and Shade whirled to stare at the Arovan
with wide eyes.

“I said nothing about you going, Caleb.”
Onvalla hissed her eyes narrowing as she stared past Shade.

“You lost a husband you ran away from
Onvalla. I lost two men that were closer than brothers, my sister,
my wife, and my children. You think you want revenge and I think
you have no idea what revenge truly is. You may want the Rivasan
that killed Micah dead, but I want every last one of the flame
hearted bastards dead. I want their country in ruins as mine is. I
want them screaming in pools of blood before me, Onvalla. I want
Kevala’drin
and you will only be able to stop me from
delivering it for so long. I will have their blood.” Caleb’s voice
was filled with passion as he spoke and he moved closer to the
Blight with every word. By the time he fell silent he was bare
inches from her and staring down with the expression of a fanatic
on his face.

“I didn’t run from him because I didn’t love
him Caleb. Don’t make my pain sound less than yours. I ran because
I had to. I was pregnant Caleb, I had no choice. I couldn’t let him
discover I was a Blight, especially not with you in his house. Do
you remember how many dinners I sat through listening to you brag
about slaughtering my people. Do you have any idea how many nights
I watched you return drenched in blood that I knew wasn’t your own?
How could I admit to what I was knowing Micah’s hatred and knowing
you would kill me for simply existing?” Onvalla’s voice rose as
well and to Shades astonishment there were tears forming in her
eyes.

“I don’t hate you for being a Blight. I hate
you for being a liar, Onvalla. Had you not lied to him in the
beginning matters would be different between us. Maybe you should
have shown him honesty and you wouldn’t have had to run!” Caleb
snarled back as his anger sprang to life once more. “Micah gave you
everything he was and you gave him lies and ran when he needed you.
You knew he couldn’t follow you. Sebastian’s life depended on him
staying, and so he sent me to follow you, and now everything I had
is gone because of it. You are as guilty of Micah’s death as the
Rivasans are. If not for you I would have saved them all!”

“You arrogant bastard do you really believe
you could have stopped an entire Rivasan army?” Onvalla growled
back with equal venom.

“I believe I could have talked my sister from
fighting as well as Micah. I believe I could have led them all from
the city before the Rivasans even closed to fighting distance, and
if you think about it clearly you will realize I could have as
well. They all listened to me and no one knows that area better
than I do. Had it come to fighting though you know I would have
made the difference that spared Micah. Had I been there he would be
alive.” Caleb replied coldly.

Shade glanced between the two of them and a
faint smile rose on his lips as he fully digested everything that
had been said. It wasn’t that the topic was a pleasant one at all,
but he finally saw his chance, finally he had enough knowledge of
the situation to negotiate.
Jala you tricky bitch, did you know
what you were doing or is this just more of the luck that seems to
favor you
? Carefully he wiped the smile from his face and
cleared his throat. “Lady Onvalla. Where is your child now?” Shade
broke in loudly and his words seemed to stun them both to silence.
To his amusement they both turned to look at him with matching
expressions of disbelief as if they couldn’t believe he had the
audacity to interrupt them.

“Dead.” Onvalla said quietly and brushed a
stray tear from her cheek. “He learned of his father when he
scanned my mind and thought me a coward for running. He left for
Arovan as soon as he was old enough to travel to join his father in
the fighting. I haven’t seen him since. I’ve sent Granger to search
for him, but there has been no sign. He is dead, and I don’t even
know who killed him, the Rivasans, or his father.” Her voice was
monotone as she spoke and there was no trace of anger left on her
face, only grief. She turned away from them both and paced slowly
back to the window.

“All the more reason for you to allow me to
accompany Shade, it’s just another reason to kill them, Onvalla.”
Caleb growled.

“And what would stop you from returning to
Arovan and leading your people back here once Rivasan has suffered
your wrath Caleb?” Onvalla demanded in a weary voice.

“I said
Kevala’drin
Onvalla don’t
pretend like you don’t know the word. You know full well what it
means. Aside from that however my promise to Micah would keep me
from leading them back here. Even if he didn’t know what you truly
were his order was to guard you and protect you from harm. I swore
I would and I keep my word no matter if it means protecting a lying
bitch that I’d love to kill myself.” Caleb replied coldly.

Shade sighed and cleared his throat once
more. “Lady Onvalla I don’t think your son is dead.” He broke in
again and it was hard to keep the smile from his face when they
both turned to look at him with the exact same expression of
disbelief.

“What?” Onvalla gasped her eyes widening as
she stared at him searching for any sign of deceit.

“I believe I’ve seen him very recently.”
Shade paused and frowned. “Well not exactly seen him per say, but
you know what I mean. I believe I know where he is, and if I’m
right he is safe and unharmed.”

“Where?” Onvalla demanded.

“Say Caleb can join me for this little
mission and I’ll be happy to answer that.” Shade returned
calmly.

“Liar. You have no idea where my son is you
are simply trying to trick me.” Onvalla snarled.

“Too right. I’m trying to trick you into
allowing me to take an obvious psychopath with me on a mission I
have absolutely no desire to go on so I can win your trust enough
that you will actually listen to me when I tell you I’m trying to
save your bloody people’s lives.” Shade said dryly and shook his
head at her slowly. “Really Onvalla if I was trying to trick you
why wouldn’t I simply say I would trade you the information in
return for my release and forget all thoughts of the suicide
mission you want to send me on? It’s different when Jala sends me
on this sort of mission. She is a friend and you would be amazed
the lengths I will go to for friends, but you and I are hardly on
the suicide mission part of our relationship. When you ask it’s
just insulting.”

“Once you leave here I have no guarantee you
will return even if you say you are going on the mission. If I
allow you to take Caleb it’s almost assured you won’t return. I’m
better off keeping him as hostage. You seem to have grown fond of
each other in your captivity. ” Onvalla argued and Shade nodded
once in agreement.

“So send one of your people with us for
assurance. Send Granger, he seems capable enough.” Shade
offered.

“So you can have Granger killed once you are
back with your own people?” Onvalla snarled and shook her head at
him with anger growing in her eyes once more.

“Then send twenty of your bloody people with
us. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Shade snapped in
frustration. “The point I’m trying to make is if you agree to my
one request. I kill the damn Rivasan for you, and I will tell you
where to find your son. All I ask is that you allow Caleb to help
me, because I quite obviously can’t do it alone in the current
state I’m in.” Shade pushed his crippled leg forward to emphasis
the point and stared hard at her. “It’s the only way you will get
anything you want. I will sit here prisoner and wait for Arovan to
destroy you before I leave here without Caleb. He saved my life as
you well know, and I won’t leave him to rot here.”

Onvalla glared at him for a long moment
before turning back to the window. The silence in the room
stretched for long moments before her shoulders slumped in
resignation. “Give me your word that you will return here Caleb. I
don’t know the Morcaillo enough to trust him, but I know you keep
your word.” Her voice was so low the words barely carried across
the room.

“I give you my word that Morcaillo will
return Onvalla, I can’t promise more than that and you know it.”
Caleb replied softly.

Onvalla nodded slowly and turned from her
window. Her gaze moved across the room to rest beside a small table
in what had seemed like a vacant corner. “Granger fetch the gear we
took from them as well as the goblin. Our guests will be leaving
today.” She ordered in a voice that was filled with trepidation.
Her eyes returned once more to Caleb and her expression was somber.
“I was a fool to lie to him Caleb, and I will be the first to admit
it. Fear can make many people into fools though, and no matter how
much I regret it I can’t take it back. I kept you prisoner here for
the same reason, because I feared you, and as you say it is likely
my fault they are dead because of that.”

“If you are truly going to lead here Onvalla
you can’t be governed by fear.” Caleb spoke calmly and for the
first time since he had entered the room there was no anger in his
voice.

“Hatred and anger are my counselors now. Fear
is an old friend that has been put aside. Make them bleed Caleb,
not for any love you have for me, but to salve our mutual pain.
Rivasa must fall. It was my intention to move against Rivasa
myself, but I can’t with the Morcaillo still dominating my people.
I have to break the hold they have over us first, and then I will
finish what you start.” Onvalla’s words rang with promise and she
smiled bitterly. “It’s the whole reason I fought so hard for
leadership here. I never intended to attack Arovan, and I had to
ensure my people didn’t either. Their bloodlust will be channeled
to the ones that deserve the pain. First Rivasa, and then whatever
remains of Morcaillo.”

“Please don’t take any steps down that path
until after we speak again Lady Onvalla. I understand your pain and
hatred, but revenge is a one way path. You are leading your people.
You have to look at the broader picture if they are going to have
any future at all.” Shade said with a note of pleading in his
voice. If the Blights attacked Rivasa all hell would break loose
again, and the world was in too delicate of a balance to risk
that.