The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams (15 page)

Rose raised an eyebrow at Jala and then
looked to Wisp and back to Jala. “The payment has already been made
by Wisp. You have their services for a full year,” Rose explained,
sounding a bit confused.

“Surprise!” Wisp said with a grin when Jala
turned to look at her in shock. She gave a slight shrug and smiled
wider. “I still had a lot of money left over from winning the
archery at the Spring Games and you are right, it does need to be
done, so I went ahead and hired them.”

Returning the smile, Jala gave the Fae a
light hug. “Thank you so much, Wisp, I was a bit worried. You could
have at least warned me.” She let the smile fall a bit and looked
back to the two healers. “Well then, I guess all I need to know is
what you want in the clinic and once that’s done we can get you
both moved in.”

Nodding slightly, Wesley moved back to the
table and took a piece of paper from his book. Leaning over he
quickly scrawled a list and handed it over to Rose for inspection.
The older woman read over it, nodding slightly, and then handed the
list to Jala. “This is a good start. If they require more, they can
let you know, but for now that should be more than sufficient,” she
said.

Jala nodded absently and read over the note
in her hands, relieved that most of the items seemed to be fairly
common: various herbs, clean bandages, disinfectants, and such, all
of which should be simple to get in Sanctuary. “I’ll see to
gathering these then,” she agreed with a nod and smiled at both
students. “It was nice to meet you both and I look forward to
working with you. I don’t want to seem rude but I’m coming very
close to being late for an appointment.” Bowing her head to them
again, she smiled at Rose. “Thank you as well.”

“If you ever get time in your training regime
and decide you want to learn more about healing, come see me. From
what Wisp says, you have a lot of potential and that shouldn’t be
wasted,” Rose said and escorted them from the room.

“I truly hope I can find time to take you up
on that offer. I thought about transferring one of my classes to
take a basic healing course at the Academy but I simply can’t. I
need all of the classes I’m in,” Jala said, already trying to
mentally rearrange her schedule to work in time to train with
Rose.

“Don’t even think about it, Jala. I can see
your gears turning. You have enough on your plate now,” Wisp said
with a shake of her head. “Shame on you Rose. She barely finds time
to sleep as it is,” she scolded and smacked the healer lightly on
the arm.

Laughing, Rose smiled at Wisp. “I had to
offer. Talent like you described shouldn’t be ignored.”

“If I find time, I promise I will be back,”
Jala said sincerely as they stepped back out onto the stairs. Rose
smiled and nodded before silently closing the door behind them.
Feeling almost ecstatic at the prospect of having healers in her
service now, Jala made her way back down the stairs with a bit of a
bounce to her steps. “You know, I don’t think Kendry liked me at
all but I’m still thrilled to have her working with us,” she said
to Wisp with a grin. “And Wesley seemed nice.”

“Kendry will come around. Give her a bit of
time. She doesn’t care much for the High Houses crowd. It took me
weeks before she didn’t think I was pure unholy evil. From what I
understand, both she and Wesley are from a lower merchant class and
they had to work their butts off just to be able to get trained by
Rose. Neither one of them had a shot of being able to train at the
Academy,” Wisp explained, looping her arm lightly through Jala’s as
they walked. “I wish you didn’t have training with Neph today. It’s
so pretty out we should go for a ride or something. It won’t be
long before the weather is all rainy cold and nasty,” she sighed
wistfully, her head tilted back as she walked.

“I know, but I really need to learn, Wisp. If
I had been training with Neph before we went to the Tolanteer, it
would have gone much differently in that fight. My incompetence
almost got all of us killed,” Jala said with a bit of disgust. “I
couldn’t even cast a dispel right and Finn paid for it. I won’t let
that happen again.”

Wisp eyed her for a moment with a raised
eyebrow and sighed. “I suppose telling you to avoid getting into
fights is rather pointless. You are married to Finn. Even if you
weren’t as special as you are, you would be getting into fights,
regardless.”

“It does seem that people either love him or
hate him. I haven’t seen any middle ground at all,” Jala
agreed.

“There isn’t much of one,” Wisp agreed with a
sigh, then turned to look at Jala as she froze in mid step. A
commotion to the side of the market had caught her attention and
she watched in mild fascination as a woman scolded two young
children outside a coach.

“I don’t care if you hate each other right
now you will both be riding home in the coach, so I suggest you
learn how to get along,” the woman was saying in a voice filled
with annoyance.

“But he pulled my hair,” the little girl
beside her screeched, nearly in tears and her lower lip
trembling.

“Baby,” the boy shot back and stuck his
tongue out at what must have been his sister.

“What brats,” Wisp whispered, sending Jala
into peals of laughter. “What?” Wisp asked in confusion as Jala put
a hand over her mouth and began walking again.

I’m a little curious as well. What
?
Marrow asked looking from her to the children and then back to
her.

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry,” she said to Wisp
and smiled down at Marrow.
It made me think of Jail’s question.
Those two children just gave me my answer
, she explained to
Marrow. The Bendazzi looked at her with the same look of confusion
in his eyes that Wisp now held. Sighing, Jala looked at Wisp and
then down to Marrow. “Do you remember the question Jail asked Me?”
Jala asked Wisp.

“Why did the Guardians make our prison the
way they did,” Wisp said with a nod.

“The answer is the same one those children
just got. We have to sit behind the same barrier. We had better
learn to get along. It’s not a prison so to say. It’s the corner we
were made to sit in,” Jala explained with a smile. “If they truly
wanted us to die off they wouldn’t have given us the means to
provide for ourselves. Why create a bountiful land full of life and
magic if they want us to die? They want us to learn to live
together. But the older ones that were locked in here are still
upset about being tricked so they call it a prison and teach us to
call it that as well.”

“It does make sense,” Wisp agreed, then
looked at Jala with a raised eyebrow. “I can’t say that I think
it’s very funny though,” she said slowly.

Jala shook her head slightly, smiling at the
Fae. “It’s not. I was just wondering how many of the Guardians
looked at our forefathers and said, ‘What brats?’”

Smirking, Wisp nodded and chuckled lightly.
“I’ll have to tell my father he is a brat in a corner. I’m sure he
will love that.”

Glancing over at her, Jala grinned again.
“Just don’t tell him who said it first, OK?” Glancing up at the sky
she sighed and the grin faded. “I’m going to be late to meet Neph
and he is going to complain half of the lesson over it,” she said
with a sigh. Leaning over she gave Wisp a light hug and sighed
again. “Thank you. I’m sorry I’m always in such a hurry. I’ll see
you tomorrow morning.” she spoke quickly and was already moving
away as the last words left her mouth.

“She didn’t notice me at all,” Emily said
quietly from beside her.

Jala gave a quick nod and tried to smile.
“Now let’s see if Neph does,” she said with forced cheer and
silently prayed to Fortune that Neph would notice the Blight child.
It wasn’t that she wanted to endanger Emily. It was simply growing
more and more unsettling as she realized no one could sense these
creatures. She wouldn’t even have known Emily was there if the
child hadn’t told her. If no one at all could sense them then they
could be hunting in the streets even now, and no one would know. A
shiver went up her spine at the thought and she shook her head to
clear it.

“They are hunting here. I can sense them. I
just don’t know where they are exactly,” Emily said quietly.

Stumbling to a halt, Jala leaned against a
garden wall and let out a long slow breath. “You sense them in
Sanctuary?” she asked quietly, her face paling as she spoke. With
the reminder that Emily could scan her thoughts as easily as
Marrow, Jala forced herself to remain calm. The thought of other
Blights in the city had her near panic though.

“I do,” Emily replied, her voice sounding
cautious. “They aren’t close to us here, though. They are far off
in the city. You don’t have to be scared of them, either. I can
sense them and I’m here.” The Blight spoke in soothing tones as if
to a spooked animal and Jala felt a small hand grip her own.

“But you aren’t with Finn or my other
friends. I’m not scared for me, Emily. I’m scared for everyone
else,” she explained. “I’m going to have to tell them about you and
the other Blights. I would have told them later anyway but knowing
Blights are here now means I have to tell them now.” She paused and
sighed. “This is very bad for all of us,” she said after a long
moment, her voice barely a whisper. With a silent prayer to Fortune
to keep her friends safe, she pushed off the wall. She moved
quickly with Emily’s small hand still clutched in her own. Knowing
for a certainty the Blight was with her was almost as reassuring as
the immense Bendazzi pacing at her side. Between the two of them,
Jala felt almost invincible. She knew how dangerous Marrow could be
with his claws and spines and she had no doubt at all that Emily
could be just as deadly.

* * *

“You are late,” Neph said dryly, not
bothering to rise from where he sprawled in the grass with both
arms crossed under his head. A book levitated above him, pages open
and fluttering lightly in the evening breeze.

Stopping just above him, Jala looked down at
the cover of the book and raised an eyebrow. “Poetry?” she asked in
mild shock. She never would have guessed Neph to be the poetry
sort.

“Was glory and honor the gallant man sought
as he rode forth on that day,” Neph began, his gaze locked on the
sky beyond the book. “With his armor shining and his bright banner
flying he bravely joined the fray. In blind courage he fought with
fury and blade to protect all he held dear.” He paused in the
quotation and turned to look at her, a cynical smile on his face
and winked. “Took but a single man with a wave of his hand to teach
the gallant man fear. As the fire rained down and the earth shook,
the gallant man fell back in terror. For as we all know when
battling foes, to cross a mage is an error.” He finished and
flipped his hand toward the hovering book. With a solid thud the
book closed and he plucked it out of the air gently. “On occasion,
poetry is amusing. Even if it’s poorly written poetry such as that
particular piece is.”

“I don’t think it’s bad. I’ve never heard it
before though. Is it from that book?” Jala asked trying to get
another look at the book’s cover.

Neph gave a slight nod and stood slowly,
stretching his arms above his head. Glancing up as he lowered his
arms he examined the book’s binding critically and nodded again.
“It’s a fairly rare book and the only one I have anything published
in. I’m my father’s pride and joy let me tell you. I hate hunting,
detest brawling, write poetry and I’m a finger wiggler as if the
rest wasn’t bad enough.” Critically he looked her over, eyes
lingering on her posture and then flicked his gaze back up to meet
her eyes. “What?” he asked, then paused and glanced around the
garden.

“What’s wrong?” Jala asked, her tone a bit
too hopeful. By the way he was acting she was sure Neph sensed
something. If he did that, would make him the first out of everyone
she had been around today.

He shook his head lightly seeming distracted
and cast a quick spell. “Can’t really put my finger on it,” he
mumbled and his frown deepened. “It’s like we’re being watched but
I don’t sense magic.” His voice trailed off as he looked around the
courtyard again and then back to her. “Have you had anymore
troubles today that I need to know about?” he asked, his tone a bit
suspicious.

“No, not trouble,” she said with a shrug,
watching him closely.

Flicking his gaze back to her he narrowed his
pale blue eyes. “No, not trouble, eh? So what do I need to know
about that isn’t trouble?” he asked.

“Well I suppose it kind of is trouble,” she
began, shuffling her feet slightly. With a sigh she dropped lightly
to the grass and crossed her legs under her. “Sit, I’ll explain,”
she said and motioned for him to join her on the grass.

“This is more important than lessons?” Neph
asked doubtfully.

Without pausing to consider, she nodded and
Neph raised an eyebrow. Silently he sat down across from her and
motioned for her to begin. “It would probably be simpler this way,”
she said quietly and handed him the letter Shade had sent. He gave
it a brief inspection and then began reading silently, his
expression never changing.

“Is it here now?” He asked as he folded the
letter once again and returned it to her.

“Yes she is. Her name is Emily,” Jala
replied. Nervously she flipped the letter in her hands and locked
her gaze on Neph’s pale blue eyes. “There are more of them in the
city though, Neph, and they are hunting here. We have to warn the
others but I don’t even know where they are right now. The city is
not safe right now,” she kept her voice steady as she spoke, though
her fear was growing steadily. Her friends would have no way of
even knowing these creatures existed.

Neph gave a bitter chuckle and smirked. “This
city is never safe, Jala.” With a sigh, he stood slowly and offered
her a hand up. She stood slowly and watched him for any sign of
what he intended to do. With another sigh, he looked her over, eyes
lingering on her jewelry. “I’m assuming you want me to help you
warn everyone tonight?” he asked, looking less than pleased at the
prospect.