The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse Read online

  “Fetch the body, Neph,” Kay said softly as she followed after Kadan.

  Chapter 1

  (Seven years later.) Southern Goswin

  The sound of footsteps rang through the early morning darkness outside his tent. Neph glanced up briefly as the regiment passed. The faint gleam of their armor was barely visible through the crack in his tent flap, but still he recognized them as Goswin forces. Turning back to his table he opened his bag and began pulling his dueling armor from its depths. The leather had been stored for nearly a year without being oiled, but it was still soft and supple and the metal studs that lined it shone as just polished. Systematically, he began removing the leather armor he typically wore, dropping it piece by piece into his travel bag. On a normal day, he wouldn’t have bothered switching his armor out. Today wasn’t normal, however. Today the odds were set so far against them it was almost laughable. He needed every edge he could get today. Jala’s life depended on it. Flipping the leather vest over, he examined the inside, carefully checking each metal stud for any sign of filth. Satisfied that it was as clean as he could make it, given the circumstances, he pulled the vest on over his scarred back. The sharp metal points jabbed into his flesh as he laced the armor and he seized the pain in his mind.

  Other channelers generally chose the elements for their focus. He, however, had chosen pain and the anger it bred in him. Fire could be doused. Wind was a gamble. Pain, however, was always in ready supply, either from his armor or simply from the world itself. Sanctuary was filled with pain and Neph had never had difficulty summoning anger. Both of his focus elements were as constant as the sun and sky and had never failed him.

  He laced the bracers on next, followed by his gloves. Each piece of armor bit at his skin, the pain more an irritation than anything else. Over the years he had developed a pain tolerance that would have impressed any masochist. Today, however, he needed more than irritation. He needed to channel everything he could. Flexing his hands, he tested the spikes digging into the back of his arms and inhaled deeply. A small smile spread across his lips as he slammed his two arms together driving the spikes deep into his flesh. Agony tore through him and he seized it, opening the full channel to his magic. His reserves soared as his focus narrowed on the pain.

  “I finally see why you have such a sunny personality,” Shade whispered from the tent flap and Neph turned to glower at him.

  “What do you want?” Neph snarled as he shoved the rest of his discarded armor into his bag. It was bad enough having Madren in the camp, but Shade Morcaillo was almost too much for him to stomach. Shade weighed every action on a moral scale before doing anything. He actually had the audacity to argue against going to Arovan. It had been a combination of Neph reminding Madren that he wouldn’t have a country to protect if not for Jala, and plain intimidation that finally decided the matter.

  “Madren sent me to get you. He says the witches are ready to begin the portal and well…” Shade paused and smirked at Neph. “You scare the hell out of him so he sent me to get you. Probably a good thing too, if he had seen you pounding spikes into your skin he might have fainted. May I ask why, exactly, you did that and how you intend to shroud the entire portal spell? According to Madren, you are going to hide the entire army from the Rivasan mages and I frankly think it’s bullshit.”

  “No, you can’t ask and I don’t give a shit what you think,” Neph growled as he pulled the bag over his shoulder and shoved his way past

  Shade into the chill of the early spring morning. The sun was just beginning to show itself for the day, which meant he didn’t have much time. The Rivasans were giving Jala until morning before they attacked and if they were literal in their words they could already be starting the assault. There was no help for it, though. The preparations had taken most of the night. It had been a chore in itself to gather the Delvay and prepare them. Most had no stomach for fighting after their failure to protect their own homeland. Once again, Neph had called upon intimidation and his pathetically small army had gathered and prepared.

  The Goswin forces had been the time consuming part. Madren simply didn’t have the temperament to bully his forces and the debate on his side over whether they should actually participate in the battle had taken hours. It likely could have been decided much sooner had Shade simply kept his mouth shut, but then as long as Neph had known Shade, the man had never been very good at that. For every action, every choice, and every dream, Shade Morcaillo had an opinion and it was usually opposing whatever was suggested by others.

  “I haven’t given up talking him out of this, you know,” Shade began conversationally as they crossed the camp.

  “If you succeed, I will personally rip you apart. I thought you were supposed to be Jala’s friend,” Neph responded coldly.

  “I am. That’s why I’m trying to respect her decision. She sent you here to live, not to run back to die,” Shade said firmly, repeating words that Neph was utterly sick of hearing. It had been the same argument all night.

  Stopping in his tracks, Neph whirled on Shade and stepped closer to him. Staring down hard at the smaller man, Neph summoned his darkest glare and almost smiled when the slighter man simply stared back up at him without the slightest hint of nerves. While it would have been nice if Shade would have cowered like everyone else did when they glimpsed his temper, Neph had to give the boy credit for his nerves. Even if he was a self-righteous prick with too many opinions, Shade Morcaillo did have spine.

  “This might actually work on others, Neph, but it isn’t working on me. I can be intimidated, but it takes someone a hell of a lot scarier than you. Vaze might have been able to do it. You want to call him back?” Shade offered in the same conversational voice.

  “Vaze has more important things to do than silence you. He is summoning the other nations to support Jala, which leaves me the task of shutting you the hell up. So, let’s see if I can actually accomplish that, Shade,” Neph began, his voice low and filled with warning.

  “Doubtful, but you are welcome to try,” Shade sighed with a slight shrug and stared back up at Neph, matching his glower with a curious relaxed expression.

  “We are going through the portal and we are going to help Jala. I know she wants us to live. It’s possible she wants us to live almost as much as I want her to live, Shade. The key to friendship is that you respect their wishes when you know their choice is the right one. Jala’s isn’t, so I’m not respecting it. Jala chose to sacrifice herself to save others.” Neph paused and shook his head at Shade. “The problem with that, she needs to live to save others. Without her, everything falls apart, Shade. Look at who has rallied behind her. She has Soulreavers and Arovan working together, for the love of the Divine. She has dragons at her call and the Firym on her side. Even Oblivion calls her friend. No one else could do that. She has me willing to die for her, Shade. I wouldn’t die for my own blood kin. Jala Merrodin is the lynchpin that could hold everything together and possibly stop the endless wars, and she is about to die. Salvation for all of our people is at hand and you want to let it slip away. I don’t care if every man and woman I take through that portal dies as long as Jala lives. I will see this world become a better place, Shade, and Jala is the key.”

  Neph paused in his words again and stepped closer to Shade until they stood barely inches apart. He let his glower fade and stared hard at Shade, willing him to see past the anger to see the pure conviction in his eyes. “We are going through that portal and we are going to do everything in our power to see that Jala Merrodin lives, and if you get in my way one more time on this, Shade, I will kill you. When I kill someone there is no coming back. I’m not blustering. I’m not threatening. I’m promising you. Not even Rose will be able to call your soul back if you open your mouth one more time to say we should let Jala die. Are we clear?”

  “So the spikes in your armor are your focus, aren’t’ they? Pain as a focus; that’s pretty clever,” Shade murmured with interest and patted Neph lightly on the shoulder befo
re stepping around him. “Well said, Neph, you should have explained it that way last night. We are wasting time, you know. The Witches have been ready to open the portal for about twenty minutes now. I’m sure they are tired of waiting,” Shade called over his shoulder as he strolled off toward the center of camp.

  “If the Rivasans don’t kill him today, I’m going to kill him myself,” Neph growled as he followed after the rogue, trying desperately to ignore the jaunty tune Shade was whistling.

  * * *

  “How long can you hold the shroud over us?” Shade asked softly, his eyes locked on the distant Rivasan forces.

  “For as long as I need to,” Neph replied quietly. The relief at seeing the Rivasan forces still preparing for their assault had been so overwhelming, he had nearly smiled. Given his current company, though, that would have been a horrible idea. Both Madren and Shade would have gotten the wrong impression and likely not even the Divine could have silenced their chatter had he shown anything resembling good humor.

  “Look at how many there are. I have to admit, I’m terrified,” Madren whispered from his other side. Madren fidgeted in place and turned to look at Neph. “Aren’t you scared?” he asked.

  “No,” Neph answered firmly and let out a sigh. From what he could tell the Rivasans were about to make their first charge. That, in itself, would be a blessing. He’d much rather be fighting than listening to either of his companions. He tried his best to ignore Madren’s stare but finally sighed and looked over at the smaller man.

  “Truly?” Madren asked, once he knew he had Neph’s full attention. His gaze locked on Neph with an intensity that was unnerving.

  Madren shook his head in amazement when Neph answered with a simple shrug. “If I were you, I’d be witless with terror. I mean you are a complete and total asshole, Neph. I don’t know anyone that is a bigger ass than you. Even the Rivasans are nicer. There is no way you will escape penance in hell. There are probably demons in the Darklands that have committed fewer sins than you. If you die, you are going to be condemned for decades. I mean, I’ve seen you kill people for getting in your way. Hell, you killed two people last night and I don’t even know why. I will probably just pass on through the life stream and begin a new life, but you are completely screwed, Neph. I can’t believe you aren’t terrified. To think of the endless torments you will face in the afterlife makes my skin crawl. I mean, they say you have to serve five years penance for every drop of innocent blood you shed. If that’s true, you will never see sunlight again, Neph.” The sincerity in the man’s expression and voice was so overwhelming that Neph couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or choke the little bastard in response, so he settled for simply glaring at Madren.

  “Uh, Madren, you are getting kind of loud with your tirade,” Shade broke in and it was obvious from his tone he was struggling to contain laughter.

  Neph continued to glower at Madren for another long moment before turning his attention back to the Rivasan forces. They were sending front lines forward and by the look of the soldiers, they were planning to open with Hellfire. It was a typical Rivasan attack, and Neph had no doubt that Valor would have Jala more than prepared for the tactic. His muscles tensed as the first wave of fire washed through the valley to pour over Jala’s forces. “That’s it, when they move for the third wave we hit them hard on the flank,” Neph said firmly as he turned back to join his own forces. A long wavering note faint on the wind gave him pause and he turned his head to stare in the direction it had come from. The noise was similar to a wolf’s howl and it brought a smile to his face.

  “What in the name of the Divine was that?” Madren hissed, his gaze moving from Shade to Neph.

  “Glis battle horns. The Shifters will be here soon and I’d wager Arovan rides beside them. Help is on the way, girls, so you can quit your trembling,” Neph answered, the satisfaction clear in his voice. With the smile still firm on his face he swung up onto his snow cat and glanced back at his ranks. For a Delvay force, his numbers were pathetic. Kadan had sacrificed nearly everyone in Delvay trying to hold the capital. Neph couldn’t blame him for it, though. Without their Capital, Delvay had no hope whatsoever.

  “Good luck on the ground,” Shade said with a sigh and turned to leave the small stand of trees they had chosen as cover.

  “You aren’t fighting with us?” Madren asked, turning to watch Shade go with a look of bewilderment.

  “There are dragons on the field. I’m going to be fighting where I function the best,” Shade answered as he tossed a storage gem into the air and caught it. Looking back at them he smiled and winked at Madren. “I will be looking out for you from above,” he promised as he tossed the gem once more and caught it lightly.

  “I’ll be praying a dragon manages to swallow your ship,” Neph replied, his gaze already back on the battlefield. From what he could tell, Jala had managed to keep the Hellfire from reaching any of her forces.

  “And I’ll hope like hell that if that happens the bastard chokes on my ship and falls on you,” Shade called back faintly, his form already disappearing into the ranks of waiting soldiers.

  “I hope everyone I fight beside, lives,” Madren said quietly and glanced at Neph. “Even the complete assholes,” he added softly.

  “If you were hoping for something sentimental from me in return, you are wasting your breath,” Neph grumbled without bothering to glance at Madren. His focus was fully on the Rivasan forces. “Get on your horse, Madren, and get your men ready to charge. We have Rivasans to kill,” Neph ordered quietly.

  “She must be impressive.” His Aunt’s voice rose from the ranks beside him and Neph turned to look at her. She was the only family he had left among the living, and the only one in his family that he had ever truly respected. To see KayDelvayon still among the living when he had arrived in Goswin was a blessing from the Divine in his eyes. Without her help, he would have found the process of taking over leadership of his people a much bloodier affair than it had been. So far he only had to kill two men for challenging him. Without Kay’s support, the number would have been much higher and he knew it.

  “Jala? She is, but you will see for yourself after the fight,” Neph agreed, his gaze moving back to the field.

  “We are horribly outnumbered here, Neph. Are you sure we will see anything after the fight?” Kay asked. Her voice was steady, though, with no sign of fear in it.

  “We will win today,” Neph replied firmly, his eyes searching for Jala, though he knew it was a useless endeavor. He had no hope of spotting her in the valley where she had chosen to make her stand. His muscles tensed as the Rivasans launched another wave of fire into the mouth of the valley and he dropped the shroud of magic he had been holding over his small forces. “Now!” he bellowed, his voice ringing clearly through the entire grove. His heels dug deeply into the side of his snow cat and the beast launched forward in a powerful leap. Battle cries rang out on all sides as the men and women of Delvay followed him.

  The Rivasan forces wheeled to meet the charge, though by the expression on their faces they had not expected the attack at all. The lines he was hitting now were reserves and given how badly the Rivasans outnumbered Jala’s forces, Neph guessed these men hadn’t thought they would see fighting at all today. He smiled at the thought of proving them wrong. The Rivasans had barely managed to get their shields up and their swords drawn as the combined might of Delvay and Goswin slammed into them. The Rivasan lines bowed dangerously but somehow they managed to hold and Neph found himself packed in the middle of tight lines with chaos surrounding him on all sides. Gritting his teeth, he pulled on his magic to speed his attacks. His sword flashed in and out of the fight as he seized every opportunity for a clean strike. In truth, his mount was likely doing more damage than he was at the moment, but then that was what the creatures were bred for. The Snow Cats of Delvay were legendary for their savagery in battle.

  A distant cry across the field drew his attention for a bare breath and he glanced up long enough
to see Flameriders pouring through the Hellfire the Rivasans had summoned. Hope rose in his chest as the odds against them lessened and he returned to the fight with enthusiasm. Blood sprayed across his cheek as a Delvay rider beside him fell, and he hastily tightened the lines and pushed forward to take up the slack from his fallen comrade.

  “You just need to hold the lines for a few more minutes.” The voice beside him was an unfamiliar one, though it was obvious the man was talking to him. “Oblivion will be hitting from the other flank very soon, NephonDelvayon. Hold these lines just a bit longer and then you must get to Jala,” the man continued. He was slight of build, though the muscles on his wiry frame showed he was no stranger to fighting. His armor was mismatched with chain and plate and even places of nothing more than leather, but his bearing was that of a seasoned warrior. Despite his ragged appearance, the red-haired man was obviously no stranger to battle. He glanced over at Neph and winked. “Watch out,” he called with a smile.

  Turning back quickly, Neph barely registered the outline of the sword plunging toward his face before another thinner silvery blade blocked the attack. Eyes widening, Neph glanced down at the slender blond haired man who had saved his life. Neither of them had traveled through the Goswin portal with him. This man, however, Neph recognized. He had seen him once before when the man had been struggling to talk Jala out of her quest into the Darklands. Neph had watched in mute silence as Jala turned her back on the man and renounced her faith. His name was Fortune, and this was the last place he should have been.

  “Get your head back in the fight, Nephon, we are depending on you,” the first man called as his blade flashed forward again dropping two Rivasans to the blood soaked earth.

  The sound of battle horns from behind him rang out through the trees and Fortune laughed as the musical notes faded. “They will clear the path for you soon, Neph. Be ready. Jala is in more danger than you know. She needs you at her side.”