The Crow King's Wife Read online

  “Are you really going to carve his face?” Valor asked sounding a bit squeamish himself as he dropped lightly into a seat near the bed with a look of horrified fascination on his face.

  Caleb glanced up from his dagger and looked slowly around at his audience before nodding slowly. “As well as his leg and back if the Lady Merrodin can heal that much in one day.” He replied quietly.

  Jala swallowed heavily and nodded. “I’ve seen plenty of wounds from a battlefield, but the only time I’ve ever intentionally inflicted damage on an old wound to heal, it was my own wound. That was just a hand. It wasn’t nearly as delicate as an eye is. As for how much I can heal…we shouldn’t have a problem with my magic reserves.” She admitted quietly.

  “Are you sure you are up to this then? I mean the eye part. If you have the power and not the talent it is a waste of both of our time.” Caleb asked again with doubt clear in his voice.

  “She healed Finn’s eye after it was lost to fire. That was a cauterized wound. I’m sure she can handle this.” Valor offered with a reassuring smile to both of them.

  “I do not doubt my skills. I doubt yours.” Jala began slowly. “If you miss something delicate that should be healed he might not get his sight back fully. I don’t see how you can tell what you are carving in an area as confined as an eye socket. I can heal whatever is damaged, but if you don’t damage the right thing all we are doing is cosmetic and he will still be half-blind.” She clarified when Caleb’s expression darkened once more.

  “I can skin a greased weasel in the dark with one eye closed without damaging the pelt. I think I can handle this.” Caleb returned dryly.

  “That must have been an unusual skill to master and one that I can see absolutely no practical use for.” Jala returned in the same tone.

  “It was a figure of speech Lady Merrodin, not meant to be taken literally.” Caleb growled and shook his head.

  “Grim can handle the cutting, and I know you can handle the healing.” Zoelyn broke in quickly before things could get worse. The last thing she wanted was two of her friends to become enemies.

  “If you say so.” Jala sighed and motioned delicately to Caleb. “Begin where ever you like and I will patch him up as needed.” She invited.

  “Are we certain he isn’t going to wake up in the middle of this? What if he just fainted? I mean I would really hate to wake up with someone’s knife in my eye.” Valor said before Caleb could take a single step toward the bed.

  “If he starts to wake I’ll make sure he stays out cold.” Caleb promised as he pulled a chair closer to the bed and settled in it. He leaned over silently and turned Shade’s face toward him. With gentleness that Jala obviously hadn’t expected he removed the makeshift bandage from Shade’s eye and examined the wound closely before raising his dagger to begin.

  Jala turned her head and Zoelyn caught her eye and smiled. “Evanell was the Master healer for the city of Amdany. Grim helped her as he was needed. So he isn’t a complete amateur at this. Nel tended to be a bit squeamish about some things and so Grim would do the dirty work.” Zoelyn spoke quietly and she saw Jala relax a bit at her words.

  “Do you remember that time that hunter stepped in his own trap and the Dazzi mauled him? I had to carve him up to remove the trap and push his guts back in before Nel would even come close.” Caleb said in a distracted voice.

  “As I recall even you almost lost your lunch at the sight of that one.” Zoelyn replied quietly.

  “Nel had nightmares about that for weeks. Every time I went out to hunt after that I thought she was going to kneecap me to keep me from leaving the house.” Caleb continued as his dagger tip carefully cut away the first layer of scar tissue from Shade’s eye. Shade stirred under his hand and Caleb leaned back and carefully sat the dagger down.

  Jala flinched back and by her expression it was clear that she expected Caleb to punch Shade to knock him out, but when he reached for his bag instead her expression shifted to curiosity.

  Barely a breath had passed before Caleb dropped his bag and leaned forward once more with a small amber colored glass vial in his hand. He quickly pulled the stopper from the vial and gently shook Shade. “Shade, wake a bit. Here I need you to drink this. It will help you.” Caleb’s voice was gentle as he held the vial to Shade’s lips with one hand and lifted his head enough to drink with the other. Shade swallowed weakly and coughed a few times as Caleb lowered his head to the pillow once more. “Just rest now. We made it to Merro and Jala is going to heal you. All you have to do is sleep.” Caleb said as he dropped the empty vial onto the table beside him and watched Shade settle back into the bed.

  Zoelyn could tell by Jala’s expression that Caleb’s actions had done wonders to improve her opinion of him, despite the fact that he hadn’t paid the least bit of attention to her. It was obvious he hadn’t been trying to impress her or anyone else in the room with his actions.

  “I’m a much harsher judge of character than you are Jala. You want to save the entire world, and I don’t think there are many worth saving. I would sell my soul to save Grim though, and there are very few people I will say that of.” Zoelyn informed her quietly.

  Jala turned to look at her and then slowly looked back to Caleb who had once again begun work on Shade’s eye. “I’ve never heard you speak of anyone like that before.”

  “There are only five that I would say that of. Three are in the room the fourth is playing with his toys downstairs. The last one is in Delvay.” Zoelyn said with a faint smile. “Shade, Wisp and Sovann I would of course save as well, but I don’t know if I would go as far as the soul selling part for them yet.”

  “You better not go that far for me either little girl.” Caleb grumbled in a distracted voice. “I swore Kevala’drin on Rivasa. My life isn’t worth betting on let alone trying to save.” He finished quietly. “That’s part of what I need to speak with you about Valor, and now seems a good of a time as any.”

  Zoelyn stared at his back for a long moment. After several breaths she realized her jaw had dropped and Jala was watching her too closely.

  “What is Kevala’drin?” Jala asked sharply and from her tone of voice she obviously hadn’t approved of Zoelyn’s reaction to the word.

  “The Final reckoning. It’s an old Glis tradition. Grim will fight until all of the guilty are dead…or he is dead.” Valor explained quietly and gave Caleb a solemn nod. “I respect you for what you do. May thousands die to your vengeance.”

  “Valor how can you support something like this? It sounds like suicide to me!” Jala objected loudly.

  “It’s sacred and most lack the courage to pursue it.” Zoelyn said quietly. The idea of Grim dying made her want to weep, but the act of Kevala’drin was the thing of legends, and exactly the sort of path a man like him would choose with everything he had lost.

  “You too?” Jala gasped as she rounded on Zoelyn and shook her head sharply in disapproval. “Better to live and help others than to follow those you love to the grave.” She added with disgust.

  “The favor I mentioned.” Caleb began as if Jala hadn’t spoken at all. “Is very important to me, and it has two parts.” He paused as he twisted his dagger in the wound carefully and glanced up at Valor. “Syrah still lives. I would ask that you return her safely to my family once I save her. My Aunt and Uncle will treat her well and see that she gets everything she requires in life. The second part of the favor is that you not speak of me at all. Let them believe I died in Amdany or whatever you must tell them, but leave my name out of this. I have too many secrets to take to the grave with me to allow any questions to be raised about my death.”

  “Grim! The sun rises and sets with you in Syrah’s eyes. How can you follow this path if she still lives?” Zoelyn broke in quickly and moved to stand on the opposite side of the bed from him forcing him to meet her eyes. “This changes what I said Grim. This makes an act of bravery into something cruel.”

  “Because I swore I would before I knew Syrah still lived,
and you know I can’t break my word.” Caleb replied in a weary voice. “Look I’m going to get the same argument from Shade when he awakens so spare me Zoey please.”

  “Bloody hell I’ll spare you, you stubborn ass.” Zoelyn snarled and shook her head savagely. “Nel wouldn’t want you to follow this path and you know it. She would want Syrah with you!”

  Caleb pulled his knife back from Shade’s wound and closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a long slow breath. “Zoey do not make this more difficult than it is!” he snapped his voice rising and filled with pain.

  “I will make it bloody impossible Huntsman!” Zoelyn promised matching his volume with her own voice.

  “So who exactly is Syrah?” Jala asked quietly from somewhere behind Caleb.

  “His daughter, she should be about six by now I suppose, and far too young to understand why her father is choosing this path.” Valor explained quietly.

  “Not you too Valor.” Caleb groaned as he returned to his work on Shade’s eye. He shook his head and sighed heavily.

  “I’ll do as you ask if you truly feel this is the path you must follow.” Valor said softly and by his tone it was clear he no longer supported Caleb’s choice.

  “Thank you Valor.” Caleb said with relief. He glanced up at Zoelyn and frowned at her continued scowl. “Drop it Zoey.”

  “No.” Zoelyn responded stubbornly and then on a whim she moved quickly around the bed and snatched his backpack from the ground. Not bothering to spare him another glance she began digging in the contents. She knew the amulet was in there somewhere. He always carried it.

  “Zoey what in the hell are you doing?” Caleb demanded, but didn’t bother to rise from his chair. He had limited time to finish his work on Shade’s eye before Shade’s regeneration made all of his work useless and he was forced to start over.

  “Looking for inspiration for you. Apparently you need guidance back to the right path.” Zoelyn grumbled as she continued to dig frantically through his gear. After several more moments her hand brushed against a metal chain and she pulled the amulet out with a triumphant gasp. “Hah!” she proclaimed happily as she carried it back to the bedside across from Caleb. Looking down she carefully studied the silver pendant. It was far too large to wear as ornament, especially for a man, but it wasn’t meant for decoration. Its basic shape was that of a flower with a gem set in most of the petals. Her fingers danced across the gems and she struggled to control her power. The last thing she wanted to do was drain something as priceless as the magic she held in her hand.

  “Zoelyn don’t!” Caleb snapped and started to rise from his chair. His gaze flicked back to Shade and he ground his teeth in frustration.

  “Jala, activate this gem.” Zoelyn ordered as pointed to a tiny blue stone and tossed the amulet to Jala.

  Jala stared down at it bewildered for a moment, and glanced at Zoelyn once more before she activated the indicated stone.

  At the slightest brush of magic against the amulet the blue gem flared to life and a tiny voice echoed through the room. “I miss you daddy, when are you coming home? Momma says you have been gone too long already. Will you bring me a puppy when you come back?”

  “Syrah no! You don’t ask for things when sending love.” Another voice broke in with laughter hidden in the words and Zoelyn felt her eyes go glassy at the sound of Nel’s voice. It had been years since she had heard her, and a part of her had been praying Nel had escaped from Amdany and was in hiding. It was something she hadn’t allowed herself to think about at all, until Grim had stepped off of the ship today.

  “So sorry. Love you daddy, just come home I don’t need the puppy. I just want you home again. We miss you. ” The tiny voice amended sweetly.

  Caleb had frozen in place at the voices and the entire room was silent as the magic of the amulet went dormant once more. Tears had filled his dark eyes and Zoelyn could tell he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. “Damn you.” He muttered bitterly as he inhaled raggedly and tried desperately to focus on Shade’s wounds once more.

  “I didn’t do it to hurt you Grim. I did it to remind you.” Zoelyn said softly. She met his eyes once more as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek. “I met Syrah before you did Grim. I was there when she was born, and I knew Nel better than anyone else other than you. You are walking the wrong path and I’m friend enough to tell you that no matter how much it hurts.”

  “I do what needs to be done, and nothing more.” Caleb said quietly as he turned his full attention to Shade. Zoelyn could tell by his expression that he had pushed his emotions too far back for her to reason with him now. Grim was quite possibly the most stubborn person she knew, but then she was Delvay so she was more than up to the task of butting heads with him.

  “You used to only say that when Micah sent you to do something you really didn’t want to do. No one gave you these orders Grim. You don’t have to follow them.” Zoelyn said quietly and stepped back against the wall once more. Jala was watching her and gave her an approving smile. She nodded in return and folded her arms across her chest.

  Kevala’drin was a noble pursuit, and it required more courage than most possessed, but it was not something she would allow no matter how much she respected the man for suggesting it. It would have been hard enough to lose a friend no matter how noble the deed, but she wouldn’t allow Syrah to suffer more pain and loss than she already had.

  “Rest easy where ever you are Nel. I won’t let him die, and Syrah won’t be alone.” Zoelyn promised in a voice so low her words wouldn’t carry to the others in the room.

  * * *

  Night had fallen before Zoelyn sought him out again. It wasn’t hard to track him down. Everyone else in the house had retired for the night, and the light in the kitchen led her right to him. He was seated with his back to the wall and holding the flower shaped amulet in his hands. Behind him water was boiling on the stove and Zoelyn recognized the scent of the herbs in it at once.

  “Hero’s folly.” She observed quietly as she stepped into the room and let the door close softly behind her. The potion was a mixture of several very potent herbs and quite possibly the single most thing that healers despised more than violence itself. Once it was swallowed the potion would greatly increase natural regeneration and deaden the nerves allowing it’s user to fight far past the point they should. Dominic often said that only one in ten lived through the folly and the potion itself was often more deadly than the fight it was used for.

  Caleb looked up silently and watched her as she approached. He look exhausted and so grief stricken that she felt like a bully for coming to pester him further. He gave a slight nod, but remained silent as he sat the amulet carefully down on the table before him.

  “I take it that by brewing that I should accept that you haven’t changed your mind then.” Zoelyn muttered as she considered dumping the potion down the sink. He would likely throttle her for it though. The herbs used to make the potion were costly and very hard to find. He must have had them tucked into his backpack, because she knew Jala didn’t have them in her house.

  Caleb closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his chin on his arms still silent. One hand reached out to push lightly at the amulet and he looked up at her with a sad smile. “There is nothing worse than to be the last one standing Zoey.”

  “Agreed.” Zoelyn said softly leaving the obvious words unspoken. So don’t do that to Syrah. She slid slowly down into the chair across from him and crossed her own arms on the table. “When I saw you step off of that ship today my heart soared. They said you were dead, but part of me refused to believe that. People like you don’t die easily. It’s been years Grim, and now here you are, and I’m about to lose you again.” Her voice grew faint and she felt fresh tears stinging her eyes.

  “Are you ever going to explain what you are doing here in the first place? I thought you would still be with Dominic.” Caleb kept his voice low as if he was afraid to wake the house. It had obviously been too long since he ha
d been home if he feared waking anyone here. His own home in Amdany had been nearly as large as Jala’s house, and he should have realized he could have screamed and they wouldn’t be able to hear him in their bedchambers.

  “Dominic took me to the last stand, and I had a bit of an accident at the river. People found out about my curse and Dominic handed me over to Elijah for safe keeping. Which I might add is much better than what your father wanted for me. If Lord Blackwolf had gotten his way I’d be dead and buried now. Long story short, Jala arrived in Arovan for a council, irritated every high Lord there and brought me home with her.” Zoelyn explained in the quickest fashion she could. She didn’t want to waste what time she had speaking with him on something as trivial as her life when his was at stake.

  “Sounds about right for Blackwolf.” Caleb muttered before falling silent once more.

  Zoelyn studied the dark circles under his eyes and the disheveled state of his clothes and hair and let out a soft sigh. “Why don’t you sleep Grim? I can finish the folly for you even if I hate what you will use it for.”

  “Sleep is a wasted effort for me these days. I haven’t been able to rest well since I heard of Amdany.” Caleb mumbled.

  “Should I fetch a vial from your bag and tell you it will help?” Zoelyn asked dryly.

  “I will have rest soon enough.” Caleb sighed.

  “No you won’t. I’m on a first name basis with Death and I will whine at his door until he sends you back.” Zoelyn said firmly.

  “Finn won’t see me at his door. I’m going for Derrick Rivasa and three of his sworn swords carry Soul blades. When I fall it will be final rest without penance for my sins.” Caleb corrected her softly.

  “You saved Arovan from countless invasions. Nothing you have ever done has been a sin in my eyes, no matter how bloody the fight was.” Zoelyn whispered as she lowered her head to the table and buried her face in her arms. She could feel the tears coming again and didn’t have the will to fight them back. Neither of them would sleep tonight, but at least they both had company to share their misery with even if he was the source of hers tonight.