Neph let out a deep sigh of irritation, but couldn’t quite manage to keep the grin off his face. Everything had been spiraling out of his grasp, and then, with just the sound of her voice and the sight of her, it was all fixed. Jala Merrodin had returned and no matter how dire the situation looked, he would face it head on and without doubt. When Jala was involved, any miracle was possible, even saving Delvay.
It took him less than five minutes to dress, though Neph doubted she would approve of what he had chosen. He wasn’t like Finn had been, or Valor was. He didn’t own silks or velvet. For him, dressing nicely meant putting on the leather armor that had the least amount of scars and no dried blood on it. Pausing at the mirror he studied his reflection and smoothed his short blond hair a bit. His eyes lingered on his face and he shook his head slowly at the wide smile that still showed. It wasn’t an expression he was accustomed to wearing, and he would have to get rid of it before Shade or Madren saw him. The last thing he wanted was for Madren to lose his fear of him.
Jala was leaning against the wall, twirling her staff between her two hands when he stepped from his room. She looked up quickly, her eyes scanning him and nodded once. “That is about as well dressed as I’ve ever seen you,” she said agreeably.
“Anything more and I will be the one doing the identity tests,” Neph said with a shrug. “So, where are we going?” he asked as they walked side by side to the door.
“To get Valor and Madren,” Jala replied with a grin that had him rolling his eyes.
“After that?” Neph pressed.
“Out of Goswin,” Jala replied glancing up at him as she pushed the door open and stepped out into the cool night air.
The sound of childish laughter echoed through the garden and Jala’s answering smile was positively radiant. She moved swiftly in the direction of the laughter ending his chance at any further questions. Neph sighed and followed her quickly down the winding paths that led from the guest house to the Manor itself.
Valor was the first one Neph spotted as they approached. The knight stood by the entrance to the path. His purple and silver armor had been polished to such a shine it gleamed like a mirror. The sound of their footsteps drew his attention and Valor turned to watch them with a look of such utter devotion on his face that Neph shook his head. Neph wanted to make a smart ass remark, but he knew he couldn’t. While his expressions were more guarded than the knight’s and Neph typically wore a scowl, he could relate with that expression perfectly. The only difference they had in their feelings for Jala was that Valor was in love with her while Neph simply loved her. She was a sister to him and he was just as devoted as the damned Arovan was and he knew it.
The childish giggle broke through the stillness of the night once more and Neph paused beside Valor and Jala until he located its source. Legacy sat in the grass near one of the garden pools with an overly large white rabbit on the ground before him. The creature was sitting on its rump with both hind feet splayed out before it. As Neph watched, the rabbit rocked back on its haunches and its cheeks puffed out with air as its eyes crossed. More giggles erupted from Legacy as the rabbit’s ears grew limp and all of the air exploded out of it in a rush that sounded far cruder that a noise one would expect from an animal.
“What the hell?” Neph mumbled, glancing at Valor. “Wait until he dances,” Valor whispered back.
“Dances?” Neph raised an eyebrow and turned his attention back to the strange little creature as its body began to shift. Within a breath, Shade sat in the grass before Legacy with a stupid grin on his face.
“That’s all for now, little man. Shade needs a smoke and bunnies can’t have cigarettes,” Shade said with a grin and ruffled Legacy’s hair as he stood. Reaching into the pocket of his coat he produced a slender silver case and fished a cigarette out. He seemed to notice Jala and Neph then and bowed his head slightly to them in greeting.
“You have no dignity at all,” Neph informed him dryly.
“I’d rather be able to make a child laugh and have fun myself than worry about dignity,” Shade replied with a shrug. “We ready, Jala?”
Shade asked as he lit the cigarette and took a long drag.
Jala glanced at Madren who nodded once, though to Neph’s eyes Madren looked more nervous than ready. Kneeling down, Jala held her hands out to her son who promptly crossed the small stretch of grass separating them at a wobbly legged run. Wrapping her arms around him tightly she stood once more and balanced him on her hip before nodding to Shade.
“We taking my ship or traveling by shadows?” Shade asked as he glanced around the courtyard.
“Shadows,” Vaze answered as he stepped from a pool of darkness and into the clearing to join them. “We don’t have time for the spell hawk trip, it has already begun.”
“Was I the last person to figure out you are alive again?” Neph demanded looking to Jala with narrowing eyes.
“No, most people don’t realize I’m alive again, but honestly have you ever tried to keep a secret from Vaze? It’s impossible, the man is worse than an old woman. He knows everyone’s gossip,” Jala replied with a shrug. “Madren and Shade found out a few minutes before you, but that was only because you were in your room rather than in the main house.”
“I tried to get her to cast an illusion of me over herself before she spoke to you, but she saw through it and smacked me,” Shade said with a grin.
Neph glared at Shade for a long moment and decided it was best to not waste his breath with a response. “Is anyone going to tell me where we are going?” Neph asked his eyes landing firmly on Jala.
“Arovan. I understand you were naughty and used the bad magics when you got cranky in the battle. I’m going to settle things on that matter and conveniently they are having a meeting of the alliance tonight. I think there must have been a mistake when the invitations were sent out because Merro, Goswin and Delvay didn’t seem to receive theirs,” Jala answered and Neph could tell by the tone of her voice that it wouldn’t be Jala Merrodin that arrived at Arovan’s meeting, it would be Lady Bendazzi and whoever had skipped over Merrodin would soon regret it.
*