The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #4)

“Chances are your armies would never find Merrodin anyway. As I said, I support Merrodin in this and the Han’shy lands can be very confusing to navigate. Unless of course you intend to cross the distance through flames which I’m sure would be equally hazardous. There is no telling what Lady Merrodin keeps around her fires in Merro,” Lord Han’shy mused with a smile.

“As far as I am concerned, the matter is settled on the Blights, so, on to the final matter I have to attend to here,” Jala began once more and didn’t bother to pause long enough for anyone to object. “NephDelvayon has charges against him on the matter of the magics he used in the final battle. If you will all notice he wears the ring of Merrodin on his finger and has sworn his fealty to me. Any crime that he commits on my behalf is my crime. He fought for me, so if you have grievance with him, then direct it at me.” Jala paused again and summoned a large white book to her hand. Gilding flashed along the edges of the pale leather as she set it carefully on the table. “This is a book of law from Merro. If any of you care to look inside it, you will discover that no magic is forbidden in my land. Actions are judged, not methods. What Neph did was for the greater good of Merro as well as Arovan regardless of what power he used to do it. Until Delvay is reclaimed, Neph is under my rule and judged by my laws. If you wish to press the matter, Elijah, I understand and I will answer for the crimes. Neph, however, is to remain out of the matter entirely. Until the time I believe I have likely worn out my welcome in your hall, I will be in contact with you once the matter of the Blights is resolved.” Jala pushed away from the chair as she finished and waited for her comrades to rise before turning for the door.

“I will summon guards to fetch the girl, Lady Merrodin,” Elijah announced as he rose slowly from his chair.

“You can’t seriously mean to allow her to leave this room after her threats,” Nicoli’s voice was filled with utter disbelief as he stared at each of the High Lords in turn.

“I am in her debt, Nicoli. What would you have me do?” Elijah asked in a voice that sounded more weary than angry. “Kill her. Capture her. Anything but simply bow down before her like a groveling pup.” Nicoli’s voice rose as he spoke.

“My Nephew is betrothed to her, if he hasn’t already married her. Her child is present and if that isn’t reason enough for you, and you hadn’t thought to count numbers, Nicoli, I will do it for you. With the people she brought with her, and Jin on her side, she has us outnumbered in this room. Leave off with it, Nicoli. She has us on this one and I won’t allow her to be harmed in my home.” Elijah sighed and turned back to Jala.

“This way, Lady Merrodin,” he urged as he started off for the doors.

“I truly regret that things had to take this path,” Jala informed the Lords and bowed her head in respect as she turned for the door.

“I truly regret that you took my crime as your own,” Neph whispered to her as he fell in step beside her. He hadn’t thought to press the matter when she had told him she would take care of his problems, but in hindsight he should have. Given how the council meeting had gone Jala had enough to worry about without adding his difficulties to her own.

“I regret that it was considered a crime at all. If you hadn’t acted, think of how many would be dead now. It will all work out, Neph. I’ve given this more thought than I care to admit and this is the way things had to go,” Jala replied with a faint smile. “Silly me. I thought all the work was done and I had nothing but happily ever after to look forward to. It was just a respite, though. Happily ever after is still a long way off, I’m afraid,” Her smile faded as she glanced back into the council room and then looked to Shade in confusion. “Madren isn’t leaving with us?” She asked softly.

“Guess not,” Shade replied with a shrug looking equally puzzled.

“Maybe I didn’t have his support as firmly as I thought I did,” Jala murmured absently. She exhaled slowly and shrugged as if it didn’t truly matter, but Neph could tell how much it did matter just from the look in her eyes. To Jala, friends were everything. She had done so much to help Madren that she thought it safe to call him friend and ally. “Shade would you be willing to give us a ride back to Merrodin in your ship? From what I understand of this girl I won’t be able to transport her with a spell,” Jala asked meekly.

“I should say no just for the sole reason that you assumed I would give you a ride home as much as you assumed I would be your envoy,”

Shade grumbled, and then nodded to her and rolled his eyes. “I will be outside getting the ship ready. From the expression on Blackwolf’s face when we left the room, I think we should bail from here as quickly as possible.”

“Agreed,” Jala said with a nod before turning to Vaze. “Would you take Neph back to Goswin, please? He will need to gather his people quickly.”

“Gather my people for what?” Neph asked as he quickly took a step back from Vaze before the shadows could even begin to thicken.

Jala blinked and then looked to Neph. “To bring them to Merro, of course. I just said as much in the council room. You are under my protection until we reclaim Delvay Neph. That counts for your people as well,” she explained slowly as if speaking with a particularly slow child.

“Jala, the people of Delvay can be prickly and difficult to deal with,” Neph began cautiously then paused as Valor snorted back laughter and turned away quickly with an expression of pure amusement on his face. Jala was regarding him dryly when he turned back to her.