“You don’t say, Neph. Hmm. I suppose we will all just have to learn to adjust to Delvay assholes, then. It may take a while after dealing with your sweet and sunny nature for so long, though,” Jala said with sarcasm dripping from her every word.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Neph replied sourly and gave a quick nod to Vaze. The sooner he gathered his people the sooner he was back home. He doubted that his people would enjoy the trip, however. In their eyes he would be taking them farther from the mountains and from their goal of reclaiming them. In Neph’s eyes, however, being closer to Jala meant being closer to accomplishing his goals. When Jala was involved, things got done, even when they seemed impossible at the time.
Chapter 4
Arovan
The cool night breeze washed over her and brought the sweet perfume of lilacs and roses wafting up from the flowers below. Zoelyn inhaled deeply and stared wistfully out over the gardens. Her window provided a beautiful view of the night sky as well as the carefully manicured flowers. A clear view of everything beautiful that was just beyond her reach. With a sigh she crossed her arms on the window sill and lightly rested her chin on top.
It had been two weeks since they had brought her here and nearly as long since she had been allowed outside. She couldn’t blame them, though. Someone obviously spent a great deal of effort maintaining the grounds surrounding the house, and it was doubtful that they wanted to risk her killing off the flowers with her presence.
“Why don’t you just run away?” a deep voice whispered beside her ear.
The sound nearly made her jump, but she forced herself to remain still so she didn’t spook him. When she jumped at his voice he would stay silent for days, and he was the only one she had to talk to. Despite the fact that she was the one that usually did the most talking. Still it helped to know someone was actually listening. He was typically silent for most of the day unless she asked him a direct question. He would answer her then, unless she had jumped at the sound of his voice recently.
“Where would I go if I did?” Zoelyn asked softly, though even as she said the words her eyes were traveling to the southeast. Her home with Dominic was in that direction in a small village filled with people that despised her. A rueful smile crossed her lips and she returned her attention to the night sky. The stars were bright tonight and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. It was the perfect night for a walk, only she wasn’t allowed to take walks anymore.
“Away from their walls,” the voice suggested.
Zoelyn frowned and relaxed more in her chair to slump fully against the window. “I hate thinking of you as just him or the Blight. Why won’t you tell me your name? You know mine.”
“I am Undrae, just like you. Call me that.” The Blight’s voice never grew louder than a whisper and there were times she nearly lost his words in the wind.
“I hate that word. I won’t call you that,” Zoelyn replied, her frown deepening. She started to say more but the sound of footsteps in the hall silenced her voice in her throat. Slowly she stood up and turned to face the door, her head cocking to one side as she listened closely for the direction of the sound. “They never come this late,” she whispered more to herself than to the Blight as she realized the footsteps were indeed approaching her door. Her gaze flicked to the half-eaten tray of food on her table and then back to the door once more.
The servants had set schedules that they never strayed from. In the morning a maid would appear with breakfast then tidy her room and take away the dinner from the night before. There would be another servant in the afternoon with lunch, usually a page boy that stared at her with wide eyes and ran the moment he sat the tray down. Then the evening would bring the last of her company in the form of an elderly woman who had yet to even say hello.
“Out the window,” the Blight hissed but the door was opening even as he spoke the words.
Zoelyn froze in place, her heart in her throat, as she watched a guard step into the room. The woman was dressed in the High Lord’s livery and fully armed. The guard glanced around the room with a bit of a puzzled expression and then her eyes settled on Zoelyn. “Were you talking just now?” she asked with a frown.
“To myself,” Zoelyn replied with a shy smile. “It gets lonely in here sometimes. I repeat poetry or stories to keep myself entertained.” The lie seemed to appease the woman and she simply nodded in response, her frown fading to a look of indifference.
“I was sent to fetch you. Lord Arovan says you are to bring your things and come with me at once,” the guard informed her with another quick glance around the room. “Though from the looks of things you don’t have much in the way of things to bring, now do you?”
“Only my coat,” Zoelyn replied as she moved to gather the heavy leather coat from the foot of her bed. “Can I ask where you are taking me?” Her voice was hesitant and the Blight’s suggestion of jumping out the window was sounding better and better.
“Lord Arovan said to bring you, girl. I didn’t question why. Now, follow me,” the guard replied in a sharper tone and Zoelyn found herself moving to follow before she fully registered what she was doing.