The Crow King's Wife (The Elder Blood Chronicles #5)

Her room was one of the few in the inner city that actually had a window to the outside world and she wondered if anyone else even realized the entire outer city was covered in crows. She had forced herself not to think about Seth after seeing him in Rivana. She didn’t want to remember how he had looked when Finn had taken him back to the Darklands, but the crows outside her window had forced the memory back to the surface.

She doubted if anyone else in Delvay would realize what it meant, but she couldn’t help but be reminded of an old story from Glis every time she looked at the birds. If she was right the next part of the story would be the appearance of a spirit, and then the disappearance of her people would follow. Silently she prayed she wasn’t right and she wasn’t witnessing the first part of The Crow King’s Wife being displayed outside her window

“I’ll take that glazed look as a no.” Neph said dryly and shook his head at her in mild reproach. “I asked you if Grim has woken yet. It’s been three days and I haven’t heard any mention of him being on his feet. Was the damage he suffered permanent?”

Zoelyn shook her head slowly and sank into a chair by the wall. “Jala healed him before she left, but I asked her to make sure he rested a few days more. I need time to sort things out before he wakes. I don’t know what to tell him about Shade.” She felt bile rise in her throat as she spoke and turned her gaze back out the window before Neph could see the expression of grief on her face. After everything Shade had said in the Great Hall no one in the city would understand why she was grieving over his absence.

“Tell him that Shade is a backstabbing little wretch and be done with it. You can’t keep Grim like an invalid to spare him the truth of the matter. I know he considered Shade a friend. We all did and Shade spit our faces with his actions.” Neph snapped with obvious irritation.

“Maybe I should let you explain it.” Zoelyn mumbled, though she had no intention of letting Neph be the first to speak with Grim when he awoke. If Neph explained what was going on it would end in blood and she knew it.

“Perhaps I will, but it’s something I will worry about later. I came here to fetch you for other reasons. There are a few things I need to explain to you, but it will be easier if I just show them to you instead.”

The tone of his voice drew her attention back to him once more and Zoelyn frowned at the look of hesitation on Neph’s face. He was nervous about something, and she couldn’t decide what it would take to make Neph nervous. Her brother was usually either calm or angry, she rarely saw him in any other mood.

“Show me what?” she asked cautiously and her imagination immediately supplied her with images of Shade’s broken corpse. It was possible that Neph had ignored Jala’s request to leave Shade be for now and gone after him. Shaking her head she cleared the image from her mind and let out a sigh. It was a silly thought. She knew Neph hadn’t left the city.

“As I said, it’s easier to show you than tell you. Come to my room for a moment and you will understand what I mean.” Neph sighed and turned for the door.

Numbly Zoelyn rose to her feet and followed him. She didn’t want to follow him. She hadn’t been sleeping well and exhaustion was dogging her heels almost as badly as the curse was gnawing at her gut. No matter how many mage stones she consumed it didn’t seem to quench the hunger. Her curiosity was too much for her to ignore his words despite her discomfort though. It was too unusual for Neph to act so mysterious about anything. He was usually painfully blunt on everything and rarely saw the need to dance around any topic no matter how painful it might be.

Neph moved in silence all the way down the stairs and only glanced at her once as he paused outside his door. “I’m not sure how you will react to this. I didn’t handle it well myself.” He warned her in a low voice as he pushed the door open slowly.

Zoelyn gazed at him with concern then slowly stepped inside the room and froze at the sight of the woman sitting across the room. She was an exact duplicate of the painting on the wall above her with the exception of the worried look that pinched her delicate features. “Momma.” Zoelyn gasped and quickly grabbed the door frame as her knees wobbled beneath her.

Cora rose from her chair and waved a hand toward her quickly. “Neph help her to a chair. I think she might faint.” She ordered with concern thick in her voice.

Zoelyn felt a solid arm brace her and could only stare at her mother as Neph guided her quickly to the small table. Cora paced beside them murmuring in worried tones until Zoelyn was seated then smiled sheepishly down at her.

“I’m so sorry love. I didn’t know how you would react to seeing me, but we couldn’t think of a better way to approach you.” Cora explained as she lowered herself to the chair across from her.

Zoelyn nodded dumbly and stared at the woman in confusion. Everyone had always told her that her mother was dead, and yet here she was looking as healthy as the last day she had seen her. “I don’t understand.” Zoelyn mumbled as she looked from Neph to Cora for some kind of explanation.

“But you shortly will.” A voice she didn’t know broke in and she turned quickly in her chair to regard the blond haired man by the bookshelf. She knew he hadn’t been there a moment before. The room had been empty aside from her mother she was certain of it.

“I don’t know you.” Zoelyn stammered dumbly as her confusion grew.