“After hearing you say those words I promise you that Elijah won’t have to agree. I won’t give him the choice. I will lay the signet before him and tell him to find another. If he disagrees then he only has one choice.” Valor spoke firmly and she could tell Elijah wouldn’t get him to budge on the decision he had made.
“What choice would that be?” Jala asked with a faint smile.
“To acknowledge that if I remain heir to Arovan that his country will become an extension of Merro by default if he should die.” Valor answered quietly.
“Ah, Chastity will make a fine heir and I’m sure he will see that just as soon as you bring up that point.” Jala said with a hint of amusement in her voice. “We have two or three hours before we have to face the world, Val. I’d much rather spend it curled in bed beside you than sitting in this chair.”
He rose without hesitation before she had even finished speaking and carried her gently to the bed. She crawled under the sheets and watched in silence as he removed his shirt and kicked off his boots. Within a breath he was beside her and she curled against his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. “I promise you, Val, that I will never turn my back on you again no matter what weight is on my chest. I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been acting. It was something I should have dealt with sooner.”
“I don’t really see that you have anything to apologize for, but if my forgiveness is what you need to feel better than you have it for everything, Jala. I know how hard it is to push that kind of pain away. I kick myself nightly wondering if there was some way I could have saved Honor and Micah, or if there was more I could have done for Finn. Our world is brutal, and no matter how hard we are grasping for peace, as long as there is fighting there will be death. We have no choice but to accept it and deal with our grief in any way that we can. Even when it means we distance ourselves from those we love. You needed space and I understood. I was never angry, only concerned.” Valor’s voice was low and she could hear the grief etching his words as he spoke his brother’s name.
“They say the souls of the pure return to the Lifestream the fastest. Honor and Micah both passed through the Darklands without penance. They will return to this world soon, and I truly believe that we carry an echo of our former lives with us when we walk amongst the living again. You will see him again, Val. He might not remember you, but I have no doubt you will know him.”
“May they both return to Arovan. Both of them loved Arovan with every ounce of their souls.” Valor said softly as he settled into the bed fully and allowed himself to relax. It wasn’t often that either of them truly rested, and she couldn’t remember the last time they had simply rested together in peace.
Chapter 8
Merro
The air was thick with moisture and she could feel a slight sheen of sweat on her skin. No matter how long Zoelyn was in Merro she didn’t think she would ever adjust to the climate. It was the heart of summer here, and it showed in everything around her. The grass beneath her was prickly and dry, and the heat was oppressive even at night. She could remember Delvay perfectly now, and she knew it would be much cooler there with frequent storms that kept the mountains cloaked in fog on most nights. The sky would be too cloudy for the stargazing she was enjoying at the moment, but she wouldn’t be sweating through her tunic either.
A soft noise behind her drew her attention from the sky and she turned to stare into the darkness of the gardens. No one else should be awake now, not even Dray kept these hours. She half rose from the ground and peered into the shadows trying to find the source of the noise. It came again from behind her and she recognized it for what it was; the swish of feathers. She rose quickly and turned nearly colliding with him as she did. Seth’s arms steadied her and she stared up into his gold eyes unsure if she wanted to run or melt closer to him. She had been avoiding him for days. Every glimpse of black feathers had sent her back into the house. There was no way of knowing if the crows had been simple birds or one of his messengers, but she had avoided them all the same.
He remained silent with his hands still holding her shoulder. His golden eyes were locked on hers with such intensity that she couldn’t look away. The expression on his face seemed softer than she could ever remember seeing and there was fragileness about him that she could barely fathom. “Zoey.” He whispered as he drew her closer and the desire to run fled completely. Just the sound of her name from his lips held her transfixed. There was so much longing in that single spoken word that she simply stared at him unsure what to do or say. His lips brushed against her forehead and a flash of uncertainty filled his eyes as he lowered his head and kissed her lips as lightly as a breeze.
She hesitated for a long moment before wrapping her arms around him and leaning in to kiss him once more. It was foolish and she knew it. She had seen his temper, and she had felt his Charm magic peel away from her with Finn’s touch. She knew Seth had been manipulating her the entire time she had trained with him, but those were all things that her mind knew, and it was her heart that was returning the kiss. Her lips parted slowly and his kiss intensified growing deeper until her heart was hammering in her chest.