Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1) (37 page)

“Is that…?” Jack began, as we both watched Talisa carrying an elf woman on her back. They were battered, bloodied, and covered in soot. Jack had to catch them both as Talisa nearly collapsed on the ground. “Talisa? Avilyne’s hell! Artemis, get over here and help me—it’s Lady Clarayne!”

I helped Jack pry Lady Clarayne’s unconscious body from Talisa’s back, and we laid them both carefully on the ground. “What happened?”

Talisa coughed as she took a few deep breaths. “Ellewynth burns still. Willow protect the ones who managed to escape.” She took another deep breath. “I couldn’t get them all to the veils in time.”

“Did you use the veil you sent Azrael and me through?” I asked.

“Wait a minute.” Jack glanced at his teacher. “You really sent them through your personal veil? I thought no one but you could pass through it.”

“I broke that rule. I’ll pay for that consequence soon enough.” Talisa coughed. “Don’t you dare feel guilty about it, Artemis. I was not going to let Arlina have you.”

“What about Lords Celstian and Destrius?” Jack asked before I could speak. I let him get away with the interruption and watched him inspect both the women’s wounds.

Lady Clarayne was still breathing, thank the goddesses. She was, however, unresponsive to Jack’s touch. Talisa would have none of it herself.

“Help me up, will you?” Talisa snapped, beating Jack’s hands away from her ruined nightgown and her wounds. “I’m fine! Just a few scrapes and burns, and a hell of a lot of fatigue. Satisfied?”

Jack and I couldn’t help but chuckle despite ourselves as we helped her sit up. Good ol’ Talisa.

“Lord Celstian is safely hidden in the veils. Lord Destrius, the stubborn bastard, chose to stay back and fight. Shadow and I managed to reach the Hall of the Elders in time for me to find Lady Clarayne—”

“Is Shadow all right?” I interrupted. “Why isn’t he here with you?”

“When we separated, he was occupied with a little brawl.” She noted my concern. “It wasn’t something he couldn’t handle. He’ll be fine, Artemis. Shadow went to rescue Netira.”

“Netira is the dhampir you told me about, Artemis?” Jack asked.

“Yes.” I glanced at Lady Clarayne, and felt the overwhelming guilt return. My head was hurting too. “We should patch you both up.”

“See to Clarayne,” Talisa insisted. “I have to go back.”

“You’re
not
going back.” Jack ordered. He cringed when Talisa glared at him. “All right, fine! But at least let me clean you up a bit?”

I flinched at the sound of the harsh slap Talisa dealt to the back of Jack’s head. Now I knew why he whined so much about them in his letters.

I would have too.

“There is no time!” Talisa snapped. “I have to help Shadow retrieve Netira. I have to get them back here before they run into Arlina.”

Before either Jack or I could argue with her, a harsh neigh silenced us. A white blur galloped past us, and I was horrified that Azrael ran off despite her injury.

“Azrael, wait!” I yelled, starting to run. Talisa grabbed my arm before I could move any farther, and she shook her head at me. “But Tali—”

“Leave it be, Artemis,” Talisa said, defeated. “Azrael left to retrieve her rider. She’ll prove to be as useful in bringing them back as my personal veil would, injury or not. You two get your wish after all. Help me get Lady Clarayne inside, will you?”

Shadow felt he and Netira were far enough from the burned city of Ellewynth to safely catch a few breaths. He watched Netira fall to her knees when he released her. When he tried to touch her shoulder, she flailed her arm at him. Shadow took a few steps back and shut his eyes when Netira let out a pained scream. She buried her face in her hands, and she heaved with each sob.

He shared the sentiment, as he knew Arlina was talking about his aunt when she bragged about murdering an Elder.

“May Willow guide you to her grove and into paradise,” Shadow prayed as he turned away from Netira.

“Aerios blow you!” Netira snapped. “Don’t you dare start your damned rites of passage, elf!”

Shadow faced her and glared. “The only reason I refuse to retaliate that remark is because you need this quick moment to process what your lover has done. And the prayer isn’t for him, dhampir. It was for my aunt.”

“Your aunt?” Netira asked, confused.

“My aunt was Lady Clarayne. She was more commonly known to you as The Rose of Ellewynth,” Shadow explained. Netira gaped. “Arlina came to the hall to kill her. Talisa must have gotten there too late…I don’t know. The Mistress of Blackwen wouldn’t have said what she said if it wasn’t true.”

“Oh goddesses…” Netira covered her mouth.

“As I said before, I will let that remark slide. Next time, however, I won’t be so forgiving,” Shadow warned. He sighed when she looked
back in the direction of Ellewynth. “You shouldn’t fear for Karesu. Arlina won’t kill him.”

“He betrayed her. He’s as good as dead.”

“As have you, and yet here you are.” Shadow felt the wound in his arm flare, and he gripped it. “Karesu is leverage. Arlina will kill you herself now since the Elders failed to do so. She knows you will come to Blackwen City to rescue him. And we will.”

“Why are you willing to do that, Shadow?” Netira asked, rubbing her now red and puffed eyes.

“Because Artemis will want to.” Shadow felt some ease when he thought of her. He thanked the goddesses that Talisa helped her escape Arlina. “It’d be her way of thanking you for the help you’ll be giving us.”

“It’s not considered help when you’re an unwilling pawn in a specter’s game of revenge.” Netira scowled.

“It is if you’ve stuck to the decision of guiding as well as fighting besides her.” Shadow faced Netira. “I cannot say that Karesu will not suffer at the hands of the Mistress of Blackwen, but he will live because his love for you will make him do so. Don’t count him out of the game just yet, Netira. Hold onto faith.”

Netira half-smiled at him. “Artemis is lucky to have someone like you, elf…even if she hasn’t realized that yet.”

“She knows,” Shadow said, confused.

“No, she does not.” Netira stood up and dusted the earth from her legs. “And if she does, she’s in denial. As are you.”

Shadow inwardly groaned. Now wasn’t the time for this.

Netira raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I saw the way you looked at her the night the two of you came into my prison. There’s a lot more to your guardianship than you choose to believe.”

“We’ve rested enough.” Shadow coughed in the attempt to end the conversation. “We still have some lengths to go before reaching Talisa’s cottage.”

“As you wish, elf.” Netira started to walk, but stopped as soon as she heard a horse’s neigh. “What in Avilyne’s hell…?”

“Azrael.” Shadow sighed with relief.

Even injured, she came back for him. Kiare be praised.

It took some time to clean the wounds Talisa and Lady Clarayne had. Lady Clarayne was still unconscious, but when we settled her into Jack’s room, she seemed peaceful enough.

I prayed she had comforting dreams.

Talisa shooed us both away once her treatment had finished. She demanded to be woken up once Shadow returned. I reminded myself to never let Talisa be denied her rest, and I swore to never give her a reason to head-slap me in the future. I still couldn’t get the sound of it out of my head from when she hit Jack.

I went outside to sit on the steps. Jack came out as well, only he now had on a traveler’s cloak. He also had a cup filled with an odd-scented tea. Jack held it out for me to take.

“Where are
you
going?” I asked, as I took the lukewarm tea.

“I’m going to look for someone,” he answered. “Drink it. It’ll help your head. Talisa made it before she went to sleep. I’m going to keep needing your help in patching people up.”

“You’re needed here, Jack,” I reminded him, realizing who he was going to search for. “Now’s not the time for any of that. You wouldn’t even leave me here alone!”

“Talisa will want her here,” Jack replied, ignoring my comments. “Once Shadow and Netira arrive, we’ll have to discuss what’s going to happen next. Better it be sooner rather than later. And you’re underestimating that tea. It’s a pretty potent elixir, one I was supposed to learn after a couple of years of being Talisa’s apprentice. You’ll be fine after drinking it.”

“You’re referring to the discussion concerning my going to Blackwen City and confronting Arlina there,” I said while ignoring the tea bit.

“You should have known that we wouldn’t let you go by yourself, Artemis,” Jack scolded while fastening the clasp along his neckline. He smirked as he pulled the hood up. “
I
sure as hell wasn’t going to let you go and have all the fun without me.”

I chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”

Jack patted my shoulder. “Shadow is fine. He’ll be here soon.”

“I know.”

“I’ll return as soon as I can.” Jack winked. “In one piece, I promise. I know the pathways here well enough to avoid danger, even though I can handle a few brawls or two.”

“Jack,
I
can wield a sword better than you.”

“Oh, I know a few more moves since the last time we trained together,” Jack said, pretending to be offended. “Be careful when waking Talisa should Shadow return before I do. Bring some sweets to her room. Those tend to keep her calm long enough before she can snap at anyone.”

“She wasn’t like that when I lived with her…”

“You were lucky to be the daughter of her best friend. You were also lucky you weren’t her apprentice,” Jack said as he walked away. “You’ll find some sweets by the tea cabinets. Sugar cubes would suffice as well. And drink that tea, woman!
All
of it.”

I sighed. “Be safe, Jack.”

I watched him disappear into the open forest and felt the sadness return. Ellewynth was destroyed. Even if I somehow survived my future encounter with my aunt at the Dark Fortress, I knew I wouldn’t be welcomed into Ellewynth once it was rebuilt…not after what Arlina did. There was no room for me here at Talisa’s cottage either, with Jack’s apprenticeship and all.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself there, Artemis,” I said aloud, rubbing my forehead. “You act as if you’ll even survive your fight with Arlina. She almost killed you in Ellewynth.”

I shuddered and then eyed the tea. I sniffed it and coughed. I couldn’t discern the contents of it, but I trusted both Jack and Talisa. I took a sip and immediately felt the need to gag. I took a deep breath after I lost the urge to heave, and I pinched my nose.

“Bottoms up,” I muttered.

It was easy to gulp the liquid because of its lukewarm temperature, but it was still awful to ingest. I coughed and fought off the feeling to vomit.

I heard footsteps behind me. Before I could turn around and look, I felt a hand gently grasp my shoulder, commanding me to stay. I looked at the person who now sat beside me, Lady Clarayne.

Her green eyes were pained and showed fatigue. She was wearing one of Talisa’s nightgowns, as we’d had to dispose of the bloodstained dress she was brought in.

“My lady, you should be inside resting!”

Lady Clarayne shook her head. “My shoulder burns. It’s keeping me up.”

“Let me look at it. Maybe we missed something.”

“Artemis, I’m fine,” Lady Clarayne insisted, with a chuckle as well as a cough. “It only means it’s healing. You and Jack have given me enough healing cordial for it to start doing so as quickly as it has.”

“Well, I’m glad it’s healing so fast then.”

Lady Clarayne gave me a sad glance. “You and Jack are quite the healers. I have a feeling you two had to learn such gifts on your own…so early…”

“Guilty,” I answered as I put the now empty cup aside. “When you’re considered an outcast, you come across more injuries than you’d like. And when the healers refuse to acknowledge you, you have to take it upon yourself to learn a thing or two. We had the books…the rest was just up to us to be the willing patients to one another.”

“I am sorry your time in Ellewynth was unpleasant. It should not have been,” Lady Clarayne apologized, grasping my shoulder once more.

“If anyone should apologize, it is me. Your home is destroyed because of who I am.”

“Artemis, do not blame yourself for such a tragedy.” Lady Clarayne looked to the sky. “Arlina is a dark soul in a world filled with injustice, bitterness, and hatred. There are many others like her. Someone else would have done the same, simply because of their hatred for us. You were a scapegoat for her to make a move against us…another prize to win for doing something she has wanted to do for ages.”