The Crow King's Wife (49 page)

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.

“But you shortly will.” The man repeated with
a smile. He drew a heavy book down from the shelf and blew the dust
from its cover. “Neph why don’t you fetch us some drinks? Cora
would you be kind enough to roll a cigarette for me?” When both
nodded to his requests he smiled at Zoelyn once more and raised an
eyebrow. “Do you enjoy stories my dear? What am I saying? Of course
you do. You are living one right now aren’t you?” He winked at her
look of shock and dropped the book down on the table as he took his
own chair. Leaning toward her he grinned conspiratorially. “Don’t
worry I won’t let them know how that particular story ends. Neph
would get bitchy and no one likes to deal with him when he is
bitchy.” He whispered in a voice that was so low Zoelyn was certain
only she had heard him speak.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Zoelyn lied then she glanced between the strange man beside her to
her Brother and Mother.

“Of course not.” The man agreed as he flipped
the cover of the book open to a family tree and turned it toward
her. “Get comfortable. While I expect you will accept what I say
far easier than your brother did, it will still take a while to
explain.”

“Trust me Zoey. It is easier this way.” Neph
grumbled as he placed several glasses down on the table and poured
her a generous helping of Delvay dark whiskey. “And you will need
every drop of that by the time he shuts his mouth.” He added
ominously as he took a seat near Cora and glowered at the handsome
blond man beside her. “Please Fortune, feel free to shatter my
sister’s childhood memories as thoroughly as you did my own.”

“Ah, but the memories she has can only be
improved by what I’m about to tell her.” Fortune returned lightly,
but Zoelyn could only stare at her brother in shock.

If he was telling the truth then one of the
Aspects was seated with them at the table sharing a shot of
whiskey. Wide eyed she turned slowly back to the man feeling more
than a little lightheaded.

“Steady yourself girl. If you faint now this
will take even longer, and we are already running low on time.
Better to be done with this quickly so you understand everything
that lies before you.” Fortune said calmly as he pushed the glass
of whiskey toward her.

“I promise you love it will all make sense
soon. Even what you are will make sense.” Cora assured her in a
voice that was far too calm for anything Zoelyn was feeling. With a
shaking hand she lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip
of the whiskey before nodding for Fortune to begin.

Delvay

Moonlight covered the city in a blanket of
silvery white that made everything beyond her window seem pristine.
With a heavy sigh Zoelyn crossed her arms on the sill and rested
her chin lightly on them. She wanted to be outside herself, but
knew better than attempt to leave the city now. After everything
that had happened in the last week Neph would think she was running
away and in all honesty that didn’t sound like a bad plan to her at
the present.

“I am a god’s bastard.” She whispered to
herself and even now hours after Fortune had explained everything
it still seemed unreal. Cora had tried to convince her that she was
the salvation of Delvay and that becoming Undrae had been a
blessing rather than a curse. A blessed curse as Fortune put it.
Supposedly she could use her powers to reawaken lost heroes of
Delvay, and even Neph had seemed to believe the rubbish.

Closing her eyes she tried to fight back the
hunger and wondered if any of them realized how difficult it was to
control her ‘blessed curse’. If just one of them knew how hard she
had to fight to keep from draining everything around her then maybe
they would realize how stupid their plan was.

There was no way she could manage something
as delicate as draining certain weaves of magic right now. She was
too ravenous, and she didn’t even know why. The only thing that had
changed about her feeding habits was who created the mage stones.
When she had used the stones created by Seth her curse had faded to
a point that she could almost forget it existed. The stones Neph
created did nothing but stem her cravings for a breath and her body
was failing as well though she had taken pains to hide it. If
anyone could see how her ribs were jutting or how the armor Seth
had crafted for her hung from her wasting frame they might
understand, but she was too ashamed to let them see that. The
fleeting gift of humanity that Seth had granted her was fading, and
in another few weeks she would be a monster again in appetite as
well as appearance.

A soft scuff from the hall drew her from her
musings and Zoelyn glanced toward the door with dread. Neph had
retired hours ago, and aside from Grim and Syrah the house was
empty. The only explanation for the sound was that Grim had awoken
and Syrah had come to tell her. With a sigh Zoelyn walked slowly
toward the door. In her current frame of mind she couldn’t think of
a single thing she dreaded more than speaking with Grim. Explaining
what had happened with Shade was going to be painful for them both,
and she still hadn’t determined how to lie to him about it. In
truth she didn’t want to lie to Grim. The secret Shade had given
her was like a suffocating cloud and she knew if she could just
share the burden with someone else the guilt might fade a bit, but
Shade had practically begged her to keep silent, and so she had no
choice but to lie for now at least.

Silently she pulled the door open and her
eyes settled on the tiny form standing in the shadows of the hall.
Apparently Syrah had decided she was asleep and had been leaving
when the door opened. “Is he awake then?” Zoelyn asked as she
stepped into the hall and started toward the girl. Her steps slowed
as she grew closer and the shadows faded enough for her to actually
see the girl. This child’s hair was blond, not dark like Syrah’s.
“Are you lost?” Zoelyn asked hesitantly and silently prayed this
actually was a Delvay child that had wandered into the wrong house,
even though in her heart she knew it wasn’t.

The child turned slowly to face her and its
movements were too fluid for a living creature. She wasn’t moving
her feet to turn Zoelyn realized with growing alarm. The child
wasn’t even touching the floor. Swallowing hard Zoelyn stared at
the too pale flesh and bright blue eyes and felt a cold chill wash
over her entire body.

“You can’t ignore him.” The girl’s rasping
voice echoed through the hall as she took a step toward Zoelyn. The
smell of rot filled the hall and Zoelyn staggered back in
revulsion. “There are wards against demons lining your walls. How
wrong of you after all he has done for you. You can’t keep me out
though, and I won’t let you ignore him.” The child pressed as she
continued to approach.

“I didn’t place any wards. I don’t even know
what wards you are talking about.” Zoelyn stammered as she took
another step back toward her room. She knew this part of the story,
and she knew the child would attack. She had to get back inside her
room before the child reached her. She knew her curse wouldn’t
drain the dead, Seth had taught her that much on her first trip
into the Darklands. “Please tell him to stop this, please. I don’t
want to live this story.” Zoelyn begged as she bumped against the
wooden frame of her bedroom door and fumbled at the door handle
behind her without taking her eyes from the dead child.

“There is only one way to stop this and you
know it. This is an old story. How far will you let it progress
before you face the inevitable. You cannot ignore the Crow King.”
The child hissed as the door gave behind her.

Zoelyn stumbled backward into the room and
barely managed to close the door before the child reached her. The
wood rattled against the child’s assault and Zoelyn took a hasty
step back and swallowed heavily. She could feel fear building
inside her and threatening to overwhelm her reason. Stumbling back
further she caught hold of a chair and braced herself as she forced
her breathing back to normal and tried to rein her emotions in. Her
eyes were locked on the door and she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze
from the rattling wooden frame. How long could something as simple
as a wooden door hold the dead at bay? She had locked it when it
closed, but how could a lock stop a spirit?

“You can’t ignore him. Will you let your
people suffer for your stubbornness?” The child taunted from behind
the frame and her assault on the door increased.

Zoelyn took another step back until she was
pressed against the cold stone wall. A breeze from the window
stirred her hair and she pried her eyes from the shuddering door to
gaze out at the moonlit night. There was only one way to end this.
She had to face Seth, and if Neph had truly placed wards against
demons on their home there was only one way to do it.

Shakily she moved to the window and carefully
pulled herself up into the sill. Letting out a nervous breath she
stared down over the edge to the ground that seemed too far away to
even contemplate climbing down. The door rattled on its frame once
more and Zoelyn glanced at it just long enough to decide death by
falling was preferable to being ripped apart by an angry child. At
least the fall would be a quick death she reasoned as she carefully
lowered her legs out the window.

It took a long moment for her to find enough
purchase to lower herself down and she silently cursed Neph when
she finally managed to. “If you hadn’t put up stupid wards I
wouldn’t be doing this.” She hissed to the darkness as she lowered
herself toward the ground with agonizing slowness. Each slip of her
fingers sent her heart racing and the sheer relief she felt once
solid ground was under her feet again was enough to bring laughter
bubbling to her lips.

“Oh by the Aspects I am never doing that
again.” She whispered as she gazed around the empty outer city. It
wouldn’t do to summon him here. There was too much chance that one
of the guards might spot her, and she already drew enough
suspicious looks in the dining hall to risk anyone seeing her
conversing with demons under the moonlight. No one knew who she
truly was and she was considered an outsider in the city. She knew
the only reason the people of Delvay tolerated her was Neph’s
favor.

Silently Zoelyn turned toward the outer gates
not daring to look back at the city. She was too afraid she might
glimpse the child’s pale face gazing at her from her window, or
worse see the child pursuing her into the darkened forest. Her pace
increased as that image filled her mind and she had to force
herself to not run. The ground beyond the city was treacherous and
she only a fool would run there after dark. There was too much
chance of a serious fall that could cripple or even kill her
depending on where she was along the path.

The forest around her thickened as she drew
farther from the city and her frantic pace slowed to a stumbling
crawl as the moonlit night faded to shadows. Biting her lip Zoelyn
fumbled on and focused herself completely on the path rather than
the noises around her. She knew it was likely the creatures of the
forest rattling the brush in the pitch black forest, but she
couldn’t help imagining the dead child pacing her every step like a
hound following a scent.

“You didn’t have to take the story so
literal. Are you actually heading for a grove to speak with me?”
Seth’s voice rose from the shadows behind her and she barely
managed to contain her scream as she whirled on him with wide
eyes.

“Damn it!” Zoelyn snapped and slapped him
hard on the chest. “My heart was nearly in my throat already and
you sneak up behind me without warning. What in the name of the
Aspects is wrong with you?” She demanded as she punched him in the
arm for good measure.

Seth took a step back and smiled widely at
her. “Afraid of little bitty ghosts but willing to slap the Crow
King.” He observed with far too much amusement in his voice.

“The little bitty ghost wanted to rip me limb
from limb, and if you wanted me dead I’d be buried by now.” Zoelyn
hissed irritably.

“She wouldn’t have hurt you.” Seth corrected
with an infuriating smile. “She was just trying to get your
attention, and apparently she did her job well.”

“That she did.” Zoelyn agreed sourly. “How
dare you place me in Karalea’s role? Why would you force this story
on me?” she demanded and had to resist the urge to hit him again
when his smile widened.

“There are wards on your keep and you never
go outside. I can’t dream walk to you, and I needed to speak with
you. I don’t see that I had many other choices beyond the path I
chose, but I do feel inclined to point out that had you simply
taken Finn’s hand in Rivana we wouldn’t be having this discussion
right now.” Seth returned lightly.

Zoelyn’s glare faded a fraction and she
shuffled her foot on the rock strewn ground as she considered his
words. He had a valid point as much as she hated to admit it. If he
had wanted to speak with her she had given him very few options,
but then that had been the whole point of coming to Delvay, and
Seth had foiled it easily. “I don’t see what there is to speak
about.” She muttered after a long moment.