The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes (60 page)

“Jala,” Valor called behind her, a bit of
amusement in his voice. She turned back to look at him and raised
an eyebrow at the smile on his face. “What is the signal?” he asked
cocking his head to the side with a questioning look on his
face.

Jala walked backwards a few steps and pointed
her finger toward the dragon with a smile. “That ugly bastard
falling out of the sky, Val. Should be pretty hard to miss.”

“Got it,” Valor said already turning to jog
back to his waiting knights.

“Impressively handled,” Jail said as they
remounted. “Think we will win?” he asked with a smile.

“Always,” Jala replied, her gaze locked on
the dragon. Pulling on her magic she held it ready as she waited
for the Shamans to start the fight. “Jail, they are protected from
most mind magics right?” she asked quietly, her eyes locked on the
Avanti camp.

“Fear, despair, such as that? Yes it is
standard for all armies to have wards against such common tricks,”
Jail answered with a shrug.

“What about discomfort?” Jala asked turning
to look at him.

“Pain you mean?” Jail corrected with a frown
and started to shake his head.

“Nope. I mean like say a very full bladder. I
doubt anyone but a woman that has carried a child can realize
exactly how distracting it is when you truly have to piss. Whenever
Legacy would so much as shift in my womb when I had to go it was
like hell itself. You can’t think, you can’t focus on a task,” she
paused and smiled at him. “Are they protected from that Jail?” Jala
asked.

Jail shook his head slowly and then burst
into laughter. “No, Jala I’m positive they are not,” he replied
with a wide smile. “Dirty trick. I approve,” he added with a nod as
he began his own magic.

Nodding, Jala turned her gaze back toward the
field. The dragon was just finishing another pass and was close to
the Avanti camp once more. “Get the horses, too, Jail,” she added
with another smile.

Jala’s smile widened as the dragon bellowed
and faltered in the air. Its wings convulsed once and then the
entire creature shuddered as it began to plummet.

“Merrodin!” Valor’s bellow echoed through the
camp as the Knights of Arovan thundered past. It would be a long
charge at this distance, but the Arovan horses were not typical
beasts. They would not tire before reaching their target, and there
had been no way to move them closer without losing the element of
surprise. Jala could see Jexon stepping from his tent in confusion
as the horses thundered by. It was too late for him to stop them
though. The attack was already underway.

“You know, it’s considered bad form to attack
your enemy during a parlay,” Jail said casually as Jala began
casting her spell.

“You know my reputation means nothing to me
when compared with the survival of my people,” Jala replied through
clenched teeth.

Jala wasn’t entirely sure about the spell she
was casting. It wasn’t one she had learned from Neph or Sovann.
Really it wasn’t one she had learned at all. It was an impulse and
she was praying that it would work. Closing her eyes she focused
with everything she had trusting the Bendazzi and Jail to keep her
safe.

Jala’s stomach lurched painfully as her magic
took hold and she slowly opened her eyes. Vertigo washed over her
as her magic spread through the dragon’s broken body giving her
full control over the massive creature and double vision from her
human body as well as the dragon. Closing her human eyes once more
she focused only on what she could see through the dragon’s eyes
and forced the body to move with her magic. The massive scaled body
lurched to the side and rose unsteadily to its feet as Jala tested
her control of its movements. She could see the Avanti scrambling
back from the thing, looks of terror on their faces. They knew the
dragon had been dead moments before, and nothing was more
terrifying to those without magic than Necromancy.

“Very impressive indeed,” Jala heard Jail
whisper beside her and she smiled her eyes still closed tight.

“Haven’t seen nothing yet,” Jala murmured as
she willed the dragon to attack. Screams filled the air as the
massive tail tore through the ranks of reserve soldiers closest to
her. Spinning the Dragon back on its haunches, Jala tore through
another regiment with a swipe of its claws as Valor’s knights
crashed into the front lines. Chaos spread through the camp as
death closed on them from both sides. Faintly, Jala could hear the
Avanti commanders bellowing commands in a desperate attempt to
restore order. The damage was done, though. Already, Jala could see
the Soulblades moving in to join the battle. Avanti had no prayer
now. Turning her attention back to the dragon, Jala tore through
another rank of Avanti soldiers with all of the fury she had been
holding inside for the past few months. “Thank you Jexon for giving
me fuel for the fire,” she whispered.

Exhaustion washed over her as Jala let the
last of her magic holding the Dragon fade. The Avanti army was
broken and most had fled the field running hard to the north.
Leaning back in her saddle, Jala turned her head to gaze at
Jail.

“Well, we won,” the Mind mage mumbled, his
eyes locked on the body-strewn field beyond.

“And it was beautiful,” Jala breathed softly.
Her eyes lifted to watch a rider approaching swiftly and it took
her a long moment to realize it was her father. Her human eyes
seemed weak and blurry after spending the past few hours watching
the world with a dragon’s vision.

“I wouldn’t exactly call it beautiful,” Jail
muttered, his own gaze on Badger now as the man pulled his horse to
a stop beside Jala. The animal was heavily lathered and breathing
in harsh gasps. It wasn’t like her father to work a horse so
hard.

“We have prisoners, Jala. Valor sent me to
fetch you. The woman, at least, is of House Avanti. I’m not sure
about the rest,” Badger said, still breathless from his ride and
the fighting.

“Cassia,” Jala hissed. “Where?” she demanded.
The exhaustion she had felt moments before was forgotten.

Badger eyed her for a moment and then nodded
over his shoulder. “At what’s left of their camp. This way,” he
said as he wheeled his horse back toward the Avanti camp.

Cassia. Her mind repeated the name almost
like a curse. The bitch that sent the Nightblades after Finn. The
main reason Jala was on a battlefield right now. If not for Cassia,
it was possible that the Avanti wouldn’t have bothered to look
south. Merro wasn’t a threat to anyone. It was Cassia’s hatred that
had sent House Avanti after her people. Jala barely noticed the
ride across the field or the scattered bodies. Her mind was focused
on one thing alone, Cassia.

Her horse slowed to a trot as they neared a
small group of knights. Jala could see Valor standing near the
center of the group with several forms seated behind him on the
ground. Her eyes found Cassia almost instantly. The woman was
dressed in a gown rather than armor, and from the looks of her face
she had been crying for some time. Dropping down from her saddle
Jala strode toward the woman, her eyes never wavering from her
target.

“There are six in all, Milady. At least two
are officers,” Foster offered as Jala drew closer.

Nodding her head silently, Jala continued
past, pausing only long enough to rip a sword free from one of the
milling knights. A gasp of shock sounded behind her, no doubt from
the man she had just mugged, but she didn’t slow. It was the first
time she had ever actually held a sword, but she didn’t need skill
for what she was about to do. Closing quickly on Cassia, Jala drew
the sword up behind her and brought it down for a viscous slash at
the woman without so much as a pause in her steps. Pain shot
through her arm as the sword blade struck something solid in its
path toward Cassia and Jala fell back her eyes locked on Valor who
held the blade firmly in his gauntlet.

“Could you sleep at night after murdering
her, Jala?” Valor asked, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Soundly and with a smile on my face,” Jala
returned as she tried to pull the sword free from his grasp.

“Look at her, Jala. She is bound and
helpless,” Valor pressed, taking a small step forward and forcing
the sword blade up more.

“She killed Finn. She caused the whole bloody
war,” Jala snarled. She couldn’t believe Valor of all people was
stopping her now. He hated Cassia as much as she did.

“What happens when Legacy attends the Academy
and reads how his mother brutally killed prisoners of war? Could
you sleep then, Jala?” Valor asked as he took another step toward
her and the blade of her sword tilted even farther from her target.
“Killing a prisoner is something they would do, Jala. Are you like
them? Which is it, Lady Bendazzi? Am I serving a tyrant or are you
simply governed by anger now?” With every word he drew closer until
he was near enough to reach her hand and carefully pry her fingers
back from the sword’s hilt. Taking it from her hand gently he
tossed the blade back to its owner and nodded slowly to her. “I
hate her too, Jala. I want her dead as well, but she surrendered
and we are not the sort of people that murder prisoners.”

“I hate her, Val. I hate her so much,” Jala
whispered, the anger fading from her as she stared at the sigil of
the Bendazzi on his breastplate.

“I know, Jala. You are standing on that ledge
right now, though. You are balanced right on the verge of darkness,
and no matter how badly you want her dead, I won’t let you fall. I
will not let you become one of them, no matter how hurt or angry
you are. You are better than they are, Jala,” Valor whispered
back.

Jala looked up slowly, her eyes searching his
face. There was nothing but concern in his dark blue eyes. She had
been expecting disappointment and felt relief wash over her when
she didn’t find it there.

“The Lord is approaching,” Jail said softly
behind her and Jala nodded slowly before turning away from Valor to
watch Jexon pull his horse to a stop beside her own.

“Thank you, Valor,” Jala whispered as she
pulled back from him and walked toward Jexon. She could see the
fury on her husband’s face, but it no longer concerned her. The
agreement had been that she would be the obedient wife as long as
he protected Merro. He had failed in his task by attempting
surrender, which freed her from the obligation of good
behavior.

Jexon closed on her quickly, his strides
fueled by his fury. He would rant and rave, but nothing more. He
never did more with witnesses. Jala watched him calmly and held a
hand up for the knights to stay back. “It’s OK,” she told them
softly. Though, by the expressions on their faces, they hardly
agreed.

“You stupid bitch! Do you have any idea what
you have done?” Jexon bellowed as the back of his hand connected
solidly with her face. Staggering back from the blow, Jala reeled
in shock, more from the words than the actual blow. She doubted
Jexon even realized that he had quoted Finn’s last words to her,
but the memory stung regardless. She could hear movement from
behind and then Jexon was on his back on the ground with Valor’s
fist rising for another blow.

“Are you all right?” Her father demanded as
he pulled her farther back from Jexon.

Jala nodded absently as she watched Valor’s
fist rise again and again, his metal gauntlet coated with Jexon’s
blood. A faint smile tugged at her lips though she knew it was the
last expression she should have.

“Are you going to stop Valor?” Jail asked
softly and elbowed her lightly in the side. “Because it would
really be a good idea to do so before he manages to kill Jexon,” he
added when Jala didn’t show any signs of moving.

“Valor,” Jala called out loudly as she
stepped toward the two men.

Valor stopped his next blow, but didn’t look
up from Jexon. He crouched there, his face a mask of fury staring
down at Jexon. She could see the muscles in Valor’s neck quivering
with the desire to continue the assault.

“Could you sleep at night if you murdered
him?” Jala asked calmly, repeating his own words back to him.

“Soundly and with a smile on my face,” Valor
replied in a voice that was choked with anger.

“What happens when Legacy reads about this at
the Academy?” Jala asked as she drew closer still.

“Then he will ask what took me so bloody long
to kill the son of a bitch,” Valor shot back but she could see his
body relaxing.

Slowly, Jala closed her fingers around the
wrist of the hand he still held upraised for another blow. With a
gentle tug she pulled him to his feet and looked down at the blood
soaked gauntlet. Without bothering to even look at her husband she
began to undo the buckles and pulled the gauntlet from Valor’s
hand, gazing down at the bruised and scraped knuckles.