The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse (3 page)

Swallowing heavily, Neph watched as the grove
emptied of people. Most wouldn’t look at him and those that did had
expressions of disgust written plainly on their faces. Not even his
own brother would meet his gaze.

“I didn’t want you to die with me,” Zyi
whispered, her voice weaker than it had been before.

“Neither of us is going to die. I will get us
out of here,” Neph mumbled as he pulled himself closer to her.

“How, Neph? Neither of us knows spells to
transport yet,” Zyi’s voice was filled with despair and she sounded
close to tears.

“Just give me a minute,” Neph muttered as he
pulled his dagger from his boot and began to cut strips from the
end of his cloak. Clumsily he wrapped his wounds as best he could
and placed the dagger once more in his boot. “Ready?” he asked
softly as he pulled himself to his feet once more. It took every
ounce of will he had to remain silent through the wave of agony,
but he wouldn’t allow himself to make a sound. She was in worse
shape than he was, and he needed her to keep hope. If she knew how
wounded he was, she would argue with him, and he didn’t have the
strength to spare for that. Carefully he leaned over and picked her
up. Pain tore through him with a wave of dizziness as fresh blood
soaked his bandaged side.

“Leave me, Neph,” Zyi begged as she struggled
weakly for him to put her back down. “You don’t have strength
enough for yourself.

Taking me will just kill us both.”

“Neither of us is going to die,” Neph
repeated through gritted teeth. “I will get us both down the damned
mountain, and it will be the last either of us see of Delvay. I’ll
even let you decide where we go, Zyi. As you said, anywhere is
better than here.”

“It wouldn’t be like this if mother was still
here. None of this would have happened. Why didn’t she take us with
her, Neph?” Zyi muttered softly. Her head dropped limply against
his chest as she spoke.

“He would have hunted for us, Zyi, and she
knew it. We are his children. He never bothered to look for her,
but she knew he w ould hunt for us. I can’t blame her for leaving
after what I’ve seen today.” Neph paused and tried to force more
cheer into his voice as he continued. “Maybe we will find her out
there in our travels. She could be living in Sanctuary, or maybe
Arovan. I’ve heard Arovan has mountains too, and she always loved
the mountains.” He didn’t really believe the words as he spoke
them, but maybe they would give Zyi more hope to cling to.

Their mother had left years ago, and there
had been no word since. At the time it had been a betrayal in his
eyes. She had abandoned them, and Neph had never wanted to see her
again. Today, however, had opened his eyes to a lot he hadn’t known
about his father. He had always known RenDelvayon to be cold, but
he had never before seen him as cruel. He could only imagine what
his mother must have endured beyond the sight of others. Despite
the words he had spoken to Zyi, after today he wondered if Ren
truly had let their mother go. As coldly as he had left his two
children to die, Neph could well imagine Ren sending hunters after
his runaway wife. It wouldn’t have been to bring her home though,
and he knew it. Zyi didn’t need to think about any of that now,
however, and neither did he. There were more important things for
him to focus on now.

“Love you, Neph,” Zyi mumbled, her words
barely coherent. Her head hadn’t moved at all from where it rested
against his chest and her eyes were no longer open.

“Love you too, Zyi. Now save your strength
and quit talking. There will be plenty of time to talk once you are
stronger,” Neph mumbled as he stared hard at the crooked path
leading out of the grove. Gently he shifted Zyi’s small body in his
arms and willed his feet to move forward.

It was a three hour ride from the city to
this grove. He could only imagine how long it would be walking
wounded. He did his best to keep from stumbling as they left the
sheltering circle of pines that surrounded the grove, but it was
impossible once he was beyond the trees. The path was steep and
slick with snow and loose rocks. Each slip of his foot sent agony
through his body and it was all he could do to keep from making any
noise. Zyi was resting as far as he could tell and as weak as she
was, she needed all the peace he could give her. He wasn’t sure
what they had done to her beyond the dragging, but he knew she
needed a healer as soon as he could reach one. Zyi was so weak that
every moment he delayed might be her last. With that thought firmly
in his mind Neph forced himself to continue long past the point
where his body gave up. Wounds didn’t matter. Pain didn’t matter.
Zyi mattered.

* * *

Night was falling as Neph rounded the last
corner in the path. The lights of Delvay shone brightly through the
trees below him. His mind was so fogged with exhaustion that he
almost giggled in relief at the sight. Carefully, he leaned back
against a massive oak and it was all he could do to keep from
sliding to the ground. It was the first break he had allowed
himself and it was only willpower that had kept him moving this
far.

His strength had failed him hours ago.
Gently, he shifted Zyi and her head lolled against his chest to
hang limply over his arm. “Zyi,” he whispered as he moved his arm
to cradle her head back against him. “Zyi,” he repeated as panic
rose in his chest. Her face was lax without even the flicker of an
eyelash. Fumbling, he pulled the cloak back away from her and
allowed himself to slide to the ground as he pressed his fingers
against her neck desperately searching for a pulse. Her body was
still warm to the touch, but there was no sign of life from her.
“Zyi, please,” Neph pleaded. “Zyi, we are there. Please just open
your eyes, make a sound, damn it, Zyi, please.” His words poured
out of him in frantic gasps as he struggled to find any signs of
life in his sister.

“She is dead, Neph,” Kadan’s voice was a
whisper in the night, but still it froze Neph in place.

Tears were pouring down his face and he had
been whining like a child. If Kadan chose to act he would have full
right to kill him for his weakness. He hadn’t even heard his
brother approach, and yet when he looked up there he was looming
against the twilight sky in his dark plate armor.

“Leave her body and follow me,” Kadan
ordered. The expression on his face was like stone. If he felt any
grief at Zyi’s passing it wasn’t showing.

“I’m not leaving her,” Neph hissed through
clenched teeth. He had managed to stop the tears, but there was
nothing he could do about the tightness in his throat. They had
been so close. If only he had been able to walk a bit faster. Zyi
would be alive if he hadn’t been so weak.

“He will feed her body to the cats, Neph. Do
you want to watch that? You know what the penalty for cowardice
is,” Kadan said in a level voice.

“She wasn’t a coward, Kadan!” Neph bellowed
as he staggered to his feet. “Do you know how much courage it took
to defy father?” he demanded as he cradled Zyi’s limp body closer
to his chest. “Do you know what kind of strength of will it took
for her to beg me to leave her behind? She was willing to die
alone, Kadan, and not once did she plead for help. You will not
call her a coward again.”

Kadan watched him silently, his dark eyes
flickering once to Zyi’s body then back to Neph’s face, his
expression still neutral. He shrugged as if the point wasn’t one
worth arguing over. “Say what you will about it, Neph, but Father
is the one that will determine what is done with her remains, and
he sees her as a coward,” The cold practical logic of Kadan’s voice
burned through Neph’s mind.

“Why are you here?” Neph demanded. His temper
was burning so hotly now he didn’t even consider his wounds
anymore. Carefully, he sat Zyi’s body down behind him and turned to
face his brother once more. Kadan was older and better trained, but
Kadan was predictable in his fighting. If his brother answered
poorly, Neph would guarantee he bore the scars for his words for
the rest of his life.

“I was waiting for you,” Kadan explained
calmly. “Father said you would die. I knew better. Technically, you
have accomplished the task he set for you. You have made it back
down the mountain, and I can assist you to the healer now.”

“Assist me in burying our sister, Kadan! Do
that much and I might find a shred of forgiveness for you,” Neph
snarled.

“I don’t seek forgiveness, Neph. I’ve done
nothing wrong. You are the one that broke our laws. A coward hangs,
you know that, and Ren declared her a coward,” Kadan replied with
another shrug his eyes moving past Neph to scan the forest behind
them.

“I told you not to call her that,” Neph
snarled as his fist slammed into his Kadan’s jaw with bone breaking
force. His brother’s attention had been elsewhere, and technically
it was a sucker punch, but that didn’t matter at all to him at the
moment. All rational thought fled his mind as he hammered his anger
into his brother’s flesh. Neph didn’t bother to defend himself when
Kadan started fighting back. All that mattered was delivering
punishment to his brother. He didn’t care if he was wounded
further. It was their fault that she was dead. Kadan had left her
to die, and Neph had failed to save her. Both of them deserved to
feel pain now.

* * *

“As stubborn as your mother was.” The voice
echoed through his mind from what seemed like a thousand miles
away. “You almost died, you know,” The words continued and slowly
Neph’s fogged thoughts registered the sound of Kes’s voice. A damp
cloth brushed at his face and he lifted his arm feebly to brush it
away. “Stop it, Neph I’m wiping the blood from your face. Or what’s
left of your face anyway. What were you thinking picking a fight
with Kadan when you were already wounded?”

“Get away from me,” Neph mumbled as he forced
his eyes open. The world blurred around him, then slowly came into
focus. Bright sunlight showed through the window illuminating his
room in the Delvay keep. Kes frowned down at him from beside his
bed, her hand poised to deliver another swipe of the wet cloth.
“Get away from me!” Neph snarled with more conviction and forced
himself to sit up. Pain echoed through his body. Every inch of his
flesh seemed to be bruised or bleeding.

“You haven’t had a healer, Neph. You are
going to tear the wounds back open. Lay back down,” Kes ordered in
what had to be her best impression of a motherly voice. Her tanned
face was creased with worry and he could see glassiness in her dark
green eyes.

“You brought her to him. I saw you in the
woods Kes. How dare you even come near me after what happened,”
Neph growled. Ignoring her words, he pulled himself from the bed.
His knees wobbled beneath him, but he gritted his teeth and forced
himself to remain upright.

“I had no choice about that, Neph,” Kes said
softly. She started to move toward him, then hesitated and shook
her head at him. “Please, Neph, lie back down. Lord Delvayon won’t
let a healer in to see you, but he says if you live you have passed
the trials.”

“Fuck his trials,” Neph snarled, his gaze
searching his room for his armor. “Neph, please lie back down. You
are hurt worse than you think,” Kes repeated.

“I’m leaving,” Neph informed coldly.
Staggering on his feet he moved to his closet and began to shove
his travel bag full as quickly as he could.

“What? You can’t be serious, Neph you can
barely cross the room,” Kes argued as she moved up behind him and
tugged at his arm trying to pull him back toward the bed. She
wasn’t forceful, but the little strength she used threatened to
unbalance him. Shrugging her off, Neph turned and glared at her,
allowing her to see just a glimpse of the hatred he felt. With a
gasp she stepped back, staring at him in shock.

“Get the hell out of my sight. I’ve never hit
a woman before, Kes, but if I so much as see you again, I will kill
you.” Neph spoke the words with cool promise.

“Neph, I had no choice,” Kes muttered.
Fumbling, she opened the door behind her, still staring at him with
wide eyes.

“We all have a choice, Kes. You chose to kill
my sister,” Neph snapped, his eyes flashing with anger, but he knew
he was in no condition to act on it now. It was taking everything
he had just to pack his bag.

“Had I refused, he would have thrashed me,
Neph.” Kes pressed herself against the door frame, her eyes intent
on his every move.

“And that is the problem with Delvay. We say
we kill cowards, and yet everyone in this city is a fucking coward.
No one speaks his mind. No one dares defy my father. You are all
weak pathetic bitches. Never again will I soften my words, and when
something is wrong,” he paused and locked gazes with her. “I will
act on it despite the consequences. I will never again bow down
before someone who doesn’t deserve my respect. Lord Delvayon can
kiss my ass and so can the rest of this god forsaken place. I will
not return to Delvay until that bastard is dead.”

“Neph, please, I know you are angry, but he
has forgiven you.” Kes’s eyes searched his face frantically as she
spoke as if she was looking for some sign of rational thought. It
was clear from the expression on her face she thought he had gone
mad.

“I will never forgive him, or any of you for
that matter. This is not what Delvay was. We were the heroes in the
past, and he has led us down a much darker path. I will keep the
name Delvayon for one single purpose. To set everything right.”
Glaring at her, he motioned toward the door once more. “Go,” he
ordered, allowing anger and hatred to fuel the word. She fled the
room without another word, confirming his thoughts about cowards.
They should all hang as Zyi had.

Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Neph
walked from his room and down into the main hall, ignoring the
staring faces that watched his progress. He had no words for any of
them. They had avoided looking at him in the grove, but they all
watched him now.