The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes by Melissa Myers Read Free Book Online

rocks racing up to meet her. A sob broke from
her lips as the wind whistled in her ears and then she was slowing.
The wind cradled against her, easing her plummet to a gentle
descent. Jala forced her eyes open once more as she dropped gently
to the ground beside Valor. Her ankle gave at once and his arm was
around her supporting her weight in an instant.
    “Nice catch,” she whispered, the spots once
again dancing in her eyes. The pain was making her light-headed and
nauseous.
    “Nice, whatever the hell you did to him.”
Valor replied motioning feebly toward the still twitching Shifter
that lay sprawled on the ground several feet from them.
    “I healed him,” Jala gasped with a faint
chuckle at the bitter irony of that. It didn’t seem fair that her
healing was sporadic when she tried to use it to help her and
Valor, but she could use it to kill with. Valor gave her a puzzled
look but didn’t question her. The countless bruises and pains were
fraying her wits and it must have shown on her face. Hoof beats
sounded faintly as Valorous returned snorting his displeasure at
both of them. Valor motioned him closer and Jala grabbed onto the
saddle to support herself. Nodding his thanks, Valor stepped back
and bent, bracing his hands on his knees, his shoulders shaking
with his ragged breathing.
    “Are you OK?” Jala asked ducking her head a
bit to try to get a look at his face.
    “Broken ribs. Breast plate is bent back on
them. Rather uncomfortable,” Valor replied, his words choked. He
stood once more, slowly, and she could see the aftermath of the
last savage blow the Shifter had delivered. His breastplate was
caved in as he had said with jagged holes punched through it where
the talons had found flesh. Blood seeped from the holes, though he
didn’t seem to be paying any attention to his wounds now. His gaze
was focused on the figure approaching them, dressed in white plate
mail and a mottled white cloak. Long dark hair showed from under
the hood as well as a delicate pale face.
    “Symphony?” Jala whispered as the woman drew
closer. It made no sense whatsoever for the future Empress to be in
hell with them, but this woman was a mirror image of the girl she
had met in Firym. The white armor looked battered and the cloak
wasn’t mottled she realized suddenly, it was bloodstained.
    “Fiona Veirasha,” Valor breathed as the
legendary knight of House Veir continued to approach in deathly
silence.

Chapter 2
     
    Merro
     
     
    “But I don’t want to go in here, it’s
haunted,” the little girl objected, bracing her hands and feet
against the door frame. Her silver hair hung in beautiful ringlets
around her pale face and her blue eyes were wide with terror.
Despite the tantrum, Devony was the same as all immortals Emily had
met so far – perfect and beautiful, even at her tender young
age.
    Emily started to object to being referred to
as a ghost but she wasn’t sure if pointing out that she was, in
fact, a Blight, would make the child feel any better, so she
remained silent and simply watched. Wisp was behind the child
trying to force her through the door, with little success. The
small Fae was barely bigger than Devony, despite the fact that the
Arovan child was only six or seven. Emily wasn’t exactly sure on
the child’s true age. For all she knew it might be closer to five.
The Immortal children were difficult for her to judge. They grew so
slowly in comparison with the Blights.
    “It’s not haunted, Dev, that voice is Emily.
We have talked about this before,” Wisp assured her. The Fae had
managed to pry one small hand loose from the door frame and was
working on the second. “I need to talk with Sovann and I can’t
leave you alone,” Wisp insisted, redoubling her efforts on the
second hand as Devony scrambled to secure her hold better.
    “Devony, it’s perfectly all right in here. I
promise. Emily is a friend and is helping me with an experiment.
She is not a ghost and this house is not haunted.