Free The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes by Melissa Myers Page B

upward and
inhaled deeply. It was a beautiful day out. The air was the crisp
cold of early winter and the sky was a blanket of blue without a
cloud in sight. If he could simply keep his gaze upward and away
from the ruin of the city and manage to keep his mind off Jala’s
plight, he could possibly enjoy the day. Neither seemed likely,
however. The idea of traveling into the Darklands hadn’t been a
pleasant one, but he would have. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was
to help Jala or to redeem himself. His actions in Rivana still
haunted his conscience and surely retrieving her from hell would
have made up for it.
    With a heavy sigh he crossed the streets
toward the Sky port and scanned the ships there once more. With the
exception of the Eagle class the rest barely looked as though they
had been flown. They were in immaculate condition. His own ship
looked like a heap next to them. With its battered panels and lack
of paint it was truly a sparrow among songbirds. Even the actual
sparrow class looked better than his own ship he noted with a
smirk.
    “Shade, a moment before you start your work
again.” Vaze’s voice came from just behind him.
    Pausing, Shade turned and looked at the man
with open curiosity. “Lutheron finished with you quickly,” he said
with a nod of greeting.
    “Lutheron dismissed me early because he
didn’t like what I was saying,” Vaze replied with a shrug. “He
doesn’t like to be corrected,” he added and motioned for Shade to
continue walking.
    “So, what do you need to speak with me
about?” Shade asked cautiously.
    “These ships, actually. Have their owners
come forward yet?” Vaze asked as he ran his hand across one of the
Doves they were passing.
    Shade shrugged. “Not that I’ve seen, but then
with all of the activity over the last few days they may be afraid
to. Why?”
    “I’m going to announce that if they are not
claimed within one week they will be considered property of the
Fionaveir,” Vaze began and grinned at Shade. The expression seemed
out of place on the normally expressionless face. “I’ve informed
Lutheron of this and he isn’t happy with what I have in mind.”
    “What do you have in mind?” Shade asked,
growing cautious.
    “I plan to have you teach Symphony to fly, as
well as a few others. I wouldn’t expect you to use your own ship
for such things, though, so wait, and pick the best of the
unclaimed ships. That should keep Lutheron’s gaze firmly on you. He
will be frantic at the idea of Symphony flying,” Vaze
explained.
    “Uhh. Why would I want Lutheron’s gaze firmly
on me?” Shade began, his caution shifting over to outright
distaste.
    “Because it will keep his eyes off me while
I’m in the Darklands,” Vaze finished, looking to Shade with a
raised eyebrow. “Three days from now we will eliminate the Blight
problem. Once that has been dealt with, I will leave the city. You
will begin flight lessons that day even if it’s simply teaching her
the parts of the ship and not actually flying.”
    “On the day she arrives in the city? We
aren’t even going to give her a chance to get settled?” Shade
asked, incredulous.
    “Afraid not. Time works differently in the
Darklands, and while its only three days for us, it’s much longer
for Jala. Symphony will need the distraction anyway. It will keep
her mind off the dead,” Vaze answered with a sigh.
    “So you convinced Lutheron to let you go?”
Shade asked, shaking his head slightly. Lutheron had seemed quite
firm on the subject.
    Vaze regarded him with deep purple eyes and
the smile slowly returned to his face. “I didn’t ask him, Shade. I
follow the orders he gives me. I will kill the Blights before I go,
as he asked. Whatever I do after that is my own business. I’m a
councilor of the Fionaveir, not a lowly grunt to hang on his every
word.”
    “He seemed so adamant,” Shade began but Vaze
cut him off with a quick gesture of the hand.
    “And so am I. I have been remiss. She is