Free The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams by Melissa Myers

here. I’m afraid of what they have been
eating , Marrow told her as he skirted wide around the refuse,
eyeing the rats with suspicion.
    “I don’t blame you,” she said, feeling a bit
sick. She could see an arm protruding from the bottom of the pile
and from the size of it the owner hadn’t been very old. “There are
bodies in the streets,” she said quietly, looking to Finn.
    “It only gets worse the farther in we go,
Jala. We can turn back now and come back when we are prepared to
fix things,” He offered.
    “No, I want to see it,” she said, hardening
her resolve.
    “Where exactly is Sovann planning to relocate
himself here. I hope it’s near the entry gate or he will likely be
dead in a week,” Valor said quietly.
    “He says he found a good place on Breaker
Street near the old market. He has already moved into it from what
I understand,” Finn said, keeping his voice low as well.
    Valor frowned and glanced at Finn quickly
before turning his attention back to the darkened alleys they were
riding past. “Isn’t Breaker street part of the old Slave quarter?”
he asked.
    “I really couldn’t tell you. I had no
dealings with Merro when the country still existed. I hated Merro.
In truth, I wouldn’t even buy anything made by their craftsmen,”
Finn replied with a shrug.
    “Life is ironic isn’t it?” Valor said with a
snort of amusement and glanced at Jala.
    “Why are there so many children here and no
sign of parents? They can’t all be orphans can they?” Jala asked as
she watched yet another child disappear into an alley.
    “Gutter rats. The streets are thick with
them. Most of the time they are unwanted children of whores but
occasionally it’s a case of their parents simply dying and they had
nowhere else to go. All of the poor districts are filled with them.
It’s not just Merro,” Finn explained.
    “There are too many orphans in Sanctuary. Our
world is a dangerous place and it’s far too easy to die here,
especially for the commons,” Valor said with a sigh.
    “I want to build them a place to go,
somewhere they can sleep and get food and feel safe,” Jala said,
her eyes already searching for a building that would serve.
    “I doubt there is anywhere you can make them
feel safe, Jala. They have grown used to living on the streets.
They will never feel safe,” Finn said gently and motioned toward a
child with wide eyes watching Marrow pass. “That one is trying to
decide if the Bendazzi is going to eat him, or if he can eat the
Bendazzi.”
    “Run Marrow,” Valor urged quietly gaining a
low growl from Marrow.
    At the noise, the boy disappeared back into
the alley and their group fell silent as they rode. The district
grew progressively worse as they neared the center, with the
rambling buildings gradually giving way to burned out ruins and
shacks built from whatever the occupants could find available. She
could feel eyes on her as they passed and Marrow paced with a
continuing growl echoing from him. Glancing at Finn, she saw his
hand resting lightly on his sword and frowned. Flicking her gaze to
the right, she saw Valor rode in the same posture with his hand
loose over his long sword.
    “We can go. I’ve seen enough. Whatever is
left to see, Sovann can tell me about,” she said quietly and both
men wheeled their horses with obvious relief.
    “So glad to hear you say that. I’m not a
coward but I don’t want to be here when evening falls,” Valor said
quietly.
    “It will be different soon,” Jala said, the
words more of a promise to herself than any reassurance to the men
she rode with.
    “It will be,” Finn agreed and gave her a
smile.
    “Because it certainly can’t get worse,” Valor
said with a nod. “I need a drink or a bottle. I can’t decide which.
I think the bottle. Gods above, but this place is wretched. Makes
you glad for what you have, doesn’t it?”
    “This could have been my fate,” Jala said
quietly, fully aware of how close she came to living in