Page 84 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
His mother gasped. “So itistrue!”
“We praise Toro for his swift answer,” said the Yalv, his voice stronger now. “Allow me to heal your injuries, Miss.”
“If you would, could you attend to my son first? I’m afraid his wounds are much worse.”
A few seconds of shuffling and footsteps later, Jove squinted through the pain pounding in his head to make out the dim outline of the Yalven man. He had a short beard and familiar dark hair, though instead of a slick braid, the man’s was rather unkempt. A gift from the fall, no doubt. His eyes were dark gold, closer to topaz than the brighter honey-like tones Jove was used to seeing.
“This is Kainadr,” his mother introduced. “He’s going to help you.”
“Your mother gave her name as Shackley.” Kainadr’s face floated above him like a specter in the night, looking entirely too thrilled given the situation they found themselves in. “You are the Jaydian that Lord Saldr has spoken highly of?”
Jove didn’t know exactly what he would have given Saldr to speak highly about. He’d only been doing his job, and not very well at that. He’d only met with the quiet Yalv twice over the time he’d been in the city.
“Sure?” The words came out a little choked—not from emotion, but because his throat had begun to hurt, too. Now that he was conscious, the pain just kept building the longer he lay still. The fall hadn’t killed him outright, but maybe it was just taking its time.
The Yalven man’s eyes widened. Immediately, he dug into the pouch at his waist and sprinkled Jove with dust. Jove shut his eyes, blinking against the grit when some of the grains landed in his eyes. The man sang softly once again, no easier to translate despite being closer now.
Light burned against and underneath his eyelids. The dust glowed. Jove fought against the burning, its claws like a fire charring his flesh. His eyes throbbed. The light was so bright it blinded him. He could no longer hear the man’s words.
Then it all fell away at once, as if someone had dunked Jove in ice water.
His pain wasn’t gone, but all that was left was a dull ache that might easily be forgotten if Jove wasn’t focused on it. He blinked into the darkness. For a moment, he feared that he might have gone blind after all, but then his mother’s face appeared above him, her eyes glistening with tears.
She stroked his temple and looked to the Yalv. “He’ll be okay? What about his shoulder?”
The Yalv, Kainadr, breathed heavily. “Toro has answered swiftly once more, all praises be. He will recover fully once hisbody finishes accepting the Vasa. Most of his minor injuries have been healed, and the Vasa has sped up the healing process of the more grievous wounds. I would not call myself fortunate for falling deep within Yalvara’s depths, but perhaps it is you who are the fortunate ones that I am here.”
Jove groaned. Apparently speaking in too many words was a common trait among the Yalvs. Kainadr looked him over once more. “Is there some other injury I have failed to ask Toro to heal?”
“I’m fine.” No need to insult the man who might have very well saved his life. Jove clenched his teeth and pushed himself into a sitting position. It was possible, but each movement felt a little foreign, like his body had never performed them before. He nodded to his mother. “Will you please heal her next?”
Kainadr squinted at him in the faint light. “You do not have the curled hair Lord Saldr described, but the eyes, yes. Are you kin to the Master Shackley?”
Ah. He was talking about Kase. That made…well, about as little sense, if Jove was being honest.
Les gave him a soft, knowing smile. “I believe you might mean my youngest, Kase.”
Kainadr focused his attention on Jove’s mother. “Lord Saldr had the highest praise for two Jaydians—this Kase, possibly, and another. A woman with red hair and golden eyes. She helped many of my brethren find jobs within the city, but then one day, she simply stopped coming. We feared something terrible befell them. No one has seen either of them here in the tunnels, but with the chaos this evening, it’s hard to say…” He smeared some of his dust upon Les’ ankle and paused to sing under his breath. The dust glowed, and his mother gasped.
When the light faded, she smiled and stretched her ankle. “Thank you, Master Kainadr. It feels even better than it did before.”
Kainadr dipped his head in response before coating his fingers with his dust and singing a word or two. It was hard to tell with his accent and Jove’s aching head. In response, the dust seemed to catch fire on his fingertips before coalescing into a ball the size of Jove’s thumbnail. It then rose into the air just above the Yalv.
“I need to conserve the holy metal, but this helps, yes?” Kainadr said, pointing at the floating fireball above his shoulder.
It was small, but it did flare brightly. Jove just caught sight of a trouser leg over to his right. He couldn’t see past the person’s knee. A mound of rocks interrupted the sight.
Jove looked away quickly. “Have you checked for other survivors?”
“I could not move until your mother helped me reach the dust. I will see to the others,” Kainadr said, standing up. He waved at his fireball, and it followed him.
Jove didn’t watch. He couldn’t. Being so close to death for the second or third or even fourth time in the last day had taken too much out of him.
He’d been High Guardsman. He should have helped. Instead, he found himself staring at his hands while his mother sat beside him, her arm around his shoulder.
It was some time before Kainadr returned, shaking his head. “If anyone survived the initial fall, they succumbed to their injuries in the time since. I am sorry.” He squatted down beside Jove and held out his hand. “However, around that corner there—” he pointed to where the subtle glow was, off to the right, “—I believe we will find a cluster of holy metal. Many times, the larger ones grow near streams, and if we are not to be rescued in the next few hours, it will be vital we have clean water.”
Neither Les nor Jove offered any argument. For Jove’s part, he didn’t have the energy or the will. His entire body ached,but everything inside felt numb. He could only watch where his feet trod as they made their way toward the other light.
