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

drew her attention as he finished speaking and she slowly
turned back to look at him in shock. “You heard all of that?” she
asked quietly.
    “When I focus I can. I don’t focus all of the
time or I would go deaf in bars,” he explained and crossed the room
to her. With nimble fingers he began to unlace her dress.
    “Then you know I don’t want you to duel,” she
whispered.
    “And Wisp just warned you that you wouldn’t
be able to talk me out of it,” he replied, leaning close to kiss
her on the neck.
    “Don’t you remember Death nodding to you at
the council meeting and you said you would have to be extra careful
in your next duel and this is your next duel.” She spoke quickly,
the words pouring forth in a flood as she tried to ignore his lips
working their way slowly down her shoulder.
    “Mmm hmmm,” he mumbled, never slowing in his
progress with the dress or the kisses.
    “But Finn, I really don’t want you to fight
him,” she pressed, as her dress dropped to the floor.
    He traced his hands up her body slowly and
lifted his face to hers. “I have too much riding on this now, Jala,
I can’t forfeit on the bets I’ve made. I would lose what I have bet
and that isn’t an option,” he said firmly before picking her up by
the hips and setting her gently on the edge of the table behind
her.
    “It’s just money, Finn. I can’t lose you over
money,” she whispered, leaning back on one arm and wrapping her
other arm around his neck.
    “It’s more than money,” he said quietly as he
unlaced his pants. “Leave it alone Jala, you won’t talk me out of
it,” he warned as he slid a hand up her thigh and leaned in to kiss
her again. Mercilessly he continued with his lips and hands until
all conversation dwindled from her mind and there was nothing in
her thoughts but him.

Chapter 6
     
    Sanctuary
     
     
    Morning sunlight filtered in through the
windows. Jala’s eyes flickered open slowly and she turned her head
to look at the empty side of the bed. As usual, Finn had left
silently for his morning exercise. Fighting back a yawn, Jala sat
up, slowly arching her back to stretch. She could see Marrow
sprawled on his side near the wall. His chest still rose and fell,
deep with the rhythms of sleep. Standing slowly, she moved to the
mirror and picked up her brush. With an incoherent grumble, she
began combing out the night’s tangles and then paused, looking
slowly down at a folded letter lying on the corner of the
nightstand. It hadn’t been there a minute before. She was sure of
it. She glanced around the room once. Her gaze paused on Marrow’s
still sleeping form and then slowly picked up the letter, turning
it over in her hands. Her name was scrawled on the back in elegant
script.
    “I didn’t think you were ever going to wake
up,” a child’s voice said beside her.
    Startled, Jala jumped back with a squeak and
frantically searched the room. She heard Marrow growl low in his
throat and glanced back to see him scanning the room.
    “Are you going to read the letter?” The voice
came again from a different corner.
    “Who are you?” Jala asked cautiously, her
gaze flicking back to Marrow once more.
    I see nothing. I sense nothing. There is
no scent at all , Marrow’s voice rumbled in her mind, irritation
thick in his tone.
    “Read the letter. It explains everything,”
the child urged from yet another area of the room.
    Marrow rose and stalked over to her as she
unfolded the letter quickly. The Bendazzi stopped just in front of
her and pushed her gently back until she was pressed against the
wall. Until I know what and where it is, keep the wall to your
back , he ordered and lowered his head, inhaling deeply,
searching for the creatures scent.
    Jala nodded absently and read over the letter
in her hand, quickly scanning a few parts of it twice. “It’s from
Shade. He says her name is Emily and that she needs a safe place.”
she glanced up and looked around the room again, then back down