“Who said it was a waking dream?” Valor asked, his tone sounding even more guarded. His blue eyes had narrowed and he was watching her closely.
“War, my grandfather,” Jala answered without hesitation. By the way he was acting she wondered if he had the same doubts about her. “We live in a very twisted society you know. You joined me in hell. That alone should speak volumes for trust. I’m sorry, Valor I shouldn’t have pressed you.” She shook her head slowly and broke off another piece of bread.
“No, you should have. Were I actually manipulating you, I could be delivering you to their doorstep. Others might, I wouldn’t.” Valor said quietly.
Jala’s chewing slowed and she watched him with a raised eyebrow. He seemed uncomfortable and shifted, not meeting her gaze. She swallowed heavily and tilted her head, still watching him. “Valor, is there something you want to tell me?” she prompted gently.
“Not really,” Valor mumbled and let out a long breath. “Kali wanted me to ensure that Finn didn’t come back.” He began slowly and met her gaze once more. “She said that Finn was never meant for you and that the two of you would bring devastation to the world. I found that sickly ironic, considering how she is constantly trying to kill us all off with her creations. When I mentioned the fact, she laughed at me and asked if I had never heard of a common enemy before. Nothing breeds unity like strife, I suppose. Her words were still fresh in my mind when we tried to raise Finn.” Valor fell silent and shifted again and rubbed his face. “I didn’t mention it and I should have. With her words breeding doubt in my mind… What if I helped the spell fail? I couldn’t help but feel doubts about it then. I know Finn. I love him like a brother, but what Kali said is true. He is cold. He is brutal, and he is utterly without remorse. That influence combined with your power is terrifying, Jala.” She started to speak but he held up a hand to stop her. “I should have given you more credit, though. I was wrong in that. I have doubts of Finn, but I shouldn’t have doubted you. It’s your power, and how you use it is your choice. So I’m here to bring him back no matter what. I failed him when the spell was cast. I failed you when I doubted your convictions. I will not fail either of you in this.”
Jala watched him silently for a long moment and then reached a hand out slowly to take his. He raised an eyebrow at her in question but didn’t pull free. She squeezed the fingers lightly and summoned as much of a smile as she could. “I don’t doubt you in the least, Valor. I had the slightest hesitation from the way you acted after Kali’s, but that is gone now. I trust you with my life and…” She paused and looked around before giving a bitter chuckle. “And my soul, I suppose. I know I would be dead by now if not for you and I know you will do everything you can to bring Finn back.” Jala released his hand as she finished speaking and set the plate of uneaten food aside. “Can I trust the others as I trust you, Valor? You know them better than I do,” she asked softly.
“I don’t trust Jail. I’ve never been able to determine if his mind-work on me was entirely in my best interest or if he had another agenda. I was in line for redemption that would have been followed by promotions in the knighthood before he tampered with my will. I have forgiven him for it though. What I lost is questionable. What I gained was a priceless friendship,” Valor said quietly. “I don’t trust Wisp much either but that’s probably being racist. She is Fae and they are sneaky. I truly haven’t spent enough time around her to know if she is or not, though. I don’t trust Neph, but you can. He swore an oath to you and he would rather eat his own boots than break his word. Sovann, I do trust, perhaps even more than I trusted his brother. Sovann has a rare trait that very few in Sanctuary possess – integrity. He cut all ties in his homeland because he couldn’t abide by their behavior.”
“You answered exactly as War did. He told me to watch Jail and Wisp and form my own decisions,” Jala said as she began to gather the blankets and fold them for travel. “Val, can I ask one more question? You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.” She glanced over at him as she folded the blanket across her arm.
“Let me do that and you get dressed. And yes, you can ask another. Even if it’s something I don’t want to answer, at least it ends this damned silence we have been living in,” Valor replied as he took the blanket from her and began to gather the rest of their gear.
“If you are disgraced in Arovan, why did Lord Arovan give you a commission to lead a thousand of his knights?” Jala asked.
Valor snorted in what could have been amusement. “That was Elijah’s way of flexing his political muscle. He helps both of us that way while retaining the true power over his troops. By giving command to me, he ensures they will never be used against his land, not that Arovan knights would fight against their home. He also gives me a chance to redeem myself out of sight of those that would like me to fail in that. On the other hand, he helps you without openly helping you. A thousand trained knights is a handsome gift and will raise quite a few eyebrows. If a faction that opposes me asks, he will say he granted them to you. If a faction that doesn’t approve of you asks, he will say he granted them to me,” He explained with a faint smile.
“Clever,” Jala acknowledged with a nod. Her mind worked over the logic as she tugged on the chain mail over her leather tunic. “Does he give lessons in politics?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“He does within Arovan. I learned from him,” Valor replied with a shrug.