Read Online The Elder Blood Chronicles Bk 1 In Shades of Grey by Melissa Myers - Free Book Online

dressed, changing from her sleeping
shift to the first dress that met her hand in her meager closet.
She pulled her boots on soon after and crossed the small room to
the basin and mirror that waited on the dresser. Her eyes were
blurry as she splashed the water on her face and the shock of it
banished the ghosts from her mind. She looked up from the basin and
studied herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, and there
were faint dark circles under them. Her hair was a mess of curls as
always but for all that she still looked pretty, if in a worn,
tired way. She smiled ruefully and tried to pull her brush through
her tangled hair. She rolled her eyes as it began to frizz and
sighed heavily. On a good day, her hair was her best feature. This
was not going to be a good day. With practiced ease, she began to
work it into a tidy braid, choosing to ignore the few wild strands
that escaped her work. She was tying it off with a ribbon when the
first bang of a fist hit her door. “I’m up,” she called over her
shoulder before Gretchen could bellow her displeasure.
    “And plenty late about it, too, have you
forgotten what today is?” The old woman’s voice was muffled through
the door, but not by much. Gretchen could match voice with the best
of them and leave many wanting.
    She cursed herself under her breath. She had
forgotten what day it was. Her mind had been filled with memories
and she hadn’t even given anything else a thought. She was leaving
the Temple today. They had been preparing for it all week by sewing
new dresses and packing. She felt the lump rise again. She was
going to the Academy today, whether she liked it or not. Father
Belson had been firm about it when she had objected to leaving. It
had already been arranged, and that was all he would say on the
matter. She loved the old man like a grandfather, but the answer
made her want to choke him. Arranged? She had not been asked about
it at all, not even consulted.
    “The coach will be here any moment, Jala, and
you’ve still not even eaten. At this rate, you’ll be taking
breakfast on the road with you,” Gretchen called through the door
again, and Jala felt her nerves fraying. While she loved the old
priest, she certainly did not love Gretchen. The old woman was a
sour thing.
    “I’ll be out in just a minute,” she called
back trying to keep the irritation from her voice. She didn’t want
a fight with Gretchen today. Really she just wanted to crawl back
into bed, but if she did, the housekeeper would just pound away on
the door until she either opened it or the wood surrendered and
crumbled before the assault. With a muttered curse, she buckled her
belt around her waist. It wasn’t exactly a feminine addition to her
outfit, but it was practical. Two pouches hung from one side. One
swayed heavily, with small odd pieces that proved helpful, while
the other hung much lighter and held the few coins she owned. She
buckled the small knife onto the other side and paused to run her
thumb across the red gem. She briefly thought of seeking Havoc but
didn’t think being sent to school would qualify as a crisis to him
so she quickly dismissed the thought. She pulled her cloak on last.
It was faded to a dull grey, and most would have thrown it out,
given how tattered the ends of it were. But it was the cloak they
had wrapped her in when they found her, and she would keep it until
it gave away to threads.
    She glanced at herself in the mirror again
and wondered briefly at her image. She was pretty. She knew that
without vanity. Her face was smooth; her skin a pale cream with
full lips the color of roses. Her hair and eyes were unique. She
had never seen anyone with the same color. She frowned at the
thought. Her father’s hair had been a dark brown with warm golden
brown eyes. Her mother’s hair had been dark as well only a shade or
two lighter than black and her eyes had been a clear hazel. She
could see neither of her parents in the face that stared back