Warrior's Heart (Book 1 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 57

Their bodies were carried to a room to the west of the King's Hall. Leyla knew from having counted their steps and the sounds around them that they were in the Hall of Glory; the chamber where the Warrior dead were kept before burials. Footsteps shuffled and voices grew more distant until finally only the sound of her own shallow breathing remained. She counted to one-hundred then pulled the sheet away to sit up.

She was on a marble slab, a swords length from the ground. Before she had a moment to adjust, Alec was beside her, holding her face in his hands.

"Are you alright?" he whispered into her hair. His warmth surrounded her cold body as she looked at the room. Torches lined the walls, throwing shadows across the six empty slabs of marble around them.

"Your wound!" She pushed at his shoulders, trying to see his stomach, but he stepped out of reach.

"It's healed," Alec said, then seeing she was unconvinced, he lifted his blood stained shirt to reveal a thin white scar below his rib cage. "I promise you, I'm alright."

"All of this has to be the Green King's doing." Leyla said. She had thought about the sequence of events on their way here and it was the only conclusion that made sense. The bitter drink, the palace messenger, the Green King suddenly 'finding' them in the woods...that beady-eyed bastard wanted the Warriors and Light Landers to fight each other. Of course, whatever weekend others would make conditions more favourable for the Greenlands. "What do we do next?"

"I will go to the Warrior King. He needs to see I'm alive before he starts thinking about revenge," Alec raised her chin, looking down at her pale face. "Soon, all of this will be over. Just stay put."

Leyla held on to his wrist, suddenly wary. "Where is Raphael? He probably has a plan, shouldn't we wait?"

"The Prorex did well getting us here, I owe him for that. But we are in the Warrior Kingdom now." Alec stroked her cheek. "Don't worry about anything. I'll come back soon."

Leyla pulled her legs up to her chin as he disappeared out the double doors. She closed her eyes, focusing on her slow breathing. Some time passed. There was barely a sound from the corridor outside. A crusty feeling under her chin made her look down at her white dress. It was covered in blood. Alec's blood. Her mind was feeling fuzzy again. She rubbed at the streak on her chin, trying to get it off.

"Alec!" The doors burst open and a woman rushed in, in a flurry of silk.

Leyla recognised the frantic face that locked onto hers. "Lady Isabelle?" She looked over to the door. The Green King couldn't find out Alec was not dead, not yet! "Lock the door, quickly!"

When Isabelle only stared at her, Leyla rushed to close the door against the streaks of early morning light.

"Where is Alec?" Isabelle spoke from behind her. "Tell me he isn't dead!" her voice rose, "Tell me you didn't kill him!"

Leyla turned to face the distraught woman. Soft words would not work as well as simple facts. "Alec is alive and well. He is speaking to the Warrior King at this very moment."

"Then what is that!" Isabelle pointed a shaky finger at the stains on Leyla's dress. "Are you telling me that is your blood, when you look perfectly fine?"

Trying to cover some of the marks with her hands, Leyla spoke in a calm voice. "There was an accident, but it is nothing serious. Just wait a little and you'll see him for yourself."

"You aren't lying?" Isabelle asked, searching her face.

"Would it do me any good to lie?"

Isabelle took a shaky breath and exhaled slowly. "That dumb ass Finn. He was also convinced you were dead. He obviously missed whatever game is afoot."