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

Chapter 61

Eight Warriors against two; they simply did not stand a chance. Leyla thought quickly, trying to think of a way to get Raphael released, when he opened her cell door, walked in and locked it from the inside.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Raphael held her arms, turning her to face him. "Do you trust me?"

The Queen moved towards them, her guards spreading out around her, a few checking on the passed out Warriors on the floor.

"Come now, Prorex. How long do you think you can hide in there?" Mira laughed, standing a few paces from the cell.

"Don't look at her, and just listen to me." Raphael drew Leyla's gaze back to his, his voice calm and composed. "Answer my question, do you trust me?"

"Raphael, just let me think," Leyla whispered, pushing his hands away. Had he lost his reasoning? She doubted if the Prorex of the Land of Light had ever had his life threatened and at that very moment, they were a cell door away from being killed. He was in here because of her. She had really had caused him an endless amount of trouble since they met. "I'm sorry, Raphael. This is all my fault." She gave him a smile, "Don't worry. She only wants me dead, I will negotiate your release."

"Don't just stand there! Open that damned door!" The Queen barked. The Warriors pulled at the bars without success, then looked around for something to use to pry the door open.

"Mira, I will hand myself over, but I want you to promise to release the Prorex..."

Raphael pulled her back to face him, "You little fool. Just listen to me, will you?"

Leyla dragged her eyes away from the Warriors who were slicing at bars with their swords. The clanging ran up her spine as she looked into Raphael's eyes. They were calm and steady...and absolutely certain.

"You have a plan?"

Raphael smiled, his movements unhurried as took a dark vile from the inside the left beast pocket of his coat. Then leaning down, he spilled the contents on the floor in front of them. Leyla's eyes widened as she recognised the black goop.

"A portal?"

"Do you trust me?" Raphael repeated his earlier words as he took her hand. "Because I trust you. I trust you to bring us back."

He wanted to cross to Asch?

"Cozying up with yet another man?" The Queen laughed at them as her men chopped away at the bars. "Go ahead little orphan! You just have moments to live!"

"This is a bad idea, I don't even know where we will cross to!" Leyla whispered pulling her hand away. "Asch is dangerous..."

"Are you trying to scare me?" Raphael grinned.

Couldn't he be serious? "This is not a joke, Prorex! Your chance of survival is higher here. I just need to convince the Queen..."

Raphael held her shoulders fast. "You know as well as I do, that Queen Mira has come too far to back down now."

The bars were starting to bend under the pressure of the swords. It wouldn't be long before they got in and then what? If she could disarm the first one that got in, take his sword and fight the others...damn it there were just too many of them!

"Come on already! Why is it taking so long?" The Queen shouted behind her.

Leyla took a deep breath. "There are tribes that eat their captives, poisonous plants that can blind you just through their scent and vicious animals that hunt in packs."

The cell bars shook, the clanging vibrating in her ears.

Raphael took a step closer, "Are you telling me I could die?"

"You could die," Leyla needed him to know the truth. "But I promise you, I will do everything to bring you home. No one will hurt you, unless they kill me first."

The first bar broke with a loud crack and Warriors rushed to pull it out of the way. They only had a few seconds before the Queens men reached them.

"I don't want you to give up your life for me" Raphael pulled her closer, his mouth beside her ear. "Give me this instead."

Before she could wonder at what he meant, Raphael bent forward and kissed her. The contact shocked her and for a moment Leyla pushed at his arms to get away. He didn't budge. He just continued kissing her as if they had all the time in the world, as if eight Warriors and their crazy Queen were not trying to kill them, as if nothing existed but the two of them and the kiss. And then his arms came around her waist and he was lifting her. Never breaking contact, changing the angle of his head to deepen the kiss as he tightened his hold.

Leyla understood what he was going to do and stopped struggling. Raphael knew. He had read Michael's notebooks. He knew that when then crossed, they could end up in the middle of the Misty Desert, or the midst of the Ghost Mountains. Despite his calm demeanour, he knew their chance of survival was slim.

This was a surrender. She leaned into him then, wanting to give of herself to this man who had done nothing but help her, who had done nothing to deserve the troubles she had brought him. Pushing aside the sounds of the angry Warriors, she breathed him in. He smelled like rain. Like the sweet, fresh scent that clings to the air after a powerful storm. His lips were firm but gentle on her own, caressing gently, slowly... and when her breath was evenly matched, when her arms came around his neck and when the Warriors rushed into the dungeon cell, he jumped.