Warrior's Mind (Book 2 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 68

The air had grown colder in the two days she was below ground. Leyla blinked up at the bright sun as Raphael walked her through the forest. The trees seemed to grow thicker as they moved, which was strange.

"Isn't the Keep in the opposite direction?"

"Yes," Raphael said, but didn't bother to explain further. So they weren't going to the Keep? That was fine by her. It didn't really matter which way they went as long as it was far from the dark confines of the cells and the manic screams of Annabelle.

They walked for another five minutes, thin twigs snapping beneath their boots, until finally, the arrived at the banks of the river. Raphael stopped, giving her a moment to take in the beauty of the place. Shallow water, so clear that she could make out the subtle blues and greys of the rocks beneath, was surrounded by tall trees with red and green leaves. And beyond all of that, towering in the background, she could see the majesty of the Three Sisters.

"It's beautiful."

Raphael pulled Leyla towards him, his golden eyes looking up her up and down, before he leaned his forehead against hers with a sigh. "Are you alright?"

Leyla nodded, feeling the tension drain out of her as his hands move around her waist.

"I'm sorry it took so long," he whispered into her hair. "I couldn't send you a message or come see you because I didn't know if she had any accomplices and I needed her to believe you were being treated like a criminal..."

"It's alright," she said into his chest.

"No, it's not," He sounded angry as he arms tightened around her. "I was blind. I don't know how I could have been so blind."

Leyla tried to pull back so that she could tell him not to worry, but he wouldn't release his grip.

"Please," he kissed the top of her head. "Forgive me."

The last of her anger dissipating, Leyla stopped trying to move away and let her head rest against his shirt. What was there to forgive, when she understood well why he had not been able to see the truth. His sense of guilt towards his brother had coloured his judgement, plus she was not blameless in all of this. She could have tried to convince him of Annabelle's nature, but her pride had kept her silent. "Being dramatic doesn't suit you, Prorex."

Raphael let out a short laugh, then tipped her head up to meet his eyes. "You're not mad?"

Something melted inside her chest as she took in his hopeful expression. "Why would I be? You believed in me."

Relief washed over him and then he leaned down and kissed her. Worry, frustration, desire, she could taste it all on his lips, could feel it in his body. She knew what Annabelle said about his brother must have hurt him; it would have amplified his guilt and added fuel to the pain. A desire to make him feel better overcame her and Leyla stretched up, locking her hands behind his neck. "It's not your fault," she whispered, then pressed herself against him. Raphael groaned, his fingers reaching into her hair, before he stilled.

"Wait," he set her back. "We need to talk."

Trying to get her breathing back under control, Leyla frowned "Why?"

The knowing look Raphael gave her made her blush to the tips of her ears. "I mean, about what?"

His eyes lingered on her lips for another moment, before he forced himself to look away. "You are being magnanimous, but there are still apologies that have to be made."

Leyla opened her mouth to protest, but Raphael cut her off with a shake of his head. "And not just by me. The High Council will make a public retraction of its verdict on the injury to the guards."

She frowned, "I would rather just forget about that."

"I understand," Raphael nodded, "but it needs to be done. If the High Council can not admit its mistakes, it will never learn from them. I hope you'll agree, especially since you will be a member of it soon."

"A member of the High Council?" Leyla blinked, trying to follow his reasoning. She had barely come to grips with being a Colonel, so what was this now?

"As my wife, you will not only be a member of the High Council, but you will also become the leader of the White Gardens." Raphael looked stiff as he watched her. "You will become my wife, won't you?"

His wife. Leyla pushed her hands into the pockets of her uniform, then took them out again. She had never intended to marry Raphael. Her plan all along was to flee from the Land of Light. But those plans had started to evaporate when she agreed to becoming a Colonel.

When had she stopped looking for a way to escape? When had her desire to run turned into a desire to stay?

She had begun to feel comfortable. Training soldiers, taking meals with Michael, trying not to doze off as Delphine rattled on about this dress and that Lady...all of these things had become precious to her.

Raphael had become precious to her.

But still. Could she really be a Light Lander? Her habits, her behaviour, even the way she thought made her a Warrior through and through. If a conflict between the two kingdoms ever occurred, would she be able to stand against the people she had grown up with? Alec, Tia, Isabelle, Finn...could she aim a blow at the recruits she had trained herself? How was she meant to become a High Council member or the Leader of the White Gardens with these kinds of thoughts? In truth, she wasn't even fit to be a Light officer, but she had accepted, thinking it was temporary...

"Raphael, I don't think-"

"Wait!" He held up his hands, his eyes beseeching. "Before you give me your answer, just know that whatever your concerns are, whatever worries you have, we will solve it." Raphael took her hands, raising one, then the other to his lips. "As long as you want to be with me, I will solve any problem you can think of. Trust me."

Leyla looked at him for a long moment. The small voice in her head that told her to be cautious was drowned by the pounding of her heart. "I trust you."

Raphael kissed her, a soft kiss of gratitude, then his hands trailed down her arms. Before she knew what he was doing, he had taken hold of her bracelet and pulled it off. Her wrist felt oddly bare as he looked at the piece of jewellery, then laid it in the palm of her hand.

"I convinced myself that I was protecting you when I forced this on you. I will never force anything on you again."

The light caught in the diamonds that encircled the bracelet, throwing rainbows in every direction. Leyla watched the display with a single thought in her mind; she was free. Happiness filled her as the last of her doubts melted away. But it didn't last as another thought entered her mind: "Your father - you will be disobeying his order."

"That does not worry me," Raphael said, looking out over the river. "The only thing I fear is that you might disappear."

Leyla watched his profile, taking in his straight nose, his high cheekbones, the way the muscle clenched and unclenched at his jaw. This beautiful man was scared that she would leave. Her fingers closed around the bracelet. She could leave. She was free. And yet, she had no desire to be anywhere but right here.

Raphael cleared his throat, then turned back to her with a half smile. "Let me take you back to the Dome. Michael has probably worn the floors down with his pacing."

Leyla let him take her hand, "What will happen to Annabelle?"

A shadow fell over Raphael's face as they continued to walk. "I'm not sure yet, but I promise, she will never be able to hurt you again."