A Thief In the Palace (DISCONTINUED)

Healing

Alec Spades P.O.V

I scowled after them and attempted to stand up again. I couldn't. I was too weak. I had lost too much blood. Cody was moved to my side of the room and our chains lengthened so we could move a little bit more to lay down and pace the room if we wanted, but the window was barred as soon as they had left.
"Alec,"; Cody said, his eyes were wide and his tone was scared. I had never seen him scared before, never even heard him scared before.
"I'll . . . be . . . fine," I passed out onto the ground a few seconds later.

When I woke up again, Cody was asleep next to me, but as soon as I took a breath, he woke up and was at my side in a second.
"Alec, you need help. Why would you push Zane that far? Why? You knew you wouldn't be able to heal very quickly from any of these injuries. And you haven't experienced the whip yet. You didn't even know what you were asking for," Cody ranted. I looked down and saw my shirt in shreds on the ground and realized I was naked from the waist up.
"Cody, can you go get me a new shirt? This feels weird," I said.
"A shirt? That's all you say? D*mn you, Alec. Why are you always this stubborn? This retaliating and reckless?" Cody swore. He kept ranting on about me being stupid and a dumb*ss.
"I was being reckless, I admit that. But i have experienced the whip before, Cody. I experienced it when I was one. Before we had met. I was a slave back then before  escaped and made a name for myself. Literally. My parents never named me, you didn't know that. I never told you that. They abandoned me after I was a few weeks old and they could see my scar more clearly. They thought it was ugly. You know that's why I always wear gloves. They never named me. I named myself. Alec Spades. I created that name for myself. I also created the fake name Sage. I ran away from my Master and started pick-pocketing as soon as I could walk. I got good at it within a few months and then even more skilled after a year of practice. I've been stealing and pick-pocketing since I was one. You've seen me without my shirt on before, and you know I already have scars all over my back and arms. Those are from the whip, Cody. I've already experienced it before. I know the feeling. I know what it looks like, how it feels, and how long it takes to heal. Zane's whip cut nearly to my bone. His will take a few months to heal fully at the very least. We need to lie low and attempt to not cause any more trouble to get myself whipped again. I'm used to pain, Cody. I grew up in a childhood full of pain. Pain is all I've ever known. The only physical feeling I've ever known. I'd be more worried about you if you were whipped. I know you've been whippedc before, but nothing even compares to the amount I've just been whipped."
Cody was speechless after I finished ranting. His mouth was open is a small O and he was staring at me.
And then he got me a shirt after ripping up a few different ones to bandage the deep cuts. I felt bad for making him do this, but I couldn't do it myself. I could barely move without feeling pain. I'll be bed-ridden for months if I don't heal quickly.
And then the strangest thing started to happen. My hand started glowing. The scar on my hand was glowing. It glowed white. The color of life. And then my back started feeling better and Cody tripped as he started walking towards me again. He stared at my back with wide eyes.
"What's happening to my back, Cody?" I asked sharply.
"It's . . . healing. Alec, how are you doing that?" Cody asked. He stared at me and I raised my hand to show him that it was glowing.
"I have no clue. It just started glowing and now I'm healing. But white is the color of life. That means I'm healing, right, Code?" I asked with a cocked head. I stood up and stretched again. I carefully peeled the blood-soaked bandages off and stared at the cuts on my front. They were all healed with only a thin line as a scar. I looked in the mirror and stared at my face. I had a ong jagged cut over my eye tht crossed from the end of my eyebrow to the bottom of my ear. It was white and thin, but it was still visible.
"How are you healed?" Zane shouted as he stormed into the room and stared at me. I put the shirt on that Cody handed me. I yawned lazily and then felt his fist slam into my cheek. I spat out a mouthful of blood and swung my own fist. The chains broke into pieces around my wrist as soon as I started moving. Zane froze in place for a second, allowing me to land an easy hit on the side of his face. He got back up after a split second and swung at me again. I ducke dand delivered a side kick to his gut. He doubled over and I smiled broadly at him. I flicked my wrist and touched Cody's chains. They started to melt into puddles of metal beside his feet. Cody grinned even though he had no clue what was happening with me and my weird hands and scars. I ducked underneath Zane's fist and kicke dhim again after delivering another punch to his jaw and giving him a black eye with my other hand.
"Stop!" A voice shouted. I turned and felt Zane's fist slam into my throat. I was thrown backwards into Cody and unable to breath. I felt his arm wrap around my back to make sure I was okay. As soon as I got my breath back, I rose to my feet, ready to fight again. I flashed Zane a wicked grin as he held his hand over his eye.
"I said, ENOUGH!" The voice repeated, angrier now. I froze and turned to face whoever said that. Zaria stood in the doorway with guards behind her.
"No more fighting," Zaria said, her voice deadly quiet and lethal. I balled my hands into fists in an effort of not punching Zane again.
"Code," I said. "My gloves. He nodded and handed me a fresh pair. They were black and leather without fingers.
I slid them on and out of the corner of my eye saw Zane draw a blade and dive at Cody. I grabbed a hidden knife from my boot and engaged in a new battle with Zane. I jumped up and twisted in the air. I kicked his wrist and sent the knife flying from his hand. I lande din a crouch and drew another knife from my boot.
"I am going to kill you if you even think about laying a hand on Cody. I swear . . ." I trailed off with a scowl and a knfie in my hand to make the threat clear. "I will hunt you down if you touch him. Do whatever you want with me, I've experienced it all before."
"Really?" Zane replied, seeming amused as he uncovered his black eye. Ouch. looked ugly. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
I opened my mouth to explain how gruesome and bloody I would make his death, but then Zaria interrupted.
"Stop it. Both of you," she growled harshly. I finally turned my full attention to her as she continued speaking. "You two have been fighting each other for no reason. Zane, you're royalty, you should know how to behave better than that even if he is a thief. And Sage, you steal for a reason, right? You steal for your family."
"I don't have a family," I sighed. "I used to. But now I don't even know if they're alive or what they look like. They abandoned me when I was younger. Simply because of a birhtmark. I've never seen them since. I made myself a name. Sage. And my true name. I created a name for myself out on the streets. I live alone with Cody. Cody is my brother. My friend. And the only family I've ever known. Of course he's not my blood brother, but he's the only person I will ever call my brother. He's loyal, charming, handsome, kind and an excellent thief. Trained by the best, me."
"Arrogant much?" Zane muttered.
"It's the truth. There's a difference," I said. "I've never told a lie here. Not to anyone. I've kept secrets hidden and bured, but never a lie."
"You . . . don't have a family?" Zaria faltered.
"No," I replied shortly.
"And what about your name? Is it even Sage?" Zane demanded.
"No. There's only one person who knows my true name. And I won't tell anyone it unless I trust them with my life, right, Code?" I said rhetorically. He nodded grimly beside me and tensed as Zane swung his fist again. This time I was prepared for his attack. I caught his fist in my right hand and threw it back at him. He stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed with a thump.
"Don't touch me," I sneered. "My name isn't Sage. But everyone calls me that. I've stolen from the richest people on the streets flanked y guards. I've stolen from royalty too." I held up the ring I had snatched from Zane when I had blocked his punch. I tossed it back to him and then faced Zaria.
"I'm the best thief in town. In the kingdom. Nobody else even begins to compare to me. Cody's second in the kingdom. He can pull off most of the same feats as me," I said with a wink at him. He smiled warily as Zane clambered off the bed.
"And I don't hurt people unless I'm forced to, Zane," I said. "I'm going down to the dungeon. I need to speak with a few of them. After all, I was the one who put them in there. You guys wouldn't have found them if it wasn't for me. I left obvious clues for years leading striahgt to them."
I sighed and then walked past Zaria and towards the dungeon. I was blocked multiple times by the guards. I was always prepared for a little fight. But Zaria kept stepping in and demanding access to the dungeon. How the h*ll does she trust me this easily? She doesn't even know my name.