The Weaponsmaster

Chapter 35

Danny stayed in the little hospital room Drea was resting in. He sat in the dark in one of the chairs next to her bed with his arms crossed. He was exhausted and kept nodding off by accident. He’d used up so much power breaking down the force field, then had found Drea knocked out on the ground with Corey, one of the top palace guards. He had been dead when Danny and the others showed up, with Drea just barely alive next to him.

He couldn’t leave her, so Danny used the rest of his aura to heal her best he could until help arrived, and had been visiting her for a few days. When he saw her, his breath flew out of his chest. Her blood was pooled around her and she was completely still, lying next to Corey. He was scared that she was dead.

Now it had been about three days since then, and she still hadn’t woken. Without him even realizing it, Toni stepped into the room and opened the curtains behind them, letting in the light. Danny squinted and turned around. Once again it was somehow a beautiful day, despite all the pain there was.

“Why don’t you relax Daniel? You’ve been here for a few hours now.” Toni seemed adamant this time, though she’d seemed adamant the past three times.

“She hasn’t woken up yet,” was all he said.

Toni came up next to him and sat on the edge of Drea’s bed. “Nor will she if you keep waiting here for her. I know you’re worried, but you’ve got to rest. She’s stabilized, but needs time to heal from all the hits she took.”

Danny knew she was right, but he didn’t want to listen. He only wanted to see Drea well and awake again. Toni seemed to realize this, but got up anyway and grabbed his arm. “Come on. You’re coming back with me.”

She forced him up and pulled him out, but he didn’t fight much, he was exhausted. His heart was already yearning to be back in that room, waiting for her. He wondered at what point he had actually fallen in love with her.

                        *          *          *          *          *

            Drea kept sliding in and out of consciousness, but she was never able to wake up fully. Her dreams were filled with sorrow and pain, with the faces of the dead guard and of her brother flashing before her eyes, pulling her back into the darkness. She felt like she was suffocating, and couldn’t sleep restfully no matter how hard she tried.

            It seemed to take forever, but Drea finally opened her eyes, only to feel the pain rush back to her. Her whole body ached. The only she could do was look around. She was in the same place she had been in when she first arrived in Koracan. It reminded her of a hospital, but there were no IVs or wires; it was just the bed, a small table and some windows. 

            She turned her head to see out the windows. It was a sunny day, the buildings winking in the sun. Drea turned back and tried to move. Her legs were stiff from underuse, and the rest of her body protested her attempt at movement.

            She felt numb as she worked her way into a sitting position. She could still see the guard’s face haunting her in her mind, but no more tears came. All she felt was guilt. Guilt that she couldn’t kill the Lori herself, guilt that she’d gotten distracted, guilt that he’d given his life just for her. She wasn’t important enough for someone to lose their life over her.

            Drea’s heart ached and she didn’t know what to do. She knew that if she didn’t do something, more people would be dying for her sake, and that was the last thing she wanted. More Lori would continue to come, and if she couldn’t protect herself, she had no doubt someone else would. She was the key to Alka now; she was the Weaponsmaster.