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

Chapter 25

"Don't come closer, there's poison on this blade!" The man Leyla now recognized as Ani's assistant, Zego, held a sharp dagger to Raphael's throat. Sweat dripping from his forehead as he walked his hostage back towards the iron railings of the balcony.

Leyla motioned for the two guests who were cowering at the side to leave while she took a step towards the culprit. "You don't want him. Take me instead."

Zego pulled at his hostage's neck, "Do I look foolish enough to attempt such an exchange?"

Trying not to focus on how close the blade was to Raphael's skin, Leyla took the dagger she had tucked in her boot and let it drop to the floor. "There, I am unarmed. I will do whatever you say so take me and let him go."

"Hah! You think I haven't heard of you, Utan La-La?" Zego grimaced. "You are probably counting on taking me down, even without weapons." He adjusted his grip on his blade, his eyes bright with the adrenaline pumping through his body. "You want to be exchanged? I might consider it if you lost your fighting ability!"

"Leyla, don't do anything foolish ," Raphael spoke for the first time, revealing that he understood everything that was happening.

It didn't matter what he said. She wouldn't allow him to get hurt. She couldn't. Without hesitation, Leyla picked up the dagger she had discarded and made a deep gash at the top of her left arm, then her right. Blood rushed down her fingers as she discarded the weapon and took another step forward. "You are taller and stronger and I am now wounded. Take me and let him go."

Raphael's eyes were narrowed, his lips thinned out in a tight line as he watched the blood dripping down hers arms.

"La-La!" the shout startled Zego just as he was beginning to look like he might agree. By Tevvuk's Beard! Leyla turned to see Jara passing between the guards who had blocked the balcony door. His wide eyes took in the sight of her bloodied arms and the knife at Raphael's throat before he turned on Zego. "How dare you hurt her! Who the hell are you?"

Zego seemed surprised for a moment, then he suddenly howled with laughter, "Oh, this is perfect! This is just perfect!" The blade at Raphael's throat moved precariously as Zego eyes glistened with madness. "Do you know, Mahsap, I've finally found the perfect way to punish you!"

Seeing the murderers's gaze focused firmly on Jara, Leyla took a tiny step forward.

"At first I wanted to kill you, but then I thought that you needed to suffer first so I killed your fiancé instead. Imagine my surprise when you got yourself another one in less than a years time!" Zero shook his head as in wonder, "So of course I killed her too. But that didn't stop you did it? You just wouldn't stop trying to be happy!"

Leyla took another step forward, catching Raphael's eye. His look clearly told her not to come closer, but she couldn't stay put, not when this fool might accidentally kill the Prorex with that poisoned blade.

"I was going to kill your newest fiancé tonight, but then my beautiful Ani spoke so warmly about her, that I realised it would be better to just kill you after all," Zego clucked his tongue and smiled at Jara's horrified face. "Now I'm glad I didn't manage, because this is going to be so much better." He took a sudden step back so that both he and Raphael were right at the iron railings. Leyla cursed under her breath, looking at the angle at which Zego's arm held the blade and trying to come up with the safest way to disarm the bastard without letting it touch the Prorex's throat. Nothing would work other than propelling his body backwards, but if she did that she might not be able to keep herself from falling over the railing with him.

"I can tell you care a lot about Ani," Jara spoke with a coaxing voice. "She is a kind woman, there is no way she would want this-"

"Don't! You know nothing about her, nothing about the agony she has been because of a bastard like you!!" Spit flew from Zego's mouth as he redirected his burning gaze at Leyla. "You know what I realised, Mahsap? Unlike those other two fiancés, you actually love this woman." He laughed again, "But it looks like she is willing to die for this man right here."

"Don't!" Leyla barely stopped herself from rushing forward when Zego pulled at Raphael's hair to expose his neck to the knife. She curled her fingers into her palms, feeling the wounds on her arms burn as her mind worked furiously to figure out what to do.

"I am sorry Utan La-La," Zego shrugged, looking not the least bit remorseful. "But this is the only way he will understand how I've felt, watching the woman I love falling to pieces in front of my eyes." He looked at Jara now and gave a sickening smile. "Its obvious to you too, right? It's the perfect punishment. Once I kill this man, you will have to watch the woman you love hurting. You will have to watch her cry without being able to do anything. You will feel utterly helpless, unmanned by your inability to save her from her despair...and best of all, you will know her pain was your fault!"

The look in Zego's eyes shifted; he had convinced himself of the path he has to take. The moment hie intention became clear, Leyla moved. Pushing at the ground with as much power as she could gather, she raised her aching arms and heaved Zego's chest and arm away from Raphael. The madman when hurtling over the railing, grabbing at her shoulders and pulling her with him as he fell.