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

Chapter 60

"What do you mean by refusing the medicine?" Raphael barged into the room. It had been several hours since the showdown in the gardens, but his temper had obviously not cooled. Neither had hers.

Leyla turned back to watching the forests beyond the inner keep walls from her seat on the window ledge.

"You're ignoring me now?" He asked. She took a little satisfaction from hearing the incredulity in his voice.

"Did you need something, Prorex?"

The hands that suddenly grasped her waist surprised her into facing him. Raphael was kneeling beside her, inspecting her makeshift bandages. "What kind of childish point are you trying to make?" He began to unwrap the material, but Leyla yanked her arm away.

"Childish?" The word stuck in her throat. "Accuse me of being a fool instead. I believed you when you said not to worry!"

Raphael closed his eyes for a split second, then stood looking down at her. "I told you the truth. There was nothing for you to worry about. I had a plan-"

"Right! To take my punishment for me?" She rose, pushing him back when the act brought them too close together. He barely budged, which only made her angrier. "Did you think I would be alright watching you get whipped?" She pushed him again, uncaring of the pain that shot through her wound. "Do you even know how it feels to have lashes cut across your back?" She shoved him harder. "To feel your skin tearing while everyone watches?" Unexpected tears stung her eyes.

"Leyla..." His voice was gentle, but she was past caring about his feelings. Even though she knew it wasn't true, she kept thinking that this was all his fault.

"What kind of leader are you!? Did you even think how your people would feel, watching their Prorex get hurt and humiliated?"

"I did." Raphael caught her hands, his eyes alight with frustration. "Of course I did. But it didn't matter, because I will not let anyone hurt you! Humiliation? Pain? I'm willing to take it all if it can make up for the past!"

The past? Leyla stilled, confused by his words. "What are you talking about?"

He turned away. "It doesn't matter. Now, all that matters is for you to use the medicine so that your wound can heal."

"Of course! Don't explain. Please! If you explained anything to me, Gaia would implode!" Leyla moved back to the window seat, staring down at the gardens below. A couple was crossing one of the bridges while servants trimmed the hedges surrounding the Dome. It looked so peaceful, so transparent, but that was all for show. Behind each of the arched doorways of the keep were rooms full of secrets. "You keep asking me to trust you, but all I get are lies."

"I have never lied to you!" Raphael sounded indignant.

Leyla looked back at him and saw the honesty in his golden gaze. "You're right, you wouldn't consider what you did last night lying. After all, you only said that you would make sure I wasn't hurt. But you knew I didn't understand what that really meant. You knew, and you decided not to tell me what was going to happen despite that."

"Yes I did keep it from you," he nodded. "Because there was nothing to be gained by your fretting and I wanted you to have a peaceful sleep..."

If he didn't look so at a loss, Leyla might have been able to hang onto her anger for longer. The truth was, she understood why he did what he did. She understood, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"What I want more than a peaceful rest is the truth and some trust." She looked up at him from where she sat, trying to make him understand. "You tell me to trust you, but do you trust me? Do you believe me?"