Warrior's Soul (Book 3 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 23

Kim Al Sa. Stay in Peace.

As Leyla crossed the sleeping camp to the quiet corner where the Hayvanis had built her hut, she could almost imagine that peace might one day become an option for her. Her gaze moved over the burning fires to where the patrols walked along the inside of the newly finished walls and was satisfied to see the men had both noticed her presence.

Deciding it was time to rest, Leyla pushed through the wooden door of her hut, took off her face covering, then froze.

Just beyond the reach of the firelight that came in through the window, stood a dark figure. Leyla took a shallow breath, her chest suddenly heavy.

Even before he stepped forward, even before the shadows shifted off of his face and the gem on his forehead burned red, she knew it was him: Raphael.

His dark cloak brushed over the covers of her make shift bed as he moved towards her. Leyla she stiffened her spine. Her gaze rushed over his brows, the turn of his nose, his lips...it was impossible to read the expression in his golden eyes.

Had he come to kill her?

Her heart hurt at the thought, but her body refused to move to defend itself. Perhaps believing he was capable of that was a fate worse than death. Hah! What a foolish thought.

She was a fool. An utter fool.

"Leyla-" His voice trailed off into the darkness. The tension in his body was palpable. Emotions she couldn't begin to understand raced across his face and his fingers curled into his fists, "Why are you still here?"

What? Disappointment clogged her throat. Why was he asking something so pointless after everything that happened...after all this time? And what in Gaia had she been expecting? I'm sorry? Forgive me? I love you? She hated herself for her pathetic thoughts.

"Why am I here? Perhaps because you haven't managed to kill me yet?"

"Leyla!" He sounded pained as he moved forward. But it couldn't be pain she heard. It had to be a lie. Raphael was the best at deception.

When he reached for her cheek, Leyla stepped back to avoid his touch. His hand fell, curling around her wrist to stop her from hitting the wall behind her, then his eyes went wide.

Before she could make sense of his reaction, Raphael had tugged at the material around her wrist, uncovering the eternity bracelet.

His gaze shot up to hers. "Why?"

The question hung in the small space between them, like a dead weight. Leyla knew what he was asking, after all he had taken the bracelet off for her and had not seen it back on her wrist. But what did he want to hear? That she had believed in him...that she had willingly put it on to help him? That she had loved him? No, she wouldn't say the words, not when she could see from his expression that he had figured it out for himself.

"Leyla." Raphael's hand pushed against his chest, and for a long moment he stared at the ground as if he were trying to pull himself together.

Suddenly she was furious. How dare he? How could he betray her and then appear, weeks later, looking as if he was the one in pain. As if he was the one hurting.

She wanted to draw her sword, to lash out, to shout and call him names, but her fingers were stiff and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth.

"Leyla." Her name sounded like a plea as he raised his head. For a moment she thought there might have been tears in his eyes. Then that moment was gone and so was the weight on her wrist.

She watched in confusion as Raphael stepped back, the eternity bracelet in his hands. He tucked the accessory away before removing a vile with black liquid from the folds of his cloak and put it onto her bed.

What in Gaia was he doing? Why did he take off her bracelet? Why was he giving her that vile? Didn't he want her dead? Wouldn't he punish her for running away? Why had he come here! Why!?

Raphael straightened his back, then came to stand beside her, facing the door. Their shoulders were almost touching; his scent wrapped around her and she could feel his heat. He was leaving. Her jaw hurt from clenching, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Be happy, Leyla." The words were a whisper.

When the door shut softly behind him, Leyla stared into the empty room, feeling cold.