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

Chapter 54

Leyla pushed herself up into a sitting position, feeling her muscles gaining strength by the second.

"I thought you - that you..." Tai suddenly dropped his head, his arms stiff by his sides as he clenched his fists to hold back his feelings.

Leyla wanted to console him, but there was no time. Instead, she turned to the Sage while standing shakily. "Is there anything else you can give me to counteract the Death Pill?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, "I thought it felt like the Death Pill, but how could they have...?"

"The Leader is Shik," she said, grabbing his arm and moving towards the exit on unsteady feet. There was no time to be gentle, no time to hesitate. She needed to regain her strength fast. "I need to help Raphael. Is there anything else you can give me?"

"No," Gabriel said, his face losing colour at the mention of his brother. "Are you going to fight? In your condition?"

Leyla ignored his question. "Tai, lend me your dagger."

The boy pulled a blade form his boot which she grasped firmly in her fist. "Can you lead the way out?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"Protector!" Gabriel frowned, reaching for her arm. "Raphael guided us here to rescue you. If you fight with that drug in your system...you'll die."

A small smile played at the corner of her mouth. "Are you worried because you'll have to lead the Protectorate when I'm gone?"

"This is not a joke!" Gabriel's fingers clenched around her arm in frustration, sending pain shooting up her shoulder. He was right, she was in no condition to fight. But if she did not kill Shik today, not only Raphael, but Gabriel, Tai and everyone in the Protectorate would not live to see tomorrow.

"Tai," she spoke to the boy whose face was still streaked with the tears he shed a few moments ago. "Once we get out, no matter what happens, I need you to take the Sage to safety. Can you promise me?"

"Tai!" The Sage frowned, but the boy's eyes were steady on hers.

"Yes, Protector."

"Good then. Let's go!"

Gabriel had no further chance to protest as they moved quietly into the dimly lit rock tunnels. They came across two dead bodies on their way out and Leyla knew that Tai had killed them on the way to find her. It would have been the young ones first time taking life and for a split second her heart went out to him. But there was no time for consolations.

Athiri bumped against her leg, asking for her attention, but Leyla only looked forward to where the sounds of battle were filtering in from a bright opening in the rocks. She walked level with Tai, stepping over the dead man lying just beside the exit before stepping into daylight.

Icy wind from the Three Sisters pushed her thin silk dress against her bare legs as Leyla took in the view in front of her. They were standing on the side of the tallest of several rocky hills that surrounded a piece of flat land bordered on the other side by thick forests. Bodies of several dozen Bone Eaters were scattered across the entrance of the cave below her, as well as a few bodies of men in white uniforms. The battle had since moved further into the flat land, likely with the arrival of Bone Eater reinforcements.

Leyla's eyes found the two dozen Light soldiers who were were fighting without pause against a Bone Eater army four times their number. And it was only when she saw Raphael, fighting at the front of the group unharmed, that she released the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.

"Tai, climb down the far side and run into the forest!" Leyla instructed, pointing to the west. Then she gave Athiri a stroke and used her most commanding tone. "Stay with the Sage."

Without giving any of them time to protest, she turned back to the battle. She had to get down there and convince the Light Landers to retreat, fast. The number of Bone Eaters on the field did not amount to even half of the men she saw in the pool earlier. And if there were other caves...

"Aaaaaa ooooo!" The eerie howl froze her for an instant. Then out of three hills at once, men covered in blood began to flood out into the land.

"No." The word left her lips as hundreds of Bone Eaters joined the fray. Raphael! Retreat! Please, retreat!

Leyla jumped from rock to rock, ignoring the jagged stones that cut at her skin as she clambered down the hill. She was halfway down when another shout, this time form the West, announced the arrival of more soldiers.

"ATTACK!" The man pointing his sword towards the field from atop a horse was Julius! Raphael must have sent out a message. One hundred Green Landers rushed forward, and soon the sound of steel on steel grew into a deafening roar. The new reinforcements split the Bone Eaters attention, but the drugged wildlings still outnumbered their enemies ten to one. If only...

Before Leyla could complete her thought, another call shook the plateau: "BLUE FORMATION!"

Three dozen blue uniforms stormed in from between the Green Landers and Light Landers, taking the Bone Eaters head on. Alec!

Leyla watched the Bone Eaters around the Warriors fall one by one. The odds were still overwhelming but if they worked together... using her vantage point, she assessed the field and saw what needed to happen to turn the tide. Would the soldiers understand her instructions? She had trained Lightlanders and Julius had fought with her many times...

"WARRIORS!" Her voice echoed between the hills as she stood atop the hill, shouting over the fighting. "HEKA TWO!"

A few faces turned her way as she called out the words used to change command mid battle. Then they all turned to their King who was pulling his sword from a Bone Eaters' chest. Alec raised his head in her direction, his eyes finding what no doubt looked like a far away figure in a red dress.

Recognise my voice. Let me lead. Please, Alec.

"HEKA TWO!"

He recognised her. He had always recognised her. Leyla stepped forward the moment he confirmed her order, her chest soaring with hope. "WARRIORS WHITE UNIFORMS RED FORMATION!"

Alec's men moved at her command, spreading out in two lines in front of the Light Landers who stepped back in surprise. She saw Raphael glance in her direction, then he did exactly what she had hoped and the white uniforms moved between the blues.

As the battle raged on, the Warrior front line engaged, while the Light Landers blocked attackers from the side and the back line picked up the strays. As a single tight unit they moved forward, inch by inch without giving casualties to the Bone Eater hoards.

"GREENLANDERS!" Leyla began, but in the next moment an arrow came at her, narrowly missing her shoulder.

There, halfway up the next hill, six archers were pointing their arrows in her direction while Shik stood behind them.

So he had finally shown himself.