Innocent Sorrow: A Tale of Twisted Hearts Book One

Chapter Twenty-Three

Feli awoke slowly. Her body ached, her mind was sluggish and she could barely remember where she was or why she felt this way. It was the cold yet gentle fingers carding through her hair that reminded her of what had happened. Forcing her eyes open, she met Alexei’s cold, metallic orbs and gave him a small smile even as he frowned. “Sleep more…” the whispered command almost made her smile but she could hear screams in the distance and remembered that this was no time to sleep. “I can’t…I have to see this through…” Feli looked past the Ice Spirit to the dark grey clouds that rumbled and gyrated with impending rain. She could tell he wanted to protest but she had to do this. Smiling softly, Feli raised a hand to his cheek and met his eyes once more. Her fingers caressed the marked flesh, ghosting over a tin cut that ran the length of his jaw. Her violet orbs shone with determination and Alexei could only breathe a soft sigh. “Only if you let me help you…” she nodded at his words and he helped Feli regain her footing only to kneel down with his back to her. “I’ll carry you…you should not have to set foot on a field of death.” Feli opened her mouth to protest but as she looked past him to the smoke rising from the valley and listened to the screams, she knew what he meant. Her arms locked around his neck and his hands held rested under her thighs so as not to drop her. Once he stood and they had readjusted to be sure Feli wouldn’t slip from his grasp, Alexei walked towards the edge of the cliff and stopped. Feli blinked, looking over his shoulder but before she could question how he intended to climb down the hill with her on his back, Alexei gave a wolfish grin that she couldn’t see. “Hold on tight.” With just those three words and that sadistic grin, Alexei leaped from the cliff feet first.

Feli’s eyes widened in shock yet she couldn’t even open her mouth to scream, the shock was that great. She could feel them fall but it gave her this strange weightless feeling and her arms tightened around Alexei. It was only a few seconds before they touched the ground but to Feli, it felt like hours. The shock wave the rocketed through her body as he hit the ground made her bite her lip as her teeth knocked together but Alexei held her firmly. Alexei kneeled upon the ground, his knees pressed harshly into the dirt and flowers but he hadn’t even flinched from the impact. Instead, he glanced back at her and watched the trail of blood leaking from her full bottom lip and down her chin. “You should have grit your teeth… Does it hurt?” Feli wasn’t sure if it was concern or fact but she licked her lip to clean away the blood and shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” He nodded and readjusted her so he could stand again before setting off down the path she had followed to reach them. The flowers were disturbed from the feet that had trampled them but Alexei didn’t even glance at them. He had thought of crushing them himself so he had no right to feel sorry for the blossoms. Feli was different. She glanced down at the fallen and bruised flowers sadly but made no comment on them. She was partly responsible for their state but it was still sad to see the once beautiful flowers in such a state. The further they walked, the stronger the scent of burning flesh became and Feli felt her stomach roll at the thought despite the fact that it had been her who created the plan in the first place. Before reaching the singed field, though, Feli noticed the four bodies of the men Alexei had killed. Alexei didn’t spare them a glance but Feli suddenly became curious as to why Alexei would do such once she realized who committed such an act.

“Why?” the word was whispered into his back so softly, Alexei almost believed he had imagined it. Glancing to his left, Alexei spotted the reason behind her question and looked forward once more. “Because they were in the way.” His words were cold, clinical and cruel but he said them anyway. There was no way to sugar coat death, nor would he attempt to. If she condemned him for it then so be it, he was not responsible for keeping her happy. Instead of the words of hate he expected, though, she heaved a gentle sigh that tickled his nape and sent a shiver down his spine. “You should be more careful…if you hate the sight of death so much.” Alexei’s steps faltered for a moment. It wasn’t often he heard someone speak so kindly to him; even rarer was it honest words of concern and not sugary words of hate… Hoisting her up a bit higher, Alexei masked his chuckle and continued on in silence. As the acrid smell of smoke and the stomach clenching odor of death floated towards them, Alexei stopped, hesitating at the thought of showing her the true horrors of war. “Close your eyes…you don’t need to see this. You gain nothing from knowing the truth of death, Feli.” She opened her mouth to argue but it was hard with that scent on the air. Finally, Feli forced the words past her lips with a frustrated growl. “I ordered this therefore I will see it through. If I cannot face those I have condemned to death, how can I face the living?” Alexei could only bow his head and continue on. He knew what it meant to face death but to view the fruits of your own cruelty was harsher than any punishment… Yet he marched through that field of death without faltering, without flinching. Even when he felt her hot tears drip onto skin and soak his collar, he did nothing to stop. The most he could do was tighten his grip on her and hope it was enough.