A Priestess for the Blind God (Legends of Rahasia Book 1)

Chapter Seventy

Kane, still magically shielded from Ratu's and Arno's mortal eyes, half-carries me so that I appear to stride confidently as I can from Ryu's battleground room.

Confident or not, I'm still covered in enough blood to appear to have bathed in it, and I'm so torn apart that I look like a demon. It's a fact I derive from Ratu's terrified whispers of "Setan!" and her look of sheer horror when she first sees me.

Mouth set in a grim line to keep my teeth from chattering, I ask, "Elio?"

Arno shakes his head. "Cato came for him, per usual."

"Then I'll go save him from his godly infestation too."

I step forward, but Ratu lashes out with one arm and stops me. I'm so weak from the fight that it feels as though I've walked directly into a wall. She delicately covers her nose with her veil from my sweat-and-blood-soaked smell. "Sorry, Ode, but you're only taking on one demon at a time. Physician's orders." She peers past me, her eyes going even wider when she spies Ryu. "Arno will clean the Advisor up and nurse him back to health. Elio still has his servants to take care of him. I'll take care of you. As for what remains of Alef... it will be dealt with. You can't end a war in a single day."

I waver, and then shake my head. "No, not a day. I'm ending this now."

This time, I walk into Arno's solid chest. He glowers down at me, and I glower right back up at him. "There's nothing you can do, Ode." Arno's words are harsh, but the way he says them reminds me of a nursemaid speaking to a young child. "You should rest."

I bite my tongue to keep from screaming at them until my throat's raw. Kane, eventually, chimes in behind me. He wraps his arms around me, taking the brunt of my tottering weight. "Your guard dog's right, Ode," Kane rubs his thumbs in circular motions over my shoulders. I barely refrain from crying out. I ache in places I thought never could ache. "You should rest first. Live to fight another day, isn't that what you mortals say?"

I laugh, breaking out of Kane's worried grip, my intensive giggling sounding mad even to my own ears. "Hehe, you just called Arno a guard... a d-dog..."

I swoon forwards, and Ratu's the one who catches me this time. She pushes my hair back behind my ears, just like when she first met me as a child.

"Hush now, sayang. I'll protect you." She holds my head against her breast. I hear the rhythm of her heartbeat as I close my eyes to sleep. "I'll always protect you."

***

Champions,

Looks like Ode is out for this round.

Kane scene coming up next.

Best,

Sophia