The Sanctuary

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

I don’t know how long I had stood there. Much longer than was safe, much longer than my training allowed of me. But I stood, rooted, my feet not able to move, completely and utterly frozen.

I could still feel the pressure of his lips against mine and a strange feeling began to overwhelm me. A whirring of colliding emotions, a need to run after him, disgust at letting him do what he did, the temptation to want him to do it again. The absolute impossibility of the situation and my guilt for having the mission fail and letting myself be distracted by the blue eyed Farsay.

What had I done?

A prisoner, an enemy, a man part of the very family that caused horror and pain to mine. 

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thoughts to go away, the feelings to dissaparate as quickly as he had done. But when I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by the lush furniture of the royal castle, the silent trepidation of being in enemy grounds, and my own pattering heart, betraying me.

“Leave, Alaya. The others have escaped.”

I needed to leave. You are a Rider. Leave.

What was I to go back to? They would see it in my eyes, my betrayal. They would see how weak I had become, how I’d wronged them and everything we stood for.

Maybe if I find the children myself. Sure, the others may have failed but maybe I could redeem myself, maybe I could get them back to the Sanctuary safely, and the others wouldn’t know how I had kissed the crown prince-

A far away clattering shook me out of my thoughts.

Footsteps. Many footsteps.

You fool, Alaya!  Pushing my crazed thoughts to the back of my mind, I turned my heel and ran, as silently as I could, back the way I had come.  Passing the fallen soldiers I had attacked, I stepped over their fallen bodies, closing my eyes as I did so, and ran right through the doors. The wind hit me hard as I entered the tunnel, but I kept my eyes forward, trying to reach the tower as fast as I could.

A warning trumpet sounded, blasting through the air. I stopped, and I was suddenl aware of every sweat droplet, pooling at my back. 

It was only a moment of silence, and then a horde of cries. It burst through the Kingdom, the castle suddenly flaring with lights and people, utter mayhem and chaos. People were shouting, soldiers were yelling, and I, I stood there, right outside the tower, and I knew I was in deep trouble.

I swung open the door to the tower and I began to clatter down the stairs, my feet moving quickly. And then - the familiar glint of metal armour in the moonlight.

Farsay soldiers. Coming up the stairs of the tower. 

Our eyes met.

Five, six – I counted them quickly, but their eyes had widened and I couldn’t leave that opportunity behind. I yelled, and charged forward, hitting them with my shoulder. My wounds cried in protest, but the men fell backwards anyway. One of them grabbed at my ankle, and pulled me down and with a jumble of screams, we all fell down the stairs in a heap of bodies and armour. 

The metal armour did no good for them now. A tangle of five soldiers and I was up to my feet in less than a second, before pulling out the Farsay sword I had strapped to my waist, and lunging down, slamming the sword into the neck of the first man.

Another slice, and the other man’s arm was off.

Another slam, and the man's head twisted, and he fell to the ground.

Hit and strike, and thwack. It was almost easy. Before they could even rise to their knees, all of the Farsay men were dead.

I paused, breathing heavily. Something warm, on my cheek.