The Gorin’s presence was immediately known to her. She opened her eyes and saw the cold wave that was approaching them. There would only be a matter of moments before they were surrounded.
“The Gorin are here,” Lexi called out as loudly as she dared. “They’re coming from over there.”
She pointed to the area of small trees to the left of the open area where she and the warriors were walking. In just seconds, twenty Gorin appeared, their weapons drawn. Lexi hoped that the warriors with her would remember how to kill them.
With Bryden by her side, she charged the Gorin, discharging her pulse weapon with her left hand and raising her sword in her right as she ran. Taking out the disgusting creature directly in front of her, she swung her sword with learned precision, effectively decapitating it and turning to her right to engage with the Gorin who was advancing on her.
The creature swung out at her, the vicious attack glancing across her left shoulder and slicing into her left thigh. She fell to her knees from the intense pain. Doing her best to remain centered, she shook her head to clear the haze that was threatening to take her.
She heard Bryden’s roar of fury before a sword came through the eye socked of the Gorin. It dropped at once. Dead. She watched as Bryden pulled his sword from the back of the Gorin’s skull.
“Thanks, Bry,” she told him, pushing to her feet.
“You are most welcome, my queen,” he told her, smiling down at her.
Lexi saw the warriors engaging in deadly battle with the Gorin. Some of the warriors had already sustained injuries. She was worried for them. She had to do something.
Turning to face Bryden once again, she was horrified to see the largest creature she had ever seen advancing on her brother-in-law. If Bryden had been facing the Gorin, she wouldn’t have been so afraid, but he wasn’t. He was facing her. That attention on her was going to cost him his life. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
Closing her eyes, she centered on the magic within her once again, fanning that golden and violet spark of magic with everything she could. She could feel the power building within her, but it wasn’t enough.
The tiny spark of white flickered brightly, igniting the magic with a fury that roared hot. Lexi dropped both of her weapons. She extended her arms outward and directed the power through her open palms, yelling out as the magic left her and burst in a bright white light around them.
Every Gorin exploded, a sickening smell of rotting flesh permeating the area. Lexi fell to her hands and knees as the scent overwhelmed her. She fought the nausea. She wouldn’t get sick in front of the warriors. A soldier did not show weakness. A queen did not show frailty. She could not cause Sebastian embarrassment. She had to be strong.
She held onto the contents of her stomach but lost her fight to remain conscious. She slumped forward, aware of nothing but the blessed darkness that engulfed her.
Chapter 33
Bryden carried Lexi into the castle at a breakneck speed. Travelling home on the transport had taken far longer than he was comfortable with. He had never been so afraid in all of his life. Lexi’s power had saved them, but it had also caused her to lose consciousness. The injuries on her arm and thigh were deep, covering him in his queen’s blood.
Sebastian met them as they entered the main corridor of their home. Bryden sensed his panic and was affected by his brother’s inability to keep himself under control. Sebastian’s magic was exploding all around them which caused Bryden great concern.
Bryden gave over the precious bundle within his arms, stepping back and saying a silent prayer that the heavens would keep his queen alive. He watched as Sebastian held his life mate gently against his chest, turned, and began walking down the corridor at a brisk pace.
“Follow me, Bryden,” he commanded.
Bryden caught up with his brother easily, remaining by his side as Sebastian carried his queen. Bryden thought about how he would feel if Francie had been the one who had been injured. A coldness settle within his heart at the very thought.
“We were surrounded by the Gorin,” Bryden told Sebastian as they picked up speed and began to run through the wide corridors. “She was able to tell us where they were. Your queen fought by our side taking down two of our enemy and sustaining the injuries to her arm and thigh.”
“She is a capable warrior,” Sebastian said proudly.
“She saved my life, Sebastian. Our enemy came at my back. She drew upon her power and sent a burst of white magic outward, killing every one of the Gorin.”
Sebastian nodded, grunting softly as he acknowledged his brother’s words. He knew that Lexi’s magic was powerful. Together, they had destroyed the Gorin that had attacked their encampment.
“It was after the Gorin fell that my queen lost consciousness,” Bryden added. “She is far more powerful and valuable than the prophecy had stated.”
“She is.”
Lexi moved restlessly within his arms. He stopped walking and looked down at her, seeing how she struggled to awaken.
“When she is aware again, I will tell her…” Sebastian began.
“Tell me what?” Lexi asked, opening her eyes and looking up at him. She fought through the haze that clouded her brain.
“I forbid you to engage in combat again,” he told her firmly.
Sebastian’s voice pushed through the confusion in Lexi’s head, but it was what he said that snapped her to full awareness. She pushed out of Sebastian’s arms and stood on unsteady legs, slapping away his hands when he tried to grip her arms.
“You forbid me?” she asked, incredulous.
“Yes. You are forbidden to engage our enemy ever again,” Sebastian told her firmly, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her with fire in his eyes.
Lexi took a calming breath. It didn’t help. She was furious. Never, never in her life had she been forbidden to do anything. She was an intelligent person. She was a trained soldier. She protected and cared for her sisters and her niece. Yet this man was denying her the right to have a say in her life.
There was no way was she going to let this one go. Love didn’t matter right then. This was a question of self-worth. It was also the fact that he was questioning her ability as a soldier. She understood his concern and his need to protect her, but they had already discussed this—and he was going back on his promise.
“I shall leave you two to your conversation,” Bryden said softly, bowing and turning to leave them.
Lexi watched him go, her face flaming with embarrassment that Bryden had been witness to Sebastian’s disrespect of her. She waited until Bryden turned the corner of the corridor before returning her attention to Sebastian.
He stood before her with his arms crossed over his broad chest. She saw the muscles bulging in his forearms as he held himself rigid. She also saw the golden magic mixed with violet sparking around him. There was an additional layer of red that was not the bright red that was her favorite color. This red was muddied and deep, telling Lexi that it was the representation of Sebastian’s anger.
Sebastian was angry. Well, that was just too damned bad. Lexi was furious. He wasn’t going to intimidate her. This stubborn, angry, and incredibly arrogant man that she absolutely adored, had crossed the line. She wasn’t going to bow to his commands. She wasn’t going to be intimidated by his anger. If he knew what was good for him, he would be wary of hers.
“I gave you a promise never to disrespect you in front of your people,” she told him calmly, resting her right hand on the stone wall to support herself as she felt dizziness taking hold. “It never occurred to me that I would have to ask you for the same courtesy.”
She pushed herself away from the wall and stood, willing her dizziness aside. She did her best to ignore the pain in her left arm and thigh. After she dealt with Sebastian, she would find Callie and have her help with her healing gift. She barely had the strength to stand on her own, and she was quickly losing that strength.
“Lexi…”
“Don’t talk to
me. Just listen,” she said, cutting him off. “You will show me respect. Always. You will honor my abilities. You will not order me to do anything. And you most certainly will not forbid me to do something.” She looked at him calmly, her eyes narrowing as her anger intensified. “If you ever treat me in this way again, whether it’s in front of others or when we’re alone, you will regret it.”
Sebastian watched her turn and walk away from him. “I already do,” he whispered.
He lowered his arms and clenched his fists in frustration. His heart hurt. It did not matter that he was only trying to protect her. He had disrespected her as a woman and as a warrior.
“I will not stay in a relationship where I am not respected,” she muttered to herself as she walked away.
She turned and made her way down the hallway, shaking her head to clear it. Her left leg was hurting. Hell, it was throbbing. If she didn’t get to Callie soon, she was going to pass out from blood loss. There was no way she was going to give Sebastian the satisfaction of seeing her weakness. She was going to get to her sister on her own steam.
She made her way down the wide corridor, squinting her eyes to concentrate and push the fuzziness from her brain. She had to think. She had to remember where her sister might be.
There had been warriors injured in the Gorin attack. Callie had to be tending to them. Lexi knew that Landon, as their healer, would be the one that the warriors sought out. It made sense that Callie would go to him to do what she could to help.
Turning to the right, she made her way through the corridor that would lead to the castle infirmary that Sebastian had shown her earlier that morning. She remembered how Landon had checked over every warrior that had been injured the day they had arrived home from their journey from the lagoon and the Gorin attack. Callie had been by his side the entire time. The respect and admiration that Landon had shown her sister made Lexi’s respect for him soar. He was a good man.
She needed to get to the infirmary. If Callie wasn’t there, Landon would be able to help her with her injuries until they could send for Callie. It was the only thing that Lexi could focus on. It was the only thing that gave her the strength to put one foot in front of the other as she slowly made her way through the empty corridor.
“Allow me to help you, Lexi,” Sebastian said quietly as he walked beside her.
“I don’t need your help,” Lexi said angrily, pushing away his arm as he tried to encircle her waist.
“Lexi,” Sebastian called to her as he followed behind her, his powerful stride easily keeping up with her slow, painful gait. “Please allow me to help, my love.”
Lexi stopped. She pressed her right hand against the castle wall, breathing heavily. She didn’t want to accept his help, but she really thought that she might pass out any second.
“Help me get to the infirmary,” she said finally. “Landon can help me until we can find Callie.”
Sebastian nodded, reaching out and scooping Lexi up into his arms. He was aware that she held herself rigid within his hold, and was saddened that he had caused her to pull away from him.
Setting his mind on making it up to her, he walked toward the infirmary, more than concerned that she was seriously injured. He was worried for her. He was also worried for their baby. He wondered if Lexi was aware of the tiny life growing within her.
“My love,” he began.
“Just take me to Landon,” Lexi told him, cutting him off. “Just because I’m allowing you to help me, it doesn’t mean I’m not really angry with you, you know.”
Sebastian sighed as he shouldered open the door to the room where Landon saw to the welfare of others. He tried not to smile, but he was losing that battle very quickly. He truly loved the fire within his life mate. He needed her exactly as she was.
“I know this, my love,” he told her gently as he set her down on the empty examination table. He saw Landon coming toward them and felt great relief. “Landon, Lexi has been injured.”
“I can see that,” Landon responded, his voice calm as he came to her and took Lexi’s right hand within his to squeeze it reassuringly. “I can see to your injuries and ease your pain, my queen, but I would suggest that Lady Callie take care of you.” He looked at Sebastian and saw the worry in his king’s eyes. “She will be well, Sebastian.”
Sebastian nodded just once, taking one step back to give Landon room to help Lexi. The last thing he wanted to do was break his connection with her, but he knew that she needed him to give her the space that she needed to calm down.
“I will seek Lady Callie’s whereabouts,” he said finally.
“She is in the courtyard with Verrick,” Landon told him.
“I will send her to you,” Sebastian promised.
“Please ask her to come to the infirmary to help me,” Lexi told him, telling him with those gentle words that she needed him to make the request with respect, not command it.
“I will ask.”
Lexi nodded, keeping herself apart from him. She couldn’t risk losing her anger. She couldn’t back down. If she did, he would continue to treat her in this way.
She knew that she could have easily spoken to Gaiya through their telepathic link and ask her to have Callie come to the infirmary, but she decided not to. It was better if Sebastian left to find Callie. She needed him to be away from her—for now. She needed to cool off.
Sebastian turned and left the infirmary in search of Lady Callie. He had much to learn. It was engrained in him to take control and command. He would have to learn to temper his words and his instincts.
He also needed to explain why he reacted the way he had. It had been wrong to command her, but he could not prevent the words that came out of him when he saw the injuries that she had sustained.
All he could think about was losing the woman that he loved more than his own life. The danger of also losing the beautiful little girl that she was nurturing within her, gave root to his terror. He would never be able to go on without them in his life and within his arms.
Chapter 34
Lexi walked into the suite of rooms that belonged to Sebastian and stopped as she saw him standing before the stone fireplace. He turned to look at her, sadness and worry in his eyes.
“You are well?” he asked quietly.
“I am. Callie came and healed me pretty quickly. Thank you for asking her to go to the infirmary.”
Sebastian nodded, unsure what to say.
“You did ask her, right?”
“I made the request, yes.”
“Good.”
Sebastian watched as Lexi walked by him, wanting desperately to reach out and gather her within his arms and hold her tightly against him. He needed to touch her, feel the warmth of her love, and know that she was well, but he remained still as she opened the door that led to the healing pool. Relief filled him that she would choose to use the pool. He was going to suggest it to her, but did not know how to do so without sounding as if he was giving her a command.
He followed her, standing in the doorway and waiting. He watched as she walked over to the counter and began the flow of water within the basin. She scooped the warm water into her cupped hands and brought them up to carefully splash the liquid over her face.
He heard her sigh and knew that his woman was doing her best to keep herself under control. He knew that his gentle warrior needed someone to give her the opportunity to allow herself to let go. Every warrior needed the ability to release the pressure and the worries that were so much a part of their lives.
It was a necessary time of decompressing—allowing the weight of their responsibilities to be eased, if only for a brief time. A gentle touch or a moment of understanding did wonders for a person. He wanted to be the one to offer that tenderness to Lexi. He wanted her to know that moments of worry or fear did not diminish the strength or worthiness of the warrior.
He looked at her as she pressed her hands to the countertop and hung her head. She needed him. He wanted her to accept his help. He neede
d to see to her physical health, but it was her emotional health that concerned him. He did not want her to harbor bad feelings against him.
Walking toward her, he hesitated just a moment before reaching out and touching her hand gently. He felt the tension in her body at the connection and experienced a moment of pain within his soul that he had caused her to react that way.
Before he could speak or do anything, Lexi turned her hand over and accepted his hold, squeezing it lightly and sighing softly. Hope flared within him.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Lexi,” he told her sincerely. “I was filled with fear.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Will you please get into the healing pool to make certain that you are fully restored?” he asked her.
Lexi looked up at him. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes. He could also see her sadness. He had been the one responsible for putting that feeling there.
She released her hold on his hand and turned away from him to walk toward the healing pool. He remained silent as she removed her bloodied and torn clothing. When she dropped them to the tiled floor and stepped down into the pool of warm water, he walked over to it and hesitated.
Watching her sitting on the ledge seat and leaning back to rest in the healing water, he let out a slow breath of relief. Her eyes were closed and a soft sigh left her lips—lips that he wanted to kiss and claim. The beauty within her called to him. She was his to love and to care for, and he had hurt her deeply. He had to make things right.
Looking at the pool of water, he was happy to see that the clonar stones were glowing golden, telling him that Lexi was physically healed. It was her magic that needed strengthening. The golden glow told him that she had expended a great deal of the power she held within her.
Bryden had informed him of the magic that Lexi had wielded to destroy the Gorin who had surrounded them. Bryden had been shocked by Lexi’s ability. To be honest, Sebastian was, as well. He truly thought that he and Lexi needed to be connected in order to use their combined magic as a defense weapon.
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 45