The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1)

by Melissa Collins

  “Leyna, stay still,” Thade argued, pressing her back down onto the table. Struggling against Enaes and the nurse, she tried again to sit up, her eyes focused on the door. Her chest and side burned, coursing through her body. It was excruciatingly painful, her cries filling the room, though she continued to fight to get to her feet. Being careful not to apply too much pressure to her wounds, Thade pressed her firmly down once again, pinning her there securely under the weight of his body. “Stop! You are going to kill yourself if you keep moving.”

  She didn’t want to die. There were too many things she hadn’t had a chance to do. Reina. She needed to get back to Reina. She promised her she would come back for her. How could she do that if she was dead? It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be. Everything was all very wrong.

  Time passed by without her having any knowledge of it. She wasn’t sure exactly when Thade had released his hold on her shoulders, but she was very aware of him at her left side again, tearing at the sleeve of her jacket to get to the entry site of the arrow. “No – please don’t,” she begged, feeling the pressure of his hand preparing to pull the tip loose from the wound. It was in deep. The pain was already almost unbearable just from the weight of his hand on the slender piece of wood. If he did anything else with it, the pain was sure to only get worse.

  Ignoring her pleading, Thade gave a hard tug, the sound of the arrow dislodging from her bone reaching her ears over the shrill shrieks of pain escaping her lips. There was no masking the agony that she was feeling. For the first time in years, she gave in to the fact that she was still a child, the reality of her injuries frightening her beyond words. It didn’t matter anymore who saw her cry. She was tired of pretending to be something she wasn’t.

  Shock was starting to set in. Through her panic, she recognized the symptoms of it. She’d witnessed many soldiers experience it from wounds they incurred during battle. It had been far easier to deal with when she was the one holding their hand to coax them through. On the other end of it, the feeling was far worse. She was vaguely aware of Thade’s hand clasping hers, the wound numbing her left arm. His hand was lightly pressed against the side of her head, the familiar thrum of energy humming in her ears. She’d heard that sound before. After the Ven’shal attacked her, the same noise had been heard coming from Feolan while he fought against the dark magic filling her lungs. She couldn’t see Thade’s hand though. It hurt too much to move.

  Whatever he was doing, she found her fatigue growing rapidly. His voice was whispering gently into her ear, almost hypnotic in its tone. “Rest, Leyna. Everything will be alright. I just need you to close your eyes and try to sleep.”

  Sleep. She’d wanted to do that since before he had tortured her with removing the arrows. It had been evading her successfully to that point, though now it felt more within her reach. Her mind was slowly growing blank, the sound of Thade’s soft assurances drifting off until they no longer were words to her. It was like an angel breathing into her ear, silencing the confusion of her thoughts, and replacing them with the impenetrable dark of unconsciousness.

  Her mother sat her down on the ground, inhaling a deep breath of the chilly evening air. They had come to a small, cozy looking home on the outskirts of town, the flickering light of candles dancing in the windows. She didn’t recognize this place, but her mother seemed to know it very well. For the first time since they had left home, there was a look of hope in her eyes.

  Gently she rapped on the door, listening and waiting for some response from inside. Footsteps. Someone was home. They were moving closer to the door, hesitating briefly before opening it just a crack to see who was there. “Who is it?”

  It was a woman’s voice. Her mother looked startled by the sound, but regained her composure quickly. “Is Mr. Diah home?”

  “Master Diah is preparing for bed. I suggest that you return in the morning when the hours are more suitable for visitation.”

  “No, please, you must understand. This is an emergency. If you tell him that Sarayi is here, he will know me,” she pleaded, tugging Leyna in closer to her. A flower bush near the porch had caught her attention, her small legs starting to move in to investigate it until the pull of her mother’s hand caused her to step back to the door.

  The woman narrowed her eyes, staring hard at Sarayi before opening the door to allow them through. “Wait here. I will see what he wishes done with you.”

  To the mind of a child, the wait seemed forever until a man finally appeared from around the corner of a dark hallway off to the left. He was taller than she had expected. His eyes were a deep shade of emerald green that glowed brilliantly in the dim candlelight. His features were sharp and elegant, the high cheek bones and chiseled jaw line creating quite a sight in the flickering illumination. His dark hair was tousled, clearly having been pulled back in a rush with a few stray strands hanging down in front of his pointed ears. “Sarayi? My dear, what has happened?”

  “It is Damir. He knows – about us. Or at least about Leyna.”

  “How did he find out?” Their tones were hushed, both of them sounding panicked but being careful not to be overheard by the others who might be inside the house.

  “I am not certain. But when he came home today, he knew. I worry my father said something. He has been trying to anger him so that he might do something to prove he is practicing that sorcerous magic. I hate to think he would have intentionally put us at risk just to improve his own position.”

  “That sounds like your father,” the man frowned. “Did he hurt you or Leyna?”

  “He tried to kill her, but we got away. I am frightened, Aviden. He will seek to find us and kill us if we stay in Tanispa.”

  “I would take you in and protect you if I could, you know I would. But I am married now and have a small child of my own. I cannot put them in so much danger.”

  “What do I do, then? I do not want to die but I have to at least make sure Leyna is safe. She is your daughter as much as mine. Could you not at least take her in until I can find somewhere safe for her and I to go?” His daughter. What about the other man? None of this was making any sense to her.

  Aviden was quiet for a moment. His emerald eyes were deep in thought, staring down at Leyna sadly. “I cannot take her in without my wife questioning.” Silence again. Why was he looking at her like that? Wrinkling up her nose she stuck her tongue out at him, moving in to lean against her mother’s leg. “I have an idea. We need to get you on the road as quickly as possible to Mialan.”

  “What is there in Mialan?”

  “I have a friend there by the name of Rohan. He is a good fighter and would be able to help protect you. His wife recently died in child birth and left him with a newborn child and another daughter to raise. He will most likely be happy just to have someone there to help him care for the child. As long as no one is aware of where you are going, you should both be safe there.”

  “But how do we even get there –”

  Grabbing a cloak from off a rack near the door, Aviden laid it over Sarayi’s shoulders, pulling it up to cover her face. “Wait out back. I will have one of my men ready a horse for you. You need to be on the road tonight before Damir has a chance to follow your tracks.”

  He reached his hand out toward Sarayi, sliding it lightly under the fabric of the cloak. Using his thumb, he wiped a tear from her cheek, gazing at her sadly. They both stood in silence, their eyes never leaving the other’s. Aviden leaned in toward her, kissing her tenderly before stepping back from her once again. Without a word, he turned away, disappearing into the back of the house as Sarayi gathered Leyna into her arms and carried her through the door into the night.

  Her eyelids felt like rocks on her face, weighing down her head. They were swollen. She could tell by the way they impeded on her vision, never fully opening. Every inch of her body ached and burned as if fire coursed through her veins. Her left arm was numb; the only sensation to let her know it was still attached was a dull
tingle in the tips of her fingers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move them, finding the entire limb useless to her.

  The first instinct she had was to panic; but she lacked the energy to follow through. What could she possibly panic about anymore? The damage was done, though she wasn’t quite sure of the extent of it. Opening her eyes took every ounce of energy left in her. She had to trust that the rest of her body was still intact without requiring visual confirmation. Just the thought of trying to lift her head made her want to cry from exhaustion.

  Her memories were jumbled at first. She couldn’t quite remember what had happened to cause her to be trapped on the bed she was lying in. She didn’t even remember how she had gotten into the bed. The last thing she could recall was lying on a hard table with Thade lulling her to sleep. She’d been injured badly. There was no way to deny that, given the way her body continued to throb. Arrows. She had been shot. Prince Enaes had seen her face. Once again it struck her as odd that she was still worried about such a trivial detail. It had felt so important to her before, but now – nothing mattered anymore. She would be lucky if she survived her wounds, let alone being concerned about whether or not she would be allowed to continue on in the military.

  It had been so long since she’d felt the soft cushion of a bed that it was uncomfortable to her. It molded too perfectly to the shape of her body. She had grown accustomed to the uneven rocky terrain of the mountain under her back. The blankets were painstakingly embroidered, the threads soft and silky against her skin. Smells of wildflowers wafted through the room to meet her nostrils, coming from all directions in the spacious area. The palace. She’d seen the flowers there when her injuries were being tended to. Somehow she was still there, tucked in gently to one of the massive beds in the guest quarters.

  “It is best you do not move much.” Thade’s voice sounded strained, but she couldn’t tell if it was genuine or if her ears were having difficulty registering his words. She wanted to see his face, but her inability to turn her head prevented her from doing so. All she could sense was that he was somewhere to her right, seated not far away.

  She tried to speak, her voice catching in her throat before she could form any words. She was comforted by the thought that he was safe. A wave of relief passed through her to know the arrows intended for him had missed their mark. “Why does it still hurt so much? It was just a couple of arrows. I should not feel this sick.”

  A gentle pressure somewhere on her right arm indicated his hand resting against her skin. It felt detached… like it wasn’t her body, but that she was watching him comfort her from somewhere outside, looking in on them. “Leyna – the tips of those arrows were laced with a very strong poison. The assassins did not come here with the intent of fighting a battle. Their goal was to kill their intended targets and then flee. I doubt they were anticipating a single person intercepting those blows.”

  “They were aiming at you –”

  “I know.” His voice had grown quieter. The truth was difficult for him to admit. “It should be me lying here instead of you, Leyna.”

  “No,” she coughed, her throat dry and scratchy from her long sleep. “No… if you were lying here, then I would have failed in my duties and I never would have been able to live with myself if that was so.”

  “And I am having a hard time living with myself knowing that I put you in a situation with so much risk of this happening. Why the gods are punishing you for my mistake, I am not sure I will ever understand.”

  “But the Prince… he is safe?”

  Thade was quiet for a moment before responding, hanging his head with a soft sigh. “Yes, he is in good health. The arrow that would have struck him was blocked by your arm. The Vor’shai are in your debt more than you could possibly know.”

  “And the General?”

  “He took a single arrow to the leg before the enemy was taken down. Their intentions were to assassinate him and I while we were separated from the unit. A good tactical strategy on their part in order to try and weaken our military. Thanks to you, they were killed before they could succeed.”

  Through her pain, she was amazed at the clarity with which her thoughts were coming. A sense of calm had settled over her. She was accepting the reality of it all. Her duties were completed and she had been successful. Even if she were to die, she would die honorably instead of merely slaughtered at the hands of the men who had so ruthlessly taken the life of her mother. Her own end would be with dignity, her deeds remembered by her people for years to come.

  There was still something nagging at the back of her mind. The Sanarik had intended to take out the commanding officers. Were they directing their attacks only toward those in Siscal, or could Feolan be at risk back in Velorum? He and Laoter were still there… and they would be vulnerable to an attack with the units separated and still recovering from their last battle. “Commander Feolan – has there been any word from him in Velorum?”

  “I sent a courier to him as soon as things cleared outside the palace,” he assured her. “You have been asleep for several days, but plans have already begun to push into motion. General Matias has returned to Velorum and Commander Feolan and Laoter will be arriving back in Siscal at any moment. Prince Enaes headed to Tanispa and will return in a day or two with the Tanispan General, Cadell. The royal family took the Sanarik attack quite personally and with their help, we will be pushing forward with a strong offensive plan until Queen Nesperiti is able to convince the Namiren King Galidric to discuss peace.”

  “General Matias is in good health?”

  “His wound was more superficial than anything. A slight fever from the poison, but it did not strike deep enough to cause anything more.”

  So much had happened while she slept. It felt as though the entire world around her had changed without her knowing. The war would be more dangerous now, with the arrival of the Tanispan military. If the enemy forces were foolish enough to try and make their way into the Siscalian territory, they would be taken down quickly and easily with the addition of the Vor’shai amongst their arsenal. It would only be a matter of time before they would be forced off the mainland – but what next? Would Siscal’s soldiers take chase to Namorea?

  “I will be at Feolan’s side when he arrives. There is little time to waste in our preparations if Prince Enaes will be here with his troops…”

  “Leyna.” She didn’t like the tone of his voice. It was too somber, the way he said her name. “You will remain in bed, as you are. Prince Enaes is bringing his personal guards with him to Siscal. They have been given orders to see you safely to Tanispa and out of the line of danger that is sure to come upon this country before the month ends.”

  To Tanispa? She couldn’t leave Siscal. Not yet. There was still so much that needed to be done, and Feolan would need her help on the field. She needed to get out of that bed and to her feet in order to prove to Thade that she was strong enough to fight. “There is nowhere for me to go in Tanispa. I refuse to leave the unit here. Please, have someone gather my things so that I can be presentable when Commander Feolan arrives.”

  “You will not be leaving this bed if it means I have to chain you down to it, Lieutenant. That is an order.”

  Order. She hated that word, but she knew that even without it, there was no way she was going to be getting out of the bed any time soon. Chains wouldn’t be necessary to keep her there. Her body still felt detached from her brain, the signals telling her limbs to move cutting short before they could reach the muscles. She was paralyzed and yet still could feel every inch of her veins burning with the fire of the poison in her system.

  “The Lady Faustine runs a home just outside of Sivaeria. It is a bit like a boarding school for young ladies, but she can only take in a few girls at a time and is widely sought after, especially among the nobility. Prince Enaes has arranged for you to be taken in there while you are recovering,” Thade added, his voice softening once again to his usual calmer tone.

  The Prince ha
d arranged for her to go to school. She wanted to be upset, but her eerily calm mind wouldn’t let her emotions veer toward anger. But did he know her true age? Was that the reason he had pulled the strings he did for her, or was there something more to it than what Thade was telling her. “He knows, doesn’t he?” she said quietly. No elaboration was needed for her question with him. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

  His head shook slowly, the movement barely noticeable in her peripheral vision where she continued to try and turn her eyes to face him. “No. Once the initial shock of the situation had passed, he ceased to question your age. However, you are undoubtedly very young, without needing to know the true number of years that you have lived. The arrangement with Lady Faustine is his way of showing his gratitude for your actions. Most young Vor’shai women would die to get accepted into her home.”

  “Well then, my situation seems a bit cliché,” Leyna chuckled, her laughter cutting short from the pain it caused in her chest. Her face contorted into an agonized grimace, gritting her teeth until the sensation had subsided, returning back to the dull ache which continued to plague her.

  With a sympathetic gaze, Thade laughed quietly at the humor in her words, patting her arm gently with his hand. “Perhaps I should have worded that differently.”

  A click sounded from somewhere in the room, outside of her line of sight. It sounded like a door opening, the soft pressure of Thade’s hand on her arm lifting as he rose to his feet. “Ah, Commander. You made it.”

  “We rode through the night in order to cover more ground. How is she? Has her condition stabilized?”

  It felt good to hear Feolan’s voice. She’d been worried about him since they had left him in Velorum. Though she knew he was perfectly capable of handling himself in battle, she couldn’t help but still be concerned. He and Thade had become such close friends that she didn’t want to think about what it would be like if she lost them. She felt she was losing them anyway. Just in a different sense. They wouldn’t be able to come with her to Tanispa. She would be starting all over again, just like she had done in Carpaen with Reina and in Siscal when she’d first met Thade. It felt like she would never find a place where she belonged that she wouldn’t eventually end up uprooted from.