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

by Melissa Collins

  Rushing to his aid Leyna fought off the thugs. They were falling, some easier than others, but defeated all the same. Only a few more. Kael was shouting something behind her but she didn’t pay any heed. With his men dead, she and Enaes would be able to take Kael down easily. Turning to the last Ven’shal standing, she drove her blade through his back, thrusting it upward while twisting the hilt savagely. Using her foot she kicked him from her sword, discarding his body in a bloody heap on the ground.

  As the man fell she caught sight of something at the edge of her vision. Enaes wasn’t moving. A harsh cough escaped him, hands grasping at some object protruding from his abdomen. Leyna stared at him. Unwilling to register what she was seeing. In Leyna’s eyes everything was moving in slow motion, his body doubled forward, blood quickly filling his mouth, trickling down his lips as he collapsed to his knees.

  Gradually the scene began to sink in. She’d been too late. She was right there, fighting by his side, and yet somehow she’d missed it. Somehow she’d moved too slow. The dead thug’s blade had torn through Enaes before she could stop him.

  “No!” she screamed. Over and over the word came out, meaningless in her panic, but somehow reflexive, an outlet for the horror and pain which overwhelmed her senses. “No, no, no…”

  Awkwardly, she knelt down before Enaes, her injured leg extended out to the side. The adrenaline continued to mask the pain, but the dull throb she felt through the length of her leg told her that she had overexerted it beyond that which was allowable for it to heal. It didn’t matter to her. Enaes was covered in blood, his hands clutching at the handle of his enemy’s blade. He struggled to remove it, his progress stopped by Leyna’s gentle touch.

  “Wait,” she whispered, leaning over to tear off a large strip of fabric from her skirt. “We need some kind of tourniquet or you will bleed out before I can get you to a doctor. Can you hold this?”

  His fingers trembled as he accepted the material. He was shaking. And yet he remained calm, even in the face of his own death.

  She doubted her abilities to tend a wound the size and severity that this looked to be. It seemed pointless. The wound was too great. But she had to try. She needed to give him some kind of hope at least.

  Tightening her fingers around the hilt of the sword, she inhaled, pulling it back hard, throwing her weight behind the effort in fear that the sword would stick and aggravate the wound. Once it was free, she grasped the fabric from Enaes’s limp and bloodied fingers, leaning in to wrap it around him. Tears filled her eyes. This was all her fault. If he hadn’t been so caught up in finding her, he never would have come there. He never would have left his guards.

  “Do you weep at the thought of my death?” he asked quietly, his voice cracking from the pain. She gazed at him, misery drawn on his face.

  “Of course I would weep at your death. But you are not going to die. We are going to get you out of here.”

  Her fingers fumbled desperately over the knot she was attempting to tie in the thick fabric. Enaes’s hand lightly caressed her cheek, a strained smile forming over his paling lips. “Knowing that I am in your arms makes death not seem quite so frightening.”

  “You are not dying,” she argued, tears of frustration and pain streaming down her face as she fought to get back to her feet, his body like deadweight to her arms. “I need you to help me if you can. Lean on me. We need to get you out of here.”

  Suddenly, Enaes’s eyes opened wide with shock, his body pitching forward against her under some great force. Gasping in surprise, Leyna wrapped her arms around him, fighting to keep him up but losing the battle, crumpling down to her good knee under the weight. There behind him she could see Kael’s cruel eyes staring down at them. Laughing. His laughter rang through the garden walls, his hands still wrapped around the handle of a large dagger dug deeply into Enaes’s back. “And to think – you could have slept your way to a crown,” he smirked coldly.

  “You bastard!” she shouted, clinging desperately to Enaes’s limp body dangling from her arms. “I will see you burn for this, Kael.”

  “Do you think that frightens me?” Kael asked, tilting his head curiously to one side. Fiercely, he grabbed onto Enaes’s lifeless form, tearing it from Leyna’s grasp and throwing it unceremoniously down onto the gravel path. “The only reason you are still alive is because Damir requires it. He has a special death in mind for you. I expect he will be ecstatic to learn that you are exactly what we thought. Regardless, you and I both know you don’t stand a chance against me. I have your blood on my blade to prove that.”

  With calm and precise movements, Leyna pulled the dagger from Enaes’s back, the crimson liquid staining the weapon, thick and dark in the sunlight. She took in steady breaths, her chest rising and falling slowly. The strange energy flowed through her limbs once more as she stood up. Everything fell into slow motion, the way it had looked when she witnessed Enaes collapsing to the ground from his mortal wound. She felt in control. Powerful. Moreover, Kael looked weak to her now.

  She could feel the blade of the dagger in her hand. Her fingers clutched it, tightening to ensure a firm grip. As if guided by an invisible force, her arm lashed out at Kael, raking the tip of the dagger across his throat, narrowly escaping the full strike as he stumbled backward in awe, wiping at the blood visible over the wound.

  “And I have your blood on this blade,” Leyna stated calmly, holding the dagger up for Kael to see, the thick liquid pooling in the groove. “The gods have witnessed your treachery. But it will be by my hand that you receive your punishment.”

  “Whatever helps you sleep better at night, darling.” Kael’s voice was casual and uncaring, but the look in his eyes revealed a hint of uncertainty at what he saw there, burning in Leyna’s gaze. “There will be time for dealing out punishments later. Right now there is much to be done. Arcastus wakes. We will see then whose treachery is worse.”

  Turning on his heel, Kael disappeared around the corner from where he had come. Leyna wanted to run after him, to make him pay for what he had done, but the energy was leaving, her body drained. Exhausted. Pain was beginning again in her leg, worse than the dull ache she’d experienced before. Whatever had been allowing her to function during the fight was wearing off faster than she could gather her thoughts. Falling from her motionless hand, the dagger dropped to the ground, forgotten.

  The area looked like a war zone. Bodies lay broken and battered over the ground, blood spilling onto the vibrantly colored flowers circling the path. Shock was beginning to set in, taking over her senses to render her motionless, consumed by the horror of reality. Enaes was dead. He had died in her arms. She’d witnessed the moment of his passing. The moment that she failed to protect her Queen’s son.

  There must have been something she could have done to prevent it. Where had she gone wrong? She should have seen the attack coming, the way she’d seen the Sanarik loading their bows that day in Queen Nesperiti’s courtyard. Her time out of training had left her weakened and vulnerable. It was unacceptable! Dallying with the court and fraternizing with the enemy to gain information was not where she belonged. She was needed on the battlefield, practiced and prepared for the war that was coming. Thade would argue it – but then, that was before their Prince had been murdered.

  Thade. Oh, how would she tell him? How could she tell anyone what happened? It would be the greatest tragedy in Leyna’s lifetime. The Queen would be furious to know they had failed to protect her son. The heir to her throne. She had already lost so many children at the hands of the Ven’shal. Vorsila would not hesitate to declare war against them now.

  Breaking through the shock, Leyna was suddenly painfully aware of the excruciating fire burning through her injured leg. Her crutch would be useless. She needed to get Enaes’s body out of here, and that couldn’t be done while balancing her own weight on that clumsy stick.

  With a strained groan, she gritted her teeth, hoisting Enaes up into her arms. Leyna cursed her weakness. During the war, she h
ad dragged many of her fallen soldiers from the battlefield, never thinking twice about their weight. Her arms felt like mush. She needed to find the quickest route to the front of the chapel. If Thade and Feolan were even still there.

  Oh, gods – what if they are dead too? No. She wouldn’t think about that. She needed to focus on getting Enaes out of the garden. It was backtracking, but going through the chapel would be the shortest route.

  The pain got worse with every step. Enaes’s weight combined with her own was too much for her injured leg. She feared it would snap again, from the pressure. Just a little further. The chapel was only about four steps away. Three. Two. One.

  Moving into the chapel, Leyna noticed the main door leading out onto the street was open. Some kind of commotion could be heard through it, but she couldn’t make out what was being said. The voices sounded concerned. A little frantic. She could make out Feolan’s voice. Calm. Soothing. Leyna feared the worst when she heard Maeri’s frightened responses. She was near hysterics over something. And they didn’t even know…

  She couldn’t take anymore. Why was the door so far away? It had seemed a much smaller room when they gathered for the ceremony. Now it loomed before her like a mountain, feeling impossible to reach the summit. There was no choice but to keep going. Clutching Enaes tightly in her arms, she felt him slipping. She adjusted her grip to hoist him up further, afraid of dropping him.

  At the frame of the chapel door, Leyna felt her balance falter, stumbling against the edge. Her legs forced her body forward into the street. All eyes turned toward the clatter of her feet scraping over the gravel, her muscles giving out from the exertion and sending her collapsing in defeat. She couldn’t keep going. Her body was exhausted beyond limits, emotionally drained and confused. Her hands continued to hold tightly to Enaes’s body, not wanting to let it go. She couldn’t maintain her grasp for much longer. The weight seemed to increase with every passing moment, pulling her down with it. Giving in, she lowered him to the ground, bending over him, tears of fear and exhaustion streaming down her face.

  She lifted her head the most she could manage, searching the crowd for the familiar faces of her friends. She needed to know that they were alive and safe. Footsteps were approaching quickly from her right, their rhythm skidding to a halt in front of Leyna. Turning her head, she saw Thade’s confused eyes staring back at her in a flash of brilliant silver. He looked as though someone had just struck him in the stomach. His jaw fell agape in horror, staring at Enaes’s body in her arms, blood still trickling over his blue lips.

  In an almost drunken stupor, Thade stumbled forward, sliding over the gravel to his knees in front of Leyna. She feared he would have fallen if one of the guards at his side had not extended an arm to steady him. He knelt in shock for a moment, hands clutched desperately at the sides of his own face. Slowly he reached out. His whole body was trembling, moisture welling up in the corners of his eyes, lingering. Taking the corpse of Enaes from Leyna, he pulled him in tightly to his chest, clinging to him in agony. “Enaes, you fool,” he whispered, rocking back and forth on his knees. “What were you thinking? Why?”

  Leyna couldn’t bear to watch the pain she saw there in Thade’s eyes. It was worse than seeing the sword pierced through Enaes’s body, crushing her heart into little pieces. The guilt was paralyzing. Thade begged the question of Enaes’s corpse. Why? She knew why. It was because of her. He was thinking about her, and he foolishly ignored the possibility of danger. She had warned him! She tried to get him to leave, but he was inexorable. Stubborn until the very end.

  But noble. Honorable. He had been so brave in his final moments. Convinced of his love for her.

  She didn’t dare tell Thade the name of the assassin yet. He would blame himself for having not killed Kael when he had the chance. He could have easily struck him down rather than rendering him unconscious, but he’d been merciful. There had been no way of knowing then what he was capable of. What Damir and Kyros would use him for. Doing their dirty work so they could keep their hands clean.

  Through her guilt-stricken thoughts, she became aware of Thade’s eyes on her, watching her, struggling to hold back the emotions that continued to threaten his gentle features. “Leyna,” he whispered. Swallowing hard, he paused to try and maintain his composure. “What happened? Please, tell me what happened.”

  The others were gathering around now. Maeri was behind her, looking her over for injuries. Leyna’s dress was covered in blood, most of it belonging to Enaes. Dirt was caked to her face from where she’d been held down at Kael’s command. She must look an absolute wreck.

  “Kael,” she grimaced, covering her face shamefully with her hands. “He had men with him. I tried to save him, but there were too many. I had no weapon and Kael knew I would be worthless on this stupid leg –”

  “Leyna, it’s not your fault,” Maeri sighed.

  “Yes it is!” Leyna shouted miserably. “He was there because of me. I told him it was dangerous and insisted he leave, but he wouldn’t listen! If it had not been for me, he would still be alive.”

  Feolan moved around to Leyna’s side, propping her arm around his neck. “We need to get you up. You are going to hurt your leg worse,” he frowned, nodding to Maeri to help him lift her off the ground. “A doctor will need to have a look at your back as well. It looks bad.”

  Her back? The pain there was so trivial in comparison to everything else. She’d forgotten all about it. Bringing her attention to it made her consciously aware of the draft fluttering over her skin there. Her bodice was dangling by the remaining laces, exposing the marks she’d hidden for so long. Kael had seen them. He would know now that she had never been a slave. Kyros and Damir had likely told him, but there would be no doubt now that Leyna had no questions regarding her identity. She would be exposed as a spy. Working against them all along.

  “My back is fine,” she argued. Frustrated, she tried to pull away, succeeding only in toppling back to the ground with a cry of pain at her injured leg giving out from under her.

  Thade’s grimace deepened to see her lying there in front of him. The guards looked on, hesitant, unsure of what they should be doing. They had failed in their job of protecting Enaes. But how could she blame them? Enaes was crafty. In the end, it had been his downfall.

  While Feolan and Maeri struggled to help Leyna back to her feet, Thade rose gracefully, arms still wrapped tightly around Enaes’s lifeless body. “Close off the chapel grounds,” he ordered to the guards. “When his body is secured, we will do a thorough investigation of the area. No one is to be allowed in or out until the search is concluded. Understood?”

  One of the guards bowed low in response, his eyes directed down to the ground out of respect. Following his lead, the others did the same, holding the position for a long moment before hurrying off to take up watch at the doors.

  “There is another entrance off the garden,” Leyna added quietly. “It is how he got inside.”

  “You heard the Lady,” Thade nodded toward two of the guards sternly. “Find the secondary entrance and secure it. Do not move until Lord Diah and I return.”

  It was strange to hear that name. Memories sparked in her head, causing her to flinch involuntarily at the thought. The joy of the occasion had been destroyed in an instant. Blood spatters stained the white fabric of Maeri’s dress from where she’d rubbed against Leyna. Feolan appeared dusty and sweat-covered from some unknown struggle. Now was hardly the time to ask him about what happened before she arrived.

  Stopped in the middle of the street, Thade kept his eyes locked straight ahead in the distance, his hold remaining firm on Enaes. “What was his reason for seeking you which required him to trick his guards into leaving him alone?”

  Leyna stared at him. It wasn’t a question she was prepared to answer. “He –” she stammered, searching for the right words. “He came to ask for my hand in marriage.”

  “And what was your response? Did you accept the proposal?”

&nbs
p; She tried to look past the disbelieving stares of Feolan and Maeri at her side. They would have to remain dumbfounded. She had no desire to explain it to them right now. “I gave no response other than to urge him to leave, insisting it was not the time or place and warning him of the dangers.”

  “Very well,” Thade mumbled quietly, moving past her toward the carriage. “Feolan, Maeri… if you can help her to my carriage, I can take her from there. You are in no way required to give up your plans on account of this unfortunate accident.”

  “We will accompany you,” Feolan nodded. Leaving the painful sight of the chapel, he and Maeri began to guide Leyna over to the carriage behind Thade, giving no hesitation at leaving their bridal coach empty. “There will be plenty of time for us to spend together. Right now, we are needed by our Prince.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sleep was impossible in the nights that followed Enaes’s death. When Leyna closed her eyes, all she could see was the look on his face while she held him in her arms, his fingers brushing her cheek, smiling through the pain. It haunted her. He died believing he loved her, and that misguided love led to his demise.

  Conversation between her and her friends had seemed hollow as well. There was nothing to be said. Only one child remained as heir to the Vor’shai throne. It frightened Leyna to think what would happen if something were to befall the young Prince. Vorsila would be left with nothing. No claim to the throne for the Levadis family. She would be forced to relinquish the crown to a new line upon her death, changing the course of Tanispa’s future to break ties with the old royal line of the past.

  Thade left for Tanispa immediately upon completing the inspection of the chapel grounds. It had fallen on him to bring the terrible news to the royal family. It was a tragedy. All of Tanispa would be in arms over the death, demanding that justice be served on the assassin. War would be on everyone’s lips.