"Okay" I whisper. Sorin leans against the headboard with me in his arms and I stare at the ceiling for a bit until my headache starts to subside. "What happened after I passed out?"
"Nothing much, Baldar disappeared. I grabbed you and carried you inside while the prince and Sam stalked after me. The noise woke up Sylvie and she popped her head out of her room, took one look at you and grabbed us some medicine to give you when you awoke. Since the tunnels to our quarters are a bit shorter than yours, we all decided to bring you here. It has only been about three hours. We have been waiting for you to wake up. You really scared us."
"Okay." I pull myself from Sorin and coax my legs to stand, holding on to the headboard when the room starts to spin a little.
Sorin rises next to me and scoops me up in his arms. "Maybe you shouldn't be walking right now."
I nod and lay my head on his chest, trying not to lose my lunch. "Let me see everyone."
"Are you sure?" Sorin's eyes fill with concern, and he smooths one hand over my forehead.
"Yes, please. I am sure this will wear off eventually. I am just tired. Who knew coming into your powers would be so exhausting?" I laugh weakly.
Sorin throws me a sympathetic smile but complies with my request and walks me into the other room.
Chapter thirty-seven
From A Distance
Sam
Some hours earlier…
I am sitting against one of the large trees lining the clearing watching the little warrior's fire flit across the grass when I see it. A boot, then a figure darting away to my left. I stand ready to go after whoever dare lurk in the woods while the little warrior trains, when I see her fall. I flash over to her, but Sorin has caught her before I can make it.Good man.
We run back to Sylvie's cottage where I collect a bit of meat for Alaceandra. The pest who calls himself a prince follows behind us until we reach mine and Sorin’s cottage. There, we wait. I do not mind the pest's company nearly as much as I did when I encountered him. In fact, he has grown on me quite a bit, not that I would let him know that. His ego is much too large as it is and I will not help in inflating it. Still, he did help me get to safety when he thought my life was on the line, and for that he has earned a modicum of my respect. Although the injury would not have proved fatal- seldom do for those of my kind- the true fear the man showed on my behalf was one I will remember. I sit with him now on this tiny sectional, waiting for my little warrior to awaken. I know she will and yet I find I am stressed at the reasoning behind her fall. It is unnatural that such a small task would exhaust her so much. Moving a bit of her magick around should have been child's play once she figured out how to do it, and yet…and yet it was not.My mind flashes back to that figure in the woods. I must find them and figure out why they were watching Alaceandra. Maybe they can provide me some information.
Wood creaks and I stand with the pest. My little warrior looks exhausted as she is carried into the room and placed on the sectional. My brow knits in concern.
"How are you doing?" I ask.
"I am okay, just tired."
"She almost passed out when she stood from the bed."
That is definitely worrisome. She should be recovered it has been three hours. I must catch the lurker."Seems like more than a little, Lace. Here eat this." I hand her the bit of meat that I procured and watch her take a bite. "You should rest today and we will continue your training tomorrow. There has to be a better way to train you without exhausting you." I start to pace.She must be recovered by tomorrow. We will need to ramp upher training especially if she is being watched. She is improving in her dagger skills but not fast enough. We are far too close to the solstice; we cannot be delayed.
"Is it not normal to be tired after training a new skill?" she asks through a mouthful of food. My racing thoughts pause at how adorable she looks when she eats.
The pest's snort jars me from those thoughts. "Nope," he says dryly and I glare at him until he meets my eyes. He raises his brows at me, his gaze challenging and I hold back a snarl.
Taking a breath, I answer Alaceandra's question "Tired, yes, but not like this. Think about how you feel after our trainings in the morning. Your muscles are sore and your body weary but you are still able to function. It should be much the same when training your abilities. You should be mentally maybe a little drained, but not so much so that you lose consciousness for three hours. Unless, of course, something interf-" A thought hits me and I stop pacing.What if they are the reason she cannot control her powers yet. It would only mean war if they did, but I have to ask."Did you… dream at all?"
"Dream?" She is understandably confused,but I need her to answer.
"Yes, dream. Try to remember. Was it all darkness or did you see anything?" I press.
She concentrates on something. "I- I do not remember. Maybe… there was a voice, I think?" I suck in a quiet breath, ice filling my veins. "No, I am sorry. Nothing is coming to mind." She lays down, but I have enough to go on.I must find that lurker. Now.
Looking back to my old friend I say, "I need to go. Sorin, can you watch, Lace?"
The pest rolls his eyes. "I can watch the princess." I have no time for his childish antics. I need to go.
"I will need you at the north wall today, I have something I must attend to." Luckily he too knows the dangers that this place holds, so he takes his watch seriously whenever I ask him to take a shift.
"And that is?" He narrows his eyes at me, and I have to take a deep breath as to not deck the man.
The room darkens marginally as I say, "Something we will speak of later." I glance at Alaceandra to see if she noticed my loss of temper but she appears to be none the wiser.
