Our armies became more and more mixed, but I was pretty far to the back. People were fighting now, while others continued to make their way forwards. Eventually, the Darks came to my point. I fought quickly, gliding forward, my real focus not on the battle, but on finding my target. Then, I saw him.
I pushed myself off the ground, into the sky. Every thought left me except for my need to make him pay for everything he’d ever done.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Luke knew she’d seen the First Obliviator. She was filled with grace and power as she flew into the sky. The whole scene was beautiful. The setting sun set her hair on fire and made her look as if she was glowing. Her dress swirled around her and her hair formed a halo around her head. The sheathed knife in her back reflected the light in a blinding manner. She was hard to look at, but both armies stopped and stared at her.
“Leigha!” he screamed, knowing it was useless.
Not hearing him, she tucked her wings in and shot down towards the First Obliviator, head first. A few feet before the ground she shot out her wings and did a front flip. Leigha landed gently on the ground in front of the First Obliviator.
Luke was close enough to watch it all. Leigha stared at the First Obliviator with fiery rage while he smirked back at her. Leigha lifted her arms and flicked her wrists, bringing knives into her hands.
Luke was lost watching them and didn’t notice a Dark Sider coming up behind him.
“Luke!” Alex cried, grabbing his attention.
He whipped around, holding his sword out. The Dark Sider’s head was sliced off in the motion. Sweat dripped down his face and he whipped back into combat with a cop ‘bot, forgetting about watching Leigha.
~~~~~
Once I saw the First Obliviator everything became a blur of motion and glinting knives. I’d fought him once before in hand to hand combat, but this was different. This was a fight to the death with a lot more powerful weapons.
We were almost evenly matched. I knew some of his weak points and he knew some of mine and he was able to put up a block in his mind, disabling my power against him. Something in me knew that somehow he was getting through my defenses, though I wasn’t registering the pain.
The First Obliviator may have been getting through, but so was I. The battle faded away around me, maybe it was ending, maybe I was just that focused. I stabbed at him with my knife and made a near fatal mistake of dropping one. I slammed a kick in his face while I unsheathed the sword on my back. After more fighting I hit him with the side of the sword right at his temple.
The second it happened I noticed Luke racing toward me. I’d knocked the First Obliviator unconscious. I collapsed to the ground and Luke grabbed the Obliviator.
“Stay here,” he panted.
Once Rob was out of my sight the pain crept in. I put my hand on my ribs and felt a sticky, warm liquid, which I immediately identified as blood. I looked down at my left leg, the reason for my collapse; I’d been cut to the bone. I looked back to my ribs on my right side. There were three gashes, all bleeding freely and bruising already showing. Along with another gash on my right arm, I could feel blood coming from a deep cut on the left side of my face and another across the back of my neck. It took me another moment to notice the horrible pain in my stomach. When I looked I found blood from a wound there had completely soaked through the front of my dress. The First Obliviator had stabbed me deep, almost all the way through, enough to kill me easily had I been human.
Scarlet began to rim my vision and I heard someone walk up behind me.
“Luke?” I croaked.
Someone grabbed my hands and twisted them behind me. I moaned in pain and struggled against passing out. Right before I gave up the fight I heard Claire’s voice.
She’d screamed my name.
I’d been captured.
~~~~~
I was shaken back to consciousness. We were still in the field, but most of both armies were gone. A few Darks remained for some reason, along with all of the injured Lights and the medical staff.
Wess and a few others were standing a few feet away, holding a passed out First Obliviator. Other faces were crowded around me, but I ignored them.
I leapt towards the First Obliviator and was close, so close, my hands almost grabbing his throat. Warm arms pulled me away and brought me gently to the ground; that’s when I realized how cold I was. Faces blocked my view of the First Obliviator and I relaxed a tiny bit.
I started to lose consciousness again.
“Leigha, you can’t kill him yet,” Claire’s gentle voice said, “We need the information he has.”
“He deserves to die,” I struggled to talk.
“I know he does, Leigha. He will, but now’s not the time.”
“He deserves to die now!” I felt the pain and tugged against unconsciousness.
“Leigha, please!” Claire had lost her calm and she forced me to look in her eyes, “Leigha, you’re...”
I felt myself starting to fall, but it was different from unconsciousness. I didn’t fight this. It was a smooth feeling and I thought I would stay in it forever, but I heard voices.
“Leigha, Leigha, can you hear me?” Claire asked frantically.
Multiple voices said, screamed and whispered my name. They were all around me. Why couldn’t they just let me sleep? I tried to block out the noise and welcomed the falling, the smooth blackness and the distant light. I surrounded myself in it and fell and fell and fell. The peacefulness was nice.
I’ve never felt so much peace, I thought, It’s almost like I’m dying.
One more noise pulled me out, one more voice, “Leigha, keep fighting. I need you. Lighteighanne, I love you.”
Right before I completely let the blackness take hold of me something popped into my mind. It was from my prophecy, “One much more dangerous than the rest.”
~~~~~
I woke up in my room, my bed. Bright, midday light shone through the windows and made me squint. I looked down at myself; I was completely covered in bandages. Well, not completely, but everything hurt.
Crutches were leaning against my bed, but I didn’t trust myself enough to use them even though I wanted to see what my face looked like. I lifted my head and looked around my bed for anything that could serve as a mirror. There was a small, handheld one sitting on my bed side table. I picked it up gingerly, being careful not to shake myself up too much.
My hair was matted with dry blood, leaves, and dirt. My eyes were bloodshot and one had a bruise surrounding it. On the opposite side of my face there was a bandage. It started at my chin, stopped at my mouth, then started up again until it reached my eye where it stopped again, then started on the other side until it reached my hairline. My eye and mouth were a little distorted where the cut was on either side and I knew it would scar and stay like that. I looked terrible.
I set the mirror down and collapsed back into my pillows. I started to drift back into my dreamless sleep. Then, I heard someone quietly open the door.
“Leigha?” I heard Alex’s small voice ask hopefully.
I opened my eyes and tried to say her name. My throat was dry and my voice hoarse from lack of use and all that came out was a little squeak.
When Alex saw me open my eyes, though, she jumped up and ran to my side, “Leigha! You’re awake!”
“Yeah,” I managed, trying to smile.
Then, Claire burst into the room. The look on her face said something was up.
I tried to sit up a little, but Alex pushed me back down.
“Claire, not now,” she growled.
“Leigha, you would want to know now. If it were me, I would want to know. Trust me,” she said.
I didn’t say anything just looked from Alex to Claire to Alex and back again.
Claire sat on my bed next to me and took a deep breath, “Luke’s gone.”
“What?” I screamed before she could continue.
“Leigha,” Alex said, her eyes were soft.
I took a
deep breath, “He-he’s not dead right?” I asked searching both of their eyes for answers.
“It’s all quite a story if you’d both let me tell it,” Claire said, “But, no, he’s not dead.”
“Start from where I passed out the first time.”
Claire sighed, “Right before you passed out, do you remember people coming up behind you and me screaming your name?”
I nodded slowly as the memory came back to me, “That wasn’t Luke was it?”
“It was two Darks that got you. They were going to take you and try to bargain you for the First Obliviator. Luke heard me scream your name and was looking for you immediately. He went to the Darks to try to bargain himself. I remember he said, ‘She’ll be of no use to you, she’s almost dead. Take me instead; it’s not just Leigha that cares about me.’ It didn’t take much to convince those idiot Darks. You two were traded.”
I was staring out the windows away from their faces, but I looked back at Claire, “How was I almost dead? How is that possible?” My voice was barely audible, but Claire heard me.
“Leigha...that was your other lost power. You won’t die as easily as a human, but you’ll still die.”
When I said nothing she asked, “On with the story?”
I nodded mutely.
“When we got you to wake up we tried to make you stay awake. You could’ve gone into comatasis; thankfully you didn’t. While you were awake Luke was able to say his last words to you. He said them right before you...before you died.
“We don’t know what happened. After he said it, after he left, your whole body started to glow. You rose off the ground. Everything seemed to go absolutely silent. Then, you gasped. Gasped as in you were breathing again. Somehow, you survived.”
I looked back at her again, “I-I died?”
“Yes, for a few minutes you were dead.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I stared at Claire in silent shock; my mouth opened into an O. I had died. I had died. And Luke, Luke had given himself to the Darks for me. Luke, I had to save Luke because it had been him that had saved him. Without him, I would be dead. He’d said my name. Somehow, somehow he’d known, when no one else did, that he had to say my name. I gasped and closed my mouth as a plan came to me.
“Leigha,” Claire said, putting her hand gently on my arm.
“I have to go,” I breathed, struggling to get up.
“No,” Claire pushed me back with gentle firmness. “Whatever insane, wild plan you have that no one will approve of can at least wait until you’re fully healed and healthy.”
“So, does that mean I’m allowed to go?”
“I wouldn’t be able to stop you anyway,” she replied, put her hands on her hips.
I smiled and gestured to myself, “How long will it take to get back to normal?”
Claire put a finger against her chin thoughtfully, “We’ve figured out your healing rate; it’s faster than a human’s, but slower than an Light’s, so somewhere in the middle there. I would say you have about four more weeks before I’ll let you leave.”
Four weeks with nothing to do. No flying, no hand-to-hand combat, no sword practice, no nothing. Four weeks Luke would have to spend in jail having who knows what done to him.
“What am I supposed to do?” I cried.
“Well, for now, we can get you cleaned up a bit. You won’t be able to take a bath, but we can wash your hair. You really need that at least.
“After that we’ll find more for you to do. In a week or two you’ll be able to move about on crutches. There’s probably tons for you to do, but we’ve been so focused on making you better that we’ve paid the rest no attention.”
“Yeah, let’s wash my hair,” I said, pulling a strand of my hair in front of my face.
“I’ll be right back,” Alex said as she darted out of the room.
I’d almost forgotten she was there. I struggled to remember her being there through the conversation. I couldn’t remember at all. I wondered if there was something wrong with me or if it was just my being so focused and her being so quiet.
Alex came back with Wess and two other guys I didn’t know. Claire, Wess, and the two men lifted me and carried me into the bathroom. Wess and the guys with him left when I was balanced between Claire and Alex.
Claire turned the water on and made sure it was warm. She pulled out the hose with the shower head on it and Alex held me up while I flipped my head over above the tub. Water ran in my eyes as it soaked through my hair. They massaged shampoo into my hair and I squeezed my eyes shut as they rinsed it. Then, they used conditioner to aid them in tugging out all the knots, leaves, and blood.
When they finished I flipped my head back over and worked out the kinks in my neck. I pulled my hair over one shoulder and ran my fingers through it.
“It’s cleaner,” I said slowly.
“What?” Claire sighed.
“Can you cut it?”
“How short?” Claire said uneasily.
I gestured to my shoulder.
“Alex, could you...?” Claire said and Alex darted back out of the room. Claire turned back to me, “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “It’ll still be long when I’m in Light form. I just don’t want it to be so long...”
Alex came back with Wess and Claire gestured them over. “Let’s help her sit up on the edge of the tub,” she said, sighing.
Alex and Wess picked me up and set me on the edge. I leaned my head back so my hair hung away from me. Although Claire would cut it with magic the hair would still fall.
Claire hesitated, “Why?”
“I already told you. Plus, if something else happens it won’t be in the way.”
“But it’ll still be long in Light form...”
I waved my hand, “Please.”
My eyelids were starting to droop. I was exhausted. Claire saw that and quickly performed the magic. I felt my hair drop and my head become lighter.
When Claire was finished they helped me back into bed and I fell asleep instantly.
~~~~~
The Second Obliviator paced his office unhappily. He was in charge, but he was no where near as smart or strong as the First. He knew they would come for Luke because he was the king. He had to rule now that their queen was dead. Then, he could trade Luke for the First Obliviator. He drummed his fingers against the desk wondering if they had come up with a temporary ruler. Probably not. The Light girl would know.
~~~~~
I shot up in my bed, or tried to without hurting myself. I’d remembered my dream and the whole thing. Now, I had everything that had happened, not just little fragments and an idea of what it was about. I was having dreams about the enemy.
Over the next few days as I healed I remembered. A week and a half after I first woke I was well enough to move around on crutches. I decided to pay a visit to the dungeon.
I struggled on the steps, but managed to make my way quietly. I stood patiently, balanced between my crutches until Joseph and Ellie noticed me. Both of them stared at me with an amused expression on their faces.
“Enjoying each others company?” I asked.
“Enjoying your long lasting injuries?” Ellie snapped back.
I scowled, “Missing things that aren’t yours to miss?”
She scoffed, “I just did that for my enjoyment and your jealousy. I hope you enjoy my leftovers.”
“Would you prefer Abaddon or death?”
Joseph groaned, “Ladies, ladies, can’t this fight wait for another time?”
“Yes, because I have a few questions for you, Joseph,” I replied, directing my attention to him.
“Oh really?”
“Yes. Number one: why were you working for them?”
“We both were.”
“We?”
“Me and Marie.”
“But, why?”
“Because of Luke. Well, that’s why Marie changed at least.”
“If I wanted to know that I would’ve asked her. I aske
d you.”
“Because you didn’t come after me when I left.”
“Liar,” I replied, crossing my arms. “You were already Dark when you left.”
“Smart girl,” he smirked. “I didn’t like the way the Creatures of the Light ran things, too concerned with saving the humans after you destroyed the Dark Siders. The Darks won’t be pushed down by humans, they’ll enslave them, put them in their right place.”
I scoffed, “Stupid reason. Did you manage to make contact with them while you were here?”
“No, I learned from her mistakes,” he said, jabbing a thumb in Ellie’s direction, “so instead I led the First Obliviator here.”
“We’ll hold a trial for the both of you soon,” I said, turning towards Marie’s cell. I would’ve gone for the First Obliviator, but he was kept somewhere else and I was told under any circumstances that I was not to see him.
“Luke’ll vote that I stay,” Ellie taunted.
My body went rigid, “He won’t have a say anyway.”
Forgetting Marie, I made my way slowly, but carefully up the stairs. I had the plans for their trials figured out in my head by the time I’d reached the top. Now I had something to do until I could leave.
When I’d reached the top I almost tried to call out to Claire with telepathy, but I wanted to take advantage of being able to move around. I brought myself to Claire’s room and knocked. She opened it immediately.
“What’s up?” she asked, standing aside to let me in. She shut the door behind me.
“Can you set the dates for Ellie’s, Marie’s, and Joseph’s trials? I’d like to get them over with now. Tomorrow would be nice.”
“Of course. So, you talked to them?”
“Yeah, but most of it was what we’d guessed anyways. Nothing special. I don’t think there’s anything we need to know.”
“Are you ever going to tell me about your plan to rescue Luke?”
“No,” I said with a smile, “you’ll try to stop me.”
She looked down at my hand, “You should be Bound to him by now,” she whispered softly.
I hid the ring from her behind my back, “It’s,” okay, I began to say, but was interrupted.
Claire and I looked up expectantly at Wess.
“Hey Leigha,” Wess said with genuine surprise, “Glad to see you moving.”
“I would be flying to if it weren’t for your girlfriend,” I said, elbowing Claire and smiling.