Page 24 of Blood Weaver
Orion chuckled softly. “I know. But it's not every day I get to rescue the fiercely independent Leila.”
I rolled my eyes, even though the motion made the world spin. “I wasn't in need of rescuing, you know.”
“You could barely stand,” he pointed out, amusement evident in his voice.
“Technicalities,” I huffed.
We continued in silence for a bit, with only the sounds of our footsteps and the distant murmur of festival goers. The cool breeze carried a mixture of fragrances—fresh flowers, burning candles, and spiced food from the stalls.
“As a healer, you should know better than to drink this much,” Orion chided as we entered an area that was largely deserted. “Aren’t you the most famous healer in all the Central Plains? I mean, imagine if they could see you now,” he smirked.
“Very funny,” I mumbled. “It’s okay to let loose once in a while. Besides that, I needed it.”
“Ah, trouble in paradise?”
I snorted. “Who said I lived in paradise? More like my own personal hell.”
“Aw, come on, Leila. Things can’t bethatbad.”
I laughed and threw my head back. “If you only knew …”
“I just might,” he whispered.
Just as I was about to open my mouth and ask him what the hell he was talking about, something stopped us in our tracks. Up ahead a group of six men stood, all holding weapons of different sorts, as if they were waiting for us.
“Bandits,” Orion murmured. “Are you good enough to fight?”
I shook my head to clear it of the cobwebs and nodded. “I’m good.”
Orion gave me a sideways glance, clearly skeptical but impressed by my determination. “Alright, stay close. And try not to use any of your magic. It'll only drain you further.”
I grinned as I pulled a concealed dagger from my boot. “Who said I only use magic?”
One of the bandits, probably the leader, given his larger build and the ornate weapon he held, boldly stepped forward. “Well, well, what have we here? A fae and a drunken healer. This should be fun.”
“We don't want any trouble,” Orion said calmly, positioning himself slightly in front of me. “Step aside and we'll be on our way.”
The bandit leader let out a loud laugh that echoed harshly down the dimly lit street. “You're inourterritory now. All we want is your coin and any other valuables you might be carrying. And maybe the healer can give us a little special treatment, eh?”
A surge of indignant anger and adrenaline momentarily cleared my mind. “You'd be wise to reconsider.”
He sneered. “Is that a threat?”
“No,” I replied, twirling the dagger in my hand. “A promise.”
Before the man could react, Orion drew his own blade and lunged at him. The remaining bandits, seeing their leader engaged, charged at me.
Despite my inebriation, years of training and reflexes kicked in. I deftly parried an attack from a bandit wielding a rusty sword, countering with a swift kick to his midsection. Hegrunted and stumbled back. I used the momentary advantage to launch another attack, quickly disarming him with a jab to his throat.
On my right, Orion danced with two bandits, his blade flashing in the dim light. He moved with a grace and efficiency that would have been mesmerizing if I had the time to watch. The clash of steel against steel and the shouts and grunts created a chaotic symphony. And yet, Orion and I moved in perfect harmony, covering each other's backs and making quick work of the would-be robbers.
Just when we thought they were down, a group of another six or seven bandits emerged from the shadows and caught us off guard.
“Am I drunk and seeing double, or are there more?” I muttered to Orion.
“Oh no, my dear, you’re definitely seeing more,” he whispered back. “Looks like they were prepared. Either that, or this is all an elaborate trap.”
“What? Are you some special kind of fae? Because I doubt they’re here for me,” I mumbled.
