Page 31 of Warrior Princess
“You sayyouhold all the power, Caelan? Think again!” I spat, my voice cold and steady as I extended my hand toward him. The blood whip coiled beside me like a living creature, pulsating with every heartbeat. “I will end you!”
As the words left my lips and I prepared to unleash my power, Caelan placed his fingers at his lips, whistling loudly for his hidden horse. Its thundering hooves sounded an instant before the horse burst through the foliage. Caelan made a desperate leap onto the creature’s back with impeccable timing. Just as the horse galloped by, he grabbed onto its saddle and swung his body up with a fluid motion that spoke of practiced desperation.
Now mounted, the Eldwain prince kicked the sides of the horse, which reared in response before taking off at breakneck speed. His frantic escape was a calculated maneuver, and he used the unexpected arrival of the horse to his advantage. The soldiers he left behind looked at one another in alarm before running after him.
Ronan and Silas sprang into action, but it was too late—the horse was already disappearing into the dense foliage, its hooves thundering against the forest floor.
“Let them go.” I lowered my hand and allowed the blood-whip to dissipate. The blood seeped back into my veins, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. “He won’t get far, and we’ll be ready for him next time.”
With fists clenched in frustration, Ronan scanned the forest where Caelan had vanished. “He’s a coward, using a staged escape to run from a fight he can’t win!”
Silas nodded, his expression grim. “He obviously planned this, knowing the odds were against him. We need to be vigilant. He’ll think twice before facing us directly again, but he’ll still be plotting.”
As we regrouped, the realization that Caelan had evaded us through sheer luck and preparedness settled profoundly. We thought we’d arrived early, when in reality we arrived late, falling into a trap Caelan artfully erected. The confrontation didn’t end with the resolution we'd hoped for.
“Leila …” Ronan reached for my wrist and stared at the thin cut. “What was that?”
I gulped. “That… is blood weaving. Shiro has been training me.”
Ronan grimaced and shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want to see the look on your face right now.”
He sighed. “You can’t expect me to be okay with you cutting yourself every time you’re in danger. That alone is dangerous. I can’t believe Shiro would even—”
I placed a hand on his chest, which heaved up and down from the adrenaline. “It’s okay, Ronan.I’mokay. I promise to use it sparingly.” He nodded and kept quiet.
We looked around at the dead Crimson Clan warriors. From the murderous look on Ronan’s face, he wouldn’t let this affront go unpunished.
“We need to bury them,” Silas whispered as his crimson eyes followed my gaze.
“No,” Ronan bit out. “They don’t deserve to be laid to rest on foreign lands. We’ll carry them back to the Grasslands where their souls will be at peace.”
15
After ensuring that the bodies of our fallen warriors were securely transported back to the Grasslands, we returned to the last place I thought I’d ever see again—my clinic. It stood quietly in the heart of Lomewood, its familiar structure offering a sense of solace despite the somber reason for our visit.
The clinic was exactly as I had left it, save for a layer of dust that coated the wooden counters and the shelves lined with neatly labeled bottles of herbs and medicines. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting beams across the worn wooden floors and the modest, sturdy furniture that had seen countless patients and many long nights of care.
The door creaked softly as we entered, and I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. No one had disturbed the space in my absence; it was a small mercy amidst the chaos of recent events. I walked through the rooms, each step raising a small puff of dust from the floor.
Leaving the men downstairs, I took a much-needed bath, washing away the grime and stress of the past few days. Slipping into clean clothes felt like donning a piece of my old life, one thatwas familiar and comforting. Silas, ever thoughtful, volunteered to fetch some food from the market, leaving Ronan and me alone in the quiet clinic.
The silence that enveloped the room was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts and shared grief. Ronan paced slowly around the clinic, examining the jars of dried herbs and the various medical instruments I had left in their proper places. His hands occasionally brushed against the surfaces, tracing the contours of my world with gentle reverence.
“It feels like a lifetime ago that we were here,” I murmured, watching Ronan carefully replace a jar of dried lavender back onto the shelf.
He paused and turned toward me, his eyes reflecting a blend of nostalgia and sorrow. “It does,” he agreed softly. “It's peaceful here, despite everything.” His voice carried a wistful undertone, as if he longed for the days when our concerns were more mundane.
I nodded and managed a sad smile. “It is. Times were simpler back then.” The memories of those days seemed like pages from another life, one far removed from the complexities and dangers we now faced daily.
“Things will get better, Leila. I promise,” Ronan said with conviction as he approached and folded me in a warm embrace. He gently brushed a lock of hair from my face and planted a soft kiss on my lips, his touch rekindling a spark of hope within me. “What do you want to do before we leave for the Grasslands tomorrow?”
We had agreed to spend the night here in Lomewood before heading back. For a split second, I wondered whether I should just go straight to Valoria since we were so close to the border. My father had been exceptionally quiet, and it seemed strange that he didn’t come to my aid while I was being held hostage in Keldara. Especially when the king sent a letter… Then again, ifCaelan intercepted one letter, it was highly probable he would have intercepted others.
“Hmm… why don’t we stop by Anna’s bakery for some mooncakes and check out the Rose Petal Lounge forA Thousand Roseswine?” I suggested, forcing a grin. The thought of indulging in some of my favorite treats offered a brief respite from the darker thoughts that lingered at the back of my mind.
Ronan chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “In other words, you want food and drink. Is that all you think about?” he teased, playfully raising an eyebrow.
