A woman came out from behind the screen. Her head bent forward, she covered her face with her palms, touching her fingertips to her her forehead. "Walem, Mother." Then she turned towards the room and Leyla recognised her instantly! The intelligent eyes, angular face and the triangular tattoo between her brows; Serena had healed her face on the night she was sent to the Land of Light!
The Healer showed no sign of recognition as she moved forward in a flutter of purple and green robes, her eyes fixed on Finn. Like the Heka, she wore a green turban and gold hoops in her ears with crystals dangling from her arms. Stretching her hands out over Finn's body, Serena closed her eyes for a long time. Then with a sudden move, she raised her arm straight up and curled her fingers. A moan ripped from Finn's lips. Leyla took a short breath as echoing moans rose from the gathering of Healers, many of then wincing as if in pain. What was happening!?
Serena brought her left hand forward, the crystals on her arm jingling over Finn's twitching body. In the next moment she exhaled sharply and Finn's chest rose off the floor, then crashed back down. The gathering moaned, pressing their palms together on the ground while Serena raised both of her hands high, beads of sweat running down her forehead.
For a moment, the room was completely silent, and then Finn's mouth opened with a bloodcurdling scream. Alec took an involuntary step forward, his face pale as the screaming continued. On and on Finn screamed in agony as the Healer flicked her wrists this way and that.
Seeing the sudden shift in Alec's eyes, Leyla grabbed his arm and used all her strength to pull him from the room. She didn't stop until they were standing beside the last of the statues on the long platform, but Finn's muted screams still sent goosebumps down her arms.
"He will be fine." Leyla spoke quickly, trying to distract both Alec and herself from the sounds of pain. "Healers do not promise recovery unless they are certain. That is their code."
Alec leaned his forehead on the statue's arm and closed his eyes, "Finn has been following me around since he was born. I promised his mother that I would take care of him."
Guilt. Regret. They were useless emotions, but she understood them well. A blissful quiet settled around them as Leyla looked up at the canopy of leaves above, "He was performing a simple duty. No Landers have never attacked a convoy with more than a few guards. No one could have guessed we would be ambushed, especially by such a big number." Another scream pierced the air sending a shudder through Alec's body. She wished she could make this easier on him somehow. Not knowing how to comfort him, she reached out to touch his shoulder. "Don't listen. Think of something else."
His shoulders jerked as more sounds of anguish came out of the hut. She patted his arm awkwardly remembering how he had done the same for her the first time they had met. She had been vomiting from the pain of calling the Heat then and Alec had told her it was alright. Alright now Green Eyes. You did well. The desire to comfort him grew with the memory. She owed Alec. For helping her, for saving her life, for remembering and caring about her even after she was sent away. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. "It will end soon. Finn will be fine. The pain will pass. Everything will be alright."
As yet another scream pierced the air, Alec grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Before she could get her bearings his lips were on hers and he was kissing her! Leyla balked, her hands pushing at his shoulders as strange sensations swirled in her stomach, but he wouldn't let go. His arms were hard under her fingers, his lips hard on hers and yet he wasn't hurting her. She stopped pushing and he changed the angle of his head, his lips softer now. So this was what a kiss felt like? She breathed in his scent as his hands moved up her arms, encountering the bandage on her upper arm. He pulled back a fraction.
"Does it hurt?" He asked softly.
"No," she replied honestly. She couldn't seem to think clearly and followed his lead mindlessly when he tipped her mouth up to his again. The contact was warm, but somehow not enough. What was this feeling? Giving into the unfamiliar desires of her body, she moved her hands up his chest then grabbed his collar and pulled.
"Slow down, Leyla." There was a smile in his voice as he pushed her gently away. Leyla looked into his eyes and saw what looked like tenderness in their sky blue depths. She watched him in confusion. What happened? Had she done something wrong? The cool breeze ruffled the ripped hem of her dress and brought her back to reality.
She blinked rapidly, and took a large step back. What in Tevvuk's name was she doing? This was General Alec of the House of Steel. He was engaged to Princess Mira and she...she was a nobody.
"Don't do that," Alec frowned watching her eyes. "Don't be embarrassed. Don't jump to conclusions, I-"
"It's quiet." She interrupted him quickly. "Listen, I think it's over."
They stood, listening to the silence for several long moments. It really was over. Alec was a step ahead of her as they rushed back into the tent.
Inside, Serena was rising to her feet at the centre of the room, pale but composed. Finn's breathing seemed even and all trace of pain had vanished from his face. Ignoring the raised brows of the surrounding Healers, Leyla rushed to the boys' side and reached out to touch his forehead. His skin was cool. It was like a tight knot in her stomach had been unravelled. "His fever has gone ."
"His wound?" Alec looked to Serena as he knelt beside Leyla.
Serena gave them a slight smile, then nodded. "He is healed."
Tentatively, Alec pulled the blood-crusted bandages on Finn's chest to the side, stopping when a thin but angry line was revealed instead of the gaping gash from before. Despite knowing that Healers were capable of miracles, Leyla couldn't believe her eyes.
The Heka tapped her hand on the arm of her wooden throne, drawing everyone's attention. Serena was standing next to her now, her hands clasped in front of her.
"The boy is healed, but he needs rest. I will have my people move him to a care house and you will be able to take him home in two days."
Alec stood and bowed, "Thank you, Heka, for all that you have done. And Healer Serena, for your sacrifice. I will not forget your kindness till the day I die."
Four Healers rushed forward to carry Finn away, prompting Leyla to stand beside Alec.
"General Alec, you need not feel beholden," the Heka said matter of factly. "Once you have given Serena what she asks for, all debts will be paid."
"Of course," Alec acknowledged. "An oath was made to give you whatever you ask. Healer Serena, what is your request?"
Serena, who had been looking down at her hands all this while, raised her eyes. "I want," she began, then she raised her hand and pointed in Leyla's direction. "I want her to live with us here, in the Healing Lands."
The room seemed to close in on her and if felt as if time was repeating itself. Had Serena recognised her from that day in the Warrior Kingdom after all? But even if she had, why...why would she want Leyla to live here? From behind a haze of confusion she watched Alec's face cloud over in anger.
"With all due respect, Healer, I am the one who made the oath! You can't demand that someone else repay it!"
The Heka slapped her hand on her thrown, her golden loops swinging from side to side. "The two of you brought this boy to us. The one who wants to save him, pays the debt!" She looked at Leyla and her eyes narrowed into slits, "Are you trying to say, you did not want us to save him?"
"I did," Leyla admitted. She had wanted to save him. She had stayed back at the hut, knowing she might die in order to give Finn a chance at survival. And if the Heka had asked, she would have agreed to pay the debt, just as Alec had.
"Don't try to spin this, Heka!" Alec took an angry step forward, causing a murmur to rise among the Healers surrounding them. "I was the one who agreed to the terms, she has nothing to do with this!"
Alec was wrong. Finn had almost died trying to protect her, Michael and Delphine. He had sacrificed for her, and she would sacrifice for him, it was only right. A sudden dizziness swept over her, but she pushed it aside and stiffened her spine: "I will honour the request."
"No!" Alec grabbed her wrist, pulling her beside him. "Finn is my cousin, he is my responsibility." He looked at Serena, "If it is a servant you require, I will happily serve you."
Serena did not respond, but her mother looked furious. "General, we all trust in a Warrior's honour. We trust it so much that my own daughter shortened her lifespan just on a Warrior's word. Will you make us reconsider our relationship with your Kingdom?"
The Heka's meaning was easy to glean. Without medicine from the Healing people, hundreds of Warriors would die from the simplest ailments. Leyla had to stop this conversation from going any further.
"A Warrior's honour is his bond and General Alec of the House of Steel is the most honourable of Warriors," Leyla said, looking from the Heka to Alec. "Finn almost died to save me and my people. I will honour the request."
Alec stared at her, his expression unreadable. "I will find a way to fix this."
Fix this? That would be a neat trick, but Leyla wouldn't say so. "Just take Finn home to his mother and don't worry, I will be fine." Her stomach clenched painfully. When was the last time she had eaten? She couldn't remember. It was getting harder to make sense of anything at all.
"Stop talking like that," Alec shook her by the shoulders. "Are you sacrificing yourself again?"
Sacrificing herself? When had she done that? And why did she feel so cold? Michael would laugh at her if he knew. She was always telling him only the weak feel the cold.
She turned to the Heka, attempting a smile, but not quite managing. "Would it be possible for us to rest, now? I'm afraid I feel - "
"Leyla!" Alec's shout came from a long distance away as the world went black.