Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(23)

No.

This was his doing. Everything that happened these past few days had been his doing, and she wasn't about to let him make her think otherwise. She would not hold herself to blame for his death. He was the one who had come after them.

But she did walk over to kneel beside him, as he died.





It seemed as though he wanted to say something to her, but every time he opened his mouth only blood would come sputtering out.

Hoping he might be trying to make amends with her she said quietly. “I forgive you, for what you attempted.” Even if he had been about to take her by force, she wanted to send him off in peace. She would always take the high road.

How could she not forgive a man, while he was dying? He might have turned heartless at the end, but she would never be heartless. There was nothing else she could do for him. He was way beyond anything she could heal. Claira was sure the dagger had pierced at least one of Robert’s vital organs, if not a few.

Kaeldar stood nearby, watching them, as Robert slipped away.

As Robert finally heaved his last breath, Claira reached up to close his eyelids. She found herself unable to look into his lifeless eyes. Death was never easy for her, and she did her best to prevent it.

She turned and glared up at Kaeldar. “His death wasn't necessary.” She accused in a high-pitched voice.

Kaeldar just grumped at her and walked away without saying a word, to go stand by the horses. The horses weren’t even bothered by the scene that had unfolded right in front of them.

She glared at his back for a few minutes, and then turned her attention back to Robert. It was strange to her, but she wasn't completely mournful. Robert had shown his true colors at the end. Colors she hadn't enjoyed seeing.

She just regretted the loss of life. Kaeldar could’ve knocked him unconscious. Once there was enough distance between them, Robert wouldn’t have been able to follow, no matter how much he wanted her to marry him.

“I’m sorry for this.” She whispered down to his lifeless body. “I hoped you would find someone other than me to occupy your time with.” Though crestfallen, she still wasn't about to shed any tears over his body.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself up from her knees and glanced over at the rock giant. He was still watching her, and she felt like he was trying to understand her, just like one would analyze a complicated puzzle.

“We should, at least, bury him properly.”

“He deserves nothing for what he attempted.” Kaeldar growled back.

“You weren’t even here for the whole situation.”

“I saw enough to know what kind of man he was.” Kaeldar spit out.

“How can you be like this?” Claira yelled at him. “The animals will get to his body.”

“Let them.” Kaeldar shrugged.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this infuriated. She knew she was lashing out only because of the way Robert died. Until this war happened she’d never had so many fruitless healings. The wounds of a sword were harder to heal, then any illness she’d faced.

With a growl of her own, she stormed over to where Kaeldar was standing, and before he could blink, she grabbed his other dagger from him.

She then pointed the sharp tip up at him and shook it in his face. “Fine then, don't help me, but I am going to bury him, before we leave.”

Kaeldar watched her wearily, now that she was waving a dagger in front of his face, and she gave a scoff. She wasn’t stupid enough to attack him with a small dagger. Even with his injury, she wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Turning her back on him she marched over to where Robert's body was laying and tried to dig up the dirt with stabbing motions.

She kept telling herself she should’ve dashed Robert’s hopes better. If she’d made it clearer that he would never have any chance winning her heart, he may not have decided to follow.

Her heart weighed heavily on her, as she continued to stab the ground with the dagger. This was going to take her hours, but she wasn't about to leave his body there for the animals to chew on. She hurt him, he tried to hurt her, and now she had to bury him to move on.

The crunch of a footstep startled Claira. She glanced up to find Kaeldar standing beside her. “Stop stabbing the ground.”

“Never!”

Bending down Kaeldar latched onto one of her arms, halting the dagger in the air. “You won’t be able to bury him with that dagger. We have nothing to use as a shovel. Leave him.”

“Don’t you feel anything?” She accused.

“I can’t feel anything. I’m a warrior first. That is how it must be in my world.”

Claira hated to admit it, but he was right. As she looked down at the ground, she realized she had barely dug up any of the ground.

“Can we at least surround his body with rocks?”

“The animals will still get to his body. It will be too much of a temptation.”

Claira just sat there, racking her brain for what else they could do.

Kaeldar had enough though. He yanked her up before him. “We need to keep going. There is still the possibility the humans in the village will come for us, especially with his disappearance.”

“Don’t make me leave his body out here in the open.” Claira pleaded, as Kaeldar dragged her back to the horses. She may have been able to delay Robert, but Kaeldar was too strong for her to slow down his momentum.