Page 27 of 1000 of You
“Gova!Gova, I am here!” He heldup a hand to get her attention. She continued to look at him, but there was nosign of recognition. He called out to her again, causing several people toglance around, hoping to find the person he was yelling at. Her included.
Cold fearfilled his gut. This wasn’t right. She should be awake by now.
Anotherpossibility reached inside him and squeezed. What if she didn’t awaken untilafter his death? How would they be able to cross on to their next lives if theydidn’t die together, as they had in all their other past lives?
What ifshe never awakened in this lifetime?
“Gova! Wake up! Wake up,Gova!You must wake up!”
A glovedhand slammed into the side of his head. “Shut your mouth!”
Muamrefused toobey. He couldn’t die alone. He had to get her attention. Make her wake up,somehow, someway.
“Gova! It is me!Muam!Gova, you have to awaken!”
“DearestGod in heaven.”
He turnedto look where his armless companion was staring. At the same time, they came toa halt in the middle of some sort of square. In its center was a single largepole, surrounded by piles of dried brush. Other guards continued to heap moredead wood around the pole.
The robedman gestured to the guards holdingMuamand hiscompanions. Jerking on the rope around their necks, they were led up a set ofwooden steps to the pole. The armless man was shoved against it so his back wasto the large log, which had been covered with some sort of oil.Muamwas placed beside him, followed by the unconsciousman, who was held in place as another length of rope was wrapped around thethree of them.
They weretied to a stake, the brush would be set aflame, andMuamrealized he could die beforeGovawas aware of theircircumstances. If he did, there was the chance she would never discover that hehad perished. If that happened, she might spend the rest of her life futilelylooking for him. If, by some chance, she found out he’d already died, andsubsequently took her own life, it could be too late.
“Gova! Wake up, my love! Wake up! By the gods,you have to wake up!”
Sheremained totally oblivious of the fact that he was crying out to her. He triedto catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look directly at him. Her attention wasfocused on the robed man, who took a stance in front of the crowd, between themand the stake.
Pullingout something from the deep sleeves of his garment, the robed man opened it.The horde of people grew silent to hear what he had to say.
“Listenall! This is a royal proclamation from Her Majesty, the Queen. Let it be knownthat the accused,RobartSessings,HiramCorrowton, and Philip Marsh, have been foundguilty of heresy and treason. They have been sentenced to burn at the stakeuntil they are dead.” Closing the object, the man made a sign in the air. “MayGod have mercy on yoursouls.” Giving the guards a nodof his head, he stepped away.
Muamstared inhorror as two guards came forth with lit torches. They shoved the torches intothe bundles of straw and twigs, stepping away when the fire caught.Muamforced himself to tear his gaze away from theencroaching flames, and continued to call out toGova.But his cries were lost in the screams and taunts coming from the mob.Regardless, he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop, even when his voice grew hoarse.
“Gova! Please, please, by the gods, wake up! Wakeup, my beloved! Wake up!”
Thickgray smoke rose up, making it difficult to breathe. It scorched his throat, andhe coughed in a useless attempt to clear his lungs. The fire drew closer,licking at the leather wrappings around his feet. The armless man beside himstarted screaming as flames caught his breeches and began crawling up his legs.
“Gova!Gova! Wake up!”
It was ofno use. His voice was gone. The fire was penetrating through to his feet, andhe tried to shriek in pain, but no sound came out of his mouth. As agonyengulfed his legs, and the smoke and flames made it almost impossible to see,he focused onGova’sbeautiful face. If this was tobe the end of them, the last thing he wanted, he needed to see, was her.
The manbeside him let out an almost inhuman scream.Gova’seyes widened suddenly, andMuamsaw her step back.She glanced around at the surrounding multitude, then back at him, and suddenlyshe understood what was happening. He saw her mouth his name, but he couldn’thear her. He was close to death. Not from the fire, but from the smoke. Hecouldn’t breathe. His body screamed for air, and he began to loseconsciousness.
Govashoved her waytoward the front of the crowd. She yelled his name again as she watched herhusband going up in flames. She tried to get past the guard holding them back.As the man held out his arms to block her way, she drove her nails into theman’s face, adding a knee to the guard’s groin. The soldier grabbed his groinand bent over in pain, enabling her to rush toward the inferno.
Muamwatched as shethrew herself onto the pyre. They never locked eyes again. Never got to kiss orhold each other. But he knew their love would survive.
They died together, but it was the most agonizing deaththey had ever endured.
Chapter 15
France, 1795
The explosion nearly deafened her.Govastopped in her tracks as screams reverberated aroundher. The smell of blood and something acrid burned in her nose as she tried tomake sense of the pandemonium surrounding her.
She was in the midst of a battle.People were yelling, cursing, and more explosions erupted, although these weresmaller, like tree limbs cracking.
Someone pushed by her, ramming herarm and elbow as they hurried off. The jarring sent pain up her shoulder, andshe almost dropped the item in her hand.Govastaredat the strange lance she was grasping, when a wave of humanity surged forward,pushing her along with them.
