Page 17 of 1000 of You
“Muam,what is happening? Why are we here?”Govasoftlywhispered. Her feverish body trembled, sweat beading on her skin.
“Then end her. Now,”Torisetordered.
Muamlooked down to see her staring at him beseechingly. “My love?” Her words werebarely audible.
He turned toToriset.“I will end her. You have my word. But give me a moment first to say goodbye.”
Torisethesitated.Muamcouldn’t tell if the man was tornbetween doing his duty, or the obvious fact that the couple clutching eachother were truly husband and wife asMuamhadclaimed.
It wasRamesteswho ended the standoff. “I will stay behind and make sureSamanusfulfills his obligation.” He stared calmly atMuam.“Either he dispatches the female, or I will.”
Knowing he had no other choice,Muambowed his head. “So be it.”
“So be it.” He barely heard herwhisper, but behind it he detected a sense of understanding beginning to dawnon her.
Surprisingly,Torisetagreed to the compromise. “Do not take long.”
As the men went to continue pushingthe cart down the street,Muamturned toRamestes. “I beseech you. Let me have a few words alonewithGovabefore I put her to the sword.”
The man acquiesced. “I will be overhere. Watching.”
Muamunderstood.
He lifted her face to taste herlips, hungry for their softness. She clung to him. When he lifted his mouthfrom hers, he spoke hurriedly. “When we died before, whenKoliskilled us,Teyhasswore we would meet again.”
“I remember. But he said we wouldhave our moment to love.”
“This may not… This is not thattime,” he told her. “Remember what the last thing was I said? That I did notcare if it took us a thousand lives? I believe… I believe we will have toendure a thousand deaths before we can finally love.”
“No!” she weakly protested. “I donot want to die again! Not now! Not when I have found you again!”
“We have no choice, my beautifulGova. We both must die over and over, until we havefulfilled our own prophecy. It is our only chance at happiness. Do youunderstand? This life, this moment, is all we are given this time, but we willmeet again. Wewill.”
“And when we do?”
“Then I will kiss you again. I willtell you I will love you through all eternity, and we will die together…untilthe next time we meet.”
She pressed a kiss to his chest. “Athousand lives? And this is only the first?”
“Trust me, my love.”
She pressed her shaking hands tohis breast. “I do not want to die again,Muam. Notbecause I fear death, but I fear not ever seeing you again.”
“We will endure,” he murmured intoher hair. Giving her a kiss to her forehead, he bent one last time for hermouth. “I will make this swift and as painless as possible,” he promised, anddrew the dagger from his belt.
It only took one hard thrust intoher heart to end her life. And beforeRamestescouldstop him, he slit his own throat.
Still clutching each other, theydropped onto the street.
One life down. So many more to go.
Chapter 11
Italy, AD 989
Rainsmacked him on the head and across the face like a cold, wet hand.Muamstopped to assess his situation. He was walking aloneon a road somewhere in a mountainous area. It was daylight, but the dark cloudsoverhead had almost turned it into night.
Dropscontinued to splatter him. He wondered why he wasn’t soaking wet, until herealized he was wearing some sort of skin across his shoulders and chest. Usinghis fingers, he discerned it was a sheepskin, worn inside-out. The wool withinkept him dry, while the tanned hide on the outside prevented most of the waterfrom soaking his clothing.
