A light knock temporarily pulled him from his dark thoughts, but as he stood to get the door, it slowly opened long before he got there as a set of light blue eyes peeked through the partially open door. “May I come in? I want to talk to you,” Jade said in a strangely uncertain voice. He watched her gently close the door behind her, as if she were trying not to wake him. She glided across the room, stopping only when her face was inches from his.
She actually looked a bit frightened. “I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” she said in a shaky voice, “but I need you to know something.” Her light blue gaze lowered as she smoothed both hands across his wide chest before sliding them down to his wrists. “I’ve cherished every second we’ve spent together. No matter what happens, I have no regrets of anything.” She looked up at him once again.
Her crystal-blue eyes locked onto his dark orbs. “The long road that led me to you was worth every—if I hadn’t—I never would have—I wouldn’t have met...” She began to tremble like a leaf as her broken words, no more than a reflection of her own heart, left her unable to find words to justify the feelings that had been bottled up for so long.
Eric pulled her close as she gasped for air. He softly kissed her neck as he slowly pulled the string around her neck, watching her black cloak fall to the floor. He kissed her so hard it hurt as he ran his hands across her back, feeling the deep ridged scars left by a hungry whip whose appetite seemed to never be filled.
She jerked back suddenly with a horrified expression, feeling ashamed and vulnerable as she reached to the floor to grab her clothes. Eric grabbed her by the shoulders roughly, standing her upright so they were face to face once more. He purposely ran his hands across the ridges once again as he stared into her eyes. “These belong to a life that has nothing to do with you now. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again,” he whispered in her ear.
The assassin had killed foes that would have taken the heart from most warriors, beaten impossible odds in battle as well as her personal life. Yet here she was, completely helpless, powerless as she melted into his arms. She prayed he would never let her go.
*
Dragot paced in circles impatiently as he waited for the completion of the gates. Addel had worked through the night as she had been instructed. Dragot whirled his head around when she peeked her head from his private chamber. “Are you finished? Is it done?” he roared in what seemed close to panic.
She looked at him wearily with heavy eyelids. “Yes, they are done. One leads to—”
He threw her aside with the back of his hand as he stormed into the chamber. There before him were two large shiny mirrors embedded on opposite walls. One displayed an image of the cryton village in the dead forest, while the other showed the city of Taron in all its glory. His roar of victory could be heard echoing off the walls as it rattled through the castle.
Addel hobbled down to her room and threw herself on the old, dingy mattress. The shame and guilt burning through her gut far outweighed the extreme exhaustion. She had aided in the demise of her own kind! If this Eric Aethello really was the Gate Keeper, she had aided in crippling his chances as well. Her body convulsed with uncontrollable sobbing as the searing guilt became overwhelming. She had even used power given to her by a source of pure evil.
I don’t deserve to live!
*
The light never seemed to change much, so there was no real way to tell whether or not it was morning. The door creaked open slowly as a spiky blond head peaked inside. When Jacob saw Jade and Eric curled up together under the blanket, he grinned widely as he glided over to the bed. After a couple kicks to the mattress, the two of them began to stir as he turned back towards the door. “Let’s go, you two. They’re waiting for us,” he said over his shoulder as he flashed a wink and left the room.
Eric was the first to sit up. He looked down at Jade, whose eyes were wide open as she hugged the pillow while looking back at him. She looked beautiful. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before he crawled from the bed and began to dress. It was hard to explain, but he didn’t feel nervous or apprehensive. He didn’t feel anything. Their journey had led them to this moment and he was just glad everything was coming to an end, no matter what that end may be.
Jade rose from the bed and began picking up her clothes as she eyed him from across the room. She held them for only a moment before dropping everything and rushing into his arms. She clung to him tightly as the reality hit her hard that it was possible he wouldn’t even survive this day. It was a thought Jade could hardly bear, evident by the fact that Eric struggled mightily to peel away from her death grip. “Let’s go. They’re waiting for us,” he said in a hard voice as he finished lacing up his shoes.
“Are you afraid?” she asked as her voice quivered.