Page 62 of To Tame An Angel

To my surprise, she turned to her guard with a stony face. “Leave us.”

Captain Illo opened her mouth, her face set to protest. “General–”

“I said leave us. You think my own daughter can get past me? Post yourselves at the door. There’s no way out but that way,” mother snapped as she tossed the rag to the ground. Her cool eyes followed their retreat, then slowly she cast them to me.

I met her gaze head-on. I wouldn’t quiver before her. She would hate that.

“Go on, you stupid girl. Bid your goodbyes to your doomed lover,” she said slowly, even mockingly. “Enjoy his wet kisses one final time.”

“Begging for mercy would be useless, wouldn’t it?” I asked with a trembling voice.

She smirked a little and walked closer, staring down at me. “Don’t waste your time on me. You’re down to four minutes.”

My heart leaped within, and I cast her one last glance of hate before turning to Tannor. He leaned forward, eyes wide as he looked me over.

“You’re well,” his voice was hoarse.

I could only nod, just taking in the damage done to him, how they’d abused him. No. How my mother had abused him so cruelly, as if he meant nothing. As if he was something to discard.

“Oh, Tannor, we shouldn’t have returned,” my words descended into a sob as I pressed my forehead against his.

He was warm, fevered, as his body likely battled against the onslaught of abuse. I didn’t know where to touch him so he wouldn’t experience additional pain, but he leaned into me, desperate to feel me. The chains rattled and tears dribbled from my eyes despite my determination to remain strong in this moment. My eyes searched the links, seeking a weakness but they were silver and freshly made. It would be impossible to tear them open.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have chosen you in the pits, you wouldn’t be hurt if I had stayed with my eyes closed.”

He was sorry? What did he have to be sorry for? I’d caused all of this. If I’d not picked him in the pits, he would still be there and be…chained. Locked.

Our eyes met and this truth lay unspoken between us, a harsh reality. He was the same as he started, only this time he knew I loved him. He knew he was mine and we’d given each other all the love and care within us. I wasn’t sorry for that.

“I don’t wish these to be our final words,” I whispered, clutching his face and pressing my mouth to his cheek.

“Then talk to me always. Long after I’m gone,” he said and a small smile came to his handsome face. Bloody as he was, broken as they made him, he was still mine and would be mine always.

The laws that governed the land, could never govern my heart.

“Every day. Every moment,” I said in a whisper, the words crumbling under the onslaught of the implications.

“One minute,” a deep voice said behind me.

I gasped and slipped my arm around Tannor’s neck, pulling him in and feeling him sigh against my throat.

“I love you,” I said with urgency. “And I’ll see you again when my day comes.”

He nuzzled my jaw. “All of our moments have given me more strength than you could ever imagine.”

Swallowing, I nodded, still clinging to him and finding it impossible to let him go. To simply accept his fate. To know that there would be no more lazy lingering mornings in bed, feeling his warm body coiled around me.

“It’s time,” mother said.

I became so angry. Angry at everything. At her. At each woman now in power. At each man from our distant past who led us to this. At the world and its unfairness. What sin could there be in love? The words weren’t even synonymous with one another.

Reeling, I turned to her and met her hard eyes. “If you’ll not release him and allow us happiness somewhere far away, then kill him quickly. Don’t let him linger, don’t torture him.”

She was cloaked in shadows, her penetrating gaze on us. She remained unmoved, her chin set on her closed fist.

“I’ve done as much as I could to save you,” her words were low and it seemed as if her voice was in my head for her lips barely moved on her statue-like mouth. “I tried to warn you.”

“Warn me of what?” I erupted, crying. “Of loving, as if it were this terrible thing, this sin against the gods!”

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