Page 137 of A Kingdom's Heart
A choked sound escaped me. I pressed a hand to my mouth, my knees weakening with relief.
He was alive.
I had made it before they came.
I rushed to the cell, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. My fingers wrapped around the cold iron bars as I pressed myself close to them.
“William!” I cried, my voice breaking.
His eyes snapped open. For a second, he looked dazed, his breathing uneven, and then he pushed himself up with trembling arms. When he saw me, his whole face changed. He crawled forward, the chains on his wrists clinking as he reached the bars.
“Iris,” he breathed, his hand finding mine through the narrow gap. His touch was cold but steady. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I need to get you out of here,” I said, my words tumbling out too fast, too desperate. “I can find something sharp, maybe a key—there has to be something!”
He ran a shaking hand through his hair, his eyes tired and full of sorrow. “Iris, it’s over,” he said quietly. “You have to leave.
There’s nothing you can do. They’ll be here soon.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head so hard it hurt. “I won’t let them! I can’t!” My voice broke again. I looked around frantically, searching the floor for anything I could use to pry the lock open. My hands shook. “There has to be something!”
He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment, his breath coming shallow and uneven. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost peaceful. “Look at me, my love. There’s nothing we can do now. It’s over.”
Tears ran freely down my cheeks. I shook the bars, my voice trembling. “What do you mean it’s over? No, it’s not! Please, don’t say that!”
He looked at me again, and even through the dim light, I saw the faintest smile on his lips. “You know what I feared the most while I was locked up?” he asked. “Not death. Not the pain. But the thought of not seeing you again. Not even once.” His thumb brushed my hand through the bars, his touch so gentle it made my heart ache. “And now you’re here, right in front of me.”
“Don’t talk like that,” I whispered, sobbing now. “You’re not going to die, I promise. I’ll get you out. I swear I will.”
He shook his head slowly. “Iris, if I die, at least I die knowing you loved me. That’s more than I ever thought I’d have.”
“Stop it,” I said, my voice breaking apart. “Please stop saying things like that.”
His hand tightened on mine. “Then promise me something,” he whispered. “Promise me you’ll live. That you’ll keep going, even when I can’t.”
I pressed my forehead against the bars, closing my eyes. “I can’t promise that,” I said. “Not if you’re gone.”
He gave a faint, broken smile. “Then let me go knowing I meant something to you.”
“You do,” I whispered through my tears. “You mean everything.”
And I held his hand tighter, as if my grip alone could keep him alive.
The sound came suddenly. The deep creak of the dungeon doors opening above, followed by the echo of heavy boots on the stone steps. My heart stopped.
They were here.
The torchlight flickered along the walls as shadows moved closer, growing larger with every step. I turned toward the sound, my breath catching in my throat.
“No,” I whispered. Then louder. “No!”
William’s hand tightened around mine one last time. His voice was soft, almost calm. “It’s okay, my love.”
I shook my head violently. “No, it’s not okay!” My voice broke into a sob. “They can’t take you! Please, they can’t—”
I stared at him, unable to breathe, my whole body trembling.
Tears blurred my vision until I could barely see his face.
