He cupped her face and claimed her lips in a fierce kiss. “Run, Velia—go to our secret place and hide. I will find you. No matter what. I will find you, and we will leave Populonia for good.”
“Never forget I love you,” she said, her eyes blurred with tears.
“I’ll never forget. I promise. Now, go!”
Gabriella ran as fast as she could. The light from the full moon guided her toward a grove of pine and cypress trees. She ran deep into the forest. When she could run no more, she bent over, gasping, trying to catch her breath. Her heart pounded so hard it throbbed in her ears. She leaned against a tree and slid down the trunk to the moss-covered ground. Tears rained down her cheeks as she contemplated this past life that felt as cursed as the one she’d been transported to. Would she ever find happiness with Jack?
She heard the sound of the surf in the distance, and then it came to her in a flash—What if I can change our fate?Whether it was a vision or not, she was meant to know that she and Jack were destined to be together. And she would rather die with him than alone in the wilderness.
Gaby took a deep breath and ran back. When she got to the edge of the forest, she saw that Aranthur/Jack was holding his own. And then she saw a soldier. He was lean and short, no match for Aranthur physically, which was why he was sneaking up behind him.
Not on my watch, you son of a bitch.
She glanced down and found a branch, picked it up, and crept out from behind the tree. Hefting the branch, she swung with all her might and hit the bastard in the back of the head. He toppled to the ground with a thud.
Aranthur had dispatched the two soldiers he’d been battling. He swung around, and his eyes widened. “What in Hades are you doing back here? I told you to run.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Well, that’s the thanks I get for saving your life?”
He looked down and saw the dead soldier.
Gaby heard more shouts in the distance. “There are more coming. Hurry. There’s not much time!” She grabbed his hand and laid it on her heart. “Do you trust me?”
“With my very soul.”
“Good. Then come with me.” She held tight to his hand and led them back through the trees.
“Where are we going?”
“To the place where it all began.” She led him to the bluff. They stopped at the cliff’s edge, and she looked up at him. “This is where I met you. And where I will meet you again. I love you with all my heart.”
“Oh, my beautiful Velia. There is no escape, and this is the end.”
“No. This is the beginning. Trust me. I will find you again. I promise.”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. The shouts from the soldiers were getting closer.
“Come, my darling,” she said. “Let us go to meet our destiny.”
He lifted her in his arms and whispered, “I will love you for eternity.”
Gaby wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and whispered, “I will love you for eternity.”
Holding her tight against his chest, he ran as fast as he could and leaped off the cliff.
“Don’t let me go, Jack. Don’t let me go…”
*
“It’s all right,I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Gaby opened her eyes and stared into Jack’s beloved face. “Are we dead?” she whispered.
“Gaby, you fainted. I’ve been half-mad with worry.”
“What year is it?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “It’s 1902, the twentieth of October.”
