PART 4
Salvation
Alone.
Quiet.
Dark.
Verbal rested on his knees on the hard, cold metal floor of his holding cell awaiting his death yet all he could think about was the beautiful apparition that stood in front of him when he had ripped the Imperial's heart from his chest and offered it to her as his own heart. Part of his mind kept asking why he had done it while the rest of his mind confirmed that he had no other option. When he saw her face a feeling of great need for her consumed him and his pride would no longer let him fall to the ground beaten bloody anymore. He would do it again, would do it a million times to see the smile she had flashed him.
Dark.
Quiet broken with footsteps.
No longer alone, someone was approaching his cell.
Time to die?
"Slave…" came a whisper from the other side of his small cell. Four metal walls and large metal door with a slot for tossing in random chunks of what he believed to be food.
A female, his heart began to ache. It was her. He had never heard her voice yet he knew who it was.
Foot steps stop outside his cell.
"Slave…" the female voice again, "My name is Zonia." He heard her as she kneeled at the cell door.
"I am about to die and you come to tease me with your voice," was Verbal's only reply.
"You felt it too," Zonia said with confusion in her voice, "I don't know what it was either but when I saw you I felt I must have you or I would die. I could tell by your actions you felt it too."
A tear rolled down Verbal's cheek. He wished he could hold her in his arms. His whole being ached to touch her. She was so close yet felt galaxies away to him not being able to touch her. He did not say anything.
"What is your name?"
He wanted to hear his name come from her lips yet he also refused to spend an eternity in hell haunted by these things, "Verbal," he said and cursed himself for giving in to his feelings.
"Verbal," she repeated.
Tears began flowing from his eyes, "Zonia," he said almost desperately. His body shuddered and he could no longer hide the sound of his crying. He heard the metal slot in the door open and new she had slid her hand through. He quickly moved on his knees to the door and grasped her hand in his own and held it against his cheek. He now heard her quiet sobs as well. "What is this?" he asked, "What power has consumed our hearts?"
"I wish I knew," she replied "but I don't," her sobs became louder, "I can't let you die, I'll find a way to free you." she cried.
"I can't let you risk your own life for my own, you would be killed." he replied.
"My father wouldn't kill me, ever."
"I've been labeled a traitor to the Empire. If the Emperor ever found out that you helped a traitor to escape it would not matter whose daughter you were. You would be hunted down and executed as well. No one would be able to help you." he replied.
"You could help me. You could protect me. I don't think I could go on living knowing that I let you die." she sounded desperate. It made him want to hold her and comfort her. The feelings were maddening. "There are only two guards between us and the freedom to be together… forever." she said.
"Zonia… please…" he wanted to tell her no, to tell her to go now and forget about him, but he could not. "be careful." is what came out of his mouth. "Please be careful Zonia."
"I will," she replied. She pulled his hand through the slot of the door. He felt her lips kiss the back of his hand and it sent shocks through his entire body. His tears began flowing strong again. "I'll be right back." she said then paused and said, "I love you…" She pulled her hand out of his and stood.
Verbal jumped to his feet and pressed his body against the door as though he were trying to hug her through it. "I love you too." is all he managed to say before he heard her foot steps travel back down the hall the way she had come.
Verbal fell back to his knees and prayed with everything inside him that she would be okay. He knew that if something happened to her he would take his own life before Colonel Fasquelle had the opportunity.
What only took a few moments in reality seamed to take an eternity to Verbal. Thoughts of something horrible happening to Zonia flooded his mind. She had been caught trying to steal the key card from one of the guards and been detained in her quarters, or worse she had been killed in a struggle for the key card. His hope was draining minute by minute.
Hope quickly returned when he heard footsteps approach again. Then the sound of a key card sliding through the electronic reader. The locking mechanism released and the door cracked open. Verbal's heart pounded so hard he was afraid it may explode in his chest. "Zonia," it came out almost as a croak.
"Verbal," she replied as she pushed the door open. With the light in the hall he was able to see her face. Her beautiful smiling face as she rushed into his cell.
Verbal jumped to his feet and took her in his arms, clutching onto her as though his life depended on it. His lips found her forehead and kissed her then moved down her face and he kissed her on the lips with more passion than he had ever put into anything. At this moment she was his entire life and he could not be without her now or ever. He could sense that she felt the same as she returned his kiss, unbounded.
She pulled away, "we must go Verbal," she looked deep into his eyes. "Come with me."
