Questions. Will he ever again have the desire to ask them. Strength. Will he have enough to pull through in the end. Adoration. Will it ever expand to more than one person. Time. Will it mean something again. Deceased. Will he wish to join her.
Love. Will it be his joy or restraint.
Jacob. Will he be.
Artipane smiled, turning to Sara in obvious amusement.
"Your turn," He said sweetly, holding out his arms. It wasn't her choice.
Sara sighed. She stepped forward for the nine millionth time in her life.
She placed her hand on his arm. He stepped forward.
"Sara." He said boredly.
It only took three seconds. The breath left her lips with a giant whoosh, and she froze.
Jacob heard footsteps behind him. He was standing alone in his room, looking out his prison window with his daughter snuggled against his chest.
He smiled. He knew who it would be.
"Sara I-" He turned around and froze.
A tiny, stocky woman with wiry gray hair and huge, ancient black eyes filled with criticism stood before him.
"Your clothes," She demanded in an elderly, yet sharp voice.
He pointed to the basket.
He watched her hobble over to it in a sort of stunned silence.
"Where's Sara?" He asked after a moment.
The woman turned around. "What do I look like- a global location system?"
He glared at her.
She glared back.
"I'm serious."
Her black eyes ran over him in an instant. She snorted.
"WHAT?" He demanded.
She turned around. "Which is most prominent in your head- air or questions?"
"Which is most prominent in your face- hag or pig?" He shot back immediately.
"Ha," She grinned, revealing cracked, yellow teeth, "Hag."
"I figured," He muttered.
"Why did you want to know about my idiot of a daughter anyway?"
He stared at her blankly. "Who?"
"Sara. My blood and birth airhead."
"Sara?"
"Unfortunately."
He breathed out. "You're her mom?"
"Unfortunately."
"What the heck? What in the world could possibly be wrong with Sara?" He demanded.
"She's an idiot- that's what. Lived nineteen years without even tryin' to please his lordship."
"Ashareth."
The wrinkled little woman eyed him hatefully. "I'm surprised you're alive- being as disrespectful."
He ignored her. "What do you mean- she never tried to please him?"
"She's a pretty little wretch- he even fancied the brat."
He paled. "He has a wife."
She glared at him.
"When has that ever stopped either one of them?"
He growled. "She was smart- smarter than you. He'd have sucked the life out of her eventually."
"Don't remind me!" She wailed. "We could have been ROYALTY by now!"
He stared at her, astounded. "You WANT to be one of them?"
He felt sick.
"WHO DOESN'T!" She moaned, "But my stupid wench of a child."
"And me. Sara and I." It sounded right. He smiled.
"Then again," She eyed him with a sudden greed, "I forgot. You're going to be the next ruler."
His stomach churned.
She hobbled up to him, sticking a bony finger into his chest.
"Don't you forget about my little baby when you're all high and mighty. You fancy her right?"
She didn't wait for his answer.
"And she's mighty fond of you too," She cackled, suddenly in a fabulous mood.
"Sara- likes ME?" He asked, astounded.
"Oh, more than LIKES honey. She's dang head over heels." She cackled.
He frowned, disbelieving.
"She is, she is!" The woman insisted.
"I'd have to hear it from her first."
"She wouldn't ever tell you, Breanna would murder her- but then, but then- if you are our new ruler, she couln't lay a single finger on her unless you said…"
Never allow Breanna to lay a finger on her. Sounded like the best part about being in a damned eternity.
"Sara…" He was at a loss for words.
She loves me. She loves me. She loves me.
It pounded with each beat of his heart.
He felt slightly dizzy. "No," He moaned.
"Mmm?" The old woman's eyes flashed dangerously.
"CATE."
The tiny girl in his arms turned her innocent face up to him expectantly. Only he wasn't talking about her.
He felt sick. Cate- she'd made it so clear that it would break her heart if he chose someone else.
Sara.
He knew, deep down, that Cate was right about her prediction.
Maybe it was the nurse effect.
Maybe it was the fact she was the only friend in a dark world.
Maybe it was her beauty. Inside and out.
But in that second, he realized he was fully, helplessly in love with her.