The Princess Bride (Self-published)

20: Sacratus Via

"Gab! Gab! gumising ka, Gab!" her husband's frantic voice woke her up and she opened her eyes to find him worriedly looking at her.

"Mikael..." she croaked.

He pulled her into his arms before burying his face into her neck. "I'm glad you're okay..." he said, his voice weak.

"I touched you. I heard your voice in my head and I touched you...it was too late when I remembered that I wasn't supposed to...I was so scared..." Mikael anxiously said.

"Okay lang ako..." Gabrielle feebly murmured.

"Sigurado ka?" Mikael searched his wife's face. "Are you really okay?"

The young woman nodded.

Mikael hugged her tightly to his chest. "Takot na takot ako...akala ko hindi ka na makakabalik..."

"Nangako ako, 'di ba?"

"Don't ever do that again. Don't ever leave. Kahit isang segundo lang—" he stopped talking sensing someone's presence.

The footsteps were still easily more than a hundred feet away but for some reason his heartbeat raced unexplainably.

"Gab, we need to leave," he whispered helping his wife to her feet.

"Teka..." She hurried over to her grandfather's bookshelves.

"Gab, we don't have time—"

"Teka lang." She scanned the titles of the old books neatly piled inside the shelves sometimes running a finger along their spine.

"Anong hinahanap mo at nang matulungan kita?"

"Isang libro," she answered. "Pacis Libri ang pamagat."

She started taking the books off their shelves.

Alam n'ya kung ano ang hitsura ng librong dahil 'yun ang palaging binabasa ng Lolo n'ya sa kanya noon.

"But it's been years since I last saw it..." she mumbled to herself.

She accidentally pulled a thick volume of ancient prayers and the shelf shook before it slid sideways.

Mikael pulled his wife to stand behind him then drew out his sword.

"It's a secret room?" he asked looking at what looked like an oval doorway.

"Hindi. Isang lagusan..." Gabrielle said stepping forward. "Nakikita mo ba 'yung hagdan?"

"We're running out of time, Gab, may paparating. Alam mo ba kung saan patungo ang lagusang 'yan?"

"Hindi. Pero, nasa loob ito ng kuwarto ni Lolo. Naniniwala ako na hindi n'ya tayo dadalhin sa panganib."

"Pumasok ka sa loob—"

"Si Lolo."

"Ako na ang bahala," Mikael replied before he ran to the old man's bed and was back with a blanket. He carefully wrapped it around his wife's grandfather, carried him inside the hidden doorway, then stepped back out to methodically wipe the drops of blood leading to the shelves.

"Tara." He pulled at the shelf to slide it close but it wouldn't budge.

Shit...

"Ako," Gabrielle said touching her husband's arm.

The young Prince stepped aside.

"Ego sum ostium in claudendo quis est qui id gerit sanguinis mei," she whispered.