THE TIDES OF TIME

- Chapter 25 -

"I feel helpless," Jagoda replied.

"Why?" he asked.

"That is a dumb question, even for a wild boar," Jagoda replied in a sulking voice.

"You can't feel that helpless when You bestow such bejeweled words upon me," Jovan smirked and winked at her.

"Well, it did make me feel a bit better," she tried to smile. "But I still feel helpless. And useless."

"Remember, my dear Sultana, helpless and useless do not mean hopeless," Jovan said as he caressed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Fine, then. You stay and I go," Jagoda brought her chin up, and he saw sparks fly from her eyes. Those were the same sparks he saw in her eyes that day at Bojana's hut when Jagoda woke up after being wounded.

"Not so fast, sweet cheeks. That's not going to work. We both know why You have to stay here." If it wasn't for the fact that he fell hard for her, he would have allowed her to come along. But he couldn't let her do that now. Not when her life meant everything to him.

"Fine. I may not like You very much right now, but You are right," she pointed at him and sighed with resignation.

"I think I heard wrong. You don't like me?" He narrowed his eyes on her.

"That's right. Your logic may be intact, but that does not mean I cannot dislike You for it," she grinned from ear to ear.

"I can make You regret Your words, Your Highness," Jovan kept his eyes narrowed as he cupped the back of her neck.

"Don't You call me that, Valiant! And don't look down at me like I'm some delicate maiden either," Jagoda narrowed her eyes at him.

"Or what?" He grinned.

"Or I'll damn You from..." she did not get to finish her words. Jovan brought his lips so hard and fast down to hers that she had no time to prepare for it. Her limbs went numb from the urgency of the kiss. The more she hoped for air, the more the kiss deepened. She wasn't sure anymore if the dawn began to break, or if she began to see stars under her eyelids. One thing was for sure: Jovan kissed her as if his own life depended on it.

"Take that. I won. Then again, it felt like You did. I was beginning to lose hope that I could make You swear again," Jovan smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"What.. was that?" Jagoda spoke as slowly as she could. Her head was still spinning from the loss of air, and consciousness in her limbs.

"A kiss. I don't know when I will be able to kiss You next time. But don't worry, there will be plenty more once we get back from Sofia," Jovan grinned, satisfied with himself.

"Jovan... I beg You to be careful when it comes to my sisters. They are extremely sly and very connoving. Do not let them catch You, or the others. Zora and Zoja have their ways of turning people into their puppets. But, above all, do not believe in a single word they say if You speak with them. Not one word." She placed her hands on his chest. It broke her heart from inside out that she was unable to feel his heartbeat under the layers of winter armor Jovan wore now. It meant that he was heading toward an uneven battle - while she was not.

The following night, the warriors departed for the Ulpia Serdica Fortress under the cover of a moonless sky, with Blagun and Jovan leading the way. Jagoda bid them good luck, godspeed, and wished them a safe and successful return.

If Jovan had to be honest with himself, he was a bit surprised that they were able to breach the Fortress walls, pass by the guards, and get inside with flawless precision. They came across scattered guards and nearly none of the security measures they had prepared for. They rushed toward the royal chambers. It was then that Jovan paused for a moment by the terrace overlooking the Fortress grounds on one side and the outskirts of the city on the other. Something did not feel right. It just didn't. To a man like Jovan this only meant one thing. His Navy Seal blood turned colder by the minute. His grandmother's wise words rushed to his mind: 'If it feels too good to be true, it most certainly is'.

As soon as Jovan thought those words, he turned around and saw Jagoda run toward him. She was screaming for him to save her. She cried out in such a loud and high pitched voice that Jovan could barely make her words out. The moment he realized she was screaming Anil's name, he saw Anil charge toward them. And then, he saw the dagger that Anil threw their way cut the night air with little more than a swoosh. The dagger flew right at Jagoda with such a force, that the moment it pierced her chest when she turned around, it launched her off the terrace and down onto the city streets. Jovan stood there, speechless and horrified.

The only thing he was able to register was the sound of Jagoda's mirror pendant landing on the paved terrace floor beside his foot since Anil's dagger cut its string when it hit Jagoda's chest...