The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre (30 page)

“
Then you can put another one on when I’m finished. I know you
live to patch me up.” Sabre thumped Tarl on the back as he walked
past, making the cyber tech groan and clutch his spine,
cursing.

“
You little shit.”

****

Tassin set her
glass of wine down on the low table and settled back on the settee,
turning to look at Sabre, how sat beside her. He appeared
distracted, gazing into the fire that blazed in the hearth in front
of them. They sat in the lounge of her suite, and had just finished
a pleasant supper in her private dining room.

Three months
had passed since Torrian’s demise, and the populace of Pradish,
after a month of turmoil, had elected a council to govern it.
Torrian’s cousins had fought amongst themselves in a brutal civil
war that had ended when three had been killed and the last two had
been imprisoned by the newly elected council. The investigators
into the King’s death had visited Castle Alrade and made enquiries,
but without proof had been unable to bring charges against Sabre.
He had taken the shuttle across the Badlands and returned with more
laser cannons from the ruined pre-war city to re-arm her castle, a
simple matter that had taken a few hours with a high-speed vehicle
at his disposal.

A week ago, in
a brief ceremony at one of her court sessions, she had given him
the rank of lord, an elevation that had not surprised or dismayed
her nobles and advisors, since he had earned it many times over.
With the title had come a modest estate with a rambling mansion and
several cottages, where she planned to live with him after her
abdication. There was a great deal of resistance to her suggestion
that Arlin become a democracy, so she had decided to choose a
council herself to govern the kingdom and remain as a
figurehead.

Ever since
Sabre had made the suggestion and voiced his preference, all she
wanted was a peaceful life with him, without the weight of the
kingdom on her shoulders. She spent most of her time with him now,
delegating affairs of state to her most trusted advisors. Tassin
rode with him in the woods, swam in the lake and went exploring in
the shuttle, although she feared his flying would give her grey
hairs. Sabre did everything at high speed, she had learnt, and it
took a great deal of courage to share in his wild pursuits. She
knew, however, that she was never safer than when she was in his
company, hair-raising though it sometimes was. At other times, he
was a tranquil companion with a quick wit, a wry sense of humour
and an endless supply of information on just about anything in the
universe. She had not thought it was possible to love him more than
she had done three and a half years ago, but her feelings had grown
deeper.

Tassin roused
from her reverie when Sabre took her hand, and turned to find him
studying her with raised brows.

“
Did you enjoy your trip to La-la-land?”

“
Quite a lot, yes,” she said.

Sabre smiled
and lowered his eyes to her hand, his fingers caressing it, sending
shivers through her. It never ceased to amaze her how his touch
made her tremble, especially since she was not the sort of girl who
trembled easily. He dug in the pocket of his dark grey tunic and
drew out something that sparkled, and her breath caught. He lifted
her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger, then raised her hand
and kissed the back of it. Tassin stared at the delicate diamond
solitaire, her heart thudding. When she raised her eyes to his, he
met her gaze with a smile. Her heart seemed on the brink of
bursting, and she fought the urge to throw herself into his arms.
Several seconds ticked past.

“
Are you going to ask me something?” she finally
enquired.

“
Nope.”

She spread her
hand and gazed at the ring. “You’re supposed to, you know.”

“
I know. But I already know what your answer will
be.”

“
Still, it’s traditional.”

His smile
widened. “Are you going to insist?”

“
I think I must.”

“
Okay.” He lowered his eyes to her hand again. “Tassin… will
you –?”

“
Yes.” She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him with
all her strength, and he enfolded her in his arms and held her
close.

Several
minutes later, she drew back to gaze into his eyes. “I’ve dreamt
about this moment for over three years. So many times, I thought
I’d lost you…” She blinked. “All I want is to spend the rest of my
life with you.”

“
Hey…” He stroked the hair from her brow, trailing his fingers
down the side of her face. “I’m not going anywhere,
okay?”

“
Promise?”

He clasped her
face and leant forward to kiss her, whispering, “Promise.”

****

The
Cyber Chronicles
saga continues in Book VIII,
Scorpion Lord,
Book IX,
Precipice
, and many more
as yet unwritten.

About the
author

T. C.
Southwell was born in Sri Lanka and her family moved to the
Seychelles when she was a baby. She spent her formative years
exploring the islands – mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination
flourished and she developed a keen love of other worlds. The
family travelled through Europe and Africa and, after the death of
her father, settled in South Africa. T. C. Southwell has written
over forty novels and five screenplays. Her hobbies include
motorcycling, horse riding and art, and she earns a living in the
IT industry.

All
illustrations and cover designs by the author.

Contact the
author at [email protected]

Acknowledgements

Mike Baum and
Janet Longman, former employers, for their support, encouragement,
and help. My mother, without whose financial support I could not
have dedicated myself to writing for ten years. Isabel Cooke,
former agent, whose encouragement and enthusiasm led to many more
books being written, including this one. Suzanne Stephan, former
agent, who has helped me so much over the past six years, and
Vanessa Finaughty, good friend and business partner, for her
support, encouragement and editing skills.