“The monk saw a strong root sticking out from the wall of the cliff. He swung himself down, grabbing onto the vine. It held, and he was able to hang there as the tiger above stopped at the edge to snarl and roar at him.
“The monk thought about climbing down … surely, the cliff had to have a bottom … but when he looked below, he saw another tiger had appeared. The only choices he had were different types of death. There was no salvation to be had.
“The monk did not know what to do. He couldn’t hang there forever. As he contemplated, two tiny mice darted out of a hole in the cliff wall. One white and one black. They ran across his hands and began to gnaw on the vine. Their work was slow because of how tiny they were, but they would eventually eat through the vine. The monk was still waiting for death.
“The monk looked around in a last attempt to try to save his own life. The only thing he could see was a big, red, juicy strawberry that had bloomed on a nearby plant that grew out of the cliff wall.
“The monk reached for it, letting go of the vine with one hand so he could stretch toward it. The vine jiggled in his hand, and he almost lost his grip, but he didn’t care. The tiger above snarled, and the one below roared, but he still didn’t care.
“The monk’s hand closed on the strawberry, and relief flooded through him. He ignored all the dangers around him and bit into the strawberry.
“The sweet taste flooded his mouth. It was transcendent, a pure pleasure that ran through him, reminding him of the gift of life and how fleeting … yet how wonderful … it was.”
Pilar shook her head. “I don’t get it.”
Maverick brushed her hair back from her face, kissing her gently.
“The point is, my love, we can’t evade the tiger. None of us can. The harder we try to get away from it, the more the universe conspires to make us face it. The only choice is to enjoy whatever pleasures we have left.”
Maverick shrugged.
“The monk could have spent his last moments terrified, watching his doom getting closer and closer, trying to save himself in even more futile ways. Instead, he chose to eat the strawberry and go into death with a measure of peace and acceptance.”
“That’s all well and good,” Pilar snapped as tears fell from her eyes. “But what about me? I’m going to be left behind, Maverick. How can I live without you?”
He kissed her softly. She kissed him back, desperation making her kisses fierce.
“I love you,” he said. “I always will. I’ve never known anything like the strength I feel when I’m with you, the freedom I feel in your arms. You are my one, great pleasure, Pilar.”
Maverick could feel himself growing weak. His lungs took shallow breaths, and black spots were beginning to dance at the edges of his vision. Pilar looked into his eyes, smiling as she stroked his cheek. He just kept looking into those beautiful, glittering eyes.
This is how I want to go.
Her hand was gentle on his cheek, her scent was all around him, and he was falling, falling into waves of sapphire blue. She kissed him, and Maverick opened his arms, pressing their bodies together.
He felt his body try to respond to her, but he was too weak. Maverick felt his energy rise as Pilar’s hot lips, and tongue stroked his own, and it was bliss, even as the poison began to rob him of sensation. They broke apart, and he fell back onto the couch.
Pilar was screaming his name. Maverick could feel her hands gripping his shirt, shaking him. He couldn’t answer. He was drifting away … far away. Even though he didn’t want to go, he knew he had no choice.
He focused on the memory of Pilar’s sweet lips, the same way the monk had focused on the delicious strawberry, and surrendered to the wave of darkness that dragged him under and swept him away.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
PILAR
Maverick’s warm lips slipped away from her own. Pilar looked into his eyes to see them fluttering closed. The doorways to his soul were closing, and she knew this time, it was final.
As he fell back, she grabbed his shoulders, trying to hold him up. His head lolled so violently that she let him fall back onto the couch cushions. For a whole minute, she watched him as the blood drained from his face and his breathing became harder and sharper.
“Maverick?” she whimpered. Pilar literally couldn’t move as fear froze her veins and terror flooded her mind. Maverick didn’t move. Even the rise and fall of his chest was becoming slow and almost imperceptible.
“Maverick?” she whispered again. She reached out slowly, touching his shoulder gently. Then she gripped it hard and gave him a shake.
His breath rattled in his chest, and his face went bone white. A new kind of horror ripped through her as she began to understand. This was it.
He isn’t going to wake up.
“Maverick!” she screamed, her voice high enough to rattle the windows. She shook him again, the sharp, loose movements of his limbs sickening her. Pilar managed to get herself under control before she started pounding on his chest … which surely would have broken his ribs … but she trembled violently as she held in the frantic energy that was burning her from the inside out.