Hi, all! Sorry for the ridiculous wait (again). I can blame Grad school and all the other activities that suck up all my time. I'm hoping to have the last chapters of this story done before New Years. Happy Reading!

11

Tulio stepped into the temple and glared at Tzekel-Kan. His eyes then found Miguel, and his heart flooded with joy. He smiled at his partner. "Miguel."

Miguel immediately began to cry again. "I-I thought you were dead."

Tulio looked back at Tzekel-Kan. "Guess you didn't hang around long enough to make sure the job was finished."

Tzekel-Kan glared at Tulio. "I'll make sure of it this time!" He suddenly lunged for Tulio.

Tulio caught the attack and threw the high priest to the floor. He raced over to Miguel. "Miguel?"

"Tulio," Miguel choked out through his tears.

Tulio wrapped his arms around Miguel and hugged him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you t-too," Miguel sniffled. He looked over Tulio's shoulder to see Tzekel-Kan on the attack again. "Tulio!"

Tulio was surprised when Tzekel-Kan ripped him away from Miguel and threw him across the floor. He got up quickly to find the high priest coming at him with a large dagger. He jumped back when Tzekel-Kan swung the blade at him, and he heard Miguel pleading for him to stop. "You don't want to do this."

"Do what?!" Tzekel-Kan snarled, preparing to strike again.

"Kill me," Tulio said, dodging another swing.

"Oh, I most certainly do," Tzekel-Kan growled. He dove forward and swung at Tulio again, becoming furious when his enemy dodged his attack.

"Please stop," Miguel cried out. He managed to get himself off the bed and slowly make his way over to the two other men.

"What do you think will happen to him if I die?" Tulio asked, backing up.

"He'll be mine, forever," Tzekel-Kan answered. He jumped forward again, this time causing Tulio to trip and fall backwards to the ground. "Now I'll finish you off!"

"No!" Miguel cried. He stumbled forward and leaned on a pillar for support. "Please…"

Tulio tried to get back up but was pinned down by Tzekel-Kan. He froze when the high priest pressed the dagger to his neck. "He won't be the same anymore," he said quietly.

"What?" Tzekel-Kan asked in annoyance.

"You don't think killing me right in front of him?" Tulio asked cautiously. "Look at him…he's in this condition now because of you. Do you really want to make it worse?"

Tzekel-Kan glared down at Tulio, knowing he was right. "There is no other way!"

"I'll fix that problem right now," Chel's cold voice suddenly appeared.

Tzekel-Kan dropped the dagger out of surprise and looked over his should. "You!"

Chel glared maliciously as she suddenly appeared behind Miguel. "I've been waiting for this moment." She pulled out her own dagger and, before anyone could react, pounced on Miguel. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him back towards her, then swiftly reached around and buried the knife in the side of his stomach. She grinned evilly when he screamed in pain.

"NO!" Tulio and Tzekel-Kan yelled in unison.

"You couldn't let me have my way!" Chel yelled. She roughly twisted the knife, eliciting another cry of agony from Miguel. "I always get my way."

Tzekel-Kan stood, forgetting about Tulio, and glared at Chel. "You traitor!"

Chel looked at him. "You were all I wanted." She pulled the dagger away from Miguel and pointed it at Tzekel-Kan. "You wouldn't love me, you just had to have this worthless excuse for a human!"

Tzekel-Kan snapped, lunging forward at Chel. The native girl let go of Miguel in an attempt to get away from the high priest.

Tulio dove forward and caught Miguel before he hit the floor. "Miguel?! Miguel, answer me," he said, gently shaking his partner. He bit his lip when Miguel whimpered in pain. "I'm right here, Miguel." He gently cradled Miguel close. "I'm going to get you out of here." He glanced over to where Chel and Tzekel-Kan were practically wrestling each other. He then carefully picked up Miguel, who cried out in pain as he was moved. "I'm sorry, I promise this will all be over soon." He began to make his way to the temple entrance.

Tzekel-Kan grabbed Chel's wrist and twisted it, causing her to scream and drop her dagger. "I made it clear that I'm finished with you!"

"You'll never get rid of me!" she yelled, struggling to get away. "Let go of me so I can finish what I started!" She reached out with her free hand and swung at Tzekel-Kan.

The high priest dodged the blow and spun Chel in a circle. He stumbled back, pushing her away in the process. He watched as Chel stumbled backwards into the eerie well in the stone floor.

Chel screamed one last time before falling into the well. A loud boom was heard, and what looked like green lightning shot upwards from the well.

Tulio gasped and held Miguel closer to himself. He watched as the woman whom he thought loved him fell to her doom in the well. He didn't want to hang around to find out what would happen next. He took off for the entrance once more, but was suddenly stopped by Tzekel-Kan. "Get out of my way, he growled.

"You're wrong if you think you're leaving with what belongs to me," Tzekel-Kan said, eyeing up Miguel's body in Tulio's arms.

"He doesn't belong to you!" Tulio snapped. "I'm taking him to where I can get him help."

"I can give him all the help he needs!" Tzekel-Kan roared.

"Oh, right, because you've done a fantastic job so far."

Tzekel-Kan was ready to snap Tulio in two. "Then I'll just have to take him back from you."

Tulio wasn't prepared for what happened next. He couldn't fight while he was holding Miguel, so he was unable to deflect Tzekel-Kan's attack. He stumbled backwards and felt Miguel being pulled away from him. "You can't have him!" he stammered. He lunged at Tzekel-Kan, who reacted quickly by leaning back and kicking him in the chest. He stumbled back again, gasping for air and clutching his chest.

You never were any good at protecting him," Tzekel-Kan taunted, indicating to the blonde who was now in his arms.

"That's not true!" Tulio choked out. "That's not true and he knows it!"

"And what does he have to show for it? A broken heart?"

"He's dying because of you!"

Tzekel-Kan glared and took a few steps forward, causing Tulio to back up. "He wouldn't be if you weren't such a fool!"

"I know what I did to him wasn't right," Tulio said. "But I'm sorry, and I love him too much to quit now."

"T-Tu…lio," Miguel barely whispered from Tzekel-Kan's arms.

Tulio smiled a little. "I'm right here."

"Not for much longer," Tzekel-Kan said. He pounced forward and rammed into Tulio with his shoulder.

Tulio cried out in surprise and fell backwards. He hadn't realized how close he had been to the stairs. He tumbled backwards down the huge temple staircase.

"Tulio!" Miguel cried, agony and terror in his voice. "No…" Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw Tulio fall. He sobbed once, weakly, before losing consciousness.

TBC

Crappy cliff hanger, sorry about that. Next chapter will be up soon (hopefully).