Isabel screamed

Isabel screamed.

Even though it didn't seem possible, Ethan ran even faster, and the pair rushed around the corner like a windstorm.

Carter held Isabel by the wrists, and, try as she might; she couldn't hit him with her kicks.

The driver stood behind Carter. He was only an evil minion, after all.

"Let her go, Carter!" Arkarian spat out his name as if it was acid.

The man chuckled. "And why should I? My ultimate goal is to kill every last one of you."

Ethan didn't say anything. He was too busy trying to figure out a way to save Isabel, and somehow take out Carter and the man behind him.

Arkarian, however, was totally loosing his cool. The whole structure he was built on, and his whole personality went crumbling into dust.

"I told you to LET HER GO!" Electricity zapped out of Arkarian's glowing hands, and pummeled Carter to the ground, which brought Isabel down as well.

Ethan took the moment, and barreled into the henchman. They fought in a flurry of fists and red faces.

Arkarian rushed over to Isabel's prone form. Before he had the chance to say anything too mushy, Carter punched him in the face.

Arkarian fell over backwards, landing hard on the grass. Carter stood and rubbed his fist, grinning all the while.

"See how it's like, oh perfect one? See how it's like." Carter descended on Arkarian, punching and kicking until he drew blood and his victim couldn't see for the red and black haze.

Ethan was too busy with the judo-skilled chauffeur to go and help his former trainer. Ethan was having a hard enough time trying not to get hit, let alone disable his opponent.

Isabel stirred slightly, and then woke up.

"Arkarian!" she shouted.

Isabel rammed into Carter at the speed of light, sending the man flying. He thudded to the ground fifteen feet away, stunned.

Isabel walked slowly forward, menace in her eyes.

"You. Hurt. Arkarian." She stopped next to Carter's limp body. "Prepare to die."

"No Isabel!" yelled Ethan. But his second's lapse of concentration earned him a blow to the jaw.

"I have the power to save lives…" Isabel said slowly, crouching down to put a hand on Carter's chest. "And I can take them away as WELL!" She closed her eyes and blue light formed around her hand. Carter opened his eyes wide and screamed.

Ethan and the driver ran at Isabel at the same time, knocking her away from Carter's body.

Her hand still glowed, and power still drained from Carter. Her eyes were sealed shut. She didn't know what she was doing.

"Stop it, Isabel, STOP IT!" Ethan grabbed her blue hand, wanting to stop the flow. The driver knelt at Carter's side, helpless to do anything.

"I won't let you do this. I won't!" Ethan squeezed her hand.

But she kept on going.

"Arkarian wouldn't want you to do this, Isabel," Ethan whispered. A tear formed and fell down his face.

Isabel's eyes snapped open. "Arkarian!" The blue flow stopped, and Ethan felt relieved, but only for a moment.

The blue faded into green, and arched over to Arkarian. Isabel closed her eyes again, giving all the power she had taken.

"No!" Ethan shouted.

Blue and green zapped around the grass, and the moon was an onlooker to it all, full and bright.

Carter's eye closed for the last time, and Arkarian's opened at the same moment. He seemed a bit stunned, but none the worse for wear.

"I…I thought you'd lost your powers," he mumbled.

"Oh! You're alive!" Isabel crawled over to him, and hugged and kissed like crazy.

Ethan felt hot tears streaming down his face, but didn't make a noise. He turned to look and see if the driver was still there, but, of course, he wasn't.

Arkarian and Isabel were talking now. Ethan knew he hadn't a part in the conversation, so he stood, and walked away into the woods.

"How did you heal me, Isabel?" Arkarian asked. His love for her was somewhat dimmed at the moment. He didn't understand why. He should have only cared that she was alive. But something was repressing that feeling.

"I…I…I used Carter's energy… I didn't want you to die!" She wound her fists into his shirt.

"You used Carter's…You killed him?!" Arkarian's eyes were wide. A feeling he didn't have very often bubbled to the surface of his mind. Anger.

"You were dying!" She was crying now.

Pity evaporated. Anger raged, fanned by her tears.

Arkarian stood. He didn't say another word to Isabel before walking into the forest, leaving her sobbing on her front lawn.

Jimmy stopped, and fell to the forest floor. A large tree rose up into the night sky ahead of him, it's gigantic branches obscured by leaves.

"A tree?" asked Neriah, skeptically.

Rochelle just nodded as she began to climb. Neriah glanced at Jimmy as she passed him, but he looked too tired to do any climbing. Matt followed after the girls.

"He could be our sentry," Neriah mumbled.

Rochelle stopped at a branch that was easily three feet thick, and fifty feet off the forest floor. She leaned against the trunk and sighed, before closing her eyes. Neriah climbed unsteadily out, and then, reluctantly, snuggled up next to Rochelle.

Matt climbed a bit higher. Neriah could hear him passing by the leaves. That made her feel secure; a guard below, and a guard above. They were safe.