Part Two
Isabel looked around inside the small room she and Liz had been put. It was really a smaller section off a larger cave, with the difference that Rathe had sealed off the small opening into the larger cave.
A series of small holes in the ceiling let in some light but not enough for Isabel to be able to see clearly. As her eyes adjusted, she could see more. The ground was sand, the walls solid rock. Under the gaps in the ceiling, the sand was wet from the recent rain.
Against one wall was a pile of blankets, atop of them some of Liz's clothing Lonia had tossed in after Rathe had put them in the cave. Liz was lying on the floor beside the pile.
Isabel crouched down beside her, a hand reaching to touch her face. The human girl was still unconscious from whatever it was that Rathe had done to her. The sheet she was wrapped in had slid down somewhere along the line, ex posing one of her shoulders and half her back.
Along her shoulder and part of her arm, Isabel could see a series of what looked like tiny bite marks. What was that about? Had Rathe done that to her? She froze, remembering something Max had said; I can't help her, I did this to her..
He couldn't have. No, she wouldn't have let him. Max would never do that to Liz! How many times had he told her how much he loved Liz, would do anything for her, would give his life for her. And Isabel knew that Liz would have done the same for Max.
She shoved that thought away and knelt over Liz, trying to help the small human girl. She would wake up, and tell Isabel what had happened, and then they would get the hell out of here and not have to worry about her brother stalking the love of his life.
Isabel couldn't heal nearly as well as Max could, but she did possess some secondary powers for it. And Liz was female, and a friend, and that made it easier to form a connection with her. She searched through veins and arteries, searching for what Rathe had done to Liz.
There. He had somehow pinched the artery at the base of her brain, forcing her to lose consciousness or risk brain damage. Isabel reached out with her powers and released the pressure. With a little luck, Liz would wake up soon, and they could get the hell out of here.
* * *
Aeva looked up through the small hole in the wall of her cave that served for a window. Rathe had insisted she stay inside, away from the sight of the "Queen". Yeah, right.
Tess had been no more the queen than she herself was now. But in this life, Tess was somehow convinced that she had been. And even if she hadn't been, she should have been. And Rathe and Lonia were supporting her in that now, even if only to serve their own ends.
And Tess despised Aeva. She was, Tess claimed, a demonstration of the weakness that had resulted in the near death of their home planet. And Tess was obviously a prime example for the strength that would now be needed to win it back.
And so Aeva was stuck in a small cave, until someone killed the stupid ho. It was pointless following her anyway. Tess hadn't been the queen and didn't have the knowledge that they needed to activate the Granolith. Neither did Aeva, but she knew who the Queen really was and that they needed both her and the King to use the Granolith. Without the presence of both, they were wasting their time.
And it was unlikely now that Elizabeth would do anything with the King. Aeva could feel even now her emotions from the night previous. She had avoided direct mental contact with the girl, but nothing could block the emotions that should have had her at Elizabeth's side instantly. They had ripped through her like a hurricane on a clear day, tearing apart the girl who would have been her guardian, had things worked out differently.
But whatever had happened had ended with them apart. The Queen that was to have been part of their unit had not survived her infancy. Born several years earlier than the others, they could not know her story, more than that she had escaped her pod and later disappeared.
When Aeva had first emerged from her own pod, the first thing she had done was to sense out the others in her protection. Rathe had been the first she found, seemingly unharmed. Lonia had swiftly followed his discovery, seeming only mildly un-normal at first. It was not until her adolescence that her mind had surrendered entirely. Zan had been as normal as Rathe, only pressuring Aeva for knowledge of his queen.
The queen that had been born from the pod among them, Aeva could not locate. She had mind-searched all the area for miles around them. It was not until years later, after Zan had suffered his early death at Rathe's hands, that she found anyone remotely like the Queen she searched for. And she was not their own Queen, but apparently from the other unit that had been sent soon after their own.
Aeva knew not to interfere with that group. They would have their own guardian, though whenever she mind-touched with them, she could not find her. In the end, what had worried her was that their Queen did not seem to be aware of her place within their unit, nor those of it her. Over the years, she had mind-touched their Queen many times, careful never to let her be aware.
And now that their guardian had turned up, she was all but raving insane. Believing herself to be the Queen and Max as her mate, she was enraged that he loved another. She had tried to drive them apart by replacing a missive from home with her own mind-warp production, and for a time seemed to have succeeded.
When Elizabeth had returned from spending the summer with her 'aunt', Tess had been triumphant. She had believed Max was her own prize, to be directed at her own will. Aeva had been afraid after that last time she had touched with the Queen and with Tess, not knowing what would happen to the girl.
The next time she had felt anything from the other unit's Queen had been the previous night. Closer now to Elizabeth as well as the King, Aeva had been unable to block away the mental pain of a girl who might have been her own charge, under different circumstances.
And now Elizabeth had been taken by Tess, to what purpose Aeva was yet to be informed. She only prayed that the girl would not be harmed further.
* * *
Rathe was bored. The "Queen" had dismissed him, not to return except at her pleasure. Aeva was still cave-bound, and Lonia wasn't exactly sharing her thoughts with him. The girl was a half-wit anyway, not exactly ideal to carry on a conversation with.
He looked around the section of cave that served as a room for the two of them. The pile of blankets in a corner that they shared, the tiny light- globe of power against a wall, the sand floor. Lonia, sitting against one of the walls, staring blankly forward.
The girl was fine for a mate, but somewhat lacking in other respects. Anything resembling a brain, in any case. Her powers were strong though, and she would listen only to him about using them.
Rathe thought absently about her double, Isabel. That one obviously had some more brains, and some spirit. And they were compatible, the people back home had ensured that even if some of a royal four died off, there would still be enough of them to carry on the royal line. Maybe he could have some sport with the girl later.
If they were still around later, anyway. The "Queen" had ensured him that once they had the human girl, the King would soon follow. Once he was there, they could get rid of Tess, kill the human girl and use her energy to send back Rathe, Lonia, Max and Aeva.
Maybe not Lonia, though. If they took Isabel instead, the King might be more willing to activate the Granolith for them. Tess said he would be angry over the death of the human girl, but if Isabel was threatened, he would have to do as Rathe said.
But why would he be angry over the human girl? Rathe knew that Max had raped the girl. So why did it matter if she died? Maybe she was a favored bed-mate or some such thing.
But that again made no sense. Tess had only joined with them after the King had bedded the girl, out of fury against the girl. Because Elizabeth was his first mate, she would also be his only until her death, although only the Queen could carry his child. When the girl died, he would be able to seek another mate, and it was Rathe's plan that it would not be Tess, but Aeva.
Again, he returned to the choice; Lonia, who he could command, or Isabel who was as yet an unknown quantity? Or quality, he reflected with an unpleasant laugh. Lonia looked up at him at his laugh, her face still blank.
Well, if he was to determine Isabel's quality, he would need something to compare it too. He motioned to Lonia, who obediently walked over and lay down on their bed. Rathe joined her.
* * *
Max stared blankly out in front of him. He could barely sense her now, her mind calm. When he reached out to her, he sensed only more of the same blank wall that he had felt after leaving her the night before. She must be sleeping again.
Why would she be sleeping? Max asked himself. He'd hurt her, he knew. God, how could he not have hurt her? And what if his being different had hurt her in some other way that he had been too crazed with pain to think of?
Maybe that was why she was sleeping again. Her body, utterly drained by what he had done to her, couldn't hold up to the strain of being awake. Maybe she was even unconscious again. God, how could he know? Why wasn't Isabel helping her?
Max remembered earlier, when she had woken briefly, the sudden terror she had felt. And then she had slept again, almost immediately. What had inspired that terror? Surely not Isabel, though she would have been arriving around then.
Maybe it had been Isabel that had so badly scared her, and Is had needed to put her to sleep, or knock her out. More pain for her.
Her, she; Max taunted himself. Can't you even think her name? Or do you really believe that only once you do, it will become real?
Maybe it won't, unless you do. Maybe it was just another dream, inspired by anger and angst and hurt. Maybe it was just his subconscious striking back at him for being fool enough to let her leave for the summer. Maybe she had never even slept with Kyle. Maybe he was just completely insane.
No. Max couldn't hide like that, nor would he. He, and only he, had hurt the girl he thought he loved more than his own life, more than she knew she could be hurt.
You still can't do it, can you? Say her name. Think it, even. Don't hide behind a wall of obscurity.
Fine.
"Liz. Elizabeth Parker." He said it aloud. A bare instant later, their connection tore wide open as Liz woke up and then screamed.
Isabel looked around inside the small room she and Liz had been put. It was really a smaller section off a larger cave, with the difference that Rathe had sealed off the small opening into the larger cave.
A series of small holes in the ceiling let in some light but not enough for Isabel to be able to see clearly. As her eyes adjusted, she could see more. The ground was sand, the walls solid rock. Under the gaps in the ceiling, the sand was wet from the recent rain.
Against one wall was a pile of blankets, atop of them some of Liz's clothing Lonia had tossed in after Rathe had put them in the cave. Liz was lying on the floor beside the pile.
Isabel crouched down beside her, a hand reaching to touch her face. The human girl was still unconscious from whatever it was that Rathe had done to her. The sheet she was wrapped in had slid down somewhere along the line, ex posing one of her shoulders and half her back.
Along her shoulder and part of her arm, Isabel could see a series of what looked like tiny bite marks. What was that about? Had Rathe done that to her? She froze, remembering something Max had said; I can't help her, I did this to her..
He couldn't have. No, she wouldn't have let him. Max would never do that to Liz! How many times had he told her how much he loved Liz, would do anything for her, would give his life for her. And Isabel knew that Liz would have done the same for Max.
She shoved that thought away and knelt over Liz, trying to help the small human girl. She would wake up, and tell Isabel what had happened, and then they would get the hell out of here and not have to worry about her brother stalking the love of his life.
Isabel couldn't heal nearly as well as Max could, but she did possess some secondary powers for it. And Liz was female, and a friend, and that made it easier to form a connection with her. She searched through veins and arteries, searching for what Rathe had done to Liz.
There. He had somehow pinched the artery at the base of her brain, forcing her to lose consciousness or risk brain damage. Isabel reached out with her powers and released the pressure. With a little luck, Liz would wake up soon, and they could get the hell out of here.
* * *
Aeva looked up through the small hole in the wall of her cave that served for a window. Rathe had insisted she stay inside, away from the sight of the "Queen". Yeah, right.
Tess had been no more the queen than she herself was now. But in this life, Tess was somehow convinced that she had been. And even if she hadn't been, she should have been. And Rathe and Lonia were supporting her in that now, even if only to serve their own ends.
And Tess despised Aeva. She was, Tess claimed, a demonstration of the weakness that had resulted in the near death of their home planet. And Tess was obviously a prime example for the strength that would now be needed to win it back.
And so Aeva was stuck in a small cave, until someone killed the stupid ho. It was pointless following her anyway. Tess hadn't been the queen and didn't have the knowledge that they needed to activate the Granolith. Neither did Aeva, but she knew who the Queen really was and that they needed both her and the King to use the Granolith. Without the presence of both, they were wasting their time.
And it was unlikely now that Elizabeth would do anything with the King. Aeva could feel even now her emotions from the night previous. She had avoided direct mental contact with the girl, but nothing could block the emotions that should have had her at Elizabeth's side instantly. They had ripped through her like a hurricane on a clear day, tearing apart the girl who would have been her guardian, had things worked out differently.
But whatever had happened had ended with them apart. The Queen that was to have been part of their unit had not survived her infancy. Born several years earlier than the others, they could not know her story, more than that she had escaped her pod and later disappeared.
When Aeva had first emerged from her own pod, the first thing she had done was to sense out the others in her protection. Rathe had been the first she found, seemingly unharmed. Lonia had swiftly followed his discovery, seeming only mildly un-normal at first. It was not until her adolescence that her mind had surrendered entirely. Zan had been as normal as Rathe, only pressuring Aeva for knowledge of his queen.
The queen that had been born from the pod among them, Aeva could not locate. She had mind-searched all the area for miles around them. It was not until years later, after Zan had suffered his early death at Rathe's hands, that she found anyone remotely like the Queen she searched for. And she was not their own Queen, but apparently from the other unit that had been sent soon after their own.
Aeva knew not to interfere with that group. They would have their own guardian, though whenever she mind-touched with them, she could not find her. In the end, what had worried her was that their Queen did not seem to be aware of her place within their unit, nor those of it her. Over the years, she had mind-touched their Queen many times, careful never to let her be aware.
And now that their guardian had turned up, she was all but raving insane. Believing herself to be the Queen and Max as her mate, she was enraged that he loved another. She had tried to drive them apart by replacing a missive from home with her own mind-warp production, and for a time seemed to have succeeded.
When Elizabeth had returned from spending the summer with her 'aunt', Tess had been triumphant. She had believed Max was her own prize, to be directed at her own will. Aeva had been afraid after that last time she had touched with the Queen and with Tess, not knowing what would happen to the girl.
The next time she had felt anything from the other unit's Queen had been the previous night. Closer now to Elizabeth as well as the King, Aeva had been unable to block away the mental pain of a girl who might have been her own charge, under different circumstances.
And now Elizabeth had been taken by Tess, to what purpose Aeva was yet to be informed. She only prayed that the girl would not be harmed further.
* * *
Rathe was bored. The "Queen" had dismissed him, not to return except at her pleasure. Aeva was still cave-bound, and Lonia wasn't exactly sharing her thoughts with him. The girl was a half-wit anyway, not exactly ideal to carry on a conversation with.
He looked around the section of cave that served as a room for the two of them. The pile of blankets in a corner that they shared, the tiny light- globe of power against a wall, the sand floor. Lonia, sitting against one of the walls, staring blankly forward.
The girl was fine for a mate, but somewhat lacking in other respects. Anything resembling a brain, in any case. Her powers were strong though, and she would listen only to him about using them.
Rathe thought absently about her double, Isabel. That one obviously had some more brains, and some spirit. And they were compatible, the people back home had ensured that even if some of a royal four died off, there would still be enough of them to carry on the royal line. Maybe he could have some sport with the girl later.
If they were still around later, anyway. The "Queen" had ensured him that once they had the human girl, the King would soon follow. Once he was there, they could get rid of Tess, kill the human girl and use her energy to send back Rathe, Lonia, Max and Aeva.
Maybe not Lonia, though. If they took Isabel instead, the King might be more willing to activate the Granolith for them. Tess said he would be angry over the death of the human girl, but if Isabel was threatened, he would have to do as Rathe said.
But why would he be angry over the human girl? Rathe knew that Max had raped the girl. So why did it matter if she died? Maybe she was a favored bed-mate or some such thing.
But that again made no sense. Tess had only joined with them after the King had bedded the girl, out of fury against the girl. Because Elizabeth was his first mate, she would also be his only until her death, although only the Queen could carry his child. When the girl died, he would be able to seek another mate, and it was Rathe's plan that it would not be Tess, but Aeva.
Again, he returned to the choice; Lonia, who he could command, or Isabel who was as yet an unknown quantity? Or quality, he reflected with an unpleasant laugh. Lonia looked up at him at his laugh, her face still blank.
Well, if he was to determine Isabel's quality, he would need something to compare it too. He motioned to Lonia, who obediently walked over and lay down on their bed. Rathe joined her.
* * *
Max stared blankly out in front of him. He could barely sense her now, her mind calm. When he reached out to her, he sensed only more of the same blank wall that he had felt after leaving her the night before. She must be sleeping again.
Why would she be sleeping? Max asked himself. He'd hurt her, he knew. God, how could he not have hurt her? And what if his being different had hurt her in some other way that he had been too crazed with pain to think of?
Maybe that was why she was sleeping again. Her body, utterly drained by what he had done to her, couldn't hold up to the strain of being awake. Maybe she was even unconscious again. God, how could he know? Why wasn't Isabel helping her?
Max remembered earlier, when she had woken briefly, the sudden terror she had felt. And then she had slept again, almost immediately. What had inspired that terror? Surely not Isabel, though she would have been arriving around then.
Maybe it had been Isabel that had so badly scared her, and Is had needed to put her to sleep, or knock her out. More pain for her.
Her, she; Max taunted himself. Can't you even think her name? Or do you really believe that only once you do, it will become real?
Maybe it won't, unless you do. Maybe it was just another dream, inspired by anger and angst and hurt. Maybe it was just his subconscious striking back at him for being fool enough to let her leave for the summer. Maybe she had never even slept with Kyle. Maybe he was just completely insane.
No. Max couldn't hide like that, nor would he. He, and only he, had hurt the girl he thought he loved more than his own life, more than she knew she could be hurt.
You still can't do it, can you? Say her name. Think it, even. Don't hide behind a wall of obscurity.
Fine.
"Liz. Elizabeth Parker." He said it aloud. A bare instant later, their connection tore wide open as Liz woke up and then screamed.