Chapter
Twenty: Death
Max groaned, falling to the ground,
wondering what had hit him. He rolled
over, clutching his side. Unfamiliar
greenish blood leaked from a wound in his waist. "Your Majesty," he heard a deep snarl. Lifting his eyes, he found Kivar staring
back at him. Max managed to stand,
wincing in pain. Kivar's eyes narrowed. "I've wanted to kill you for a long time,"
he said. Max staggered on his
feet. "Here I am," he said, "now's your
chance." Kivar was confused, but
laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Giving up so soon, Zan?" Max
swallowed, the pain in his abdomen increasing. "I don't want to say goodbye to you." "Then don't." He
sucked in his breath. Nothing will stop
him from getting home to Liz. With all
of his strength, he lifted his weapon with his free hand. Kivar immediately smacked it away, causing
Max to fall. "You're weak!" Kivar
shouted, kicking Max in the gut. He
moaned in pain. Kivar leaned over him. "Once you're dead, your kingdom will be
mine. Say goodbye, Zan." He pointed his laser at Max's head.
Max squeezed his eyes shut. How had it come to this? He heard a shot and flinched at the noise,
then felt a large weight fall on top of him. His eyes flew open. "Isabel?" She dropped the
weapon, pushing Kivar from her brother. "Max, you're hurt!" He tried to
smile. "It's okay. Just a flesh wound. If only we had our powers, huh?" She pressed her hands to his wound. "I guess I'm not a very good soldier," Max
joked. Isabel gave him a look, helping
him up. "Come on, we have to get out of
here." Max clung to her arms. "Vilandra." Her eyes went wide, turning to her fallen lover. His eyes were open, just barely, and he
stared at her with hurt in his eyes. Isabel glanced at Max. "I can't
leave him like this," she whispered. Max
didn't say anything, his silence an acquiesce. She bent down on the ground, her white gown filthy and torn, her hair
blowing in long strands around her face. Kivar reached up to touch her.
"I'm sorry Kivar," she whispered, "I
couldn't let you kill my brother. I
couldn't let you win." He swallowed
difficultly, holding his chest. "You
betrayed me," he seethed, "I would have given you everything." She shook her head, sniffling, trying not to
cry. Her Vilandra side hated to see him
in pain, her Vilandra side wanted to help him, cure him. But Isabel couldn't let that happen. Still, out of respect for her former self,
she lifted Kivar into her arms, holding him against her gently. "Part me loved you once," she whispered,
"she would have forgiven you anything, blinded as she was. But I love my family more. More than you, more than winning, more than
this planet. I sacrificed everything
and everyone for you once before. I
couldn't let history repeat itself." Max stood off to the side, watching her sadly. Isabel had more demons than anyone; he wished he could have been
more understanding.
Kivar's breath hitched, his eyes
fluttered closed. "You will never
escape Vilandra," he whispered, "you will never escape … me." Those were his last words. "Iz," Max called softly. She wiped her eyes, laying Kivar back onto
the ground. She stood and went to her
brother, supporting him with her shoulders. They walked slowly back to the palace. She didn't look back.
**
"So, are you Rath or Michael now?"
Nicholas asked, circling Michael, separating them from the other troops. "Either way, it doesn't matter because
you're going to die. It doesn't matter
which incarnation I exterminate." Michael scoffed. "You may not
look like a little kid anymore, Nicholas, but you're still just as
juvenile." Nicholas rolled his
eyes. "Oh, please. Couldn't you have come up with anything better?" "… that gleam of dull stupidity in the
eyes …" "Come on!" Nicholas cried
maliciously, "show me some of that wrath." Michael had a sudden flash of Courtney and what Nicholas had done
to her. He pointed his laser, and
giving no thought at all, pulled the trigger. Nicholas fell to the ground, dead.
**
"In here." Isabel ushered Max into the study, where he collapsed into a
chair. "It's okay, Iz. I'll be fine. We need to find out about Michael." "Michael's a soldier, a born warrior. I'm sure he's doing better than you did." He shot her look. "Thanks a lot." Isabel
looked at his side, and he caught her eye. "The bleeding's pretty much stopped now," he told her. "We still need to get the doctor." She smiled slyly. "You're the king. You'll
get first priority." Max shook his
head, resting his head against the back of the chair. "I'd rather just get out of here. I wanna go home, lay in my own little bed in my own little room …
preferably with Liz in my arms." Isabel
chuckled. "I know what you mean. I want a hug from Alex more than I've ever
wanted anything." Max rubbed her
arm. "We'll get home, Isabel. Soon. Very soon."
"Guys!" Tess came running into the room. Seeing that Max was bleeding, she fell to her knees by his side. "Oh my God, Max. What happened? Will you
be okay?" He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. You've been crying, Tess. Is
it Michael? Did something happen to
him?" Tess shook her head. "No. It's your mother."
