Part 10
Liz wondered if she was going to pass out.
She really, really felt like she was. All of her
friends looked horrified, but they had no idea how bad
this really was.
Only one other person at the table knew. Liz turned
to stare at Michael. His face was chalk white and he
looked like he wanted to throw up. He met her gaze,
his pupils dilated with a combination of horror and
terror.
Liz finally managed to open her mouth to speak. "Was
my whole journal on there Kyle?" She asked, having to
try twice before the words had any sort of coherence.
Kyle shrugged. "How should I know? It was just a whole
lot of stuff about Max." He looked embarrassed. "I
tried not to read too much of it Liz. I mean, its
private."
Liz stumbled to her feet. "Alex, we need to get this
off the web NOW - immediately, if not sooner."
"Liz, do you really think you should look at it?"
Maria asked with concern as Liz moved to drag Alex off
to the computer room. "Alex can do it himself."
Liz exchanged another look with Michael. While she
was majorly humiliated that there seemed to be nookie
pictures of she and Max on the site, that was not her
main concern. The potentially explosive secrets that
had been revealed....
And even if they hadn't. Well, the person who had the
journal knew - and that was bad enough.
She couldn't decide whether to tell the others or not.
Tess and Izzy would seriously, and rightfully, freak
if they found out.
No, it was best to keep it between she and Michael
until they knew how bad it was.
"It's okay Maria. I need to see it." Liz replied.
Liz practically sprinted across the quad, Alex close
behind her. She ignored all the staring eyes, the
catcalls from a couple of asses on the football
team.
None of it mattered. Her friends' lives were
potentially in danger here.
Alex and Liz slammed into the computer room. A couple
of students already there snapped around to stare at
them. One snickered. Liz knew what site she must be
looking at.
It was only then that Liz realized that Michael had
accompanied them. He glared at the three sophomores
and two freshman. "Out." He commanded in his most
threatening tone. Liz was pleased that none even
commented. They all grabbed their stuff and made a
break for it. Michael's bad-ass reputation did come in
handy sometimes, Liz reflected wryly.
She slid into the seat in front of the console where
the giggler had been sitting.
Her heart stopped. She closed her eyes briefly, took
a deep breath.
Well, there was no denying that it was her. There she
was kissing Max passionately, an expression of bliss
on her face.
She even recognized where it was. It was the night
that they had been in Michael's apartment, their
impulse to be together almost completely out of
control. It was the same night they had discovered
the orb that had started the whole mess in the first
place.
Liz quickly used the mouse to click to the next
picture. It was even worse. Max had his shirt off
and she was running her hand down his chest. The
expression on his face...
She felt tears fill her eyes. She remembered exactly
what he had said to her.
"I can't do it to you." She had told him sadly.
"I'm glowing everywhere." He had replied. "My toes,
my heart. You can't see it because its on the
inside."
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Alex stuttered from behind
her. "I think I'm going blind."
Liz felt hysterical laughter about to erupt. "How? I
mean where on Earth did these pictures come from?" She
demanded.
"Liz, we can figure that out later. Get to the
journal." Michael commanded. Liz felt annoyed. How
dare he order her around when this was all his fault
in the first place?
But she knew that he was right. She quickly clicked
to the home page.
Giant letters screamed off the computer.
THE SECRET LIFE OF LIZ PARKER.
In smaller letters it continued.
Mild-mannered school girl by day, sizzling sex-pot by
night.
That's our Lady Liz.
Here it all is, in black and white, in her own
words.
Liz paused, glanced back at Michael. "Are you ready
for this?" She asked quietly.
He nodded, his jaw set. She clicked on the mouse.
The next screen came up.
Journal Entry 4
The tough thing about following your heart is what
people forget to mention, that sometimes your heart
takes you to places you shouldn't be.
Liz quickly scanned the rest of the entry. Nothing
incriminating there, although it was making her
stomach clench just seeing her private thoughts on
public display. It was making her feel ill to realize
that a large portion of the student body had been
privy to those thoughts.
Journal Entry 18
Have you ever had a moment when you're with the one
person in the world you want to be with? And the wind
is blowing through your hair and the song that just
describes your entire soul happens to come on and then
the person you happen to want to be with happens to
love the same song and suddenly you realize you're
listening to it together.
Liz swallowed, didn't even give herself a chance to
remember that perfect moment. It would make her think
about how much she missed Max, about what she had
found out last night. Now wasn't the time.
Click.
Journal Entry 34
Lately I've been having these feelings, like I'm
changing, inside, and part of me doesn't want to
change, part of me always wants to be my mom's little
girl, but the thing is these feelings are strong,
dangerous, undeniable... It's like I have no choice,
it's like chemical.
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Michael
demanded. He was reading over her shoulder.
"Er - never mind." Liz replied. She swiveled around,
sighed with relief. "None of it's what we thought."
She told him.
"What did you guys think was on here?" Alex asked
suspiciously. "I would have thought that what was
there was enough to make you crawl under your bed for
a year." He nudged Liz out of her chair, began to
type away, clearly trying to get rid of the site.
Liz and Michael exchanged another look. "Um...I used
my journal to talk about some Czech stuff." Liz
replied finally, realized that everyone had a right to
know now.
The fact that her journal was still out there
somewhere - in God knew who's hands... Everyone NEEDED
to know.
Alex turned around. "What! Liz were you crazy? What
were you thinking?" She saw the look of terror that
crossed her best friend's face. She knew exactly what
was going through his mind. Isabel was now in great
danger.
"Can it Whitman." Michael inserted. "What's done is
done. Liz had a right to write whatever she wanted."
Liz pressed her lips together. She did not want
Michael standing up for her. She hated him - but she
couldn't help but feel a bit thankful.
She knew that it had been stupid, that she should
have burned the thing after Michael had stolen it the
first time.
She should have gotten rid of it when Max had
disappeared but it had been her only reminder of
him, besides a few photographs. To burn it - it would
have been like erasing her entire relationship with
her soulmate.
"Can you get rid of it?" Liz asked Alex in a small
voice.
"Yeah, it's pretty amateur actually." Her friend
replied. "I just need to get into the
site-builder."
"Don't you need a password?" Michael asked, looking
impressed as Alex's hands flew across the keyboard.
"Nah, I can get around that." Alex replied. As Liz
watched tensely, the screen flashed several times
and the journal entry in front of them disappeared.
"Please tell me its gone?" Isabel walked into the
computer room with Tess. Tess' face looked concerned.
"Are you okay?" She asked Liz. Liz reflected briefly
on how surreal it was that she and Tess were actually
friends.
"Yeah, thanks. Alex took care of it." Liz replied.
"Where's Maria?" Michael demanded, glancing behind the
two girls who had just entered.
Isabel's face, which had been showing her relief,
darkened. "Kyle took her home. She wasn't feeling
well." Liz saw Michael clench his fists at his side,
felt her own stomach drop.
"We need to figure out who was behind this." Alex
announced as he stood up. "We have to get that
journal back."
"Why?" Tess asked. "I mean, I heard some of the girls
talking in the hall. It sounds to me like the
pictures were sort of bad, but that the journal was
actually kind of romantic." She smiled at Liz sadly.
"You're like even more of a tragic heroine to them now
than you were before."
"I'm pleased to report that there were no sex
fantasies, if that's what you mean." Liz replied,
blushing slightly. She saw Isabel grimace.
"Please, I may be ill. This is my brother we're
talking about here."
Liz realized that they had to tell them. "My journal
wasn't just about my relationship with Max. It was
also about Max in general. I mean, what he was...IS!"
Liz quickly amended, upset that she had used the past
tense to refer to her boyfriend. "What he is."
"His Czech status?" Isabel blanched. "Oh my God. And
us too?" She indicated Michael and Tess. Tess looked
like she couldn't speak.
Liz felt terrible. She nodded. "I am so sorry Isabel
- all of you."
Isabel sat on a chair quickly. She looked faint. "I
can't breathe."
Alex hurried to her side, began to stroke her back
comfortingly. "It's okay. We're going to get it back
Iz."
"I need to think about something else." Isabel
announced abruptly "I cannot think about this right
now." Alex exchanged a worried glance with Liz. She
shrugged.
Isabel was reaching into her book bag. She pulled out
the large book that Liz had been carrying when she had
come to lunch. Liz had not even remembered that she
had left it behind.
Izzy flipped it over so that the title was visible to
them all. It was entitled BRITISH HERITAGE SITES.
"What is this all about?" She looked at Alex
significantly. "It's what I saw in my vision Alex."
"What the hell?" Michael yelled. "That's what I saw
in MY vision!"
He was staring at the picture on the cover in shock.
It was of the most famous tourist sites in all of
Great Britain. It was Stonehenge.
"YOUR vision?" Alex demanded. "Were you planning on
telling us about that in this century or the next?"
"I saw it too." Liz said quietly. "That's why I wasn't
in school this morning. I had to check up on
something. Max called it the Waylandian Ring."
"Ummm, and might I inquire when he called it that?"
Alex asked, shaking his head wearily. Liz understood
how he was feeling. They were not being very open
about what was going on with each of them.
"I never got a chance to tell you guys." Liz
continued. "I saw Max last night. In a dream."
"He dreamwalked you?" Isabel sounded ecstatic.
Liz shook her head. "No. I think he was just as
surprised to be there as I was." She shut her eyes
briefly, felt again the pain of the meeting - but also
the hope that had remained with her ever since. "He
doesn't remember who he is." She told them sadly.
"What do you mean?" Michael demanded.
"Just what I said. They've brainwashed him or
something. He doesn't remember anything about his
time on Earth. He really thinks that he's Jaxon
Falconer."
"He IS Jaxon Falconer." Michael replied. Liz narrowed
her eyes. Not in her book was Max ever going to be
Jaxon Falconer.
He was Max. Her Max.
"You know what I mean." Liz told him, barely keeping
the irritation out of her voice. "Anyway, the point
is, we were in what he called the Waylandian Ring."
Isabel was shaking her head. "Who cares about that
right now? How did he look?"
"He looked fine. He looked exactly like he looked
when he left." Liz replied, a slight smile on her
face.
He had looked beautiful to her.
"I don't understand." Tess said. "We've figured out
already that time moves differently on Illyria. I
mean, Michael and Maria were only gone for an hour but
for them it was like they were gone for a year.
Shouldn't Max be like three hundred years old by now?"
Liz just shook her head. "I have no idea. He looked
exactly the same. Yeah, he looked older, but only
because he's almost a year older than the last time we
saw him."
Michael was scowling. "So what does Stonehenge have to
do with any of this?" He inquired testily, clearly
wanting to get back on track with the mystery at hand.
"I'll tell you." Liz replied, annoyed with him again.
Couldn't he just let them be happy for two minutes
that Max was healthy and alive? She took the book
away from Isabel, flipped through to the entry on the
famous ancient site. She began to read aloud.
"England's most famous stone circle is found several
miles from the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It is
now generally acknowledged that the famous stones were
carried to the site from Northern Wales by an ancient
people, although for what purpose is unclear.
Mysteries and legend surround the stone circle. It is
known that the circle was a holy site for the ancient
Druids, that it might have been an astronomical
observatory and that it is found at the intersection
of several lay-lines..."
"What's a lay-line?" Tess interrupted.
"It's like a line of energy that is supposed to cross
the island. There are supposed to be thousands of
them." Liz explained. "They're invisible but they are
said to have great power. Stone circles are generally
believed to be built on the spots where several cross
because the Druids and others used them to channel the
power from the lay-lines."
"Sounds like a bunch of hocus-pocus nonsense to me."
Michael grumbled.
"Yeah, and aliens among us sounded like a bunch of
hocus-pocus nonsense to me!" Alex replied
sarcastically.
Liz ignored them both, continued to read. "One of the
biggest mysteries surrounding the circle is how the
stones were transported from Wales to Wiltshire. The
people who lived at the time it was built did not have
the technology to do so, although some historians
argue that they might have moved them by water."
"So?" Michael asked, clearly getting impatient.
"Will you shush!" Liz snapped. Michael blinked at
her. She turned back to the others. "This is what's
important. Get this..." she explained. "Some less
reputable sources argue that the only explanation lies
in the stars."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Michael
demanded.
Liz rolled her eyes. She turned to Isabel hopefully.
Isabel's face was shining with excitement. She was
clutching Alex's hand tightly. She turned to Michael.
"Don't you get it? They think that it was built by
aliens! Oh my God! Liz! Do you realize what this
means?"
Liz smiled at her. "I do. It means that we know how
to bring Max home."
Part 11
The Citadel, Illyria
Jaxon stalked down the corridor to the throne room, his back straight, his expression blank. He was determined to show no fear.
He had not seen his parents in two years - not since the day they had sent assassins to murder him in his bed. He had barely escaped with his life. If it had not been for Tarsus, he would have surely perished.
Jaxon wondered if Mirana and Tristandor would be there as well. The thought of seeing them was disturbing. Once his closest companions, their betrayal had hurt even more than that of his parents.
He hoped that they were not there. He did not know if he would be able to keep his composure if he saw his twin sister. Mirana had been his confidante and strength while he had grown into his leadership role after their father's death. Their father had been gone only a few short months after their emergence from their pods. They had only ever had each other and their mother. While they had loved their stepfather Hamor when their mother had married him, he had still been an outsider, one who had taken their mother from their little circle. They had become even closer then.
It had been the marriage to Tristandor that had been the turning point in their relationship. Tristandor had come to the Citadel with professions of friendship and loyalty but, in the end, he had convinced Jaxon's parents and sister to turn on him.
Liz had spoken of them. She had told him that Mirana, or Isabel as Liz called her, was Liz's best friend, that she was working to bring him "home." She had told him that Tristandor - Michael - was HIS best friend.
It was these lies that had convinced Jaxon that Liz was not who she claimed to be. She was working for his parents - there was no question.
He could not trust her. She was a figment of his imagination, or an illusion created to trick him.
Jaxon's thoughts were interrupted when one of his guards grabbed him roughly by the elbow, forcing him to stop walking.
"You will bow to the Queen Dowager when you enter." The guard instructed.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes at the guard. "I am her king." He replied evenly. "I bow to no one."
"You are a traitor." The guard replied, his fury evident in his eyes. "And you will bow - or I will make you sorry you did not."
Jaxon stared at him, refused to look away first. He knew that he was ragged and dirty, but he was still this man's king.
The other man's gaze faltered first. Jaxon saw him swallow convulsively. Jaxon wondered if he was frightened.
Fright was an unacceptable emotion on Illyria. The guard would do his best to hide it if he was afraid.
Jaxon knew that his parents' people had not yet undergone the cleansing. While they had accepted the danger of emotions to progress, they had not the courage to do away with them entirely.
Not like Tarsus and his followers - Jaxon's true subjects.
The guard was motioning to the page standing near the great doors. Jaxon could see that the page was gazing at him in awe. He scowled at him. The page quickly looked away, threw the doors wide.
Jaxon swallowed, shook the guard's hand off his arm. He strode forward, his head high.
The doors closed quietly behind him. Jaxon realized belatedly that his guard had not followed him.
The great room was empty save for the two figures at the far end who were staring at him wide-eyed.
"Jaxon." One of them spoke, moved forward.
He clenched his fists, set his jaw.
It was his mother.
Milena Falconer was as lovely as ever, her hair still golden blonde despite her advancing years, although Jaxon knew that she had been very young when she had borne he and Mirana. She was gazing at him with dark eyes that were the exact shade of his own, but her delicate features had been inherited by his sister.
Jaxon's father, or rather step-father, although he was the only father Jaxon had ever known, stayed where he was, watching his wife closely.
He was clearly as uncomfortable as Jaxon himself.
"Mother." Jaxon replied evenly. He saw her face light up. She had always been hopeless at controlling her emotions. She had also been against the cleansing of the people from the very beginning. Jaxon knew that it was unlikely that she would ever go through the process herself.
"My son." She was breathing deeply, was now standing directly in front of him. He met her gaze steadily. Her eyes shadowed slightly. "They have not treated you kindly." She commented quietly, taking in the bruises on his face. She looked angry for a moment. "But then they do not understand." Her eyes seemed to be devouring his face. It was making him supremely uncomfortable. She was acting as though she had not seen him in decades, not simply the year or so it had been. "It has been so long." She finally said, her voice shaking.
"Not long enough." He snapped back. Her face remained serene, but her eyes flashed with hurt. "Where are the other betrayers? Where are my sister and her cursed husband?"
His mother blinked at him. "Mirana and Tristandor have been gone for a long time my son."
"Dead?" He demanded. He knew that he should be pleased, but his heart pounded in dread instead, waiting for her reply.
"No." Milena replied. "They are alive, but they are not well. They miss you."
Jaxon pressed his lips together. "They betrayed me." Milena's eyes glistened. She blinked quickly. Any evidence that she had been on the verge of tears quickly disappeared.
"My son, you have been greatly deceived." She replied finally. "Your sister did not betray you. She is even now searching for you." She paused clearly weighing what to tell him. "We are going to help you return to her, to many who love you, to many whom you love. The fate of our people depends on it."
"I love no one." He interrupted. "It is weak." Jaxon was cut off when the doors behind him were thrown open. His mother's gaze snapped beyond him in annoyance.
"We are not to be disturbed." Her face settled into lines of affection at the sight that greeted her, however. "You should not be here Jennetta." Jaxon turned and watched as a small girl bounded into the room, her light brown hair bouncing across her shoulders.
She screeched to an abrupt halt at the sight of him. "Is it Jaxon? Has he come?" She asked excitedly. "I heard the servants talking Mama."
Jaxon turned back to his mother perplexed. "Who is this child?" He included his step-father in the question. Hamor had been quietly observing up until this point. Now he spoke.
"Your mother and I were blessed by the stars Jaxon. It has been almost two years since Jennetta was conceived. She emerged from her birthing pod nine months ago." He paused briefly, exchanged a loaded glance with Jaxon's mother. "She is your sister."
He did not know what to say. He wondered why he had not been informed. Tarsus' agents should have uncovered this information months ago. It was vital news.
There was another heir to the throne.
Jennetta was eyeing him, clearly unsure what was transpiring. "You do not know of me?" She finally asked, her childish voice sounding highly insulted.
Jaxon did not know what to say to her. He did not want to include an innocent child in the battle with his parents - but she was a threat to him. "I did not." He finally admitted. "But I am most pleased to learn of you now."
Jennetta's face lit up. "Now we must simply find Tristandor and Mirana and Sabrya and our family will be complete. Well, and of course Liz and Maria and..."
Liz. Jaxon felt his heart stop.
Milena had grabbed Jennetta, had placed a hand over her mouth. "That's quite enough my darling. Where did you pick up such nonsense?"
Jaxon could see Jennetta's eyes darkening as she prepared to try and escape his mother's grasp, but it was not really registering.
The name Liz kept repeating itself over and over in his mind.
"Who are these people? Who is this Liz?" Jaxon finally managed to force the words out. He had not believed that it would turn out to be quite so easy to confront his mother about having sent Liz to torment him, but the opening was too convenient to ignore.
Right Jaxon, a small voice in the back of his mind said sarcastically. That's why you want to know about her.
He suppressed the voice.
"She's to be your wife." Jennetta had managed to wiggle out of Milena's grasp. She was across the room where her mother could not easily grab her.
Jaxon turned back to stare at his mother. Milena's eyes were closed in annoyance.
"Jennetta, who has been spreading such falsehoods?" Hamor demanded urgently.
"Lucianus told me." Jennetta replied, sticking her nose in the air. If Jaxon did not currently feel like he had just had the air kicked out of his lungs by her last announcement, he might have laughed at the expression of glee on her face. She was clearly thrilled that she had the knowledge that all the rest of them wanted.
She reminded him of someone actually. For a brief moment a mischievous glint in her eye brought to mind another face - one he could not place.
Hamor was shaking his head in irritation. "Lucianus is mad my darling. You know better than to listen to him."
Jennetta's face became mutinous. "Lucianus is not mad Papa. He would never lie to me."
"Be that as it may, you know better than to comment on affairs you know nothing about. You may leave." Jaxon could see that Milena was upset.
Jennetta briefly looked as though she was going to argue, but one glance at the stern expression on Hamor's face seemed to change her mind.
"Goodbye Jaxon. I will see you again soon." She tossed her hair and flounced out of the room.
Jaxon watched her go. He had absolutely no idea what to say.
Liz was to be his wife. The idea was strangely appealing, although he knew that she worked for them.
"Jaxon?" Milena was gazing up at him in concern.
"Mother, please, I just need to know what is going on here." Jaxon felt like he was drowning, as though everything he knew to be true was suddenly in question. "I need to know everything." Milena glanced at Hamor again. His stepfather shrugged, nodded.
"We would like to help you Jaxon, but it is difficult to know where to start."
Jaxon knew that they were going to lie to him, but for some reason he wanted to hear the lies, to hear the story from them and not Tarsus. He needed to hear it so that he could make a final judgment on his own.
And he knew just where to start.
"Mother, this might seem like a strange question." Jaxon finally began. "But I need to hear the answer. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
Milena bit her lip, glanced again at Hamor. "My darling, this might be difficult for you to understand - or accept." Jaxon held his breath. Somehow he knew what was coming, but he needed to hear it.
"It has been a lifetime since I last laid eyes on you."
Part 12
"Okay, I am totally lost." Kyle told them as they filled him in on what was going on. "Why do I suddenly feel like I've entered some weird fantasy novel? The next thing you know, there are going to be unicorns trotting down the main drag of Roswell! Stonehenge? Are you guys totally bananas?"
It was late evening. The Crashdown was closed and they were all sprawled in booths and at the counter.
Only Maria was missing. Michael had gone to pick her up after school but she had been too tired to come. Amy Deluca had not even let him through the front door, although Maria had attempted to sneak out through the window. Michael had forced her back into bed when he had gotten one look at her though.
He had not spoken since arriving at the Crashdown. He was brooding at the counter, clearly listening to the conversation, but also too upset to participate. Liz actually felt her heart go out to him at one point. He looked so lost and alone. She quickly suppressed the feeling.
Maria's absence just emphasized how important it was to get Max back as soon as possible. Which was why Liz had come to a decision. Isabel had agreed with her. They were taking control of the situation and no one was going to stop them. Not even their parents.
"Could you for once be serious?" Tess asked Kyle now, sounding irritated. Liz knew that she was still stewing about the decision that Isabel and Liz had reached before Kyle had joined them.
"Do you really think you're going to get away with this?" Kyle asked, ignoring Tess, but sounding a little hurt. "Your parents are never going to let you go. I mean, its the middle of September. You are all going to flunk out."
It had been decided that Liz, Michael and Isabel were going to England to check out the Stonehenge angle. It was clear that it was important and they had been the three chosen to go not only because of their close relationships with Max, but also because they were the only three who had had direct visions or dreams about the stone circle.
Of course, Maria had shared Michael's vision, but she was just too weak to go. Michael had originally argued against leaving her behind, saying that if they did manage to get Max back, Maria should be close by so that he could heal her as quickly as possible, but he had said nothing about it since Maria had been unable to join them that night.
"We've thought of that, of course." Liz told Kyle. "Michael is eighteen and technically can do what he wants now."
"Not to mention, I'm already flunking." Michael spoke up for the first time, his voice a monotone. "Might as well really go down in a blaze of glory."
Liz saw Isabel shoot a concerned look towards her almost-brother, but she didn't comment "I'm going to be honest with my parents." Isabel continued. "They'll let me do it I'm sure, if they think that it might bring Max back."
"I just don't understand why I can't go." Tess said in a sulky voice.
"Because we need one Czech to stay behind for protection." Liz sighed. They had gone over this a million times already, but Tess was still very upset.
"I don't see how I'm going to protect anybody." Tess snapped back. "My gift doesn't work that way. It's not defensive OR offensive. It's pretty damn useless as a matter of fact." She muttered, her lips pressing together in fury.
"You're not coming Tess. Deal with it." Isabel replied testily. "You and Alex and Kyle need to stick close to Maria. She cannot be left alone."
"I know that none of you want me around. That's the real reason. You've never wanted me around!" Tess' voice was nearing a shriek. Liz blinked. She watched Tess jump up off her stool and race out the doorway to the restaurant.
"Jeez!" Michael had his hands over his ears. "Is she going insane?"
"She's just stressed out." Kyle was scowling at them all. "She cares about Max just as much as the rest of you do. I still think you're all crazy by the way. There's no way that the Parkers are going to let Liz go anywhere." He stalked out of the Crashdown. Liz was sure that he would find Tess and try and calm her down.
Alex was sitting quietly in a booth, nursing an Alien Blast. He spoke up for the first time in a while. "Kyle's right Liz. Your parents are never going to agree to this. And I don't think your parents are going to just let the three of you head off the continent without a chaperone." He directed this last comment at Isabel.
"We're going to ask my dad to come with us." Isabel replied. "He has some holiday time coming up - and I think he needs to do something productive to snap him out of his funk." Isabel looked hopeful. "I'm sure he'll agree."
"And that's why I'm not telling my parents." Liz told him.
"WHAT?" Alex bellowed, jumping to his feet. "Might I inquire where I was for that part of the conversation?"
Liz and Isabel exchanged guilty looks. "Er...you were in the bathroom." Isabel finally said.
"This is lunacy! Iz, your dad will never agree to letting Liz come without permission. We don't even know if the stone circle means anything! Why would it make such a difference? I mean, Izzy brought Maria and Michael back without Stonehenge getting involved." Alex had flopped back in his seat, a pained expression on his face.
"I just know it's important." Liz told him firmly. "And that's where Tess comes in. She'll make Mr. Evans think that my parents are at the airport when we leave." She knew that she sounded more confident than she felt. She would not feel totally secure until they were seated on a plane across the Atlantic. She pushed that thought aside for the moment. "Now the only question is, where are we going to get the money? Alex, what did you find out on the 'net?"
Alex was still shaking his head. "We are all slowly but surely losing it." Isabel sighed, went and ran her hand down his back.
"Please focus Alex."
"I managed to find a seat-sale. Five hundred bucks a ticket from Miami." He told them in a subdued voice, sounding resigned but still unhappy. "Leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Liz began calculating their finances mentally. "I have five thousand in my checking account."
"What the hell? Did you rob a bank?" Alex eyed her with interest.
"Big tips." Liz wiggled her eyebrows at him. "My grandma took pictures at the crash site you know." Alex rolled his eyes.
"And I have 1500 dollars." Isabel added.
"We should be okay for a while then." Liz told them. "But England is really expensive and the exchange rate is terrible."
"So it's there and back as fast as possible." Michael spoke up again. "We can't leave Maria for long anyway."
They all exchanged loaded glances.
"We are going to get Max back." Isabel told Micheal reassuringly. "I promise."
Michael ran his hand through his spiky hair in frustration. "I hope so. Maria needs him." Liz thought she heard him add in an undertone, "And so do I." but she might have been hearing things.
She was not going to start feeling sorry for Michael Guerin. She knew that he felt guilty, that Maria's illness was almost impossible for him to bear but it was his fault in the first place.
He should be suffering.
A tiny voice in the back of her mind told her that she didn't really feel that way, but she pushed it away ruthlessly. She needed to stay mad at someone.
If she didn't, she might fall apart.
Liz knew that she was balanced precariously on the edge of despair. Everytime she let herself hope...
Seeing Max in her dream had been magical, but also devastating.
That he didn't recognize her...
If she let herself think about that, she might never get out of bed again.
Liz shook her head, forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. "Okay, we need to get those tickets. Alex, that's your job."
Alex nodded, headed through the door to the break room to use the restaurant's computer.
"I'm going to talk to my parents." Isabel informed them.
"And I'm going to Maria's." Michael stalked out of the restaurant.
Liz sat down on one of the stools at the counter, placed her head in her hands. She breathed deeply, trying to calm down.
If this worked, they could have Max back in less then a week. A day and a half to get to England, another day to figure out how to get into Stonehenge and then they would activate the orbs.
But for the first time Liz allowed herself to reflect on the one thing that could go wrong. The one thing none of them had wanted to contemplate.
If Max didn't remember them, if he really thought that he was Jaxon Falconer and had always been Jaxon Falconer...
What if he didn't want to come back?
To be continued...
Liz wondered if she was going to pass out.
She really, really felt like she was. All of her
friends looked horrified, but they had no idea how bad
this really was.
Only one other person at the table knew. Liz turned
to stare at Michael. His face was chalk white and he
looked like he wanted to throw up. He met her gaze,
his pupils dilated with a combination of horror and
terror.
Liz finally managed to open her mouth to speak. "Was
my whole journal on there Kyle?" She asked, having to
try twice before the words had any sort of coherence.
Kyle shrugged. "How should I know? It was just a whole
lot of stuff about Max." He looked embarrassed. "I
tried not to read too much of it Liz. I mean, its
private."
Liz stumbled to her feet. "Alex, we need to get this
off the web NOW - immediately, if not sooner."
"Liz, do you really think you should look at it?"
Maria asked with concern as Liz moved to drag Alex off
to the computer room. "Alex can do it himself."
Liz exchanged another look with Michael. While she
was majorly humiliated that there seemed to be nookie
pictures of she and Max on the site, that was not her
main concern. The potentially explosive secrets that
had been revealed....
And even if they hadn't. Well, the person who had the
journal knew - and that was bad enough.
She couldn't decide whether to tell the others or not.
Tess and Izzy would seriously, and rightfully, freak
if they found out.
No, it was best to keep it between she and Michael
until they knew how bad it was.
"It's okay Maria. I need to see it." Liz replied.
Liz practically sprinted across the quad, Alex close
behind her. She ignored all the staring eyes, the
catcalls from a couple of asses on the football
team.
None of it mattered. Her friends' lives were
potentially in danger here.
Alex and Liz slammed into the computer room. A couple
of students already there snapped around to stare at
them. One snickered. Liz knew what site she must be
looking at.
It was only then that Liz realized that Michael had
accompanied them. He glared at the three sophomores
and two freshman. "Out." He commanded in his most
threatening tone. Liz was pleased that none even
commented. They all grabbed their stuff and made a
break for it. Michael's bad-ass reputation did come in
handy sometimes, Liz reflected wryly.
She slid into the seat in front of the console where
the giggler had been sitting.
Her heart stopped. She closed her eyes briefly, took
a deep breath.
Well, there was no denying that it was her. There she
was kissing Max passionately, an expression of bliss
on her face.
She even recognized where it was. It was the night
that they had been in Michael's apartment, their
impulse to be together almost completely out of
control. It was the same night they had discovered
the orb that had started the whole mess in the first
place.
Liz quickly used the mouse to click to the next
picture. It was even worse. Max had his shirt off
and she was running her hand down his chest. The
expression on his face...
She felt tears fill her eyes. She remembered exactly
what he had said to her.
"I can't do it to you." She had told him sadly.
"I'm glowing everywhere." He had replied. "My toes,
my heart. You can't see it because its on the
inside."
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Alex stuttered from behind
her. "I think I'm going blind."
Liz felt hysterical laughter about to erupt. "How? I
mean where on Earth did these pictures come from?" She
demanded.
"Liz, we can figure that out later. Get to the
journal." Michael commanded. Liz felt annoyed. How
dare he order her around when this was all his fault
in the first place?
But she knew that he was right. She quickly clicked
to the home page.
Giant letters screamed off the computer.
THE SECRET LIFE OF LIZ PARKER.
In smaller letters it continued.
Mild-mannered school girl by day, sizzling sex-pot by
night.
That's our Lady Liz.
Here it all is, in black and white, in her own
words.
Liz paused, glanced back at Michael. "Are you ready
for this?" She asked quietly.
He nodded, his jaw set. She clicked on the mouse.
The next screen came up.
Journal Entry 4
The tough thing about following your heart is what
people forget to mention, that sometimes your heart
takes you to places you shouldn't be.
Liz quickly scanned the rest of the entry. Nothing
incriminating there, although it was making her
stomach clench just seeing her private thoughts on
public display. It was making her feel ill to realize
that a large portion of the student body had been
privy to those thoughts.
Journal Entry 18
Have you ever had a moment when you're with the one
person in the world you want to be with? And the wind
is blowing through your hair and the song that just
describes your entire soul happens to come on and then
the person you happen to want to be with happens to
love the same song and suddenly you realize you're
listening to it together.
Liz swallowed, didn't even give herself a chance to
remember that perfect moment. It would make her think
about how much she missed Max, about what she had
found out last night. Now wasn't the time.
Click.
Journal Entry 34
Lately I've been having these feelings, like I'm
changing, inside, and part of me doesn't want to
change, part of me always wants to be my mom's little
girl, but the thing is these feelings are strong,
dangerous, undeniable... It's like I have no choice,
it's like chemical.
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Michael
demanded. He was reading over her shoulder.
"Er - never mind." Liz replied. She swiveled around,
sighed with relief. "None of it's what we thought."
She told him.
"What did you guys think was on here?" Alex asked
suspiciously. "I would have thought that what was
there was enough to make you crawl under your bed for
a year." He nudged Liz out of her chair, began to
type away, clearly trying to get rid of the site.
Liz and Michael exchanged another look. "Um...I used
my journal to talk about some Czech stuff." Liz
replied finally, realized that everyone had a right to
know now.
The fact that her journal was still out there
somewhere - in God knew who's hands... Everyone NEEDED
to know.
Alex turned around. "What! Liz were you crazy? What
were you thinking?" She saw the look of terror that
crossed her best friend's face. She knew exactly what
was going through his mind. Isabel was now in great
danger.
"Can it Whitman." Michael inserted. "What's done is
done. Liz had a right to write whatever she wanted."
Liz pressed her lips together. She did not want
Michael standing up for her. She hated him - but she
couldn't help but feel a bit thankful.
She knew that it had been stupid, that she should
have burned the thing after Michael had stolen it the
first time.
She should have gotten rid of it when Max had
disappeared but it had been her only reminder of
him, besides a few photographs. To burn it - it would
have been like erasing her entire relationship with
her soulmate.
"Can you get rid of it?" Liz asked Alex in a small
voice.
"Yeah, it's pretty amateur actually." Her friend
replied. "I just need to get into the
site-builder."
"Don't you need a password?" Michael asked, looking
impressed as Alex's hands flew across the keyboard.
"Nah, I can get around that." Alex replied. As Liz
watched tensely, the screen flashed several times
and the journal entry in front of them disappeared.
"Please tell me its gone?" Isabel walked into the
computer room with Tess. Tess' face looked concerned.
"Are you okay?" She asked Liz. Liz reflected briefly
on how surreal it was that she and Tess were actually
friends.
"Yeah, thanks. Alex took care of it." Liz replied.
"Where's Maria?" Michael demanded, glancing behind the
two girls who had just entered.
Isabel's face, which had been showing her relief,
darkened. "Kyle took her home. She wasn't feeling
well." Liz saw Michael clench his fists at his side,
felt her own stomach drop.
"We need to figure out who was behind this." Alex
announced as he stood up. "We have to get that
journal back."
"Why?" Tess asked. "I mean, I heard some of the girls
talking in the hall. It sounds to me like the
pictures were sort of bad, but that the journal was
actually kind of romantic." She smiled at Liz sadly.
"You're like even more of a tragic heroine to them now
than you were before."
"I'm pleased to report that there were no sex
fantasies, if that's what you mean." Liz replied,
blushing slightly. She saw Isabel grimace.
"Please, I may be ill. This is my brother we're
talking about here."
Liz realized that they had to tell them. "My journal
wasn't just about my relationship with Max. It was
also about Max in general. I mean, what he was...IS!"
Liz quickly amended, upset that she had used the past
tense to refer to her boyfriend. "What he is."
"His Czech status?" Isabel blanched. "Oh my God. And
us too?" She indicated Michael and Tess. Tess looked
like she couldn't speak.
Liz felt terrible. She nodded. "I am so sorry Isabel
- all of you."
Isabel sat on a chair quickly. She looked faint. "I
can't breathe."
Alex hurried to her side, began to stroke her back
comfortingly. "It's okay. We're going to get it back
Iz."
"I need to think about something else." Isabel
announced abruptly "I cannot think about this right
now." Alex exchanged a worried glance with Liz. She
shrugged.
Isabel was reaching into her book bag. She pulled out
the large book that Liz had been carrying when she had
come to lunch. Liz had not even remembered that she
had left it behind.
Izzy flipped it over so that the title was visible to
them all. It was entitled BRITISH HERITAGE SITES.
"What is this all about?" She looked at Alex
significantly. "It's what I saw in my vision Alex."
"What the hell?" Michael yelled. "That's what I saw
in MY vision!"
He was staring at the picture on the cover in shock.
It was of the most famous tourist sites in all of
Great Britain. It was Stonehenge.
"YOUR vision?" Alex demanded. "Were you planning on
telling us about that in this century or the next?"
"I saw it too." Liz said quietly. "That's why I wasn't
in school this morning. I had to check up on
something. Max called it the Waylandian Ring."
"Ummm, and might I inquire when he called it that?"
Alex asked, shaking his head wearily. Liz understood
how he was feeling. They were not being very open
about what was going on with each of them.
"I never got a chance to tell you guys." Liz
continued. "I saw Max last night. In a dream."
"He dreamwalked you?" Isabel sounded ecstatic.
Liz shook her head. "No. I think he was just as
surprised to be there as I was." She shut her eyes
briefly, felt again the pain of the meeting - but also
the hope that had remained with her ever since. "He
doesn't remember who he is." She told them sadly.
"What do you mean?" Michael demanded.
"Just what I said. They've brainwashed him or
something. He doesn't remember anything about his
time on Earth. He really thinks that he's Jaxon
Falconer."
"He IS Jaxon Falconer." Michael replied. Liz narrowed
her eyes. Not in her book was Max ever going to be
Jaxon Falconer.
He was Max. Her Max.
"You know what I mean." Liz told him, barely keeping
the irritation out of her voice. "Anyway, the point
is, we were in what he called the Waylandian Ring."
Isabel was shaking her head. "Who cares about that
right now? How did he look?"
"He looked fine. He looked exactly like he looked
when he left." Liz replied, a slight smile on her
face.
He had looked beautiful to her.
"I don't understand." Tess said. "We've figured out
already that time moves differently on Illyria. I
mean, Michael and Maria were only gone for an hour but
for them it was like they were gone for a year.
Shouldn't Max be like three hundred years old by now?"
Liz just shook her head. "I have no idea. He looked
exactly the same. Yeah, he looked older, but only
because he's almost a year older than the last time we
saw him."
Michael was scowling. "So what does Stonehenge have to
do with any of this?" He inquired testily, clearly
wanting to get back on track with the mystery at hand.
"I'll tell you." Liz replied, annoyed with him again.
Couldn't he just let them be happy for two minutes
that Max was healthy and alive? She took the book
away from Isabel, flipped through to the entry on the
famous ancient site. She began to read aloud.
"England's most famous stone circle is found several
miles from the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It is
now generally acknowledged that the famous stones were
carried to the site from Northern Wales by an ancient
people, although for what purpose is unclear.
Mysteries and legend surround the stone circle. It is
known that the circle was a holy site for the ancient
Druids, that it might have been an astronomical
observatory and that it is found at the intersection
of several lay-lines..."
"What's a lay-line?" Tess interrupted.
"It's like a line of energy that is supposed to cross
the island. There are supposed to be thousands of
them." Liz explained. "They're invisible but they are
said to have great power. Stone circles are generally
believed to be built on the spots where several cross
because the Druids and others used them to channel the
power from the lay-lines."
"Sounds like a bunch of hocus-pocus nonsense to me."
Michael grumbled.
"Yeah, and aliens among us sounded like a bunch of
hocus-pocus nonsense to me!" Alex replied
sarcastically.
Liz ignored them both, continued to read. "One of the
biggest mysteries surrounding the circle is how the
stones were transported from Wales to Wiltshire. The
people who lived at the time it was built did not have
the technology to do so, although some historians
argue that they might have moved them by water."
"So?" Michael asked, clearly getting impatient.
"Will you shush!" Liz snapped. Michael blinked at
her. She turned back to the others. "This is what's
important. Get this..." she explained. "Some less
reputable sources argue that the only explanation lies
in the stars."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Michael
demanded.
Liz rolled her eyes. She turned to Isabel hopefully.
Isabel's face was shining with excitement. She was
clutching Alex's hand tightly. She turned to Michael.
"Don't you get it? They think that it was built by
aliens! Oh my God! Liz! Do you realize what this
means?"
Liz smiled at her. "I do. It means that we know how
to bring Max home."
Part 11
The Citadel, Illyria
Jaxon stalked down the corridor to the throne room, his back straight, his expression blank. He was determined to show no fear.
He had not seen his parents in two years - not since the day they had sent assassins to murder him in his bed. He had barely escaped with his life. If it had not been for Tarsus, he would have surely perished.
Jaxon wondered if Mirana and Tristandor would be there as well. The thought of seeing them was disturbing. Once his closest companions, their betrayal had hurt even more than that of his parents.
He hoped that they were not there. He did not know if he would be able to keep his composure if he saw his twin sister. Mirana had been his confidante and strength while he had grown into his leadership role after their father's death. Their father had been gone only a few short months after their emergence from their pods. They had only ever had each other and their mother. While they had loved their stepfather Hamor when their mother had married him, he had still been an outsider, one who had taken their mother from their little circle. They had become even closer then.
It had been the marriage to Tristandor that had been the turning point in their relationship. Tristandor had come to the Citadel with professions of friendship and loyalty but, in the end, he had convinced Jaxon's parents and sister to turn on him.
Liz had spoken of them. She had told him that Mirana, or Isabel as Liz called her, was Liz's best friend, that she was working to bring him "home." She had told him that Tristandor - Michael - was HIS best friend.
It was these lies that had convinced Jaxon that Liz was not who she claimed to be. She was working for his parents - there was no question.
He could not trust her. She was a figment of his imagination, or an illusion created to trick him.
Jaxon's thoughts were interrupted when one of his guards grabbed him roughly by the elbow, forcing him to stop walking.
"You will bow to the Queen Dowager when you enter." The guard instructed.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes at the guard. "I am her king." He replied evenly. "I bow to no one."
"You are a traitor." The guard replied, his fury evident in his eyes. "And you will bow - or I will make you sorry you did not."
Jaxon stared at him, refused to look away first. He knew that he was ragged and dirty, but he was still this man's king.
The other man's gaze faltered first. Jaxon saw him swallow convulsively. Jaxon wondered if he was frightened.
Fright was an unacceptable emotion on Illyria. The guard would do his best to hide it if he was afraid.
Jaxon knew that his parents' people had not yet undergone the cleansing. While they had accepted the danger of emotions to progress, they had not the courage to do away with them entirely.
Not like Tarsus and his followers - Jaxon's true subjects.
The guard was motioning to the page standing near the great doors. Jaxon could see that the page was gazing at him in awe. He scowled at him. The page quickly looked away, threw the doors wide.
Jaxon swallowed, shook the guard's hand off his arm. He strode forward, his head high.
The doors closed quietly behind him. Jaxon realized belatedly that his guard had not followed him.
The great room was empty save for the two figures at the far end who were staring at him wide-eyed.
"Jaxon." One of them spoke, moved forward.
He clenched his fists, set his jaw.
It was his mother.
Milena Falconer was as lovely as ever, her hair still golden blonde despite her advancing years, although Jaxon knew that she had been very young when she had borne he and Mirana. She was gazing at him with dark eyes that were the exact shade of his own, but her delicate features had been inherited by his sister.
Jaxon's father, or rather step-father, although he was the only father Jaxon had ever known, stayed where he was, watching his wife closely.
He was clearly as uncomfortable as Jaxon himself.
"Mother." Jaxon replied evenly. He saw her face light up. She had always been hopeless at controlling her emotions. She had also been against the cleansing of the people from the very beginning. Jaxon knew that it was unlikely that she would ever go through the process herself.
"My son." She was breathing deeply, was now standing directly in front of him. He met her gaze steadily. Her eyes shadowed slightly. "They have not treated you kindly." She commented quietly, taking in the bruises on his face. She looked angry for a moment. "But then they do not understand." Her eyes seemed to be devouring his face. It was making him supremely uncomfortable. She was acting as though she had not seen him in decades, not simply the year or so it had been. "It has been so long." She finally said, her voice shaking.
"Not long enough." He snapped back. Her face remained serene, but her eyes flashed with hurt. "Where are the other betrayers? Where are my sister and her cursed husband?"
His mother blinked at him. "Mirana and Tristandor have been gone for a long time my son."
"Dead?" He demanded. He knew that he should be pleased, but his heart pounded in dread instead, waiting for her reply.
"No." Milena replied. "They are alive, but they are not well. They miss you."
Jaxon pressed his lips together. "They betrayed me." Milena's eyes glistened. She blinked quickly. Any evidence that she had been on the verge of tears quickly disappeared.
"My son, you have been greatly deceived." She replied finally. "Your sister did not betray you. She is even now searching for you." She paused clearly weighing what to tell him. "We are going to help you return to her, to many who love you, to many whom you love. The fate of our people depends on it."
"I love no one." He interrupted. "It is weak." Jaxon was cut off when the doors behind him were thrown open. His mother's gaze snapped beyond him in annoyance.
"We are not to be disturbed." Her face settled into lines of affection at the sight that greeted her, however. "You should not be here Jennetta." Jaxon turned and watched as a small girl bounded into the room, her light brown hair bouncing across her shoulders.
She screeched to an abrupt halt at the sight of him. "Is it Jaxon? Has he come?" She asked excitedly. "I heard the servants talking Mama."
Jaxon turned back to his mother perplexed. "Who is this child?" He included his step-father in the question. Hamor had been quietly observing up until this point. Now he spoke.
"Your mother and I were blessed by the stars Jaxon. It has been almost two years since Jennetta was conceived. She emerged from her birthing pod nine months ago." He paused briefly, exchanged a loaded glance with Jaxon's mother. "She is your sister."
He did not know what to say. He wondered why he had not been informed. Tarsus' agents should have uncovered this information months ago. It was vital news.
There was another heir to the throne.
Jennetta was eyeing him, clearly unsure what was transpiring. "You do not know of me?" She finally asked, her childish voice sounding highly insulted.
Jaxon did not know what to say to her. He did not want to include an innocent child in the battle with his parents - but she was a threat to him. "I did not." He finally admitted. "But I am most pleased to learn of you now."
Jennetta's face lit up. "Now we must simply find Tristandor and Mirana and Sabrya and our family will be complete. Well, and of course Liz and Maria and..."
Liz. Jaxon felt his heart stop.
Milena had grabbed Jennetta, had placed a hand over her mouth. "That's quite enough my darling. Where did you pick up such nonsense?"
Jaxon could see Jennetta's eyes darkening as she prepared to try and escape his mother's grasp, but it was not really registering.
The name Liz kept repeating itself over and over in his mind.
"Who are these people? Who is this Liz?" Jaxon finally managed to force the words out. He had not believed that it would turn out to be quite so easy to confront his mother about having sent Liz to torment him, but the opening was too convenient to ignore.
Right Jaxon, a small voice in the back of his mind said sarcastically. That's why you want to know about her.
He suppressed the voice.
"She's to be your wife." Jennetta had managed to wiggle out of Milena's grasp. She was across the room where her mother could not easily grab her.
Jaxon turned back to stare at his mother. Milena's eyes were closed in annoyance.
"Jennetta, who has been spreading such falsehoods?" Hamor demanded urgently.
"Lucianus told me." Jennetta replied, sticking her nose in the air. If Jaxon did not currently feel like he had just had the air kicked out of his lungs by her last announcement, he might have laughed at the expression of glee on her face. She was clearly thrilled that she had the knowledge that all the rest of them wanted.
She reminded him of someone actually. For a brief moment a mischievous glint in her eye brought to mind another face - one he could not place.
Hamor was shaking his head in irritation. "Lucianus is mad my darling. You know better than to listen to him."
Jennetta's face became mutinous. "Lucianus is not mad Papa. He would never lie to me."
"Be that as it may, you know better than to comment on affairs you know nothing about. You may leave." Jaxon could see that Milena was upset.
Jennetta briefly looked as though she was going to argue, but one glance at the stern expression on Hamor's face seemed to change her mind.
"Goodbye Jaxon. I will see you again soon." She tossed her hair and flounced out of the room.
Jaxon watched her go. He had absolutely no idea what to say.
Liz was to be his wife. The idea was strangely appealing, although he knew that she worked for them.
"Jaxon?" Milena was gazing up at him in concern.
"Mother, please, I just need to know what is going on here." Jaxon felt like he was drowning, as though everything he knew to be true was suddenly in question. "I need to know everything." Milena glanced at Hamor again. His stepfather shrugged, nodded.
"We would like to help you Jaxon, but it is difficult to know where to start."
Jaxon knew that they were going to lie to him, but for some reason he wanted to hear the lies, to hear the story from them and not Tarsus. He needed to hear it so that he could make a final judgment on his own.
And he knew just where to start.
"Mother, this might seem like a strange question." Jaxon finally began. "But I need to hear the answer. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
Milena bit her lip, glanced again at Hamor. "My darling, this might be difficult for you to understand - or accept." Jaxon held his breath. Somehow he knew what was coming, but he needed to hear it.
"It has been a lifetime since I last laid eyes on you."
Part 12
"Okay, I am totally lost." Kyle told them as they filled him in on what was going on. "Why do I suddenly feel like I've entered some weird fantasy novel? The next thing you know, there are going to be unicorns trotting down the main drag of Roswell! Stonehenge? Are you guys totally bananas?"
It was late evening. The Crashdown was closed and they were all sprawled in booths and at the counter.
Only Maria was missing. Michael had gone to pick her up after school but she had been too tired to come. Amy Deluca had not even let him through the front door, although Maria had attempted to sneak out through the window. Michael had forced her back into bed when he had gotten one look at her though.
He had not spoken since arriving at the Crashdown. He was brooding at the counter, clearly listening to the conversation, but also too upset to participate. Liz actually felt her heart go out to him at one point. He looked so lost and alone. She quickly suppressed the feeling.
Maria's absence just emphasized how important it was to get Max back as soon as possible. Which was why Liz had come to a decision. Isabel had agreed with her. They were taking control of the situation and no one was going to stop them. Not even their parents.
"Could you for once be serious?" Tess asked Kyle now, sounding irritated. Liz knew that she was still stewing about the decision that Isabel and Liz had reached before Kyle had joined them.
"Do you really think you're going to get away with this?" Kyle asked, ignoring Tess, but sounding a little hurt. "Your parents are never going to let you go. I mean, its the middle of September. You are all going to flunk out."
It had been decided that Liz, Michael and Isabel were going to England to check out the Stonehenge angle. It was clear that it was important and they had been the three chosen to go not only because of their close relationships with Max, but also because they were the only three who had had direct visions or dreams about the stone circle.
Of course, Maria had shared Michael's vision, but she was just too weak to go. Michael had originally argued against leaving her behind, saying that if they did manage to get Max back, Maria should be close by so that he could heal her as quickly as possible, but he had said nothing about it since Maria had been unable to join them that night.
"We've thought of that, of course." Liz told Kyle. "Michael is eighteen and technically can do what he wants now."
"Not to mention, I'm already flunking." Michael spoke up for the first time, his voice a monotone. "Might as well really go down in a blaze of glory."
Liz saw Isabel shoot a concerned look towards her almost-brother, but she didn't comment "I'm going to be honest with my parents." Isabel continued. "They'll let me do it I'm sure, if they think that it might bring Max back."
"I just don't understand why I can't go." Tess said in a sulky voice.
"Because we need one Czech to stay behind for protection." Liz sighed. They had gone over this a million times already, but Tess was still very upset.
"I don't see how I'm going to protect anybody." Tess snapped back. "My gift doesn't work that way. It's not defensive OR offensive. It's pretty damn useless as a matter of fact." She muttered, her lips pressing together in fury.
"You're not coming Tess. Deal with it." Isabel replied testily. "You and Alex and Kyle need to stick close to Maria. She cannot be left alone."
"I know that none of you want me around. That's the real reason. You've never wanted me around!" Tess' voice was nearing a shriek. Liz blinked. She watched Tess jump up off her stool and race out the doorway to the restaurant.
"Jeez!" Michael had his hands over his ears. "Is she going insane?"
"She's just stressed out." Kyle was scowling at them all. "She cares about Max just as much as the rest of you do. I still think you're all crazy by the way. There's no way that the Parkers are going to let Liz go anywhere." He stalked out of the Crashdown. Liz was sure that he would find Tess and try and calm her down.
Alex was sitting quietly in a booth, nursing an Alien Blast. He spoke up for the first time in a while. "Kyle's right Liz. Your parents are never going to agree to this. And I don't think your parents are going to just let the three of you head off the continent without a chaperone." He directed this last comment at Isabel.
"We're going to ask my dad to come with us." Isabel replied. "He has some holiday time coming up - and I think he needs to do something productive to snap him out of his funk." Isabel looked hopeful. "I'm sure he'll agree."
"And that's why I'm not telling my parents." Liz told him.
"WHAT?" Alex bellowed, jumping to his feet. "Might I inquire where I was for that part of the conversation?"
Liz and Isabel exchanged guilty looks. "Er...you were in the bathroom." Isabel finally said.
"This is lunacy! Iz, your dad will never agree to letting Liz come without permission. We don't even know if the stone circle means anything! Why would it make such a difference? I mean, Izzy brought Maria and Michael back without Stonehenge getting involved." Alex had flopped back in his seat, a pained expression on his face.
"I just know it's important." Liz told him firmly. "And that's where Tess comes in. She'll make Mr. Evans think that my parents are at the airport when we leave." She knew that she sounded more confident than she felt. She would not feel totally secure until they were seated on a plane across the Atlantic. She pushed that thought aside for the moment. "Now the only question is, where are we going to get the money? Alex, what did you find out on the 'net?"
Alex was still shaking his head. "We are all slowly but surely losing it." Isabel sighed, went and ran her hand down his back.
"Please focus Alex."
"I managed to find a seat-sale. Five hundred bucks a ticket from Miami." He told them in a subdued voice, sounding resigned but still unhappy. "Leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Liz began calculating their finances mentally. "I have five thousand in my checking account."
"What the hell? Did you rob a bank?" Alex eyed her with interest.
"Big tips." Liz wiggled her eyebrows at him. "My grandma took pictures at the crash site you know." Alex rolled his eyes.
"And I have 1500 dollars." Isabel added.
"We should be okay for a while then." Liz told them. "But England is really expensive and the exchange rate is terrible."
"So it's there and back as fast as possible." Michael spoke up again. "We can't leave Maria for long anyway."
They all exchanged loaded glances.
"We are going to get Max back." Isabel told Micheal reassuringly. "I promise."
Michael ran his hand through his spiky hair in frustration. "I hope so. Maria needs him." Liz thought she heard him add in an undertone, "And so do I." but she might have been hearing things.
She was not going to start feeling sorry for Michael Guerin. She knew that he felt guilty, that Maria's illness was almost impossible for him to bear but it was his fault in the first place.
He should be suffering.
A tiny voice in the back of her mind told her that she didn't really feel that way, but she pushed it away ruthlessly. She needed to stay mad at someone.
If she didn't, she might fall apart.
Liz knew that she was balanced precariously on the edge of despair. Everytime she let herself hope...
Seeing Max in her dream had been magical, but also devastating.
That he didn't recognize her...
If she let herself think about that, she might never get out of bed again.
Liz shook her head, forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. "Okay, we need to get those tickets. Alex, that's your job."
Alex nodded, headed through the door to the break room to use the restaurant's computer.
"I'm going to talk to my parents." Isabel informed them.
"And I'm going to Maria's." Michael stalked out of the restaurant.
Liz sat down on one of the stools at the counter, placed her head in her hands. She breathed deeply, trying to calm down.
If this worked, they could have Max back in less then a week. A day and a half to get to England, another day to figure out how to get into Stonehenge and then they would activate the orbs.
But for the first time Liz allowed herself to reflect on the one thing that could go wrong. The one thing none of them had wanted to contemplate.
If Max didn't remember them, if he really thought that he was Jaxon Falconer and had always been Jaxon Falconer...
What if he didn't want to come back?
To be continued...