[u]Part 42[/u]
"They're going to the pod chamber."
Isabel turned her head to look at Max, who had been quiet for too long. She had been worried, beginning to wonder if her brother was contemplating the most satisfying way to deal with Sir Kyle. Isabel didn't like to think of her brother having those kinds of revenge-filled thoughts. Although, as a king hoping to reclaim his throne from those who had usurped it, she had always known there were some things he would have to do during his life that might be contrary to his nature, none of it would have ever harmed Max's soul. None of it would have been vindictive, but simply what had to be. But the antipathy that Max felt for Kyle.Isabel knew that her brother was going to kill the other man and there would be nothing impersonal about it. And, in the end, Max would suffer for it. He was a gentle person at heart and he would feel guilt about it. Possibly not for many years, but he would eventually. Isabel could not like this. No matter how worried she was about Elizabeth, no matter how she knew that Max would be destroyed without her, she also knew that Liz of all of them would be the last one wishing for Max to change himself in any way - particularly for her sake.
Which meant only one thing. Isabel was going to have to protect her brother from his own rage, from his own determination to seek revenge on Kyle for what he had done to Elizabeth. She was glad that Max had asked her to accompany him on the search for his wife because she would make sure that he would not do anything that could jeopardize who he was or the king he would be someday. Michael and Mary were elsewhere, in search of Alex, who had no hope of finding Elizabeth himself now that they knew that Tess was involved. She would be able to hide Elizabeth and Kyle from the Sheriff's men too easily.
But Tess wanted Max to find them. There was no confirmation that their sister had slipped away to help Sir Kyle, but Isabel knew absolutely that it was true, that she was behind this whole thing somehow. Whatever their traitor of a sister had planned, it was all for Max's eyes alone. It made Isabel feel a bit better. She knew that Tess would not harm Elizabeth until she had Max exactly where she wanted him.
Which it had seemed might never happen until Max spoke up. They had been winding their way slowly through the darkened forest for hours, their only light the glow from Max's hand. Isabel was also keeping in close contact with Michael mentally. Since they had all connected to bring Lord Edmund back from the dead, Isabel had been surprised by how much stronger her powers had been. While she could not communicate with Michael directly, with words, she could do so superficially with some images and feelings. She hadn't had much time to reflect upon it, but it was definitely true that they were all more closely connected. She could feel Max's proximity, not only because he was right beside her physically, but also because his presence hummed lightly in her brain, unlike it ever had before. Michael's essence did as well, although Isabel knew that he was quite far away.
It was also another reason that she knew that Tess had indeed betrayed them. The connection that she had always felt to the other alien girl no longer existed. While her bond to Michael and Max had only strengthened since the ressurection of Lord Edmund, whatever closeness she had once felt to Tess had been completely extinguished. Isabel was unsure whether Tess herself had cut her off in order to hide her crimes or if there was some other reason for it. Perhaps fate had intervened and had severed Tess from the four square, knowing that she could no longer be trusted? Or maybe it was nothing so grandiose as that. Perhaps Isabel's heart had finally severed the tie that she knew no longer really existed anyway.
"How do you know?" Isabel asked Max now, sending a small call in Michael's direction, encouraging him to hurry up and find Alex. All three of them needed to be together when they confronted Tess.
"I can [I]hear[/I] her," Max told Isabel, sounding slightly awe-struck, as though he still couldn't believe it himself. "I have been talking with her for several minutes, but did not want to say anything until I knew for sure it was her."
Isabel blinked, felt her heart start to pound in her chest. "Max, how is it possible? Elizabeth is human! I can't even communicate that effectively with you and Michael!" If she had never had any doubts about the strength of the love which existed between her brother and his wife, she had none now. It was beyond anything she had ever heard of. Not even regular Antarians had the abilities she and her siblings possessed. It was their combination of human and Antarian DNA that allowed them to possess such gifts. That a human could manage a connection of this magnitude.Could a bond of the depth of that shared by Max and Elizabeth truly change everything so completely?
Isabel frowned slightly, wondered how Alex would feel about this. A connection like the one between Max and Liz might be more than he had bargained for. In fact, she felt slightly frightened at the thought of sharing such a thing with anyone. While she knew that she cared about Alex more than she had ever thought she could care about anyone outside of her small circle of loved ones, could she really open herself so completely, so finally?
"And you are now sure that it [I]is[/I] her?" She asked, realizing that this was no time to worry about her own love life.
"Yes," Max nodded, his certainty clear on his visage. "Sir Kyle is with her, but Tess is as well. She is the one controlling Kyle."
She felt a pang of relief. It had always seemed strange that Sir Kyle had changed from the incompetant, bumbling fool she had first known simply because of what had happened between Max and Elizabeth. That Tess was using her mind control on him made perfect sense. Isabel wondered why Max continued to gaze at her steadily as though waiting for her to realize something else.
Her eyes widened as the truth dawned on her. "Max, if Sir Kyle is being mindwarped." Isabel trailed off, surprised that she could still feel pain as the truth about Tess kept getting worse.
"It means that Tess betrayed us long before we ever knew," Max finished grimly. "Likely from the very beginning, from the day you first met him the woods."
"But [I]why[/I]?" Isabel exclaimed, her mind in complete turmoil, her memory going over every moment she had ever spent in Tess's company, trying to see this side of her sister in her behavior. But she could not remember a single instance where she had ever suspected Tess of being anything but an innocent eager to play her role in the reclaiming of their planet. She had been Lord Edmund's pet because of her complacency, had been all of their favorite because of her sweetness. How could they have been so fooled?
Isabel met Max's eyes, unable to hide her shock. "Max, this is unbelievable!"
"It is extremely upsetting," Max agreed. His face hardened. "But it is worse than you can even imagine Bella."
"What? Why?" Isabel stared at her brother.
"Lord Edmund is there as well."
Isabel closed her eyes, wondered why this did not surprise her as much as Tess's perfidy. Perhaps because she had never truly liked their guardian, had always chafed under his rule? Had she always known, deep down, that he did not have their best interests at heart? But Tess.Isabel swallowed, tried not to let the tears fill her eyes as all of her affection for the other girl over the years - the only person who was truly [I]like[/I] her - crumbled to dust. She realized that, deep down, she had been willing to forgive Tess, in spite of everything. She had thought that it only had to do with Max and losing him, that if Elizabeth did not exist, Tess would not have changed. But she could see now that it had all been a lie. Tess had [I]never[/I] been one of them.
"Max, what are we going to do?" Isabel whispered as her brother reined his steed to a halt and reached out to take her hand, in an attempt to comfort her. She felt his warmth and determination wind its way up her arm and as their eyes locked, she knew that they did not need Tess. As long as she had her king and brother, as long as she had Michael, as long as she had their new friends, they would win.
She could tell from the expression on Max's face that he was in complete agreement. "We are going to save my wife," Max told her quietly, confirming it. "And then we are going to find out the truth about exactly who we are."
********************************************
Elizabeth did not struggle as Lord Edmund lifted her off the horse she was sharing with Kyle. Now that she knew that Max was on his way, she did not feel the least bit afraid any longer. She wondered how she could have ever doubted that he would be able to protect her and their child, that somehow she owed it to him to let him go. The connection they now shared through this child.it was warming her from within, giving her courage where none had existed before.
Abandonning Max had been the easy way out. Not trusting him to know what was right had been unworthy of their love. She could continue to tell herself that she had been trying to remain unselfish, that she had been trying to protect their baby, that she had been trying to allow Max the freedom he needed to reclaim his throne, but she knew now that it would have all been a giant lie. She had been afraid of the depth of the commitment she was making to him, someone she barely knew. She hadn't even recognized it until the final connection had been created between them through their son, but now she knew it to be true.
While she might not feel like she deserved him, might feel that he would be better off with someone else, she did not have the right to make that decision for him. And it was what she had been trying to do. The worst part was that she had been satisfied with the knowledge that she would always have a piece of him through their child. But he would not even have had that. That she could have even contemplated leaving him all alone.
No, she might not feel worthy of him, but he loved her and thought she was. It was now enough.
"You do not seem afraid." Lord Edmund's voice was quiet as he led her behind a few large boulders. Tess was before them, holding aloft a torch that had been waiting for them at their stopping point. Sir Kyle was stumbling behind them, his exhaustion and confusion no longer hidden. Elizabeth could no longer hate him, knowing that he was just as much a victim as the rest of them. The only question remaining was what game these two were playing. Why had Lord Edmund and Tess turned on their king?
"I am not," Elizabeth told him firmly. "I know that whatever happens, it is what is meant to be. As much as you are trying to stop it, Max and I are meant to be together. Everything will work out for us. We would not have ever met if it was not so."
Lord Edmund's dark eyes stared at her, even more shadowed by the torch- light that danced across his face. "We shall see."
Elizabeth raised her chin. "Indeed we shall." She saw something flicker through Lord Edmund's eyes. It might have been fear, it might have been anger, but whatever it was, she knew she had gotten to him. She smiled slightly, in spite of everything.
This man had betrayed Max. She hated him with every fibre of her being. Even if she was meant to die here this day, she would make sure that Lord Edmund knew exactly what she thought of him.
"He is coming." Tess's soft voice from further ahead caught Elizabeth's attention. She could hear the excitement in the other girl's voice, the confidence that she was destined to get her own way. There was now no question that Max's former betrothed was insane. But Elizabeth also knew that she was not the true villain in this piece. The man pulling her along after him, no longer gently, was the real traitor. Now if only she could find out how.
Elizabeth also knew that Tess was right. She could feel Max's approach in every part of her, knew that he was now only minutes away.
[I]Max, be careful![/I]
She sent the thought spinning out, hoping that he would hear her, but the fact that her baby was now quietly resting in her womb made it unlikely. This actually reassured her though. Their son knew that he was no longer in danger. His father was coming and everything was happening as it was supposed to. They were not fated to die here this day.
Elizabeth tried not to shelter her stomach as Lord Edmund pushed her roughly to the ground. They could not know her secret, could not use her son against Max. For the first time she looked around, felt her eyes widen at the four egg-shaped containers gleaming in the corner of the large cave. She realized that she recognized them from her first connection with Max. Her eyes were drawn to one in particular, knew instinctively that this was where her husband had been born. The calm she had been feeling since their true enemies had been revealed increased. Nothing bad could happen in this place. It just could not. Anywhere that had brought her Max just had to be good.
"Elizabeth."
She turned her head, met Kyle's eyes. He had sat down beside her while Tess and Lord Edmund had gone over to the large egg-shapes. They still seemed hazy, but she could see a faint glimmer of awareness underneath. "Kyle."
"I am sorry," he whimpered. "I." He swallowed, tears filling his blue eyes. "She made me kill my own father."
And, in spite of everything he had done to her, Elizabeth felt her heart go out to him. "I am sorry."
"I am afraid. I am going to hell Elizabeth." He seemed to be searching his mind, as though trying to understand what he had done. "I didn't want any of this. I wanted [I]you[/I], but not like this."
"Tess has powers none of us even suspected," Elizabeth told him reassuringly, reaching out and taking his hand. "I don't think Max and the others even knew." She paused, then said, "I'm sorry that things could not be different between us Kyle."
He closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the stone wall of the cave. "I hope he kills me quickly. I am still a coward Elizabeth."
"He will not kill you," Elizabeth said firmly. "When he understands the truth, you will live and you will have time to save your immortal soul. God will not wish you punished for something beyond your control."
Kyle opened his eyes again. They were finally completely clear, Tess obviously not bothering to control him at all anymore. "But it was within my control Elizabeth. If I had been a stronger person, she never would have been able to use me like she did. I would have known right away what she was doing to me."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "It does not mean you are weak Kyle - or a coward. She did it to even Michael and you can not think [I]him[/I] weak. She is an evil witch. You are not to blame."
The next thing Elizabeth knew, her head had been smashed back against the cave wall. She almost passed out from the pain of it, but finally managed to focus her eyes on a furious Tess, whom she had not even seen coming. "You are right Elizabeth," she snarled. "[I]You[/I] are to blame. For all of this. I am not the evil witch and I will have you shut your lying mouth."
Elizabeth recoiled against Kyle's shoulder. The absolute hatred in Tess's eyes.In spite of herself, she felt a healthy flash of fear run through her. She could feel Kyle trembling beneath her, his horror and terror of Tess making him shudder.
Tess dropped to her knees, pushed her face right into Elizabeth's. "You think you are safe you little whore. But trust me, you are not. Lord Edmund is not the person who is destined to rule Antar. He may think that I am under his thumb, but in this one thing, he is sorely mistaken."
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth demanded, forcing herself to stop flinching, straightening her spine and glaring right back at Tess.
"Even if Max agrees to return to Antar in order to save you, it won't matter, because you will already be dead." With that, Tess placed her palm firmly against Elizabeth's forehead, in spite of Liz's attempts to move away from her. Up against the wall as she was, there was nowhere to go. And, then, there was no more thought of escaping at all because the red hot stabbing pain that shot through her skull pushed all other thoughts aside.
Elizabeth did not fully understand that the agony had ended until her eyes seemed to open of their own volition and she stared at Tess. The blonde girl was just climbing to her feet on the other side of the pod chamber, her blue eyes wide in horror.
"What did you do?" Kyle asked under his breath. "Elizabeth, she went flying across the room! You did not even touch her."
But Elizabeth knew that she had done nothing. It had been her child. Even now she could feel the warmth he always brought slowly retreating from her extremities.
And, as her eyes met Tess's across the large room, she knew that Tess now knew it too. She knew about her baby.
"You slut!" Tess screeched, raising her hand again. "If you think that your little bastard is going to stop me from killing you, you are sadly mistaken!"
"You are with child?" Kyle demanded, sounding incredulous. "Is it."
"Of course it's not yours you weak-minded fool!" Tess screamed. "Although I wish it was." Elizabeth watched in fearful fascination as the blonde shook her head. "I am a fool too for not allowing you have your way with her. I try and show a little kindness and look what happens to me! Betrayed again!"
"I'm surprised you even know what that word means, unaware as you are of the fact that you are the only traitor here."
Elizabeth's eyes widened and her heart jumped as she turned her head at the sound of the new voice. She recognized it immediately, was surprised that she had not been instantly aware of his arrival. Of course, she had almost been knocked unconscious, but it was still no excuse.
Max. Her heart began to sing simply at the sight of him. It had been too long since she had laid eyes on her beloved. The strong feeling of relief that swept through her was enough to make her sag back against Kyle again.
He had come up behind Tess, was now standing at the entrance to the pod chamber, his arms folded across his chest, his expression absolutely fierce. It sent a shiver down Liz's spine, glad that she knew that she would never be on the receiving end of such a look. Isabel stood slightly behind him, sadness on her beautiful face, her hand on Max's arm, as though in an attempt to control him, if even only slightly.
"Max!" Tess exclaimed, the tone of her voice changing instantly from threatening to sweet. Elizabeth could not believe it, barely managed to control the bile rising in her throat. "You're finally here. Look! I caught her for you."
"Don't even try it Tess," Max snapped. "Just shut your mouth and get Lord Edmund." He looked around. "I assume that he is here somewhere."
"That I am my liege." Elizabeth watched in surprise as Lord Edmund seemed to emerge from the pods themselves. She realized abruptly that there was another room beyond them and that it was why Tess had felt secure enough to threaten her again. Lord Edmund had not been nearby.
Max did not even look in the direction of Lord Edmund's voice though. He had shifted his gaze to her, his eyes raking over her form as though to assure himself that she was in one piece. He smiled slightly at her, as though to give her strength, then turned his attention to his guardian. "Why are you calling me that? You obviously don't consider me to be your king. Your actions seem to indicate quite the contrary."
"I will always consider you my king, as long as you behave as you ought," Lord Edmund replied mildly. "I am sorry that it has come to this Zan, but if I have to threaten your little doxy to get you to act like you are supposed to, I will." It was only then that Elizabeth realized that her life was still in danger, in spite of Max's arrival, for Lord Edmund stood much closer to her than Max, the pods from which he had emerged standing exactly between the entrance to the cave and where Elizabeth and Kyle were sitting. Considering Lord Edmund's alien gifts, there was no way that Max would be able to get to her in time to stop whatever it was that Lord Edmund intended.
Max's eyes narrowed. "And how am I supposed to act?"
"You are supposed to marry me you complete and utter fool!" Tess shrieked.
"Why?" Max's eyes had not moved from Lord Edmund's face. "Why is it so important that I marry her? I can rule without her." But as he continued, Elizabeth realized that he knew already. "She is not my wife, never was my wife, was she? It is why you are so desperate to marry me off to her before we leave Earth."
"Of course she is," Lord Edmund began soothingly.
Max cut him off. "Stop [I]lying[/I]! Tell me the truth. Now. I demand it."
"I [I]am[/I] telling you the truth," Lord Edmund snapped, his patience clearly at an end. "You must marry Tess or you will never be accepted as King of Antar. There is no choice Maxwell. It is destined and it shall be. You are the one who has brought us to this impasse." He pointed at Elizabeth menacingly, which made Max's jaw tighten. "I do not want to hurt her, but I will unless you do as you are told."
"Why did you pretend to agree to my marriage to Liz yesterday? And why did Tess bring Sir Kyle into this?" Max ground out, obviously attempting to keep his rage in check. Elizabeth wasn't really sure why this mattered at the moment, but she finally realized that Max was trying to buy time. Michael was not with them.
At the mention of his name, Kyle had flinched, but when Elizabeth turned to look at him, she could see that he was no longer cowering. His blue eyes met hers and she felt her own widen. Kyle had made his decision. He was ready to face the consequences of his actions. He was no longer afraid. Elizabeth felt her heart go out to him. He truly believed he was going to die. How could he not know that Max was not like that, that he would never kill someone innocent?
Lord Edmund sighed wearily, but did not answer. Elizabeth could almost [I]feel[/I] Max's rage coming off of him in waves. "Tell me!" He yelled.
"That was [I]my[/I] doing," Tess said, sounding triumphant. "I am tired of waiting to go home." She glared at Lord Edmund. "[I]He[/I] kept saying we weren't ready, but I knew we were." She shrugged. "I only meant for Sir Kyle to pursue Bella, for it to worry Lord Edmund and for him to decide it was time to go home because of it." She glared at Elizabeth. "How was I to know that [I]she[/I] would somehow get mixed up in all of this?"
"Are you really trying to blame Elizabeth?" Isabel spoke up for the first time, sounding incredulous. Elizabeth could see her shaking her head in disbelief. "Who [I]are[/I] you? You are not my sister."
"I am your rightful queen," Tess snapped back. "I cannot believe how quickly you and Michael were willing to turn on me Bella." Tears filled the other girl's large blue eyes. "How could you do it to me?"
"You sent Michael to prison!" Isabel shot back fiercely, not sounding the least bit guilty. "Admit it Tess. It is why he remembers nothing of his captivity or his rescue."
"That was an accident!" Tess flared. "How was I to know that he was going to be there when the Sheriff's men went to pick up his son's wayward fiancée? It was too late not to have him taken. Besides, he deserved it. And I saved him, didn't I?"
Isabel looked like she wanted to hit Tess, but Max spoke up again, easing the moment. Elizabeth realized that he was still focused on Lord Edmund. "You have never wanted me to feel at all in control of my own destiny," he said quietly. "You have not raised me to be king, but to be your puppet, and I want to know [I]why[/I]."
"You are wrong Maxwell," Lord Edmund replied firmly. "I am the only one who knows what is best for you. Once you come to accept it, your return to Antar will only be a formality. You will be ready to rule upon your arrival, as long as you are married to Tess and the four square is strong." He looked beyond Max at this last statement. "Where is your brother by the way?"
"That is none of your affair," Max returned. Elizabeth watched his face, could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he said, "You are not our guardian. Bella and I have both always known it and your actions of late have more than proved it."
"You may choose to believe what you will. I cannot stop you, but you are wrong." Lord Edmund sounded extremely weary. And, so, it was an even greater surprise when he was suddenly beside her, hauling her to her feet. He had his hand firmly on the side of her neck and it was only then that Elizabeth understood what he was going to do. He did not intend any sort of alien death for her. She wondered if he even thought her worthy of such a thing. He would kill her like the human she was by simply breaking her neck.
She saw Max's nostrils flare, but he did not make a move in her direction. Her heart started to pound, suddenly unsure. What was he waiting for? Could he truly be calling Lord Edmund's bluff? Did he not really believe that his guardian intended her harm? Or did he just not care?
Elizabeth felt immediate shame at the last thought. Of course it wasn't that. Even at this distance, she could see a vein pulsing in the side of Max's neck, as he barely managed to keep his emotions in check. One false move and Lord Edmund would end her life and the life of her baby along with it.
"What do you want me to do?" Max finally demanded, trying not to reveal his fear for her in his voice. Elizabeth heard it though and she knew that his enemies did as well.
"You will claim Tess as your wife here and now in front of this girl so that she will know once and for all that she has lost her great prize," Lord Edmund told him firmly. "We will wait for Michael and then we will all return to Antar - tonight."
Elizabeth could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, but she was still strangely calm. She was not going to die. Max would never allow it. But would he really leave her to assure it? After all they had been through, mostly through her own stupidity, were they still destined to be separated after all?
Her eyes met Max's. He was breathing quickly, as though trying to work his mind around how to solve this problem. She tried to tell him without words that she trusted him, that she would go along with whatever he decided. If he left, she knew that he would come back to her. If it was what he had to do, she would support him.
"She is carrying his child."
Elizabeth felt Lord Edmund jerk in shock behind her. She turned her head in surprise to see Kyle on his feet, standing straight and looking right at Tess, his hatred palpable to all in the chamber. "You cannot kill your king's heir. Elizabeth is carrying his child."
"He is lying!" Tess screamed.
But no one was listening to her. Elizabeth lowered her lashes, swallowed. This was not how she had intended for Max to find out about their child, by any stretch of the imagination. And while Kyle had been trying to help, somehow Liz knew he had just made things worse. Because now Max knew that he not only had to worry about [I]her[/I] safety, he also had to be concerned about their baby's life.
"Liz," Max's voice was gentle. She raised her eyes and met his again, unable to hide the truth any longer. She saw his dark gaze soften, then harden immediately as he looked back at Lord Edmund.
"Let her go."
"This changes nothing," Lord Edmund told him. "Tess's child will be your heir. I cannot allow another to take her place. I cannot betray what I was sent here to do."
"Elizabeth is my wife. I cannot take another," Max replied. "You know this. But I also know that you are a good man at heart. You will not kill my child."
"I have no choice!" Lord Edmund's voice was quavering . Elizabeth could feel him loosening his grip around her neck. Another moment and she would be able to wrench herself free, would be able to fling herself at Max and end this once and for all. "If I go back there and Tess is not your wife, they will kill me."
"Who?" Max asked gently. "Who will kill you my lord?"
"Kill her!" Tess shrieked. "Do it! She is nothing to us. He will accept me if she is gone. You know this to be true!"
"I am sorry." Elizabeth could hear the despair in the guardian's voice as his grip tightened around her neck once more. "You will forget her in time." She closed her eyes, waiting for the end. Then she realized that once more she was taking the coward's way out.
She needed to be with him. And, so, she opened her eyes again and met his. They were shining desperately, as he frantically searched his mind for a way to save her. But she knew there was none. She tried to tell him with her eyes that she forgave him, that he needed to save his world so that she wouldn't die in vain.
[I]I love you![/I]
"Liz!" Max's anguished cry was the last sound she heard.
"They're going to the pod chamber."
Isabel turned her head to look at Max, who had been quiet for too long. She had been worried, beginning to wonder if her brother was contemplating the most satisfying way to deal with Sir Kyle. Isabel didn't like to think of her brother having those kinds of revenge-filled thoughts. Although, as a king hoping to reclaim his throne from those who had usurped it, she had always known there were some things he would have to do during his life that might be contrary to his nature, none of it would have ever harmed Max's soul. None of it would have been vindictive, but simply what had to be. But the antipathy that Max felt for Kyle.Isabel knew that her brother was going to kill the other man and there would be nothing impersonal about it. And, in the end, Max would suffer for it. He was a gentle person at heart and he would feel guilt about it. Possibly not for many years, but he would eventually. Isabel could not like this. No matter how worried she was about Elizabeth, no matter how she knew that Max would be destroyed without her, she also knew that Liz of all of them would be the last one wishing for Max to change himself in any way - particularly for her sake.
Which meant only one thing. Isabel was going to have to protect her brother from his own rage, from his own determination to seek revenge on Kyle for what he had done to Elizabeth. She was glad that Max had asked her to accompany him on the search for his wife because she would make sure that he would not do anything that could jeopardize who he was or the king he would be someday. Michael and Mary were elsewhere, in search of Alex, who had no hope of finding Elizabeth himself now that they knew that Tess was involved. She would be able to hide Elizabeth and Kyle from the Sheriff's men too easily.
But Tess wanted Max to find them. There was no confirmation that their sister had slipped away to help Sir Kyle, but Isabel knew absolutely that it was true, that she was behind this whole thing somehow. Whatever their traitor of a sister had planned, it was all for Max's eyes alone. It made Isabel feel a bit better. She knew that Tess would not harm Elizabeth until she had Max exactly where she wanted him.
Which it had seemed might never happen until Max spoke up. They had been winding their way slowly through the darkened forest for hours, their only light the glow from Max's hand. Isabel was also keeping in close contact with Michael mentally. Since they had all connected to bring Lord Edmund back from the dead, Isabel had been surprised by how much stronger her powers had been. While she could not communicate with Michael directly, with words, she could do so superficially with some images and feelings. She hadn't had much time to reflect upon it, but it was definitely true that they were all more closely connected. She could feel Max's proximity, not only because he was right beside her physically, but also because his presence hummed lightly in her brain, unlike it ever had before. Michael's essence did as well, although Isabel knew that he was quite far away.
It was also another reason that she knew that Tess had indeed betrayed them. The connection that she had always felt to the other alien girl no longer existed. While her bond to Michael and Max had only strengthened since the ressurection of Lord Edmund, whatever closeness she had once felt to Tess had been completely extinguished. Isabel was unsure whether Tess herself had cut her off in order to hide her crimes or if there was some other reason for it. Perhaps fate had intervened and had severed Tess from the four square, knowing that she could no longer be trusted? Or maybe it was nothing so grandiose as that. Perhaps Isabel's heart had finally severed the tie that she knew no longer really existed anyway.
"How do you know?" Isabel asked Max now, sending a small call in Michael's direction, encouraging him to hurry up and find Alex. All three of them needed to be together when they confronted Tess.
"I can [I]hear[/I] her," Max told Isabel, sounding slightly awe-struck, as though he still couldn't believe it himself. "I have been talking with her for several minutes, but did not want to say anything until I knew for sure it was her."
Isabel blinked, felt her heart start to pound in her chest. "Max, how is it possible? Elizabeth is human! I can't even communicate that effectively with you and Michael!" If she had never had any doubts about the strength of the love which existed between her brother and his wife, she had none now. It was beyond anything she had ever heard of. Not even regular Antarians had the abilities she and her siblings possessed. It was their combination of human and Antarian DNA that allowed them to possess such gifts. That a human could manage a connection of this magnitude.Could a bond of the depth of that shared by Max and Elizabeth truly change everything so completely?
Isabel frowned slightly, wondered how Alex would feel about this. A connection like the one between Max and Liz might be more than he had bargained for. In fact, she felt slightly frightened at the thought of sharing such a thing with anyone. While she knew that she cared about Alex more than she had ever thought she could care about anyone outside of her small circle of loved ones, could she really open herself so completely, so finally?
"And you are now sure that it [I]is[/I] her?" She asked, realizing that this was no time to worry about her own love life.
"Yes," Max nodded, his certainty clear on his visage. "Sir Kyle is with her, but Tess is as well. She is the one controlling Kyle."
She felt a pang of relief. It had always seemed strange that Sir Kyle had changed from the incompetant, bumbling fool she had first known simply because of what had happened between Max and Elizabeth. That Tess was using her mind control on him made perfect sense. Isabel wondered why Max continued to gaze at her steadily as though waiting for her to realize something else.
Her eyes widened as the truth dawned on her. "Max, if Sir Kyle is being mindwarped." Isabel trailed off, surprised that she could still feel pain as the truth about Tess kept getting worse.
"It means that Tess betrayed us long before we ever knew," Max finished grimly. "Likely from the very beginning, from the day you first met him the woods."
"But [I]why[/I]?" Isabel exclaimed, her mind in complete turmoil, her memory going over every moment she had ever spent in Tess's company, trying to see this side of her sister in her behavior. But she could not remember a single instance where she had ever suspected Tess of being anything but an innocent eager to play her role in the reclaiming of their planet. She had been Lord Edmund's pet because of her complacency, had been all of their favorite because of her sweetness. How could they have been so fooled?
Isabel met Max's eyes, unable to hide her shock. "Max, this is unbelievable!"
"It is extremely upsetting," Max agreed. His face hardened. "But it is worse than you can even imagine Bella."
"What? Why?" Isabel stared at her brother.
"Lord Edmund is there as well."
Isabel closed her eyes, wondered why this did not surprise her as much as Tess's perfidy. Perhaps because she had never truly liked their guardian, had always chafed under his rule? Had she always known, deep down, that he did not have their best interests at heart? But Tess.Isabel swallowed, tried not to let the tears fill her eyes as all of her affection for the other girl over the years - the only person who was truly [I]like[/I] her - crumbled to dust. She realized that, deep down, she had been willing to forgive Tess, in spite of everything. She had thought that it only had to do with Max and losing him, that if Elizabeth did not exist, Tess would not have changed. But she could see now that it had all been a lie. Tess had [I]never[/I] been one of them.
"Max, what are we going to do?" Isabel whispered as her brother reined his steed to a halt and reached out to take her hand, in an attempt to comfort her. She felt his warmth and determination wind its way up her arm and as their eyes locked, she knew that they did not need Tess. As long as she had her king and brother, as long as she had Michael, as long as she had their new friends, they would win.
She could tell from the expression on Max's face that he was in complete agreement. "We are going to save my wife," Max told her quietly, confirming it. "And then we are going to find out the truth about exactly who we are."
********************************************
Elizabeth did not struggle as Lord Edmund lifted her off the horse she was sharing with Kyle. Now that she knew that Max was on his way, she did not feel the least bit afraid any longer. She wondered how she could have ever doubted that he would be able to protect her and their child, that somehow she owed it to him to let him go. The connection they now shared through this child.it was warming her from within, giving her courage where none had existed before.
Abandonning Max had been the easy way out. Not trusting him to know what was right had been unworthy of their love. She could continue to tell herself that she had been trying to remain unselfish, that she had been trying to protect their baby, that she had been trying to allow Max the freedom he needed to reclaim his throne, but she knew now that it would have all been a giant lie. She had been afraid of the depth of the commitment she was making to him, someone she barely knew. She hadn't even recognized it until the final connection had been created between them through their son, but now she knew it to be true.
While she might not feel like she deserved him, might feel that he would be better off with someone else, she did not have the right to make that decision for him. And it was what she had been trying to do. The worst part was that she had been satisfied with the knowledge that she would always have a piece of him through their child. But he would not even have had that. That she could have even contemplated leaving him all alone.
No, she might not feel worthy of him, but he loved her and thought she was. It was now enough.
"You do not seem afraid." Lord Edmund's voice was quiet as he led her behind a few large boulders. Tess was before them, holding aloft a torch that had been waiting for them at their stopping point. Sir Kyle was stumbling behind them, his exhaustion and confusion no longer hidden. Elizabeth could no longer hate him, knowing that he was just as much a victim as the rest of them. The only question remaining was what game these two were playing. Why had Lord Edmund and Tess turned on their king?
"I am not," Elizabeth told him firmly. "I know that whatever happens, it is what is meant to be. As much as you are trying to stop it, Max and I are meant to be together. Everything will work out for us. We would not have ever met if it was not so."
Lord Edmund's dark eyes stared at her, even more shadowed by the torch- light that danced across his face. "We shall see."
Elizabeth raised her chin. "Indeed we shall." She saw something flicker through Lord Edmund's eyes. It might have been fear, it might have been anger, but whatever it was, she knew she had gotten to him. She smiled slightly, in spite of everything.
This man had betrayed Max. She hated him with every fibre of her being. Even if she was meant to die here this day, she would make sure that Lord Edmund knew exactly what she thought of him.
"He is coming." Tess's soft voice from further ahead caught Elizabeth's attention. She could hear the excitement in the other girl's voice, the confidence that she was destined to get her own way. There was now no question that Max's former betrothed was insane. But Elizabeth also knew that she was not the true villain in this piece. The man pulling her along after him, no longer gently, was the real traitor. Now if only she could find out how.
Elizabeth also knew that Tess was right. She could feel Max's approach in every part of her, knew that he was now only minutes away.
[I]Max, be careful![/I]
She sent the thought spinning out, hoping that he would hear her, but the fact that her baby was now quietly resting in her womb made it unlikely. This actually reassured her though. Their son knew that he was no longer in danger. His father was coming and everything was happening as it was supposed to. They were not fated to die here this day.
Elizabeth tried not to shelter her stomach as Lord Edmund pushed her roughly to the ground. They could not know her secret, could not use her son against Max. For the first time she looked around, felt her eyes widen at the four egg-shaped containers gleaming in the corner of the large cave. She realized that she recognized them from her first connection with Max. Her eyes were drawn to one in particular, knew instinctively that this was where her husband had been born. The calm she had been feeling since their true enemies had been revealed increased. Nothing bad could happen in this place. It just could not. Anywhere that had brought her Max just had to be good.
"Elizabeth."
She turned her head, met Kyle's eyes. He had sat down beside her while Tess and Lord Edmund had gone over to the large egg-shapes. They still seemed hazy, but she could see a faint glimmer of awareness underneath. "Kyle."
"I am sorry," he whimpered. "I." He swallowed, tears filling his blue eyes. "She made me kill my own father."
And, in spite of everything he had done to her, Elizabeth felt her heart go out to him. "I am sorry."
"I am afraid. I am going to hell Elizabeth." He seemed to be searching his mind, as though trying to understand what he had done. "I didn't want any of this. I wanted [I]you[/I], but not like this."
"Tess has powers none of us even suspected," Elizabeth told him reassuringly, reaching out and taking his hand. "I don't think Max and the others even knew." She paused, then said, "I'm sorry that things could not be different between us Kyle."
He closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the stone wall of the cave. "I hope he kills me quickly. I am still a coward Elizabeth."
"He will not kill you," Elizabeth said firmly. "When he understands the truth, you will live and you will have time to save your immortal soul. God will not wish you punished for something beyond your control."
Kyle opened his eyes again. They were finally completely clear, Tess obviously not bothering to control him at all anymore. "But it was within my control Elizabeth. If I had been a stronger person, she never would have been able to use me like she did. I would have known right away what she was doing to me."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "It does not mean you are weak Kyle - or a coward. She did it to even Michael and you can not think [I]him[/I] weak. She is an evil witch. You are not to blame."
The next thing Elizabeth knew, her head had been smashed back against the cave wall. She almost passed out from the pain of it, but finally managed to focus her eyes on a furious Tess, whom she had not even seen coming. "You are right Elizabeth," she snarled. "[I]You[/I] are to blame. For all of this. I am not the evil witch and I will have you shut your lying mouth."
Elizabeth recoiled against Kyle's shoulder. The absolute hatred in Tess's eyes.In spite of herself, she felt a healthy flash of fear run through her. She could feel Kyle trembling beneath her, his horror and terror of Tess making him shudder.
Tess dropped to her knees, pushed her face right into Elizabeth's. "You think you are safe you little whore. But trust me, you are not. Lord Edmund is not the person who is destined to rule Antar. He may think that I am under his thumb, but in this one thing, he is sorely mistaken."
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth demanded, forcing herself to stop flinching, straightening her spine and glaring right back at Tess.
"Even if Max agrees to return to Antar in order to save you, it won't matter, because you will already be dead." With that, Tess placed her palm firmly against Elizabeth's forehead, in spite of Liz's attempts to move away from her. Up against the wall as she was, there was nowhere to go. And, then, there was no more thought of escaping at all because the red hot stabbing pain that shot through her skull pushed all other thoughts aside.
Elizabeth did not fully understand that the agony had ended until her eyes seemed to open of their own volition and she stared at Tess. The blonde girl was just climbing to her feet on the other side of the pod chamber, her blue eyes wide in horror.
"What did you do?" Kyle asked under his breath. "Elizabeth, she went flying across the room! You did not even touch her."
But Elizabeth knew that she had done nothing. It had been her child. Even now she could feel the warmth he always brought slowly retreating from her extremities.
And, as her eyes met Tess's across the large room, she knew that Tess now knew it too. She knew about her baby.
"You slut!" Tess screeched, raising her hand again. "If you think that your little bastard is going to stop me from killing you, you are sadly mistaken!"
"You are with child?" Kyle demanded, sounding incredulous. "Is it."
"Of course it's not yours you weak-minded fool!" Tess screamed. "Although I wish it was." Elizabeth watched in fearful fascination as the blonde shook her head. "I am a fool too for not allowing you have your way with her. I try and show a little kindness and look what happens to me! Betrayed again!"
"I'm surprised you even know what that word means, unaware as you are of the fact that you are the only traitor here."
Elizabeth's eyes widened and her heart jumped as she turned her head at the sound of the new voice. She recognized it immediately, was surprised that she had not been instantly aware of his arrival. Of course, she had almost been knocked unconscious, but it was still no excuse.
Max. Her heart began to sing simply at the sight of him. It had been too long since she had laid eyes on her beloved. The strong feeling of relief that swept through her was enough to make her sag back against Kyle again.
He had come up behind Tess, was now standing at the entrance to the pod chamber, his arms folded across his chest, his expression absolutely fierce. It sent a shiver down Liz's spine, glad that she knew that she would never be on the receiving end of such a look. Isabel stood slightly behind him, sadness on her beautiful face, her hand on Max's arm, as though in an attempt to control him, if even only slightly.
"Max!" Tess exclaimed, the tone of her voice changing instantly from threatening to sweet. Elizabeth could not believe it, barely managed to control the bile rising in her throat. "You're finally here. Look! I caught her for you."
"Don't even try it Tess," Max snapped. "Just shut your mouth and get Lord Edmund." He looked around. "I assume that he is here somewhere."
"That I am my liege." Elizabeth watched in surprise as Lord Edmund seemed to emerge from the pods themselves. She realized abruptly that there was another room beyond them and that it was why Tess had felt secure enough to threaten her again. Lord Edmund had not been nearby.
Max did not even look in the direction of Lord Edmund's voice though. He had shifted his gaze to her, his eyes raking over her form as though to assure himself that she was in one piece. He smiled slightly at her, as though to give her strength, then turned his attention to his guardian. "Why are you calling me that? You obviously don't consider me to be your king. Your actions seem to indicate quite the contrary."
"I will always consider you my king, as long as you behave as you ought," Lord Edmund replied mildly. "I am sorry that it has come to this Zan, but if I have to threaten your little doxy to get you to act like you are supposed to, I will." It was only then that Elizabeth realized that her life was still in danger, in spite of Max's arrival, for Lord Edmund stood much closer to her than Max, the pods from which he had emerged standing exactly between the entrance to the cave and where Elizabeth and Kyle were sitting. Considering Lord Edmund's alien gifts, there was no way that Max would be able to get to her in time to stop whatever it was that Lord Edmund intended.
Max's eyes narrowed. "And how am I supposed to act?"
"You are supposed to marry me you complete and utter fool!" Tess shrieked.
"Why?" Max's eyes had not moved from Lord Edmund's face. "Why is it so important that I marry her? I can rule without her." But as he continued, Elizabeth realized that he knew already. "She is not my wife, never was my wife, was she? It is why you are so desperate to marry me off to her before we leave Earth."
"Of course she is," Lord Edmund began soothingly.
Max cut him off. "Stop [I]lying[/I]! Tell me the truth. Now. I demand it."
"I [I]am[/I] telling you the truth," Lord Edmund snapped, his patience clearly at an end. "You must marry Tess or you will never be accepted as King of Antar. There is no choice Maxwell. It is destined and it shall be. You are the one who has brought us to this impasse." He pointed at Elizabeth menacingly, which made Max's jaw tighten. "I do not want to hurt her, but I will unless you do as you are told."
"Why did you pretend to agree to my marriage to Liz yesterday? And why did Tess bring Sir Kyle into this?" Max ground out, obviously attempting to keep his rage in check. Elizabeth wasn't really sure why this mattered at the moment, but she finally realized that Max was trying to buy time. Michael was not with them.
At the mention of his name, Kyle had flinched, but when Elizabeth turned to look at him, she could see that he was no longer cowering. His blue eyes met hers and she felt her own widen. Kyle had made his decision. He was ready to face the consequences of his actions. He was no longer afraid. Elizabeth felt her heart go out to him. He truly believed he was going to die. How could he not know that Max was not like that, that he would never kill someone innocent?
Lord Edmund sighed wearily, but did not answer. Elizabeth could almost [I]feel[/I] Max's rage coming off of him in waves. "Tell me!" He yelled.
"That was [I]my[/I] doing," Tess said, sounding triumphant. "I am tired of waiting to go home." She glared at Lord Edmund. "[I]He[/I] kept saying we weren't ready, but I knew we were." She shrugged. "I only meant for Sir Kyle to pursue Bella, for it to worry Lord Edmund and for him to decide it was time to go home because of it." She glared at Elizabeth. "How was I to know that [I]she[/I] would somehow get mixed up in all of this?"
"Are you really trying to blame Elizabeth?" Isabel spoke up for the first time, sounding incredulous. Elizabeth could see her shaking her head in disbelief. "Who [I]are[/I] you? You are not my sister."
"I am your rightful queen," Tess snapped back. "I cannot believe how quickly you and Michael were willing to turn on me Bella." Tears filled the other girl's large blue eyes. "How could you do it to me?"
"You sent Michael to prison!" Isabel shot back fiercely, not sounding the least bit guilty. "Admit it Tess. It is why he remembers nothing of his captivity or his rescue."
"That was an accident!" Tess flared. "How was I to know that he was going to be there when the Sheriff's men went to pick up his son's wayward fiancée? It was too late not to have him taken. Besides, he deserved it. And I saved him, didn't I?"
Isabel looked like she wanted to hit Tess, but Max spoke up again, easing the moment. Elizabeth realized that he was still focused on Lord Edmund. "You have never wanted me to feel at all in control of my own destiny," he said quietly. "You have not raised me to be king, but to be your puppet, and I want to know [I]why[/I]."
"You are wrong Maxwell," Lord Edmund replied firmly. "I am the only one who knows what is best for you. Once you come to accept it, your return to Antar will only be a formality. You will be ready to rule upon your arrival, as long as you are married to Tess and the four square is strong." He looked beyond Max at this last statement. "Where is your brother by the way?"
"That is none of your affair," Max returned. Elizabeth watched his face, could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he said, "You are not our guardian. Bella and I have both always known it and your actions of late have more than proved it."
"You may choose to believe what you will. I cannot stop you, but you are wrong." Lord Edmund sounded extremely weary. And, so, it was an even greater surprise when he was suddenly beside her, hauling her to her feet. He had his hand firmly on the side of her neck and it was only then that Elizabeth understood what he was going to do. He did not intend any sort of alien death for her. She wondered if he even thought her worthy of such a thing. He would kill her like the human she was by simply breaking her neck.
She saw Max's nostrils flare, but he did not make a move in her direction. Her heart started to pound, suddenly unsure. What was he waiting for? Could he truly be calling Lord Edmund's bluff? Did he not really believe that his guardian intended her harm? Or did he just not care?
Elizabeth felt immediate shame at the last thought. Of course it wasn't that. Even at this distance, she could see a vein pulsing in the side of Max's neck, as he barely managed to keep his emotions in check. One false move and Lord Edmund would end her life and the life of her baby along with it.
"What do you want me to do?" Max finally demanded, trying not to reveal his fear for her in his voice. Elizabeth heard it though and she knew that his enemies did as well.
"You will claim Tess as your wife here and now in front of this girl so that she will know once and for all that she has lost her great prize," Lord Edmund told him firmly. "We will wait for Michael and then we will all return to Antar - tonight."
Elizabeth could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, but she was still strangely calm. She was not going to die. Max would never allow it. But would he really leave her to assure it? After all they had been through, mostly through her own stupidity, were they still destined to be separated after all?
Her eyes met Max's. He was breathing quickly, as though trying to work his mind around how to solve this problem. She tried to tell him without words that she trusted him, that she would go along with whatever he decided. If he left, she knew that he would come back to her. If it was what he had to do, she would support him.
"She is carrying his child."
Elizabeth felt Lord Edmund jerk in shock behind her. She turned her head in surprise to see Kyle on his feet, standing straight and looking right at Tess, his hatred palpable to all in the chamber. "You cannot kill your king's heir. Elizabeth is carrying his child."
"He is lying!" Tess screamed.
But no one was listening to her. Elizabeth lowered her lashes, swallowed. This was not how she had intended for Max to find out about their child, by any stretch of the imagination. And while Kyle had been trying to help, somehow Liz knew he had just made things worse. Because now Max knew that he not only had to worry about [I]her[/I] safety, he also had to be concerned about their baby's life.
"Liz," Max's voice was gentle. She raised her eyes and met his again, unable to hide the truth any longer. She saw his dark gaze soften, then harden immediately as he looked back at Lord Edmund.
"Let her go."
"This changes nothing," Lord Edmund told him. "Tess's child will be your heir. I cannot allow another to take her place. I cannot betray what I was sent here to do."
"Elizabeth is my wife. I cannot take another," Max replied. "You know this. But I also know that you are a good man at heart. You will not kill my child."
"I have no choice!" Lord Edmund's voice was quavering . Elizabeth could feel him loosening his grip around her neck. Another moment and she would be able to wrench herself free, would be able to fling herself at Max and end this once and for all. "If I go back there and Tess is not your wife, they will kill me."
"Who?" Max asked gently. "Who will kill you my lord?"
"Kill her!" Tess shrieked. "Do it! She is nothing to us. He will accept me if she is gone. You know this to be true!"
"I am sorry." Elizabeth could hear the despair in the guardian's voice as his grip tightened around her neck once more. "You will forget her in time." She closed her eyes, waiting for the end. Then she realized that once more she was taking the coward's way out.
She needed to be with him. And, so, she opened her eyes again and met his. They were shining desperately, as he frantically searched his mind for a way to save her. But she knew there was none. She tried to tell him with her eyes that she forgave him, that he needed to save his world so that she wouldn't die in vain.
[I]I love you![/I]
"Liz!" Max's anguished cry was the last sound she heard.