[b]True Colors[/b]

[I]Chapter 6[/I]

"You know very well what you have to do, Tess!" Nicholas yelled at her.

"I know, I just can't get in right now," Tess meekly whispered.

"Damn Tess! What's wrong with you? Khivar won't like this, not at all! They cannot remember, for if they do, everything will be lost!" Nicholas chastised her.

Tess closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate. Think of Max, she thought. Max. She felt his presence near her, but didn't manage to find him. Max, she thought once again. He was still hidden somewhere, behind the mist of consciousness. 'Max!' she screamed in her mind. She twirled around, feeling something tapping on her shoulder. Nicholas. What was he doing here? He had probably connected with her to get here. She had told him a thousand times that she didn't want him to get inside her head. How dare he! She wasn't about to tell him, though. Nicholas was angry enough as it was already.

"Where is he?" Nicholas mouthed to her.

Tess shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." she mouthed back to him. "Close, though."

Nicholas closed his eyes. A frown appeared in his forehead. A few seconds later he nodded to Tess, gesturing her to get out.

Tess returned with a shock in her own body. Slowly becoming aware of her surroundings, she heard Nicholas tell her he'd found Max, and stopped his memories from flowing back to him. She was drained. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to do this, to suppress not only the memories of Max, but also those of Michael and Isabel.

And then there was Liz. She was afraid that the Awakening had started. After all, Liz had used her powers to save Max a few days ago, what probably triggered the process. She feared to tell Nicholas, was afraid for his anger and rage, but knew she'd have to tell him. He'd find out sooner or later anyway.

"Nicholas," she quietly said.

"What?" he rudely asked.

"About Ailiana… She used her powers to rescue Max. I think she might be awakening." She looked down, dreading to see his reaction.

"She's what? I thought you said you had everything under control! You said she would never awaken, not even after Max had healed her!" Nicholas was furious, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

"You [i]swore[/i] she'd never remember and would stay away from Max! I thought you had solved everything with mindwarping her. Max would stay away from her, that's what you said! You know that I'll have to contact Khivar about this, don't you?"

Nicholas was beyond angry. He was outraged and Tess could practically see his powers searing inside of him.

"The mindwarp worked, and Max will stay away from her, I made sure of that, I promise. I couldn't do anything to stop her from awakening, though." Tess hastily defended herself. "The process has been interrupted somewhere last night, so there's a chance that she doesn't know who she is just yet."

Nicholas stared at her, his cold eyes piercing right through her soul. "She will awaken again, and you know it. Once the process has been started, there's nothing that can stop it."

He shook his head. "I'll ask Khivar what we should do. It won't be long until he'll arrive in person to take care of her."

"Why can't we just kill her?" Tess asked, hoping to get rid of Liz as soon as possible. That girl always caused her troubles. "I don't see why Khivar would want to have her."

Nicholas laughed bitterly and cupped Tess' cheek. "Tess, love, this girl is special. Khivar wants her. She was very strong and once her powers are developed, she'll come in handy in the war. The people are discontent. Rumors have been spread. People are starting to believe the Royal Ones have been recreated and will come back to free them from the yoke of Khivar."

Nicholas shook his head. "The Resistance is growing. If Khivar would have an heir with Ailiana, it would appease the people, and assure his position."

He rolled his eyes, not understanding why people would have peace with a horrible king when he'd have an heir with Ailiana.

"Besides that," he continued, "she's said to be absolutely gorgeous, from the outside [i]and[/i] the inside. He loves her, Tess. What he had with you was purely based on lust, but it's different with this girl." Nicholas winded a strand of Tess' curls around his finger, softly pulling it.

"If you'd extend [i]one[/i] finger intending to hurt her, you won't live long enough to see the next day." he threatened.

Tess nodded, unsure of what to do with herself.

Nicholas softly petted her on her head. "Good girl," he said. "Try to keep Max from retrieving his memories as long as possible, you hear me? Now, leave."

Tess stood up and walked towards the door of the old storehouse. She looked one last time over her shoulder, just in time to see Nicholas grinning at her. She smiled weakly and left the building, leaving for the Valenti-household.

It was time to take control into her own hands…