Chapter Thirty:
"Nefer-Tina! Nefer-Tina!" Ja-Kal shouted into the phone. There was no response, and suddenly the line went dead. "No..." he murmured to himself.
"What happened? What's going on?" Kait demanded of him. "Where is she?"
"We were cut off," Ja-Kal told her. "She must have been caught. We need to get over to where she is immediately."
"What's the location?" Matt asked. "Kait and I know this city pretty well."
Ja-Kal told him the area that Nefer-Tina had described.
"Oh, we know that place," Kait told him. "We can get you there fast."
Ja-Kal nodded at them and then turned to Rath and Armon.
"With the strength of Ra!" the three guardians simultaneously called their armor.
"Rath, you and Armon take the Hot-Ra. Kait, Matt, and Amanda, the three of you go with them," Ja-Kal commanded. He turned to the Tracker of the Gods. "Tia, you transport yourself, Xena, and Gabrielle there." He started moving towards the garage and motioned for the others to follow him. "You have your orders. Let's move!"
Rath, Armon, Amanda, Kait, and Matt followed while Tia glared after Ja-Kal for a moment. Xena and Gabrielle came over to her.
Xena noticed the expression on Tia's face. "What's with you?"
Tia switched her glare to the Warrior Princess. "I think you know."
Understanding came over Xena. "Oh, I see."
Gabrielle was lost. "What's going on? Xena?"
"Nothing, Gabrielle. Just something between the Tracker and me," Xena told her companion.
Tia remained silent, and in a flash, transported the three of them away.
Heka had finally managed to find her way into the abandoned building when she saw Callisto coming her way. The goddess was dragging two tied-up figures behind her. She quickly dodged behind some fallen debris as they passed by.
"The three of us are going to have so much fun," Callisto was saying to her struggling prisoners. "And, after we're done, you, my dear Presley, will never have to worry about having your spirit sucked out of you ever again!"
Uh-oh! Heka gasped. Callisto was apparently not holding up her end of the bargain. This was not good!
Unfortunately, she would be unable to tell Scarab before he found out for himself. Callisto was already exiting the building.
Scarab was still sitting in the limousine waiting for Heka to return when he heard a knock on his window. Without looking up, he rolled it down.
"That was rather fast," he commented. "So, Heka, what did you learn?"
"Well, first off, I'm not Heka," giggled the voice of Callisto," but I did learn two very important things! One: you don't keep your promises. And, two: you are too stupid to realize I don't either!"
Scarab's head snapped up. "You! How did you-?" he growled angrily.
Callisto flashed a smile and held out her hand. In it, was the tracking device. "Looks like I was right about you after all!" She giggled again.
Scarab pressed an out-of-sight button that signaled for his shabties and then started to open the car door. However, Callisto put up her hand.
"Uh-uh-uh! Can't have you going anywhere just yet!" She smiled again and pulled Presley closer to her. She gave the boy a kiss on the head. "Not if you want him to stay in one piece, that is."
Tia, Xena, and Gabrielle rematerialized at their destination. They were the first to arrive on the scene. A quick survey of the area found Velasca viciously kicking a downed Nefer-Tina, while Callisto, along with her prisoners, was keeping Scarab occupied.
"Gabrielle, you and Tia go help Nefer-Tina," Xena said. "I'll go take care of Callisto."
"I'm not helping that whore," Tia told her. "I'm just here to take Velasca and Callisto back to Olympus for trial."
Xena sighed. "I don't have time to argue with you. You do what you think is your job and I'll do mine."
Gabrielle looked at Tia. "How dare you call yourself an Amazon. You have no honor."
Tia snorted. "I'm a god now. Honor is for mortals. I'm only here to do a job. It's best you remember that, Queen Gabrielle. You stay out of my way and I'll keep out of yours."
Xena headed off in the direction that would take her to Callisto while the two remaining women went towards Velasca.
Tia, who moved faster than Gabrielle, reached her sworn enemy first. "Velasca!" she shouted challengingly. "Stop wasting your time on that pathetic excuse for a warrior and come face me! We have a score to settle!"
Velasca, momentarily forgetting that she was destroying Nefer-Tina, turned to face her most hated opponent. "So, there you are. I've been wondering what happened to you."
"I've been busy," Tia sneered. "But, now I'm ready to pick up where we left off."
"Aren't you missing somebody?" Velasca said, folding her arms. "I noticed Xena's here as well. Still unable to finish a job on your own?"
"Xena's of no concern to you this time," Tia told her. "This is between you and me. Amazon to...Amazon."
"You still claim to be one of us? Gabrielle is more an Amazon than you ever were!" Velasca spat.
"Is that so? Well then, we'll just have to ask Artemis her opinion on the subject when we get back to Olympus. She's seemed quite eager to see you again when she sent me on this mission," Tia told her.
"Enough talk!," Velasca decided. "Come, Tracker, show me what you're made of! Prove to me that you don't need Xena to rescue you like the last time."
"Ha!" Tia commented. "Xena did nothing but hold me back. As I told you before, if it weren't for her, I'd have killed you.
"This time, I won't let her get in my way."
Ja-Kal passed low over the ground, his eyes searching for Nefer-Tina. He wanted to find her and see if she was all right before he did anything else. Although he knew that it shouldn't be, finding her was his top priority.
He circled a few times and finally located her. And the condition that she was in made him gasp in horror.
He quickly landed beside where Gabrielle was trying to help Nefer-Tina off the ground. Nefer-Tina looked like she had been through hell and back. Her leg was badly broken and her body was covered with bruises and cuts. She was also missing her amulet, which explained why she hadn't called her armor to protect herself. Gabrielle turned to look at him as he came over.
He knelt down. "Here, let me take her."
Gabrielle nodded. "Be careful. She's in bad shape."
Nefer-Tina weakly looked up at him as he took her into his arms. "Ja-Kal..."
"Shh," he said gently. "Don't try to talk. You'll be all right." He turned back to Gabrielle. "Who did this to her?"
"Velasca," Gabrielle told him. "Tia caught her attention just in time. If we hadn't arrived when we did..."
Ja-Kal nodded silently at her before turning his full attention to the woman he loved. "Why did you go alone? Why didn't you wait for me?" he murmured, smoothing back her matted and tangled hair.
"It was something I had to do," she answered him. "I had to prove to myself that I wasn't a failure; that I was worthy of...your love."
Ja-Kal was shocked to hear her say that. "What do you mean, 'worthy' of my love? Why would you even think such a thing?"
She smiled weakly. "You know why. I'm still that lowly musician who fell in love with the royal hunter."
"Nefer-Tina," he gently chided her, "that doesn't matter to me. I love you for you. What can I do to make you understand? You mean everything to me."
"But, I let our prince down," she protested. "I let him down and I let you down. I'm a disgrace to the team. I don't deserve to be second-in-command anymore. I'm a failure."
He sighed softly. This was Tia's influence. It would take a long time for Nefer-Tina to break free of it, but he intended to be there to help her every step of the way.
"Nefer-Tina, listen to me. You are not a failure. Nor are you a disgrace to the team. Far from it. If anything, you are an asset. I don't know what we'd...I'd...do without you. I am proud to have you as my second-in-command. There is no one else I'd rather have by my side.
"What happened was not your fault. It was an accident. No one blames you for the prince's capture.
"And, even if you were a failure, which you're not, I'd still feel the same way. Nothing could ever change that," he told her firmly.
"I love you," she softly told him.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, careful not to hurt her with his helmet. Then, he gently pulled her up fully into his arms and stood up. He brought her over to a nearby bench and put her down.
He turned to Gabrielle, who had been quietly watching over them. "Stay here and watch over her. I have to go and help the others."
"No, Ja-Kal," Nefer-Tina said, trying to get up from the bench. "Let me help."
"Absolutely not," he told her, sitting down beside her and gently pressing her back down. "You're in no shape to fight." He gestured to her neck. "Besides, you can't transform without your amulet."
Gabrielle came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take care of her."
He stood up. "Thank you."
He ran off to join the others, who had arrived shortly after him, in their battle against the waiting army of shabties.
"So you see, old man, I can't have you and your sweetie getting in the way of my revenge," Callisto explained to Scarab. "If you two were wreaking havoc and taking over the world, it would be quite difficult to find and torment Xena's family. And, if you had already destroyed their lives, where would that leave me? There'd be nothing left for me to do. Rather selfish of you, don't you think?"
"Oh, I agree," said a very familiar voice behind her.
Callisto turned and smiled immediately. "Xena! How good of you to join us!"
"But, aren't your plans pretty selfish too?" Xena continued. "I mean, why deny the rest of the world your charming personality? I'm sure they'll appreciate it as much as I have."
"Xena!" both Presley and Miranda exclaimed happily.
"Glad to see you too," Xena told them. "You hang tight while Callisto and I have a little chat and reminisce about old times."
"What a lovely idea," Callisto grinned. She pulled out her sword. "Mind if my little friend joins us?"
"Not at all," Xena smiled. "I have a friend too." She drew her own sword.
"I thought you preferred little blonde annoying ones," Callisto replied.
"Oh, I still like Gabrielle just fine," Xena told her, "but this one really wants to have a talk with you. Just like me."
"How wonderful!" Callisto gushed. "You know how much I enjoy our time together!"
"I aim to please," Xena told her.
Amanda, Kait, and Matt were sitting in the Hot-Ra as ordered by Rath. They were not to leave the vehicle for any reason unless told by one of the mummies, Xena, Gabrielle, or Tia.
"This is so unfair!" Kait declared. "Why can't we help? It's our family and friends who are in danger!"
"What could we do?" Amanda asked the agitated girl. "We don't have any skills or weapons. It's best that we stay here."
"And, remember what happened to us the last time we tried to help," Matt pointed out. "I'm still pretty sore from my last attempt at heroics."
"But that was before we knew what we were up against," Kait said. "I say we should be out there doing something."
"Like what?" Matt asked. "Going over to the bad guys and saying 'hey you! we're unarmed, so come and get us!' is not exactly my idea of saving the day!"
"Kait," Amanda said, "think about what you're saying for a minute. If you go out there, you could get yourself killed. How would that be helping Miranda? I understand how you feel. God, I feel the same way. Remember, my son is out there too. I want more than anything to help him, but I know waiting here is probably the best way to do that."
"Ugh!" Kait grunted. "This sucks!"
Matt patted her on the shoulder. "I know, but there's nothing we can do about it."
Kait shook her head. "No! I can't accept that! There has to be something, anything we can do!"
"You keep saying that, but you don't even know yourself," Amanda told her. "You can't walk out there without at least some semblance of a plan."
Kait suddenly opened the car door and jumped out. "Fine! You want a plan? Here's the plan: I'll sneak around until I spot Aunt Miranda and Presley. I'll stay hidden, so there's no need to worry about fighting. Once I find them, I'll watch over them until they get saved. As soon as they get rescued, I hurry back here and none will be the wiser. How's that sound?"
Amanda sighed. "Since I know I can't stop you, I'm not going to let you go alone. I'm coming too."
Kait smiled. "That's the spirit! How about you, blond-boy? Are you going to let me, your best friend in the entire world, go and face danger like this without a big tough guy by my side?"
Matt rolled his eyes at her. "Have I ever told you how insane you are?"
"You mean just today or in the last five minutes?" Kait winked at him. "Come on! Let's go find our friends!"
The three of them ran off in the direction the others had gone in before them.
Ja-Kal shot at yet another shabtie with his bow and arrows. They seemed to be coming out of thin air. He had never seen so many before at one time. Apparently, Scarab had intended this to be their last battle, positive that the prince's spirit was finally his. Whether the evil sorcerer was right or not had yet to be seen.
He knew Rath and Armon were holding their own against the seemingly endless supply of stone warriors as well. He knew the three of them could have badly used Nefer-Tina's help, but she was in no shape to be doing anything.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ja-Kal caught a large group of shabties break off and head in the direction he knew Nefer-Tina was in.
Oh, no! he thought desperately.
But, there was nothing he could do.
"Looks like we have company," Gabrielle said. She reached down and removed her sais from her boots.
Nefer-Tina pushed herself to a sitting position. "Oh, great. And, me without my party clothes." She then tried to stand up. "I need to find my amulet so I can transform."
"You're not going anywhere," Gabrielle reminded her. "Ja-Kal's orders."
"You can't stop them on your own," Nefer-Tina pointed out, struggling only her feet. "Ja-Kal will just have to understand. I'm a guardian of the prince too and it's my job to fight. Just because our personal relationship has changed, it doesn't mean our professional one has as well. Now, tell me if you see my amulet anywhere."
Gabrielle cast her gaze around until she found something. "There! I see it!" She pointed with her finger.
Nefer-Tina looked in the direction Gabrielle pointed. Sure enough, her amulet was lying there on the ground. Velasca must have thrown it down in the midst of their fight. Unfortunately, it happened to be lying directly in the path of the oncoming shabties.
"I'm going to need you to cover me," Nefer-Tina said. "When I say 'now', I want you to run ahead and get their attention. While you're keeping them busy, I'll go and get my amulet. As soon as I call my armor, I'll rejoin you."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Gabrielle asked.
"It's better than nothing," Nefer-Tina told her. "Are you ready?"
Gabrielle balanced the sais in her hands. "Yes."
"Now!" Nefer-Tina shouted as she and Gabrielle took off running.
Gabrielle was faster and intercepted the first of the oncoming shabties. She stabbed and sliced with her sais and threw kicks as well.
Nefer-Tina went around her, avoiding the shabties and, just as she was about to reach her amulet, she tripped. As she skidded along the pavement, she stretched out her hand and clamped it shut around her amulet. When her body finally stopped its motion, she cried out "With the strength of Ra!" Instantaneously, her body was encased in her armor.
She forced herself onto her feet once more, her whip materializing in her hand. She went to join Gabrielle in the fray.
Tia and Velasca clashed swords once again. Neither goddess had gained or lost any ground. They were evenly matched in both their skills and determination to be victorious. Neither wanted to stop until the other was dead.
As Tia fought, Artemis' words came to her once again. This was what the Great Huntress had warned her the most about. Her desire for revenge was overshadowing her true purpose. Her goal was to capture, not destroy, her enemy.
As she had told herself to control her anger over the situation with the whore and Ja-Kal, she would have to do the same with Velasca. She had yet to deal with Callisto and, from what Xena had told her, that would not be easy. Her mission was to return both of them to Olympus.
It was a mission she planned on completing.
Scarab watched the ongoing battle from the safety of his limousine. Things were not looking good for him. He had no way of getting to the boy since Callisto and that warrior woman, Xena, were blocking his path with their fight. And Velasca was busy fighting someone he was quite sure he had never seen before, though she looked rather familiar.
Heka, who had rejoined him a short time before, spoke up, "Boss, I think now might be a good time to hit the road."
"I believe you're right, Heka," Scarab agreed. "Both Velasca and Callisto have ultimately proven useless to me. I discovered the true identity of Rapses on my own, without the help of either of them. I can take the spirit and claim my immortality at my own convenience. I no longer have use for either of them."
"So, it's back to being just the two of us again?" Heka asked innocently, trying to hide her glee at being rid of Velasca. Although Callisto double-crossed Scarab, Heka still thought she was rather amusing.
"Yes, my dear, it is," Scarab told her. "I take it you like this arrangement better."
Heka didn't know how to answer that, afraid that Scarab wouldn't like her response and punish her for it. But, then again, it would be just like old times again.
"Much better," she finally told him.
To her surprise, Scarab didn't inflict pain on her. Instead, he began to chuckle. "Yes, I think I do too," he said. He leaned forward and knocked on the glass barrier between the front and back sections on the limo. "Driver," he ordered to the shabtie behind the wheel as the glass rolled down, "back to the Pyramid!"
The shabtie silently obeyed and the car raced away from the battle zone.
The sound of the speeding car caught Velasca's attention.
"Where does that idiot think he's going?" the God of Chaos wondered out loud.
The momentary distraction was all Tia needed. She lashed out with her foot and knocked Velasca's legs out from under her. Velasca fell and made outraged noises.
Tia placed her foot on the small of Velasca's back, keeping her from getting up.
"Looks like I've won again," Tia gloated. "What was that you were saying about needing Xena's help?"
"You'll pay for this," Velasca growled. "I'm not going back into that prison!"
"That's for Zeus and Artemis to decide," Tia told her as she pulled out the wrist binders. "Now try to behave yourself while I deal with your friend."
Kait, Matt, and Amanda came to a halt as the rounded a corner.
"Look! There's Aunt Miranda and Presley!" Kait informed her companions. "Nobody's watching them. This is even better than I thought! Why don't we grab them while we're here?"
"Kait! You said we were just going to watch over them!" Matt reminded her.
"Yeah, so? I didn't know that they weren't even being watched! This is the perfect window of opportunity. We should take it and run!" Kait told him.
"Wait," Matt cautioned her. "Check that out."
They all looked to see Xena and Callisto locked in a heated battle. The two women were exchanging blows with swords, fists, and legs. They flipped and made loud war cries. It was fascinating to watch them in action.
"They're too busy to notice us," Kait decided. "Let's go rescue them while we have the chance."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Amanda ventured. "Those stone things could be anywhere."
"We have to chance it," Kait urged. "I don't see any of the mummies or Gabrielle anywhere, which could mean one or two things, and Xena's busy. We are their only hope of rescue right now."
"Let's move," Matt agreed.
Amanda nodded her consent as well.
The three of them gathered their courage and quietly crept up behind their loved ones.
Presley jumped when Amanda put her hand on his back.
"Shh, don't say anything, honey," she soothed him. "We'll have you free in a minute."
"Mom?" Presley could hardly believe it. "What are you doing here?"
"We're rescuing you guys, what's it look like?" Kait put in. "You okay, Aunt Miranda?"
"I'll be fine," Miranda told her. "Are you crazy? Does Ja-Kal know you're doing this?"
"No," Matt answered. "But since he and the others are kind of busy, we thought we'd help."
"We were told to stay in the Hot-Ra. Yeah, right," snorted Kait. "Like anyone can tell me to stay put? Please!"
"That's my Kaity," Matt joked.
"Let's get you out of these ropes," Amanda said to Presley while she began to untie him.
Kait did the same for Miranda.
Finally, the two captives were released from their bonds.
Amanda threw her arms around Presley. "Oh god, Presley! I was so worried! When you didn't come home..."
Presley hugged her back fiercely. "I was so scared, Mom! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
"Come on, you two. We need to blow this joint before the bad guys notice we're running off with their prisoners," Kait interrupted.
Nefer-Tina and Gabrielle fought against shabtie after shabtie. As they battled the stone warriors, they were slowly moving back towards where the other mummies were fighting.
"I've never seen so many of them," Nefer-Tina commented as she shattered another one with her whip.
Gabrielle slashed at her own opponent. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
"Same here," Nefer-Tina said. She looked around and saw her teammates fighting their own battles. She noticed a group of four shabties approaching Armon from behind while he was busy taking care of five others. "Armon, behind you!"
Armon looked behind him just in time to take care of the additional shabties. "Thanks, Nef!" he told her.
Ja-Kal heard Nefer-Tina as well and turned to see her armored up and fighting the shabties. He destroyed the shabtie currently attacking him and rushed over to her. "What are you doing up? I thought I told you to sit this fight out!"
"No, not when you need all the help you can get," she shot back. "I'll be all right. I'm not as fragile as you might think."
"You're as stubborn as an ox," he sighed.
"You've got that right," she grinned. "I know that's the quality about me you love the most."
"Callisto," Tia shouted. "It's time to go back where you belong."
Callisto stopped fighting Xena for a moment to turn and look at the newcomer. "Says who?" She gave Tia the once over. "Oh, you. Why don't you go bother Velasca or something? I'm a little busy right now."
"Velasca has been taken care of," Tia said matter of factly. "It's your turn."
Callisto made an annoyed sound and then put on her most winning smile. "Let me get one thing straight with you. No one tells me what to do! I make my own decisions! Got it? And, right now, Xena and I are having a little get together. So, if you wouldn't mind...?"
Tia matched Callisto's smile. "As a matter of fact, I do mind." She turned to Xena. "Go and help the others. I'll take care of this one."
"No!" Callisto screeched. "I'm not done with you yet, Xena!"
"Don't worry," Xena grinned, "I'm not finished with you either. But, it wouldn't be fair of us if we didn't let Tia play for a little while. I'm sure you'll even agree to that, Callisto."
"All right, Xena. Have it your way. I'll give your playmate a try, but then it's just you and me again," Callisto told her.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Xena said. "She's all yours, Tracker."
"Thank you," Tia answered, annoyance clearly heard in her voice. She raised her sword towards Callisto. "This shall be interesting. We've never fought before."
"You won't be disappointed," Callisto smiled. "Xena and I are pretty evenly matched. If you're anywhere near as good as she, you'll find me to be quite a challenge.
"If not, well, then, you can't say I didn't warn you."
Kait, Matt, Miranda, Presley, and Amanda had almost made it out of the battle zone when a group of shabties cut them off.
"Shit!" Kait exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that she was in the presence of a thirteen-year-old. "What do we do now?"
"Um, surrender?" Matt tried.
A familiar whoosh sounded and the shabties were cut down one by one as two metal objects started at each end of the line and moved inward. The two half circles met in the center and rejoined to form Xena's chakram.
"Xena!" they all cried in relief.
"Thanks for the save," Kait greeted her ancestor.
"No problem," Xena waved her off. "Let's get the five of you out of here."
"What about...?" Presley started to ask.
"Velasca's been taken care of and Tia is keeping Callisto busy at the moment," Xena explained. "Scarab apparently ran off to nurse his wounded pride since his scheme failed. The others are just involved with cleaning up the remaining mud men back there."
"You're good," Tia conceded. "I can see why Xena considers you such a worthy adversary."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Callisto told her. "I..." she trailed off, her attention turned onto something behind Tia. "Well, well, it looks like Xena is trying to strand me with you."
Tia turned around and saw Xena along with the two escaping prisoners and the other civilians. "Smart move. She knows that your days in this time are numbered. You're coming with me today whether you like it or not."
"Oh, I don't think so," Callisto said, wagging her finger. "Catch me if you can!"
Callisto began to laugh and disappeared in a burst of flame.
"Damn!" Tia cursed.
Xena was herding her charges back to the Hot-Ra when she heard Kait cry out. She stopped and turned to find Callisto holding the helpless girl tightly in her arms.
"Thought you could get away without saying goodbye, Xena?" Callisto asked, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. "That's very rude!"
"Let her go, Callisto. The girl means nothing to you," Xena said.
"She's your descendant, isn't she?"
Xena remained silent.
"But that makes her so important to me," Callisto assured her. "You see, I intend to do to you what you did to me. One family in exchange for another. It makes good sense, don't you think?"
"You already tried that once and it didn't work very well for you," Xena tried to reason with her. "Solan's death didn't ease your pain."
"Ah, but things are a little different now. Remember, I didn't do the honors myself. Gabrielle's pathetic spawn did it for me. And, that took out the satisfaction from the kill.
"Another thing I didn't have was a family to share my victory with," Callisto grinned. "Miranda, dear, you weren't thinking of abandoning me just yet were you?"
"Go to hell," Miranda spat.
"Just got back from there. Not a nice place," Callisto smiled.
Just then, the four mummies and Tia arrived on the scene.
"Release the girl and turn yourself in, Callisto," Tia demanded. "You're the only one left fighting. Your companions have abandoned you."
Callisto snorted. "You think I was actually working with them? Please! I could care less about their little take-over-the-world scheme.
"In fact, they were in my way. Thanks to you, I'm actually in a better position to have my revenge. As long as Scarab doesn't have the boy, he can't take over the world, now can he?" Callisto went on.
She began to pace, pulling Kait with her. "Hmm, I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here." She motioned to the guardians. "As long as the boy lives, Scarab is going to want to take his spirit. If Scarab gets the spirit, he becomes and immortal and takes over the world. If Scarab takes over the world, all my wonderful plans get ruined. So, I just see one way to make sure I get to have my revenge."
Suddenly, she pushed Kait roughly to the ground and pointed her hand directly at Presley.
"Eliminate the possibility of Scarab getting his immortality once and for all."
As soon as Nefer-Tina realized what was about to happen, she didn't even stop to think. She just acted.
She took a running start as Callisto shot a huge blast of energy at Presley. She flung herself in front of the young prince just in time to take the full force of the blast directly in the chest.
"Nefer-Tina! No!" Ja-Kal shouted.
The energy slammed into her so hard that it lifted her into the air. Her screams of pain echoed off the surrounding buildings. As the energy dissipated, her armor vanished and she was dropped to the ground. She fell hard and remained motionless.
The prince had been saved, but at what cost?
Chapter Thirty-One:
An empty silence fell over the remaining participants in the deadly game that had just been played out. The events of the final moments had taken everyone by total shock. No one had expected Callisto to turn on Presley as she did. Her attack and Nefer-Tina's reflexive action had both happened so fast that no one knew how to immediately react.
Callisto was the one to finally break through the quiet. She uttered a scream of pure outrage. Another of her perfect plans had been ruined. Why did this always happen to her? Why?!
Before she could even attempt to try anything else, Callisto felt her arms roughly grabbed and pulled behind her. Cold chains were then wrapped tightly around her wrists. She began to struggle but found herself shoved painfully to the ground.
"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you," Tia coldly told her. "Very stupid move back there. Never attack when you should be running away. I thought you said you were a good fighter."
Callisto didn't bother to make a comment and looked up to see Xena standing in front of her. She smiled. "Xena! Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"
"Afraid I can't do a thing about it," Xena said. "She's in charge of what happens to you now. You're her prisoner."
"Well, aren't you just a dear?" Callisto snorted sarcastically. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time we see each other. And, believe me, there will be a next time."
"We'll see," Xena said evenly. "We'll see."
The rest of the group slowly snapped back to reality as the shock began to wear off. Ja-Kal was the first to pull himself together. He recalled his armor and rushed to where Nefer-Tina was lying lifelessly on the ground. Armon and Rath powered down as well, but kept their distance. They both knew Ja-Kal needed to be left alone for the moment.
"She saved us all," Armon said sadly.
Ja-Kal knelt down on the ground and pulled Nefer-Tina's still body into his arms. He gently caressed her cheek as he checked her condition. She did not appear to be breathing.
"No. No," he softly said, clutching her tightly to him. He felt the tears forming in his eyes and did not care one way or the other if they fell. So what if the others saw him cry? He was strong, but he was still human. The woman he loved had given her life to save another. The pain he felt over her loss was indescribable.
It just wasn't fair. Nefer-Tina had suffered so long because of the love she felt for him. Why, after all she had gone through, did this have to happen now? Why, after he'd finally told her how he felt for her, did she have to die? It was a cruel twist of fate.
He broke down and sobbed.
Few things surprised Presley anymore, but the sight of Ja-Kal crying was now on top of the list. Ja-Kal, his brave and tough head guardian, was crying. He was crying over the death of Nefer-Tina.
Presley had known for some time that Ja-Kal had a thing for Nefer-Tina. And that Nefer-Tina had it even worse for him. It was one of those really obvious things that you couldn't miss. He just had no idea how serious it was, especially the way Ja-Kal always talked about how much he missed his family. But, after having met Tia, Presley couldn't really blame him for liking another woman. That goddess was seriously wacked!
Presley felt his own tears running down his face. Although Nefer-Tina was his guardian, she had always been more like a friend. Even though she was a girl, she understood him better than the others. And her understanding and taking to the modern world had never ceased to amaze him. Things would never be the same without her.
He would miss her terribly.
Amanda heard Presley sniffling and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and just held him tightly while he cried.
"Sh-she saved me," he told her. "It's not fair."
"I know, baby, I know," she tried to soothe him. She hadn't met these four individuals until this morning, but Presley had known them for over a year. They were his guardians and friends. The loss of one was devastating to him.
In the short time she had known Nefer-Tina, even when she was in her disguise, she had noticed something special about the woman. Amanda had witnessed first-hand her selflessness and bravery. Presley must have felt especially close to her because he hardly cried anymore. He hadn't really cried since his father left all those years ago.
As she held Presley, she looked over to where Ja-Kal was grieving in much the same way as her son. Just watching him, it became painfully obvious that Nefer-Tina had meant much more to him than only a teammate and friend. There had been clues she had noticed all along, beginning when she had first arrived at the Sphinx with the news of what had happened at her house. Ja-Kal's reaction to what Nefer-Tina had been doing had spoken volumes.
He was in love with her.
Suddenly, she felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder. She looked up to see Rath standing next to her, looking concerned.
"How is the young prince?" he asked quietly.
"Sad and upset," Amanda told him, "but otherwise unharmed. Whatever happened during his captivity, it didn't injure him."
"Callisto did not have much use for him until the very end," Rath commented.
Amanda smoothed Presley's hair back. "I wish I could comfort him better. I only met all of you for the first time today. I didn't know her like you and he did," she sadly said. "But, from what I did know of her, she seemed like a very special person. Were she and Presley close?"
"Young Rapses was very fond of her," Rath told her. "At times, she acted very much like a child and that made it easy for the boy to relate to her.
"She was genuinely liked by everyone," he continued. "Although I found her to be annoying and, as I said before, childish most of the time, those were two of her most charming qualities. She has always been a strong asset to our team. And, a good friend."
"Ja-Kal seems to have taken this the hardest," Amanda said. "Were they...?"
"Lovers?" Rath supplied. "As far as anyone knew, no, but they did love each other deeply from afar."
"They didn't tell each other? Why?" Amanda asked, curious.
"There were many reasons, I suppose," Rath began slowly, "but-"
"Look!" Armon excitedly broke in as he came over. As the three of them turned to him, he pointed.
Ja-Kal was still holding Nefer-Tina against him when he felt her slightly move. His eyes shot open and he gently laid her back down to his lap. Could it be?
She began to groan softly and her eyes slowly opened. "Ugh! Did someone get the number of that pyramid that was dropped on my head?"
She looked up and the first thing her eyes focused on was Ja-Kal. His eyes were red and his face was streaked with tears. She reached up and gingerly touched his wet cheek.
He had been crying.
"What happened? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. She searched his face. "Ja-Kal, what is it? "
It took him a moment to find his voice. "I-I thought I'd lost you. I thought you..." He couldn't finish the sentence."
"What?" she asked, confused. "Ja-Kal, talk to me. What did you think?" Her hand stayed where it was on his cheek.
He took his own hand and covered hers, holding it in place. "After Callisto tried to kill Presley and you...you... Oh, gods, Nefer-Tina, you were so still! I was so afraid..." The tears began to roll once again.
Finally, she realized what he meant. Her eyes widened first in surprise, then in comprehension. "No... Ja-Kal... Oh, gods..."
Ja-Kal took her hand from his cheek and placed it over his mouth where he kissed it lightly before placing it against his chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Nefer-Tina's eyes began to moisten. "I'll never leave you," she told him. She smiled at him lovingly. "Not without a good reason, that is," she teased.
He smiled despite himself. "Is that so?"
"Oh, definitely," she told him. "You should know by now that you can't get rid of me so easily. You're stuck with me,"
"Good," he agreed, "because I wouldn't have it any other way." With that, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. After they separated, he said, "I love you."
"And I love you," she replied.
The rest of the gathered group watched the loving reunion in a relieved and happy silence.
"I guess they told each other after all," Amanda commented to Rath.
"That's so beautiful!" Armon sniffed. "It's making me hungry!"
"Armon!" Presley and Rath said together.
"What?"
Kait and Matt stood together, holding each other tightly. They had turned to each other for comfort when they believed their mutual friend was dead.
"Isn't that romantic?" Kait commented as they watched Nefer-Tina and Ja-Kal interact with each other.
"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Ja-Kal must have been that mystery guy she was telling us about. I wonder what finally got her to tell him? She was so against ever letting him know."
"Maybe he told her first," Kait speculated. "From the way he's been acting, I'd say he's had it as bad for her as she had it for him. I'm surprised she never noticed."
"Um, speaking of never noticing things," Matt began nervously, "there's something I've, um, been wanting to tell you."
Kait gave him a look. "What do you mean by 'never noticing things'? Are you implying that I don't notice anything?"
"No, no!" Matt said quickly, backing up from her. "That's not what I meant!"
Kait crossed her arms. "You have lousy timing. You know that? So, what did you mean?"
He shifted nervously on his feet. "Well, you know how we've been best friends since, what, we were little kids and that we could always pick up on each other's moods and stuff."
"Yeah, that's true," she acknowledged.
"And, we became more like family than friends," he continued.
"You got that right, blond-boy," she grinned. "So, what point are you trying to make?"
"Well, in the past few months, I've, uh, begun feeling differently about, well, you and..." he trailed off, unsure of how to put what he had to say.
"Wait, wait, wait," Kait interrupted him. "If you're trying to say what I think you're trying to say, I have a very good explanation for why I didn't notice it."
Matt looked surprised, but continued anyway. "Um, well, for the last couple of months things have started to change. I still think of you as my best friend, but the way I feel for you has gone way beyond that. Kait, I think I've fallen in love with you."
Instead of the expected surprised reaction, Kait did something unexpected. She punched him hard in the arm.
"Ow! Kaity, I'm-"
"You jerk!" she exclaimed, cutting off anything he was about to say. "The only reason I haven't noticed was that I was busy trying to hide my feelings from you! I've fallen in love with you!"
Matt was completely thrown for a loop. Of everything he had been expecting, Kait being in love with him too had not been one of them. "I...uh...wow...I..." he stammered.
"Come here, loser boy, and let me show you what I think of you and your timing," Kait grinned as she grabbed him by the shirt. She proceeded to pull him to her and planted a firm kiss on his lips.
When she finally let him go, all he could say was "Whoa!"
Kait put her hands on her hips. "'Whoa'? Not very articulate today, are we?"
Matt grinned. "Hey, you took my breath away with that kiss! It was the only thing I could manage to say!"
Kait smiled back. "Okay, good enough!"
"It's about time you two got your act together," Miranda said coming over. "I was beginning to think you'd never figure it out."
"Aunt Miranda!" Kait pouted. "You promised you wouldn't say anything!"
"That was before you made it official," she pointed out. "I didn't say a word until right now."
"She made you keep it a secret too, huh?" Nefer-Tina commented as she and Ja-Kal joined them. She was leaning heavily against him for support. She turned to Matt. "I told you there was a special girl waiting for you," she teased him.
Kait kissed Matt on the cheek. "See, even she thinks I'm special!" she told him.
"Oh, you're special, all right," Xena added as she rejoined the group. "You're a member of my family, aren't you?"
"Xena, where's Tia?" Gabrielle asked.
"She took Callisto and Velasca back to Olympus," Xena told her. "She said she'd be back to get us within an hour or so."
"Did she say anything else?" Ja-Kal wanted to know.
Xena turned to him. "No, she didn't. She seemed completely focused on getting those two back where they belong. If anything was bothering her, she didn't mention it."
Ja-Kal nodded, understanding what she was implying. He knew Tia was still furious about last night. The fact that she had not said anything yet either meant she was waiting for the right moment to confront him or she was going to pretend like it never happened.
"I think it's time that we all returned to the Sphinx," Ja-Kal told the group. "We need to decide what our next move is going to be."
Heka slithered into Scarab's office where he was sitting at his desk reading. He was acting strangely calm considering the major defeat he had just suffered. The usual explosion had yet to come. She wondered if he was feeling well.
Scarab noticed her entrance. "Ah, Heka. There you are."
The calm, controlled tone of his voice sent a shiver down to the tip of her tail. "You need something, boss?"
"Not at the moment," he told her. He peered at the snake. "Is anything wrong? You seem...nervous."
Uh-oh! she thought. "Uh, no! I'm not nervous!" she protested.
Scarab smiled slyly. "You're no doubt wondering why I am in such a good mood considering my loss this afternoon. Is that right?"
Heka nodded slowly. He was on to her and, if there was a punishment coming, she had no way to escape it.
"You seem to forget that I now know Rapses' true identity," Scarab told her. "And, he and his guardians know it. His spirit is as good as mine. He can no longer hide from me."
"But, won't he still try to hide from you?" Heka asked.
"I have no doubt of it," Scarab told her, "but he cannot stay hidden forever. He may try to change his name and his appearance, but he can't rid himself of who he really is. And, I have many resources that will help me track him down.
"Harris Stone has several friends in high places that will be eager to do him a few favors."
Scarab began to laugh evilly as Heka nodded to herself. Maybe things were not as bad as they seemed.
Maybe victory would still ultimately be theirs.
"What are we going to do?" Amanda sighed, holding her head in her hands. "We can't risk going back to the house because Scarab may have it under surveillance. Everything we own is in that house. What happens to us now?"
"It'll be okay, Mom," Presley tried to comfort her. "We'll think of something. Right, guys?"
"We have some decisions to make," Ja-Kal said. "Scarab has an advantage over us now. He knows your name and who your mother is. He knows where she works and was able to find where you live. It won't be long before he even finds out what school you attend."
"And I can't take the chance of returning to the museum because Scarab may be there," Amanda said. "I'll need to find a new job."
"How about they move into my place?" Kait suggested. "I'll just move in with Matt. I don't think Scarab actually ever knew about us. That was Callisto's hobby."
"That only leaves finding Presley a new school," Miranda said. "It's late in the school year, but it can be done."
"Hey, school's no problem," Presley declared. "I'll just stop going!"
"That is out of the question, young Rapses," Rath sniffed. "Without education, you can never hope to reach your full potential."
"All I ever reach there is total boredom," Presley grumbled under his breath.
"The only problem with any of this is the fact that I'm pretty well-known around the city," Amanda pointed out. "A great deal of my work for the museum involved public relations and the majority of it was high profile. There's a large possibility I'd be recognized wherever I went."
"I think your best chance would be to leave San Francisco altogether," Xena spoke up. "Go someplace where it is unlikely Scarab will ever find you and start over. Perhaps even change your names."
"Leave San Francisco?" Rath repeated. "Are you serious? Do you realize how difficult such an undertaking would be?"
"I have to agree with Xena," Ja-Kal said. "This city is no longer safe for our prince. We must bring him someplace out of Scarab's reach."
"We are perfectly safe from him in the Sphinx," Rath insisted. "The prince and his mother can stay here with us."
"What kind of life is that?" Nefer-Tina put in. She was sitting on the stone couch next to Ja-Kal, her broken leg propped up. Kahti was sitting curled up in her lap, purring. "How can Presley reach, as you put it, his full potential if he spends all his time trapped in here? Besides, once Scarab notices that Presley and his mother have dropped out of sight, he will start looking everywhere for them, including here."
"She has a good point," Gabrielle said. "No place in this city will be safe for very much longer."
"But, what about my friends?" Presley interjected. "I can't just leave without saying goodbye. I probably won't ever see them again." He looked at his mother. "What about Dad? Won't he worry if he can't find us?"
Amanda fell silent for a moment. "Presley, honey, I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't think your father is going to be around for a while."
"What? Why?" Presley asked, surprised. His surprise quickly changed to uncertainty. "I thought you hadn't heard from him."
Amanda took her son's hands in hers. "I haven't been honest with you. I did hear from your father. Well, not from him exactly, but about him. He's been put in prison."
"What?!"
"Dad was caught trying to smuggle artifacts from a museum in Brazil out of the country," Amanda explained. "I'm sorry. I should have told you."
"Not again," Presley muttered. "He promised he'd stop."
It was Amanda's turn to be taken by surprise. "He's done something like that before? And, you knew about it?"
"It was the first time he came to visit last year," Ja-Kal told her. "Do you remember the Crown of Ramses?"
"Yes, I was in charge of that exhibit," Amanda nodded. "The crown disappeared but, Presley and Paul... Of course! I should have put it together sooner! How else would he have had it in his possession? I never really thought about it until now. I was just so glad to be able to finish the exhibit."
"Your former husband has his faults, but he loves Presley very much," Nefer-Tina told her.
"Back to the topic at hand, Rath was onto something when he mentioned that the move would be difficult," Miranda said.
"Thank you," Rath said.
"The four of you need to recharge in your sarcophagi every day," she continued. "That means, you would have to bring them with you and have them accessible at all times. They are very large and you are limited into what they will fit."
"How about a camper?" Matt suggested. "Or a trailer? They have plenty of space in the back. You could carry them like that."
"Hey, not bad for a blond," Kait winked at him. She grinned at Miranda and Gabrielle. "No offense."
"I don't know exactly where we could go," Amanda interjected. "All my family is here in California. I've never really been out of state except on business trips."
"Good, so no one will know you," Xena told her. "That is a very good first step."
"What about getting new identifications?" Presley asked. "Isn't that illegal?"
"Unfortunately, yes," his mother told him, "but what other choice do we have?"
"Janice Covington, one of my bosses and Matt's grandmother, has a few shady connections that might be able to help with that," Miranda said. "She could get new i.d.s for all of you." She looked at Ja-Kal. "Your team would be able to blend in better that way. With the right disguises, the four of you can function as normal people."
"Nefer-Tina pulled it off for six months," Kait agreed. "She went to school with us and we had no clue that she was, well, dead."
"She was also able to hold a job," Ja-Kal nodded. "I observed her at work. The make-up she wore made her indistinguishable from normal people."
"I think I can get enough of the make-up to last for at least a year or so," Nefer-Tina said. "For each of us, I mean. It would be expensive, but I can pull it off."
"This whole move will be expensive," Amanda said, "but I think we can do it. I have several thousand dollars in the bank under my name and Presley has a college fund I can pool from."
"I've got money you can use as well," Nefer-Tina said. "It was for my tuition, but since I'm not going to be able to attend school anymore..." She shrugged. "I have a few thousand."
"A few thousand?" Presley couldn't believe it. "What kind of job did you have, Nef? Did it involve robbing banks or something?"
"Singing," she smiled. "Just singing."
"For real? I didn't know you could sing," Presley said. "Cool."
Just then, there was a bright flash of light in the middle of the room.
Tia had returned.
Ja-Kal felt Nefer-Tina tense up next to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer, lightly kissing her cheek. "It will be all right," he softly told her.
She nodded slowly. "I hope so," she replied.
"I promise I won't let her hurt you anymore."
"Xena, it is time for you and Gabrielle to return home," Tia said. "Say your good-byes quickly and we will be on our way."
Xena stood up and motioned for Gabrielle to do the same. The warrior woman walked over to Tia. "We'll take as long as we need. I assume you are going to put us back exactly when and where you got us?"
"That is correct," Tia nodded. "You will also not remember any of this experience."
"What? Why?" Gabrielle protested.
"It's very simple," Tia told her. "Your actions in the past helped to create this future. The knowledge you have now could cause you to behave differently in your life and consequently change everything. That cannot be allowed to happen."
"But I-" Gabrielle started to say, but Xena cut her off.
"I think Gabrielle wanted to record our adventure in her scrolls," Xena explained. "She has written down just about all of the ones we've had in the past five years. Not writing about this one will be difficult for her since she takes her job as a bard quite seriously."
"Funny that you should say that since you've never read my scrolls!" Gabrielle complained.
Xena shook her head. "I say one little thing and you never let it go! Gods, I thought we were dying at the time!"
"Xena, we did die!"
"I rest my case," Xena said as she went over to Matt and Kait. The two of them stood up.
"It was such an honor to meet you," Kait said, hugging her ancestor tightly. "You've always been a role model for me."
Xena hugged her back. "I'm proud to know that my family has produced such a fine young woman like you. You give me hope for the future." She let go of Kait and turned to Matt. "Come here," she said and hugged him too. "You take good care of her, you hear me?"
"Will do," Matt told her as he embraced her.
Gabrielle took her turn hugging both of them.
"Well, I definitely see where Granny Janice got her looks," Matt commented as he finished hugging Gabrielle.
Gabrielle smiled and laughed.
"Thanks for everything," Kait told both of them.
Presley jumped up from his place next to his mother and bounded over to where Xena and Gabrielle were standing. "Thank you both so much! You two are so awesome! It was really cool getting to meet you!"
Xena leaned down and gave him a hug. "I'm just glad we were able to help keep you safe. You're a good kid."
Gabrielle hugged him next and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're pretty cute too. I'm sure in a couple years the girls will be all over you!"
Presley blushed. "Aww, Gabrielle!"
Xena smiled wickedly at Gabrielle. "I think you've got another one. How do you do it?"
"Beats me," she shrugged. "Maybe you should ask Joxer."
"I might do that," Xena grinned as she walked over to where Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina were seated together. Ja-Kal started to stand up, but she put out her hand. "I know that you want to thank me for all my help and that you couldn't have done it without me. But, before you say that, let me point out that Nefer-Tina is the one who ultimately saved the prince.
"She saved Amanda, led us to where Callisto had taken both Presley and Miranda, and she almost gave up her life to save another. I did very little in comparison."
"No, that's not true," Nefer-Tina protested. "I only did-"
Xena cut her off by putting out her hand again. "You only did your duty. Maybe, but what you did was something very few people are willing to do. You followed your heart and did what you knew was right. And that makes you a truer hero than anything."
She turned back to Ja-Kal. "She's a very special woman. Show her the love she deserves and make her happy."
"I intend to," Ja-Kal promised.
"You'd better, or I'll be back to teach you a lesson," Xena told him, meaning every world. She reached down and gave Kahti a couple of swift strokes. She turned back to Tia, "We're ready."
"In a moment," Tia said. "I have a few things to say as well."
Xena nodded and gestured with her hand. "Be my guest. I'd suggest watching what you say, though."
"You don't need to suggest anything," Tia told her. "I know what I'm doing."
"Let me be the judge of that," Xena said, crossing her arms.
Tia didn't bother to answer her. Xena was not a threat to her anymore. Her mission had been completed.
She then strode directly up to where Nefer-Tina was sitting and stood in front of her.
Ja-Kal protectively pulled Nefer-Tina closer to him. Nefer-Tina felt frozen with fear.
"I'm not letting you hurt her anymore," Ja-Kal told Tia.
Tia let out a small harsh laugh. "I haven't said a word yet and you are already jumping to protect her. I can't seem to remember if you were the same way with me when I was your wife. We had so little time together."
She looked at Nefer-Tina directly. "This is very difficult for me to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. What you did today was one of the most incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice I have ever seen in all my years as both mortal and goddess. You acted without any thought for yourself. You did what you had to to save the boy. You behaved like a true Amazon warrior.
"I still can't forgive you for what you did to me in the past. Nothing you can do will ever change that. I still hate you like no other. And, to see you with him enrages me in a way I can't describe.
"But, you have done something few have ever done. You have earned my respect as a fellow warrior.
"If we ever meet again, it will be as equals."
"Th-thank you," Nefer-Tina slowly managed, surprise and shock in her voice. Tia's words were completely unexpected. Tia respected her? It was such an odd thought that she almost laughed.
Tia inclined her head and turned back to Ja-Kal for a moment. "I think I see now why you fell in love with her." Having said her piece, she turned and walked away.
It had taken all the self-control she had to bring herself to speak to Nefer-Tina for those few moments. The hatred and disgust she felt for the woman were as strong as ever, but different. There was the possibility that she had been wrong about her and that bothered Tia more than she cared to admit.
She went back over to where Xena and Gabrielle were waiting. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Xena said. "Take us home."
And in a flash of light, they were gone.
Epilogue:
It was a cool, breezy morning as Nefer-Tina stepped outside the trailer that had been her home for the last three months. They had stopped to spend a couple of days in the Red Rock Canyon National Reservation Area of Nevada. Ja-Kal had decided that they all needed a break from the endless driving, and camping was much safer than staying in a hotel. Everyone easily agreed to the idea and Nefer-Tina was especially grateful for the rest, since she had been doing most of the driving.
She walked over to the picnic table that the camping grounds provided and sat down facing away from the table. She gazed out at the gorgeous scenery of the canyon. The view was incredibly breathtaking, awe-inspiring, yet completely relaxing at the same time. She could have stayed there forever.
Her mind wandered back over the past three months. Everything had happened so fast once they decided to leave San Francisco. Miranda, Kait, and Matt had helped in ways they could never hope to fully repay. She missed them, but knew it was too dangerous to communicate with them until they finally settled down somewhere and established themselves under their new identities.
Matt's Granny Janice had come through and gotten them all fake identifications that were so authentic looking that only a trained eye could tell the difference. Nefer-Tina had kept the name "Tina Niles" since she already had a small history that could be verified. Presley and Amanda were now "Christopher and Elizabeth Butler" from Washington state. "Elizabeth" was a widow and her only family was her son "Chris".
Ja-Kal had been assigned the name "Jack Hunter". "Jack" for obvious reasons and the "Hunter" since that was what he was in Egypt. This was the same method for naming Rath and Armon as well. The closest sounding name to Rath was "Ralph" and "Wright" because he had been a scribe. Armon was easy to match, and Janice's friend immediately decided on the name "Armand." The surname "Armstrong" was chosen because he had been a career soldier and fighter in the service of his pharaoh.
She sighed softly. She was so tired of running. She had spent her whole short life doing so; first from Tia, then from her family, and finally from her own life. As a mummy, she had at last created a small world in which she could be herself. She had friends, family, and a love that few could ever hope to experience. Now, that world had been shattered and she was fleeing once again.
But, it was different this time. This time she was not alone. Her family-her new family-was with her. They were all running together, with no true destination, just the hope that Scarab would never find them. Their goal was to reach the east coast within the year and find someplace where they could start over as a group. Then the running would finally be over.
She was so lost in thought that she did not notice someone sit down next to her. Suddenly, she felt an arm slip around her waist. She was startled by the touch and tried to jump up from the bench.
"It's all right. It's all right," came the calming voice of Ja-Kal. He pulled her closer to him. "It's just me." He put his other arm around her as well.
She stopped her struggling and relaxed against him.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have done that." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"No, it's all right," she told him. "I was just thinking about things and you startled me. No harm done. I should have been paying more attention."
He stroked her hair. "What were you thinking about?"
"Lots of things," she said. "The past three months. My life. Us."
He felt guilty. He had been so busy trying hold everyone together that he hadn't been paying much attention to the one he loved the most. "I'm so sorry that we haven't had any time alone together. I know I've been unfair to you."
"No," she told him, shaking her head. "No, you haven't. You've been doing the only thing you can at a time like this. You've been the strong leader we've all needed. You've kept us together for this long. You've kept the prince safe. That's all that matters."
"Not to me," he replied. "You are more important to me. I love you." He leaned down again and kissed her on the lips.
She smiled and cupped her hand around his face. "Really? Whatever happened to putting duty first? Or is that some other uptight mummy named Ja-Kal?" she teased him.
He laughed. "Am I really all that bad?"
She kissed him playfully. "The worst, but I love you anyway."
"What are you doing up so early?" he asked, changing the subject. "I'd think you'd be exhausted from the long drive yesterday."
"I am," she answered truthfully, "but I couldn't sleep anymore. So I got up and thought I'd spend some time alone just taking in the peacefulness of this place."
"Do you mind the company?" he asked her seriously. "I could go if you want to be alone."
"Don't be silly," she told him. "I'm glad you're here. You know how much I enjoy your company. Like you said, we haven't had any time alone like this. Now's our chance to make up for it."
For a moment, neither of them spoke another word. Slowly, they moved towards each other and kissed again, taking their sweet time.
After they parted, Ja-Kal said, "As long as we're alone, there's something I've been meaning to show you since before we left." He removed one hand from its place around her and reached behind him onto the table. When he brought it back, he was holding a small box. "I bought this for you."
A look of surprise crossed her face. "You...bought something for...me?" She couldn't believe it. She took box from him. "Oh, Ja-Kal. No one's ever gotten anything for me before. Thank you." She smiled at him, tears in her eyes.
"Open it," he gently commanded.
She nodded and fingered the small item. It appeared to be a jewelry box, but she doubted that that was what was inside. He wouldn't have spent too much money since they needed as much as they could carry for their traveling, but she didn't mind. It was the thought that counted. Carefully, she opened it and almost fainted when she saw what it contained within.
It was the opal necklace she had admired in the jewelry store.
"Oh, Ja-Kal!" she cried out. She looked up at him, crying openly now. "When? How?"
"I went with Matt two days before we left," he told her. "He wanted to buy something for Kait and I asked if I could go with him."
"But, how did you afford it?" She still couldn't believe he had bought it for her. He had spent a considerable amount of time lecturing them on the importance of saving their money. The fact that he had gone against his own advice told her how much he truly loved her.
He smiled. "There was just enough money left over from what we had put aside for initial supplies. I asked our prince if it was all right if I used it for a personal matter and he said it was fine." He took the open box from her hand. "I wanted you to have something special. Just to show you how much you mean to me." He gently removed the necklace from the box. He gestured for her to turn around. "Here, let me."
She twisted her body around on the bench, lifting her hair as she had done in the jewelry store that day.
Ja-Kal put the necklace on her and kissed her neck just above where the clasp rested against her skin.
She turned around to face him, letting her hair cascade down her back, and he kissed her on the lips. They wrapped their arms around each other, lost in the moment, their love the only reality for them.
The road ahead would not be easy for them or their companions, but one thing was for certain: their love would survive no matter what the future had in store for them.
Together they could make it through anything.