Part 24
It took Jennetta several minutes to get her bearings after the van finally came to a halt. It had felt like it was never going to stop rolling. She realized that they must have swerved onto some sort of incline because as she managed to get a look out the window, she could see that their vehicle was not only upside down, but that there was a sheep nosing at a piece of grass directly in her line of vision.
She could hear Alex demanding if everyone was all right, could hear the sound of voices outside the vehicle as other motorists stopped their cars to see if they could help.
Jennetta could hear someone fumbling with the door of the van. It opened a moment later and a young man's face appeared above them "Is everyone all right in there?" His English accent jolted her back to awareness of where they were.
Her first panicked though was for her mother. "Maria!" There was no answer. The Englishman was already fumbling with Ren's seatbelt, then hauled Jennetta's bodyguard out of the car. Jenny could see by the limp way he was transported that he was unconscious.
"Jennetta!" Alex was already out of his own seat, gently shaking her. "Are you okay?"
"I…I think so. Where's Maria?"
"Someone's looking after her. C'mon. We need to all get out of here. There might be a gas leak or something." Alex helped her to unbuckle her seat- belt, climbed out the top of the van, turned to help a stranger pull her out as well.
As Jennetta climbed down from the van, which was lying on its side in the middle of a field, she could hear the sirens in the distance. "What happened?" She asked weakly, felt her legs give out on her. Alex caught her easily, helped her to sit down.
"There was someone in the road." Alex said, his voice far too calm. Jennetta wondered if he was in shock. "The Sheriff swerved to avoid him, but I think…I think we hit him."
The stranger looked at Alex strangely. "There's no one up there mate." He paused, gently pushed Alex down beside Jennetta. "My name is Tom by the way. I was driving right behind you. Your van just drove off the motorway for no reason at all."
Tom turned, motioned to the paramedics, who were just pulling up in an ambulance. "This one hit his head quite hard I think." He told them as they hurried over, indicating Alex, who was beginning to look a little out of it, now that his crisis motivated adrenaline was disappearing.
Jennetta tried to stand up. She had to find Maria - and Ren! He had been completely unconscious!
"Settle down lass." The paramedic, whose accent was slightly different from Tom's, grabbed her, made her sit down again. "We have to check you for injuries."
"But my mot…my friends!" Jennetta choked out.
Tom stood up. "Stay where you are. I'll go see how everyone else is faring."
Jennetta sighed, but nodded. "Thank you."
"This one likely has a concussion." One paramedic was saying to the other about Alex. Her EMT was staring into her eyes with a thin light, making her blink.
"I think this one's going to fine. Just some bruising." He said. He addressed Jennetta. "What's your name luv?"
"Jennetta." She said, staring at Alex in consternation. She reached out, grasped his hand, squeezing. He turned to look at her, smiled reassuringly, although he really looked like he wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep.
Tom was back a few minutes later. Jennetta and Alex both stared at him anxiously. "The other girl is awake. She was unconscious but now she's hysterical, yelling for a Jennetta."
"That's me." Jennetta said quickly.
Tom looked at the paramedics. "I think she needs to see her. They're having a real hard time with her."
Jennetta's paramedic helped her to her feet. "Take it slow." He told Jenny firmly. Alex looked like he was moving to join her, but the other EMT forced him onto a stretcher.
"Not you mate. You're on the way to the hospital where we can do a CAT scan of that head of yours."
"I'll be right back Alex. It's all right." She reached out and squeezed his hand again. "I'm going to get a hold of Isabel. We'll meet you at the hospital."
Tom led the way over to Maria, who was still screaming. "Where is she? Where is Jennetta?"
"Maria." Jennetta stepped up beside her, smoothed the hair off her forehead. Her mother was strapped down to a stretcher, but she was struggling against a couple of paramedics who were trying to subdue her. "It's okay." She leaned over, whispered into Maria's ear. "Mother. I'm fine."
Maria closed her eyes briefly with relief. "Where's Alex? And the Sheriff?" She demanded. "And Ren?" Maria's eyes snapped open again. "Oh my God! Jenny they can't take Ren to the hospital! There's no way we'll be able to explain him!"
Jennetta glanced at the paramedics nervously. They both were staring at Maria strangely.
"He doesn't have any travel insurance." The voice was smooth, completely competent. Jennetta glanced over her shoulder, saw an attractive middle- aged woman walking up. Her accent was American.
"Right. No insurance." Jennetta grasped onto the excuse like a lifeline, although she had absolutely no idea what insurance was.
"It's all right little one." The woman said to Jennetta. "We have your friend well in hand."
"And the Sheriff?" Maria demanded.
"Him as well. He is fine." The woman pulled out a leather wallet, flashed it at the paramedics. "I'm an FBI agent. We're going to transport these victims to an American clinic on the outskirts of Salisbury."
Tom spoke up. "This seems highly irregular to me." He said, sounding confused. "I think they should all be taken to a regular hospital, Americans or not."
Jennetta barely heard him though. She continued to eye the woman, bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. Who was this woman? She sounded like she knew them…and for some strange reason, call it intuition, call it insanity, Jennetta had a feeling that she could trust her.
"My name is Jemma Stafford." The woman handed one of the paramedics her cell phone, which she had dialed quickly. "This is a direct line to Scotland Yard. Talk to them. I have their authorization."
Jennetta felt Maria's hand grasping at her coat. She leaned over her mother. "Jenny! FBI! Its too dangerous! We need to go to a regular hospital. You don't know what the FBI has done to us in the past."
"But you said it yourself Maria. We'll never be able to explain Ren…or me for that matter. I'm half Dernian after all." Jennetta straightened, realized that it was up to her to take control of the situation. There was no one else. She had no idea where the Sheriff and Ren had been taken, but it seemed that it was better that they all stay together.
"What about Alex?" Jennetta asked Ms. Stafford.
"He is already on his way to the safe hou…er the clinic as well." The woman replied. She looked directly into Jennetta's eyes. "As are your father and your sister."
Jennetta blinked. How did she know about Michael and Isabel?
"Michael." Maria said weakly.
Jennetta closed her eyes briefly, thought hard. Going to the hospital would be a disaster. There would be absolutely no way to explain why Ren did not have a skeletal structure. They would be detained there for weeks, months.
They didn't have weeks, let alone months. They had exactly four days until Isabel needed to be in the Ring, opening the portal. It was their only chance. If they missed the solstice they would have to wait six months. Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle would certainly be dead by then.
At least at this "clinic" they would be reunited with Michael and Isabel. They would have a chance if they were all together.
"We'll go with Ms. Stafford." Jennetta said firmly.
"I really don't think…" Tom tried to argue again, but Jennetta smiled at him reassuringly.
"It will be all right. We were on our way to this clinic anyway." She was amazed at the ease with which the lie rolled off her tongue. "You heard her. My father and my sister are there."
Jennetta frowned slightly as an expression of rage briefly crossed the Englishman's face. "Very well." He said though, the flash gone so quickly, Jennetta wondered if she had imagined it. "I wish you all well then."
The paramedics were just looking at them all like they had no idea what to do. Jennetta could see a few police officers milling around but, for the first time, she noticed several other people too, all dressed in long coats, all looking strangely like Ms. Stafford.
As Jennetta let herself be helped into the ambulance behind Maria's stretcher, she wondered what the hell they had all stumbled into.
Had she just made the biggest mistake of her short life?
************************************************************
Michael stormed through the double doors leading into the squat building at which they had just pulled up. He knew Isabel was close on his heels. They had both barely managed to sit still on the car ride to the clinic where their friends were being treated after the car accident they were told they had been involved in.
Michael had been just stepping out of the shower when the pounding had sounded on his hotel room door.
He had actually managed to catch a few moments sleep in the time since the Sheriff had gone to the airport. He and Isabel had both had another dream during the night and he knew that they were both beginning to look a little worse for wear.
But there had been no dream this time, only welcome oblivion. He had awoken feeling more refreshed than he had since he had heard about the fire at the Crashdown over three weeks ago.
Michael had moved eagerly to open the door, expecting to find Maria there, ready to throw herself into his arms. He was practically dizzy with anticipation. Finally things would return to normal. Reunited with Maria, the dreams would stop. They just had to.
He had been mildly pissed, needless to say, when he had been faced by a young woman in the hotel's uniform rather than this girlfriend. Her eyes widened at the sight of him in only a towel, still dripping from the shower. "What?" He had demanded a little more rudely than was really necessary, feeling a blush beginning to work its way up his neck.
"There was a phone call for you at the desk Mr. Guerin." The girl said, looking mildly offended but also admiring. "We tried ringing your room but there was no answer."
"I was in the shower." He said unnecessarily.
"Miss Evans is already in the car Scotland Yard sent for you." The girl continued. "She said you were up here."
The mention of Scotland Yard, the British equivalent of the FBI, had caused Michael's heart to plummet to his toes. "Wha - what do they want?" He asked, his voice cracking with fear. And why did Isabel send them directly to him if what he was beginning to imagine was true - unless she had had no choice, if she had been forced into the car?
They knew the truth about them. Somehow they knew.
Visions of security cameras at Stonehenge began to run through his mind. Had Max and Tess been seen when they opened the portal - Tess' s mindwarp only worked on known quantities after all? Had Michael and Isabel caused more of a disturbance there yesterday than they had thought?
"There's been an accident." The girl replied.
It was all they had been told the entire way. He had known that they were crazy to have gotten into a car with people they didn't know, but he knew that Izzy felt the same way he did. They had to get to their friends, no matter what the cost.
It wasn't like they had much choice either. When Michael had gone down to join Isabel, he had been thrust unceremoniously into the backseat of a Volvo with her and the driver had taken off, tires screeching.
It had been a relief when Isabel's hand had inched across the back seat to take his. It had been in a friendly way, a way to take comfort, not romantic at all. It had been in a Michael/Isabel way, not in a Tristandor/Mirana way.
They had not exchanged one word, neither sure if what they said could somehow betray them.
And they had silently agreed. They were in this together. No matter what.
Michael reached behind him now as he and Isabel hurried down the long, carpeted hallway, grabbed her hand again. He needed the reassurance of her touch.
He was scared out of his mind, for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he still did not know what had happened to his daughter and Maria.
It took him a moment to realize that the hallway seemed to be going down. Their driver was bringing up the rear, herding them along. "Hurry up." He snarled. "They are waiting for you."
"Who is?" Isabel asked, her voice trembling.
But there was no time to answer. They found themselves suddenly in a large room. It was decorated in typical English fashion - heavy, comfortable furniture; paintings on the wall.
And seated at the desk across the room, looking for all the world like a queen, was Jennetta.
She stood up, smiled at him in welcome. "Hi." She started to come around the desk, heading towards him for a hug.
Isabel grabbed Michael, pulled him to a stop. "What if its not her?" The thought had crossed Michael's mind as well. Shapeshifter…shapeshifter…shapeshifter. The word seemed to echo through his brain like the beat of a drum.
He scowled at Jennetta. She stopped abruptly, looked hurt. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" She seemed to come to a sudden realization, continued. "Maria and Alex are just down the hall. They're taking really good care of them. I swear it wasn't my fault Michael."
"No one said it was." Michael replied gruffly. She sounded so much like his daughter, he wanted to just reach out and pull her into his arms. But this was just too weird. He had to know for sure. "What's your favorite food?" He could tell that Isabel was staring at him, but he knew that only Jennetta would know this. It was too weird.
The girl quirked an eyebrow at him. "Ah, you think I'm a shapeshifter. Smart Dad." She smiled. "Big Mac of course. With Tabasco and whipped cream."
Michael grinned. "Its her." He told Isabel unnecessarily. He grabbed her, hugged her fiercely. "Are you all right?"
Jennetta pulled back. "I am now. There was an accident. Someone tried to kill us on the way to Salisbury." She said seriously.
"I thought it was just a car accident." Isabel said, sounding horrified. "Where's Alex? Is he all right?"
"He has a concussion. He's asleep." Jennetta replied. "Maria's awake. She's in with the Sheriff. He's saying that there was someone in the road and Jemma said he was right, even though Tom didn't see him..."
Michael was shaking his head in confusion, trying to keep up with his daughter's running monologue. "What are you talking about?" He interrupted finally, when she started babbling about paramedics and Ren and hospitals and shapeshifters. She was exactly like Maria - impossible to understand, ever.
"Ren is still out like a light." Jennetta said a little more clearly. Michael thought he saw what might be a flash of concern cross her face. "I haven't heard his voice in hours. Its kind of quiet." She whispered. "Anyway, obviously we couldn't take him to the hospital - you know, the shapeshifting and all."
"So you let Scotland Yard pick you up?" Isabel asked urgently. Her tone was terrified. "Don't you know what they could do to us?"
"We're not Scotland Yard your Highness." Michael turned in accord with Isabel and Jennetta to stare at the middle-aged woman who had entered the room silently from behind them.
Your Highness. Michael felt his heart skip a beat. They knew who they were. It could only mean one thing.
"We are the Illyrian Royal Guard."
It took Jennetta several minutes to get her bearings after the van finally came to a halt. It had felt like it was never going to stop rolling. She realized that they must have swerved onto some sort of incline because as she managed to get a look out the window, she could see that their vehicle was not only upside down, but that there was a sheep nosing at a piece of grass directly in her line of vision.
She could hear Alex demanding if everyone was all right, could hear the sound of voices outside the vehicle as other motorists stopped their cars to see if they could help.
Jennetta could hear someone fumbling with the door of the van. It opened a moment later and a young man's face appeared above them "Is everyone all right in there?" His English accent jolted her back to awareness of where they were.
Her first panicked though was for her mother. "Maria!" There was no answer. The Englishman was already fumbling with Ren's seatbelt, then hauled Jennetta's bodyguard out of the car. Jenny could see by the limp way he was transported that he was unconscious.
"Jennetta!" Alex was already out of his own seat, gently shaking her. "Are you okay?"
"I…I think so. Where's Maria?"
"Someone's looking after her. C'mon. We need to all get out of here. There might be a gas leak or something." Alex helped her to unbuckle her seat- belt, climbed out the top of the van, turned to help a stranger pull her out as well.
As Jennetta climbed down from the van, which was lying on its side in the middle of a field, she could hear the sirens in the distance. "What happened?" She asked weakly, felt her legs give out on her. Alex caught her easily, helped her to sit down.
"There was someone in the road." Alex said, his voice far too calm. Jennetta wondered if he was in shock. "The Sheriff swerved to avoid him, but I think…I think we hit him."
The stranger looked at Alex strangely. "There's no one up there mate." He paused, gently pushed Alex down beside Jennetta. "My name is Tom by the way. I was driving right behind you. Your van just drove off the motorway for no reason at all."
Tom turned, motioned to the paramedics, who were just pulling up in an ambulance. "This one hit his head quite hard I think." He told them as they hurried over, indicating Alex, who was beginning to look a little out of it, now that his crisis motivated adrenaline was disappearing.
Jennetta tried to stand up. She had to find Maria - and Ren! He had been completely unconscious!
"Settle down lass." The paramedic, whose accent was slightly different from Tom's, grabbed her, made her sit down again. "We have to check you for injuries."
"But my mot…my friends!" Jennetta choked out.
Tom stood up. "Stay where you are. I'll go see how everyone else is faring."
Jennetta sighed, but nodded. "Thank you."
"This one likely has a concussion." One paramedic was saying to the other about Alex. Her EMT was staring into her eyes with a thin light, making her blink.
"I think this one's going to fine. Just some bruising." He said. He addressed Jennetta. "What's your name luv?"
"Jennetta." She said, staring at Alex in consternation. She reached out, grasped his hand, squeezing. He turned to look at her, smiled reassuringly, although he really looked like he wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep.
Tom was back a few minutes later. Jennetta and Alex both stared at him anxiously. "The other girl is awake. She was unconscious but now she's hysterical, yelling for a Jennetta."
"That's me." Jennetta said quickly.
Tom looked at the paramedics. "I think she needs to see her. They're having a real hard time with her."
Jennetta's paramedic helped her to her feet. "Take it slow." He told Jenny firmly. Alex looked like he was moving to join her, but the other EMT forced him onto a stretcher.
"Not you mate. You're on the way to the hospital where we can do a CAT scan of that head of yours."
"I'll be right back Alex. It's all right." She reached out and squeezed his hand again. "I'm going to get a hold of Isabel. We'll meet you at the hospital."
Tom led the way over to Maria, who was still screaming. "Where is she? Where is Jennetta?"
"Maria." Jennetta stepped up beside her, smoothed the hair off her forehead. Her mother was strapped down to a stretcher, but she was struggling against a couple of paramedics who were trying to subdue her. "It's okay." She leaned over, whispered into Maria's ear. "Mother. I'm fine."
Maria closed her eyes briefly with relief. "Where's Alex? And the Sheriff?" She demanded. "And Ren?" Maria's eyes snapped open again. "Oh my God! Jenny they can't take Ren to the hospital! There's no way we'll be able to explain him!"
Jennetta glanced at the paramedics nervously. They both were staring at Maria strangely.
"He doesn't have any travel insurance." The voice was smooth, completely competent. Jennetta glanced over her shoulder, saw an attractive middle- aged woman walking up. Her accent was American.
"Right. No insurance." Jennetta grasped onto the excuse like a lifeline, although she had absolutely no idea what insurance was.
"It's all right little one." The woman said to Jennetta. "We have your friend well in hand."
"And the Sheriff?" Maria demanded.
"Him as well. He is fine." The woman pulled out a leather wallet, flashed it at the paramedics. "I'm an FBI agent. We're going to transport these victims to an American clinic on the outskirts of Salisbury."
Tom spoke up. "This seems highly irregular to me." He said, sounding confused. "I think they should all be taken to a regular hospital, Americans or not."
Jennetta barely heard him though. She continued to eye the woman, bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. Who was this woman? She sounded like she knew them…and for some strange reason, call it intuition, call it insanity, Jennetta had a feeling that she could trust her.
"My name is Jemma Stafford." The woman handed one of the paramedics her cell phone, which she had dialed quickly. "This is a direct line to Scotland Yard. Talk to them. I have their authorization."
Jennetta felt Maria's hand grasping at her coat. She leaned over her mother. "Jenny! FBI! Its too dangerous! We need to go to a regular hospital. You don't know what the FBI has done to us in the past."
"But you said it yourself Maria. We'll never be able to explain Ren…or me for that matter. I'm half Dernian after all." Jennetta straightened, realized that it was up to her to take control of the situation. There was no one else. She had no idea where the Sheriff and Ren had been taken, but it seemed that it was better that they all stay together.
"What about Alex?" Jennetta asked Ms. Stafford.
"He is already on his way to the safe hou…er the clinic as well." The woman replied. She looked directly into Jennetta's eyes. "As are your father and your sister."
Jennetta blinked. How did she know about Michael and Isabel?
"Michael." Maria said weakly.
Jennetta closed her eyes briefly, thought hard. Going to the hospital would be a disaster. There would be absolutely no way to explain why Ren did not have a skeletal structure. They would be detained there for weeks, months.
They didn't have weeks, let alone months. They had exactly four days until Isabel needed to be in the Ring, opening the portal. It was their only chance. If they missed the solstice they would have to wait six months. Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle would certainly be dead by then.
At least at this "clinic" they would be reunited with Michael and Isabel. They would have a chance if they were all together.
"We'll go with Ms. Stafford." Jennetta said firmly.
"I really don't think…" Tom tried to argue again, but Jennetta smiled at him reassuringly.
"It will be all right. We were on our way to this clinic anyway." She was amazed at the ease with which the lie rolled off her tongue. "You heard her. My father and my sister are there."
Jennetta frowned slightly as an expression of rage briefly crossed the Englishman's face. "Very well." He said though, the flash gone so quickly, Jennetta wondered if she had imagined it. "I wish you all well then."
The paramedics were just looking at them all like they had no idea what to do. Jennetta could see a few police officers milling around but, for the first time, she noticed several other people too, all dressed in long coats, all looking strangely like Ms. Stafford.
As Jennetta let herself be helped into the ambulance behind Maria's stretcher, she wondered what the hell they had all stumbled into.
Had she just made the biggest mistake of her short life?
************************************************************
Michael stormed through the double doors leading into the squat building at which they had just pulled up. He knew Isabel was close on his heels. They had both barely managed to sit still on the car ride to the clinic where their friends were being treated after the car accident they were told they had been involved in.
Michael had been just stepping out of the shower when the pounding had sounded on his hotel room door.
He had actually managed to catch a few moments sleep in the time since the Sheriff had gone to the airport. He and Isabel had both had another dream during the night and he knew that they were both beginning to look a little worse for wear.
But there had been no dream this time, only welcome oblivion. He had awoken feeling more refreshed than he had since he had heard about the fire at the Crashdown over three weeks ago.
Michael had moved eagerly to open the door, expecting to find Maria there, ready to throw herself into his arms. He was practically dizzy with anticipation. Finally things would return to normal. Reunited with Maria, the dreams would stop. They just had to.
He had been mildly pissed, needless to say, when he had been faced by a young woman in the hotel's uniform rather than this girlfriend. Her eyes widened at the sight of him in only a towel, still dripping from the shower. "What?" He had demanded a little more rudely than was really necessary, feeling a blush beginning to work its way up his neck.
"There was a phone call for you at the desk Mr. Guerin." The girl said, looking mildly offended but also admiring. "We tried ringing your room but there was no answer."
"I was in the shower." He said unnecessarily.
"Miss Evans is already in the car Scotland Yard sent for you." The girl continued. "She said you were up here."
The mention of Scotland Yard, the British equivalent of the FBI, had caused Michael's heart to plummet to his toes. "Wha - what do they want?" He asked, his voice cracking with fear. And why did Isabel send them directly to him if what he was beginning to imagine was true - unless she had had no choice, if she had been forced into the car?
They knew the truth about them. Somehow they knew.
Visions of security cameras at Stonehenge began to run through his mind. Had Max and Tess been seen when they opened the portal - Tess' s mindwarp only worked on known quantities after all? Had Michael and Isabel caused more of a disturbance there yesterday than they had thought?
"There's been an accident." The girl replied.
It was all they had been told the entire way. He had known that they were crazy to have gotten into a car with people they didn't know, but he knew that Izzy felt the same way he did. They had to get to their friends, no matter what the cost.
It wasn't like they had much choice either. When Michael had gone down to join Isabel, he had been thrust unceremoniously into the backseat of a Volvo with her and the driver had taken off, tires screeching.
It had been a relief when Isabel's hand had inched across the back seat to take his. It had been in a friendly way, a way to take comfort, not romantic at all. It had been in a Michael/Isabel way, not in a Tristandor/Mirana way.
They had not exchanged one word, neither sure if what they said could somehow betray them.
And they had silently agreed. They were in this together. No matter what.
Michael reached behind him now as he and Isabel hurried down the long, carpeted hallway, grabbed her hand again. He needed the reassurance of her touch.
He was scared out of his mind, for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he still did not know what had happened to his daughter and Maria.
It took him a moment to realize that the hallway seemed to be going down. Their driver was bringing up the rear, herding them along. "Hurry up." He snarled. "They are waiting for you."
"Who is?" Isabel asked, her voice trembling.
But there was no time to answer. They found themselves suddenly in a large room. It was decorated in typical English fashion - heavy, comfortable furniture; paintings on the wall.
And seated at the desk across the room, looking for all the world like a queen, was Jennetta.
She stood up, smiled at him in welcome. "Hi." She started to come around the desk, heading towards him for a hug.
Isabel grabbed Michael, pulled him to a stop. "What if its not her?" The thought had crossed Michael's mind as well. Shapeshifter…shapeshifter…shapeshifter. The word seemed to echo through his brain like the beat of a drum.
He scowled at Jennetta. She stopped abruptly, looked hurt. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" She seemed to come to a sudden realization, continued. "Maria and Alex are just down the hall. They're taking really good care of them. I swear it wasn't my fault Michael."
"No one said it was." Michael replied gruffly. She sounded so much like his daughter, he wanted to just reach out and pull her into his arms. But this was just too weird. He had to know for sure. "What's your favorite food?" He could tell that Isabel was staring at him, but he knew that only Jennetta would know this. It was too weird.
The girl quirked an eyebrow at him. "Ah, you think I'm a shapeshifter. Smart Dad." She smiled. "Big Mac of course. With Tabasco and whipped cream."
Michael grinned. "Its her." He told Isabel unnecessarily. He grabbed her, hugged her fiercely. "Are you all right?"
Jennetta pulled back. "I am now. There was an accident. Someone tried to kill us on the way to Salisbury." She said seriously.
"I thought it was just a car accident." Isabel said, sounding horrified. "Where's Alex? Is he all right?"
"He has a concussion. He's asleep." Jennetta replied. "Maria's awake. She's in with the Sheriff. He's saying that there was someone in the road and Jemma said he was right, even though Tom didn't see him..."
Michael was shaking his head in confusion, trying to keep up with his daughter's running monologue. "What are you talking about?" He interrupted finally, when she started babbling about paramedics and Ren and hospitals and shapeshifters. She was exactly like Maria - impossible to understand, ever.
"Ren is still out like a light." Jennetta said a little more clearly. Michael thought he saw what might be a flash of concern cross her face. "I haven't heard his voice in hours. Its kind of quiet." She whispered. "Anyway, obviously we couldn't take him to the hospital - you know, the shapeshifting and all."
"So you let Scotland Yard pick you up?" Isabel asked urgently. Her tone was terrified. "Don't you know what they could do to us?"
"We're not Scotland Yard your Highness." Michael turned in accord with Isabel and Jennetta to stare at the middle-aged woman who had entered the room silently from behind them.
Your Highness. Michael felt his heart skip a beat. They knew who they were. It could only mean one thing.
"We are the Illyrian Royal Guard."
