Part 9
"It's this one," Michael said, putting his hand on the first crystal he had revealed.
For a brief moment, Max stared at Michael's eyes, trying to read his friend's expression, but only intensity and the glow of the granilith reflected in Michael's eyes. "Let's go," Max said, not even questioning Michael.
There was an unspoken understanding between them as Michael took the crystal from its mount on the wall. They couldn't wait for Tess. Max's strong sense of urgency washed away any patience he may have felt. They had to rescue Liz and Maria.
* * *
The little silver nurse said something in the language Liz didn't know, and then, more slowly, in Upper Antaran, "It's a girl!"
Liz smiled through pained tears as she heard her baby cry. The little silver woman wrapped the baby in soft cloth and handed her to Liz, smiling. The little girl was perfect. And human.
"What is her name?" The little woman asked.
Without hesitation, Liz replied, "Claudia."
The nurse said something in the other language and kissed Claudia on the forehead, whispering the baby girl's name.
Liz heard a scuffling in the hallway that must've been caused by the baby's cries. Suddenly, the guards rushed into the room, followed closely by an angrier set of footsteps. They were going to take Claudia!
Liz tried to cover Claudia with her body, but Liz was too weak. "My baby!" Liz cried as they took Claudia from her arms—she was never sure if she had cried out in English or Antaran.
The little woman beat at the guards with another one of her cloths, but Liz just stared at Jarret.
"That bastard child will never be royalty!" Jarret glared down at her. He had somehow become much more imposing than he had been as a partner in their language-sharing sessions.
Liz didn't yell at him; she just continued to stare at him weakly in disbelief. "I trusted you."
* * *
Max and Michael were shocked but also somewhat relieved to find Serena at the gateway when they arrived (she had shifted to her familiar dark-haired human form).
"Where are they?" Max asked her immediately, uncharacteristically impatient.
"Look, we have to get you out of sight, away from here; I've only got this place secured for a little while," Serena said.
Michael grabbed her arm. "How do we know you're Serena?"
"I knew you'd come here, didn't I? Who else can predict you like that?"
Michael just stared at her cryptically.
She raised her eyebrows and then ignored his disbelief, continuing, "There are three other Gueyere waiting outside—"
"Gueyere?" Michael asked.
"Rebels, people like me who support Max as King. Anyways, three are waiting for us. They can hide your identities so you look Antaran. Speaking of which, where's Tess?"
"We were kind of in a hurry," Max told her.
"Well, it might be a little harder to hide you two. I mean, I can shift into my natural form…"
"Where's Maria?" Michael asked.
"I'll explain on the way. Come on." Serena ushered them out of the unusually—and insecurely—large room.
* * *
"I don't understand how they could've just left without us!" Tess lifted her arms, gesturing angrily in the granilith chamber.
"I think I can understand how they felt," Isabel said calmly, "and I think you can, too. Look at what they discovered." Isabel lifted her hand towards the crystals on the wall.
Kyle grabbed Tess by the shoulders, spinning her around to face him. "Calm down; you're freaking out."
"How can I be calm when Max and Michael have just endangered our cover? Again?"
Isabel's relative calmness dissolved, and she snapped at Tess. "Our cover? Is that all you care about? It doesn't bother you that Liz and Maria and two little babies are in grave danger?"
"Ladies, ladies"—Alex stepped between them—"just take a deep breath. I'm sure Max has it all under control. I mean"—he looked fro Isabel to Tess and back to Isabel—"you may have had disagreements with him before, but I'm sure he'll do the right thing."
To Tess's surprise—and everyone's, for that matter—Isabel burst into tears.
A slightly confused Alex wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. He rocked her in his arms, and, staring at the crystals on the wall, whispered, "I'm sure he'll do the right thing. We just have to wait for them to come back." Isabel was sobbing softly. "We just have to wait."
* * *