Part 11
Michael stepped into the last room in the hallway, a small room that looked dusty, as if it was used for storage. He was about to leave when he heard footsteps outside in the corridor. He ducked behind what appeared to be stacked furniture.
Three men came into the room, one holding a smaller man hostage—a man Michael recognized as Clem, Serena's brother.
The third man shut the door and stared at Clem for a minute. "I knew your sister was Gueyere, but I didn't think she would do anything. I would have promoted you to higher ranks if you had shared this with us, but I always thought you were too cowardly to give her any information."
Clem stared at the ground and said nothing.
"Surely you knew that if you said anything to her, I would find out. I have my ways."
Suddenly, the hostage looked up at his captor. "Jarret, I can't believe you would do this. How could I not have known you could do this? Please don't hurt her. I didn't mean…" Clem choked on the words.
Jarret put his hand on the wall, and a silver handprint glowed to life. The small area of wall slid aside to reveal a dark, narrow passageway. "Let's go," he directed the guard to go first, stopping for a second to survey the room.
Michael felt a sneeze coming on, and he put his finger to his nose, but it was no use. The sneeze echoed through the room. He was discovered.
* * *
Max and Liz were waiting for Serena at the meeting point in the corridor that they had chosen earlier.
Serena came up to the pair and cried, "Liz!" Then, more concerned, she asked, "Where's the baby?"
Liz's face was dark and set. "Jarret has her."
Serena gasped.
"I was surprised, too. He was our friend." Liz shook her head and then looked to Max. "He's Michael's great-nephew. Or Rath's, I should say."
"Where's Michael?" Serena asked suddenly.
"Shouldn't he be coming back anytime now?" Max asked.
"It's been an hour past the time we said we would meet. I think I know where he might be, where some of Khivar's men go. It's a special place Clem told me about—not even Khivar knows."
Liz closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Max, pressing her lips together determinedly. "I know I'm too weak to go with you right now," she began matter-of-factly, "but our baby's life is more important."
"I have friends nearby you can wait with. Safe friends," Serena added.
Liz nodded, continuing to watch Max's eyes. "Find Jarret and bring my baby back to me."
* * *
The warm, orange light of the setting sun filtering through the Venetian blinds made a beautiful pattern on the kitchen table as Alex and Isabel sat eating dinner.
"Izzy?"
Isabel looked up and smiled at her husband.
"You've been acting different lately." Alex's words were slow and cautious—he knew he was treading on soft ground. "Is anything going on that I should know about?"
"Well, I've been waiting for the right time to tell you, but things have been happening so fast lately…"
"Tell me what?"
Isabel put her napkin down next to her plate of baked ravioli and looked into Alex's eyes. "I'm pregnant."
Alex dropped his fork.
* * *
Serena led the way to the passageway Michael had seen earlier, quickly waving her hand over the entrance, walking a short distance, down a long flight of stairs, and then darting to a side corridor. She put her hand on Max's shoulder, pulling him to the wall. "It is very important that you stick by me the entire time; this place is a maze designed by the Rathans to further divert intruders."
"Rathans?"
"I believe you had contact with one of them years ago—you mentioned a skin with the earth name Courtney?"
"The Michael worshippers?"
"What?"
"Those who believed Rath should have been king?"
"That's right. From what I've gathered, Jarret seems to be one of them." Serena looked at him strangely for a moment, then glanced up and down the corridor. "Do you realize you've been speaking Upper Antaran the whole time you've been here?"
"I have?" Max suddenly realized that she was right—he did sound different.
"I knew you would remember. You just needed a little nudging." Serena smiled. "Let's go find your daughter."
* * *