[u]Part 26[/u]
"Where are we going anyway?" Alex asked as he stared out the window and watched the desert scrub fly past. He swallowed and gripped the door when the car seemed to speed up, if that was possible. Will had been in a desperate hurry ever since they had left the motel. While Nicholas had not admitted to having Isabel in his control, he [I]had[/I] told Will where he could be found. Will had put the pedal to the metal from the moment they had been back in the newcomers' car.
Not that Alex wasn't glad. He was. The sooner they got to Isabel, the sooner he could be assured that she was safe. But dying on the way to rescue her was not exactly what he had counted on doing. He was just glad that his voice hadn't squeaked when he asked because he was absolutely terrified.
He was glad he had a reason to pretend that it was because of the driver, and not what awaited them at the end of the ride. Alex hadn't met Nicholas when everyone else had in Copper Summit, but he had heard enough about the little troll to make his skin crawl at the thought of seeing him in the flesh.
Of course, if he really was a Skin, his flesh had to be pretty darn revolting by now, Alex thought inanely. Why he suspected Nicholas might [I]not[/I] be a Skin, Alex wasn't sure. But the more he thought about it, especially since his conversation with Kate, the more he was sure that once they figured out who Nicholas really was and why he was lying to his king, the more all of this would actually make sense.
"Our birthplace," Will answered shortly.
Alex blinked in surprise. "And that's near here?"
"Of course," Will snapped. All Alex could see was the back of Will's head, but he could [I]hear[/I] the scowl he was wearing in his voice. The alien king had been in a foul mood for hours - since they had left the Crashdown actually. Having Nicholas lie to him had not improved matters. Alex knew that it wasn't what was [I]really[/I] bothering him though. It was still the fact that Liz and Max had made that orb work, the fact that Will and Liz had not been able to do it. Alex absolutely knew it was.
"We were in the Crash," Kate reminded Alex quietly, turning her head to regard him, her blue eyes sad for a reason he didn't quite understand. "Our guardians hid our pods in the desert near Roswell after we were liberated from the base. We were born there a few years ago and then taken into hiding."
Alex frowned. "I don't get it," he said. "How did the Skins find you if they weren't with you? And what happened to your first guardian anyway? He must have been a shapeshifter, right?"
There was a long silence. Kate continued to stare at him, her expression pinched. Alex could see the tension that was increasing in the line of Will's back.
"We don't know," Kate finally admitted softly. Alex abruptly understood why she was so sad. Everything they had ever known about themselves was turning out to be a lie. Nicholas had told them where to find him, but he had lied about having Isabel in his clutches. And he had apparently lied about everything else too.
"Shut up Kate," Will ordered. "You've said just about enough."
"Don't talk to me like that!" Kate shot back. "I have every right to say whatever I want. We don't even know anything anymore Will. Our only real chance is to work together. We'll get Vilandra back and then we'll sit down with Zan and the others and figure this all out."
"We will do no such thing," Will bit out fiercely. "None of them can be trusted."
"We can't trust [I]anyone[/I] anymore!" Kate wailed in frustration. "I've connected with Zan. I know he's not evil. He'll help us."
"Just like he helped us last time?" Will demanded. Alex felt his blood run cold when the alien king swung the steering wheel hard to the right and off the highway. It took him a moment to realize that they were on a dirt road now, that the move had not just been random. His heart gradually stopped thudding like it was going to come out through his chest.
"Something [I]happened[/I] last time. Something made Zan change. I can't believe I didn't understand that before, but it has to be true. No one can become so different without a reason," Kate argued, sounding calmer again. "It is more than clear that nothing we remember is right." There was a long pause. Alex could tell that she wasn't finished. He met Kate's eyes again. He saw her take a deep breath, realized that she had looked at him in order to help her to gather her strength. He felt momentarily dumbfounded but then smiled at her encouragingly, realized where she was headed. She was going to tell Will the truth about what they thought they knew. He didn't understand how this girl had so quickly become attached to him, why she trusted his judgment so implicitly, but he couldn't help but feel honoured.and not a little attached right back. He allowed himself to fall into her eyes for a moment. God, she really was beautiful.
An instant flash of guilt ran through him. Here they were off to save Isabel and he was letting himself think about another girl. What kind of ass was he? Particularly considering that it was [I]his[/I] fault that Izzy was in danger in the first place.
"Alex and I think that there was something going on between Zan and Rowena Will." Kate's rushed confession pulled Alex back to the situation at hand. He grimaced. Ouch. That had been a little harsh.
"Don't be ridiculous," Will said dismissively. "He's using her now, confusing her for his own ends. I think I remember my own wife. She didn't even know Zan."
"She did so," Kate reminded him. "The trade summit Will. On Valonia. They met then."
Will snorted. "Barely. Ro left for her summer palace almost immediately after his delegation arrived. She was there merely to greet him for formality's sake. Her father was still alive and it was he who hosted the summit. She had no interest in the dispute between Knosis and Sardica. She chose not to attend, believing that her position as heiress to the throne of Valonia would only confuse matters. Ro wanted nothing to do with it, even as my wife."
"Ro wanted nothing to do with [I]any[/I] of it Will," Kate reminded him gently. "Ever."
"Which is why she left," Will replied triumphantly. "So when would she have met Zan? For long enough for anything to be going on between them I mean?"
Alex was intrigued by Kate's last statement, couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean that Rowena wanted nothing to do with any of it?"
Kate sighed. "Rowena loved her own planet," she explained carefully. "She became a great queen for Valonia. But she really had no interest in politics beyond her planet's atmosphere. The only time she ever made any sort of move to ally herself anywhere was when she married Khivar." She paused again. "And that was her father's idea."
"She [I]loved[/I] me," Will interrupted, sounding annoyed. "You're right that she didn't really care about politics though," he conceded. "Our marriage was a love match. I just happened to be King of Sardica." He sounded slightly amused when he added, "Much to her chagrin. But she was willing enough to marry me once I agreed to live on Valonia. And once the war started, she stood firmly against Antar. It was why Zan had Valonia destroyed."
Alex mulled this new information over for a few moments in silence. It was too bad that they couldn't be certain that any of this was true. Will sounded so [I]certain[/I]. But he just couldn't buy it. If this was true - if there was no connection between Zan and Rowena - then why were Max and Liz the only ones able to make that orb work? Why had Max fallen in love with her from the first moment he laid eyes on her ten years before?
"I wonder why Max and all the others don't have any of their memories," Alex commented. "And why was Liz separated from you all? The other weird thing is that there was absolutely no indication that she was anything other than human until after Max healed her. What is that about anyway? I'm almost positive that if you were to ask Mr. and Mrs. Parker they would tell you that Mrs. Parker gave birth to her."
"It is strange," Kate agreed. "Maybe the babies were switched? In the hospital I mean?"
Alex frowned. "Maybe. But if that's true, then why did she come out of her pod as a baby? Isabel, Max and Michael were born as six year olds. We don't even know for sure when Tess was born. We just know that she was left behind."
"Well, I know that we were older than that when we came out of our pods," Kate told him. "We were about ten. That's probably why we have more memories than Zan and the others."
"That makes sense," Alex agreed. A thought crossed his mind. "You know, it would be really useful to know that for sure. We should also ask Tess how old she was when she was born. Because maybe she has memories she can access she doesn't know about if she it was longer than we think. We've all just assumed she was born pretty much right after the other three, but we don't know that for sure at all." Alex felt his suspicious nature regarding Tess rear its head again. He didn't trust her at all. Never had, never would - and he didn't think it was just for Liz's sake.
He realized that now was not the time to think about Tess though. The car was pulling to a halt. Alex stared out the window. Dusk was just settling over the desert, but it was still light enough for him to realize that he recognized this place. "Oh my God," he gasped.
Kate, who had already climbed out of the car, stared back at him in surprise. Will had disappeared into the mouth of the cave. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"I've been here before," Alex said, his throat dry. "We're on the Mescalaro Reservation, aren't we?"
"Yes," Kate acknowledged, frowning. "When were you here?"
"Last winter," Alex explained, following her into the dark entrance of the cave. "Michael.well, he was hurt. We used some stones from their planet to heal him."
"That's weird," Kate replied. She stopped walking, admitted, "We haven't been here in a long time. Our guardians used to bring us back sometimes, when we first came out of our pods, to read the markings on the walls."
"You can read them?" Alex demanded, his heart thumping.
"Sure," Kate shrugged. "Can't they?"
"No. All we ever knew was that Nasedo wrote them."
"That's why our people wanted us to read them. For hidden meanings. They thought the shapeshifters were trading information somehow, probably about where the other four were hidden. They got separated after the Crash of course, after they hid us here and the Royal Four wherever they were born." She paused, looked at him curiously. "Do they know where their pods are?"
Alex narrowed his eyes. "No," he said non-commitally, his conscience hurting at the lie. "They don't remember." She seemed to accept this readily enough and he knew he was doing the right thing. Because even though he had never been there, he did know that it was where the granolith was located. It wasn't like he'd be able to take Kate or Will there, but he had already told them too much without the others' permission. It was his job to get information for his friends, but not to hand it out on their behalf.
It didn't matter one bit that he felt like he could trust Kate, that he wanted to help her more with every passing minute. His loyalties were not with her. They couldn't be. Not until he was absolutely sure that she would not betray Isabel and the others.
"It's all just a big jumble though," Kate continued, oblivious to his guilt. "Whatever they were trying to tell each other, we can't make it out. It's in Wendarian, but a form we've never seen before."
"Hmmmmm," Alex replied, storing the information but deciding to change the subject. He hated even thinking about the pod chamber and the granolith. He was too scared he was going to leak something accidentally. The secret location of the granolith was the only bargaining tool Max still had if Will was unable to free Isabel. "I don't remember any pods in here," he said instead.
"They were destroyed after our birth."
Alex was frowning again though, something having just occurred to him. "Wait a minute! If you guys were only born a few years ago, Nasedo must have known where you were! He wrote those symbols over thirty years ago!"
"Well he must have been the shapeshifter who hid us," Kate replied reasonably. "He didn't know where the Royal Four were. They would have been hidden by one of the others."
"But why would he just let you all get taken by the Skins?" Alex demanded. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, I'm getting the impression that you were all sent together in an attempt to resolve your differences here. Why did they split you up?"
"I don't know anything," Kate admitted. "None of it makes any sense, does it? We don't even know for sure that it's why were sent together anyway. Maybe Nicholas will know."
"Nicholas. Right. Like we can trust anything [I]he[/I] says." Alex felt his stomach clench. He peered into the gloom, could see the large cave where they had restored Michael's balance just ahead, obviously lit up. Was Isabel up there? It didn't seem likely that Nicholas would bring them to the place where he had his prize stashed, considering he had lied to Will about it.
"They're arguing," Kate whispered. "Can you hear them?"
"Yeah. We should go back Will up." It was the last thing he wanted to do, but if Nicholas was going to admit to Isabel's location, he needed to hear it.
Alex followed Kate through into the cave proper, just in time to hear Will saying, ".saw the message Nicholas. I order you to tell me where you have taken Vilandra."
"I don't know what you're talking about highness," the prepubescent twerp was whining. "I have not seen Vilandra since Copper Summit. You have been tricked somehow. Perhaps it was a shapeshifter?"
"Their Wendarian bodyguard is dead," Will snapped. "You had Venora kill him. Or have you forgotten already?" Alex assumed that "Venora" had been Congresswoman Whittaker.
"There were other shapeshifters on that ship highness," Nicholas argued. "Perhaps one of them."
"A shapeshifter with the ability to mindmeld?" Will asked coolly. "We saw it with our own eyes Nicholas. It was [I]you[/I]."
"Highness, I swear it was not." Alex felt his blood run cold as the boy glanced past Will and right at him, seemingly aware of his presence for the first time. "A human? Why have you brought a human to this sacred place?" He snarled, his face abruptly going from cringing to threatening. "I knew that you should not have come here alone. You are all falling into their traps, aren't you?"
"Whose traps?" Kate demanded. "We are perfectly safe Nicholas. Zan and the others.they are not the same. Why did you not tell us they don't have their memories?"
Nicholas ignored her question though. "Where is Jack?" He shot back, his expression furious. Alex saw Kate flinch at that. "I thought so. So Vilandra is not the only one missing then?" He rounded on Will. "Why did you not tell me this before highness?"
"We thought he was with you!" Will roared, making Alex jump. "He killed the Rath worshipper and then disappeared."
"Well, this is just peachy." Nicholas started pacing. "We were just about to make up a perfect four square and now you've [I]lost[/I] Jack?"
Alex watched Will run his hands through his hair in frustration. "It doesn't matter. Something is awry anyway. Rowena and I.we are not matched."
"What?" Nicholas sounded flabbergasted. "What do you mean?"
"The message orb.We could not make it work. Neither could Zan and Ava. Rowena and Zan were the ones who managed to make it play."
"Well, that makes absolutely [I]no[/I] sense." Nicholas glared at Alex, as though it was somehow his fault. He took a step back despite himself. He felt a shiver run down his spine when Kate's hand came up and rested on the small of his back comfortingly.
"He's really not that bad Alex," she whispered.
He looked at her. "You don't think he's behind this anymore?"
"Do you?" Kate asked. "He's either an excellent actor or he really is shocked by all of this."
Alex hated to admit it, but he agreed. Nicholas seemed just as upset as any of them.
".going to have to consult Khivar," Nicholas was saying. "He is [I]not[/I] going to be pleased."
"I really don't care," Will replied firmly. "We must have the truth. Something is completely wrong with all of this."
"[I]You[/I] don't care highness," Nicholas snapped sarcastically. "It's not your neck on the line." He shook his head, muttering. "I can't believe you lost Jack! And just when their four square has been weakened with Vilandra missing. It would have been the perfect opportunity to take them out."
"But, if Rowena isn't matched to me anymore." Alex could hear the sadness in Will's voice. "What good would it have done anyway?"
"Okay, I'm only beginning to get how weird this all is," Alex spoke up. "Why on Earth were both Jack and Isabel taken at the same time? It's like someone is trying to keep you all apart, like they don't want either side to get strong enough to defeat the other."
"It is like that," Kate agreed. "But who? Who else is there?"
"Why me of course."
They all whipped their heads around and stared at the mouth of the cave. Alex felt his eyes widen in horror.
He should have known. The instant that Max and Liz made that orb work, they really [I]all[/I] should have known. Because, in the end, there was no other explanation.
It was Tess.
"And since you're all getting a little too close to the truth," she continued, "You're all going to have to join Isabel and Jack." She pulled her hand out from behind her back, a throbbing orb sitting neatly on her palm. Tess smirked at him, tossed it in his direction. "Catch Alex."
He did, just as it exploded, sending him plunging into darkness.
To be continued.
"Where are we going anyway?" Alex asked as he stared out the window and watched the desert scrub fly past. He swallowed and gripped the door when the car seemed to speed up, if that was possible. Will had been in a desperate hurry ever since they had left the motel. While Nicholas had not admitted to having Isabel in his control, he [I]had[/I] told Will where he could be found. Will had put the pedal to the metal from the moment they had been back in the newcomers' car.
Not that Alex wasn't glad. He was. The sooner they got to Isabel, the sooner he could be assured that she was safe. But dying on the way to rescue her was not exactly what he had counted on doing. He was just glad that his voice hadn't squeaked when he asked because he was absolutely terrified.
He was glad he had a reason to pretend that it was because of the driver, and not what awaited them at the end of the ride. Alex hadn't met Nicholas when everyone else had in Copper Summit, but he had heard enough about the little troll to make his skin crawl at the thought of seeing him in the flesh.
Of course, if he really was a Skin, his flesh had to be pretty darn revolting by now, Alex thought inanely. Why he suspected Nicholas might [I]not[/I] be a Skin, Alex wasn't sure. But the more he thought about it, especially since his conversation with Kate, the more he was sure that once they figured out who Nicholas really was and why he was lying to his king, the more all of this would actually make sense.
"Our birthplace," Will answered shortly.
Alex blinked in surprise. "And that's near here?"
"Of course," Will snapped. All Alex could see was the back of Will's head, but he could [I]hear[/I] the scowl he was wearing in his voice. The alien king had been in a foul mood for hours - since they had left the Crashdown actually. Having Nicholas lie to him had not improved matters. Alex knew that it wasn't what was [I]really[/I] bothering him though. It was still the fact that Liz and Max had made that orb work, the fact that Will and Liz had not been able to do it. Alex absolutely knew it was.
"We were in the Crash," Kate reminded Alex quietly, turning her head to regard him, her blue eyes sad for a reason he didn't quite understand. "Our guardians hid our pods in the desert near Roswell after we were liberated from the base. We were born there a few years ago and then taken into hiding."
Alex frowned. "I don't get it," he said. "How did the Skins find you if they weren't with you? And what happened to your first guardian anyway? He must have been a shapeshifter, right?"
There was a long silence. Kate continued to stare at him, her expression pinched. Alex could see the tension that was increasing in the line of Will's back.
"We don't know," Kate finally admitted softly. Alex abruptly understood why she was so sad. Everything they had ever known about themselves was turning out to be a lie. Nicholas had told them where to find him, but he had lied about having Isabel in his clutches. And he had apparently lied about everything else too.
"Shut up Kate," Will ordered. "You've said just about enough."
"Don't talk to me like that!" Kate shot back. "I have every right to say whatever I want. We don't even know anything anymore Will. Our only real chance is to work together. We'll get Vilandra back and then we'll sit down with Zan and the others and figure this all out."
"We will do no such thing," Will bit out fiercely. "None of them can be trusted."
"We can't trust [I]anyone[/I] anymore!" Kate wailed in frustration. "I've connected with Zan. I know he's not evil. He'll help us."
"Just like he helped us last time?" Will demanded. Alex felt his blood run cold when the alien king swung the steering wheel hard to the right and off the highway. It took him a moment to realize that they were on a dirt road now, that the move had not just been random. His heart gradually stopped thudding like it was going to come out through his chest.
"Something [I]happened[/I] last time. Something made Zan change. I can't believe I didn't understand that before, but it has to be true. No one can become so different without a reason," Kate argued, sounding calmer again. "It is more than clear that nothing we remember is right." There was a long pause. Alex could tell that she wasn't finished. He met Kate's eyes again. He saw her take a deep breath, realized that she had looked at him in order to help her to gather her strength. He felt momentarily dumbfounded but then smiled at her encouragingly, realized where she was headed. She was going to tell Will the truth about what they thought they knew. He didn't understand how this girl had so quickly become attached to him, why she trusted his judgment so implicitly, but he couldn't help but feel honoured.and not a little attached right back. He allowed himself to fall into her eyes for a moment. God, she really was beautiful.
An instant flash of guilt ran through him. Here they were off to save Isabel and he was letting himself think about another girl. What kind of ass was he? Particularly considering that it was [I]his[/I] fault that Izzy was in danger in the first place.
"Alex and I think that there was something going on between Zan and Rowena Will." Kate's rushed confession pulled Alex back to the situation at hand. He grimaced. Ouch. That had been a little harsh.
"Don't be ridiculous," Will said dismissively. "He's using her now, confusing her for his own ends. I think I remember my own wife. She didn't even know Zan."
"She did so," Kate reminded him. "The trade summit Will. On Valonia. They met then."
Will snorted. "Barely. Ro left for her summer palace almost immediately after his delegation arrived. She was there merely to greet him for formality's sake. Her father was still alive and it was he who hosted the summit. She had no interest in the dispute between Knosis and Sardica. She chose not to attend, believing that her position as heiress to the throne of Valonia would only confuse matters. Ro wanted nothing to do with it, even as my wife."
"Ro wanted nothing to do with [I]any[/I] of it Will," Kate reminded him gently. "Ever."
"Which is why she left," Will replied triumphantly. "So when would she have met Zan? For long enough for anything to be going on between them I mean?"
Alex was intrigued by Kate's last statement, couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean that Rowena wanted nothing to do with any of it?"
Kate sighed. "Rowena loved her own planet," she explained carefully. "She became a great queen for Valonia. But she really had no interest in politics beyond her planet's atmosphere. The only time she ever made any sort of move to ally herself anywhere was when she married Khivar." She paused again. "And that was her father's idea."
"She [I]loved[/I] me," Will interrupted, sounding annoyed. "You're right that she didn't really care about politics though," he conceded. "Our marriage was a love match. I just happened to be King of Sardica." He sounded slightly amused when he added, "Much to her chagrin. But she was willing enough to marry me once I agreed to live on Valonia. And once the war started, she stood firmly against Antar. It was why Zan had Valonia destroyed."
Alex mulled this new information over for a few moments in silence. It was too bad that they couldn't be certain that any of this was true. Will sounded so [I]certain[/I]. But he just couldn't buy it. If this was true - if there was no connection between Zan and Rowena - then why were Max and Liz the only ones able to make that orb work? Why had Max fallen in love with her from the first moment he laid eyes on her ten years before?
"I wonder why Max and all the others don't have any of their memories," Alex commented. "And why was Liz separated from you all? The other weird thing is that there was absolutely no indication that she was anything other than human until after Max healed her. What is that about anyway? I'm almost positive that if you were to ask Mr. and Mrs. Parker they would tell you that Mrs. Parker gave birth to her."
"It is strange," Kate agreed. "Maybe the babies were switched? In the hospital I mean?"
Alex frowned. "Maybe. But if that's true, then why did she come out of her pod as a baby? Isabel, Max and Michael were born as six year olds. We don't even know for sure when Tess was born. We just know that she was left behind."
"Well, I know that we were older than that when we came out of our pods," Kate told him. "We were about ten. That's probably why we have more memories than Zan and the others."
"That makes sense," Alex agreed. A thought crossed his mind. "You know, it would be really useful to know that for sure. We should also ask Tess how old she was when she was born. Because maybe she has memories she can access she doesn't know about if she it was longer than we think. We've all just assumed she was born pretty much right after the other three, but we don't know that for sure at all." Alex felt his suspicious nature regarding Tess rear its head again. He didn't trust her at all. Never had, never would - and he didn't think it was just for Liz's sake.
He realized that now was not the time to think about Tess though. The car was pulling to a halt. Alex stared out the window. Dusk was just settling over the desert, but it was still light enough for him to realize that he recognized this place. "Oh my God," he gasped.
Kate, who had already climbed out of the car, stared back at him in surprise. Will had disappeared into the mouth of the cave. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"I've been here before," Alex said, his throat dry. "We're on the Mescalaro Reservation, aren't we?"
"Yes," Kate acknowledged, frowning. "When were you here?"
"Last winter," Alex explained, following her into the dark entrance of the cave. "Michael.well, he was hurt. We used some stones from their planet to heal him."
"That's weird," Kate replied. She stopped walking, admitted, "We haven't been here in a long time. Our guardians used to bring us back sometimes, when we first came out of our pods, to read the markings on the walls."
"You can read them?" Alex demanded, his heart thumping.
"Sure," Kate shrugged. "Can't they?"
"No. All we ever knew was that Nasedo wrote them."
"That's why our people wanted us to read them. For hidden meanings. They thought the shapeshifters were trading information somehow, probably about where the other four were hidden. They got separated after the Crash of course, after they hid us here and the Royal Four wherever they were born." She paused, looked at him curiously. "Do they know where their pods are?"
Alex narrowed his eyes. "No," he said non-commitally, his conscience hurting at the lie. "They don't remember." She seemed to accept this readily enough and he knew he was doing the right thing. Because even though he had never been there, he did know that it was where the granolith was located. It wasn't like he'd be able to take Kate or Will there, but he had already told them too much without the others' permission. It was his job to get information for his friends, but not to hand it out on their behalf.
It didn't matter one bit that he felt like he could trust Kate, that he wanted to help her more with every passing minute. His loyalties were not with her. They couldn't be. Not until he was absolutely sure that she would not betray Isabel and the others.
"It's all just a big jumble though," Kate continued, oblivious to his guilt. "Whatever they were trying to tell each other, we can't make it out. It's in Wendarian, but a form we've never seen before."
"Hmmmmm," Alex replied, storing the information but deciding to change the subject. He hated even thinking about the pod chamber and the granolith. He was too scared he was going to leak something accidentally. The secret location of the granolith was the only bargaining tool Max still had if Will was unable to free Isabel. "I don't remember any pods in here," he said instead.
"They were destroyed after our birth."
Alex was frowning again though, something having just occurred to him. "Wait a minute! If you guys were only born a few years ago, Nasedo must have known where you were! He wrote those symbols over thirty years ago!"
"Well he must have been the shapeshifter who hid us," Kate replied reasonably. "He didn't know where the Royal Four were. They would have been hidden by one of the others."
"But why would he just let you all get taken by the Skins?" Alex demanded. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, I'm getting the impression that you were all sent together in an attempt to resolve your differences here. Why did they split you up?"
"I don't know anything," Kate admitted. "None of it makes any sense, does it? We don't even know for sure that it's why were sent together anyway. Maybe Nicholas will know."
"Nicholas. Right. Like we can trust anything [I]he[/I] says." Alex felt his stomach clench. He peered into the gloom, could see the large cave where they had restored Michael's balance just ahead, obviously lit up. Was Isabel up there? It didn't seem likely that Nicholas would bring them to the place where he had his prize stashed, considering he had lied to Will about it.
"They're arguing," Kate whispered. "Can you hear them?"
"Yeah. We should go back Will up." It was the last thing he wanted to do, but if Nicholas was going to admit to Isabel's location, he needed to hear it.
Alex followed Kate through into the cave proper, just in time to hear Will saying, ".saw the message Nicholas. I order you to tell me where you have taken Vilandra."
"I don't know what you're talking about highness," the prepubescent twerp was whining. "I have not seen Vilandra since Copper Summit. You have been tricked somehow. Perhaps it was a shapeshifter?"
"Their Wendarian bodyguard is dead," Will snapped. "You had Venora kill him. Or have you forgotten already?" Alex assumed that "Venora" had been Congresswoman Whittaker.
"There were other shapeshifters on that ship highness," Nicholas argued. "Perhaps one of them."
"A shapeshifter with the ability to mindmeld?" Will asked coolly. "We saw it with our own eyes Nicholas. It was [I]you[/I]."
"Highness, I swear it was not." Alex felt his blood run cold as the boy glanced past Will and right at him, seemingly aware of his presence for the first time. "A human? Why have you brought a human to this sacred place?" He snarled, his face abruptly going from cringing to threatening. "I knew that you should not have come here alone. You are all falling into their traps, aren't you?"
"Whose traps?" Kate demanded. "We are perfectly safe Nicholas. Zan and the others.they are not the same. Why did you not tell us they don't have their memories?"
Nicholas ignored her question though. "Where is Jack?" He shot back, his expression furious. Alex saw Kate flinch at that. "I thought so. So Vilandra is not the only one missing then?" He rounded on Will. "Why did you not tell me this before highness?"
"We thought he was with you!" Will roared, making Alex jump. "He killed the Rath worshipper and then disappeared."
"Well, this is just peachy." Nicholas started pacing. "We were just about to make up a perfect four square and now you've [I]lost[/I] Jack?"
Alex watched Will run his hands through his hair in frustration. "It doesn't matter. Something is awry anyway. Rowena and I.we are not matched."
"What?" Nicholas sounded flabbergasted. "What do you mean?"
"The message orb.We could not make it work. Neither could Zan and Ava. Rowena and Zan were the ones who managed to make it play."
"Well, that makes absolutely [I]no[/I] sense." Nicholas glared at Alex, as though it was somehow his fault. He took a step back despite himself. He felt a shiver run down his spine when Kate's hand came up and rested on the small of his back comfortingly.
"He's really not that bad Alex," she whispered.
He looked at her. "You don't think he's behind this anymore?"
"Do you?" Kate asked. "He's either an excellent actor or he really is shocked by all of this."
Alex hated to admit it, but he agreed. Nicholas seemed just as upset as any of them.
".going to have to consult Khivar," Nicholas was saying. "He is [I]not[/I] going to be pleased."
"I really don't care," Will replied firmly. "We must have the truth. Something is completely wrong with all of this."
"[I]You[/I] don't care highness," Nicholas snapped sarcastically. "It's not your neck on the line." He shook his head, muttering. "I can't believe you lost Jack! And just when their four square has been weakened with Vilandra missing. It would have been the perfect opportunity to take them out."
"But, if Rowena isn't matched to me anymore." Alex could hear the sadness in Will's voice. "What good would it have done anyway?"
"Okay, I'm only beginning to get how weird this all is," Alex spoke up. "Why on Earth were both Jack and Isabel taken at the same time? It's like someone is trying to keep you all apart, like they don't want either side to get strong enough to defeat the other."
"It is like that," Kate agreed. "But who? Who else is there?"
"Why me of course."
They all whipped their heads around and stared at the mouth of the cave. Alex felt his eyes widen in horror.
He should have known. The instant that Max and Liz made that orb work, they really [I]all[/I] should have known. Because, in the end, there was no other explanation.
It was Tess.
"And since you're all getting a little too close to the truth," she continued, "You're all going to have to join Isabel and Jack." She pulled her hand out from behind her back, a throbbing orb sitting neatly on her palm. Tess smirked at him, tossed it in his direction. "Catch Alex."
He did, just as it exploded, sending him plunging into darkness.
To be continued.