5.
Nasedo took off the blood pressure cuff from Isabel's arm. He had run some tests earlier both on her and the fetus at his home where he had some medical materials set up in the living room. Now Isabel was sitting up letting Nasedo place a pulse ox monitor on her finger. Though her levels were a bit high he knew they would calm down once she relaxed some.
"You shouldn't have gone out," Nasedo said.
"I know you've been telling me the past hour."
"Well this is serious Isabel, it's not just your life you're putting at risk. I know it's still hard to think about but you're in charge of this other life now whether you want to keep it or not. You have to do what's best for him. And I can't have you gallivanting out into danger every time you feel the need."
"Tess was in trouble what was I supposed to do?"
"And I'm grateful that you cared so much that you would risk your life to protect hers but from now on let Max and Michael do the heavy lifting." Nasedo finished running his exams. "Well the fetus is perfectly fine. Guess he takes after his parents, he's stronger than I thought he would be this early."
Isabel just nodded as she was fixed on Nasedo's earlier words as she thought them over. 'You cared so much that you would risk your life to protect hers'.
"I don't know if that's even true anymore," said Isabel.
"If what's true?"
"Pierce said some things to me."
"What kind of things?"
Isabel looked at Nasedo with fear in her eyes. "Who was I? Back on our home planet I mean."
Nasedo took a deep breath.
"That bad," Isabel asked on the verge of shaking. "Nasedo I need to know."
"It doesn't matter that's not who you are anymore. What matters is that in this life you've become caring and compassionate and would do anything to protect her family."
"That's what I'm afraid of, just how far would I go? I killed Pierce. He wasn't even an alien."
"No but he was an enemy. He would've come at the four of you until the death."
"Then what does that make me? Nasedo I need to know the truth."
Nasedo sighed. He then left the room and came back with one of the silver orbs.
"Use your energy, your mind. You'll be able to access your memories. I'm warning you Isabel, you might not like what you find."
Isabel took the orb and nodded to Nasedo. "Thanks," she said heading out of the house toward her known destination.
Isabel, alone in the in the pod chamber with only a tinted green light shining, concentrated, the orb in her hand. She didn't know what she was doing or whether she should even bother trying but she had to know and if the orb could somehow provide her with the answers that she needed then she had to try.
Closing her eyes she focused. She could feel her own energy stretch out to the energy trapped in the orb. She searched the depths of her being finding the part of herself that was alien. Isabel opened her eyes as the symbol on the center of the orb started to glow in a shade of white and blue energy. Her mother Maura appeared.
"If you are seeing this now it means you have tapped into your personal memory bank. Your father and I decided whether it was best or not to send you with this information. Should we bury the past with us here on Antar or should we send it as a guide to help you understand who you are. We did not come to this decision lightly. Some of what you may see may not be what you were expecting but in order to know who you are you must first understand who you were even if it means confronting situations you never imagined facing. Your father and I want you to know we do not blame you Amarus."
"Amarus," said Isabel confused as Pierce had called her by the name 'Vilandra'.
"There are things Amarus which were beyond even your control. We want you to know that we love you and we always will."
Isabel's mother was replaced by different holographic images of her life. The being in front of her was five feet tall, skinny with long arms and bulging black eyes. She wore clothing fit for royalty, something she noticed other grays did not have and though the being wasn't human Isabel could feel its essence, could feel that it was herself. Through her human eyes she could not understand the beauty but she felt it in the way people were around her as if they were seeing a living goddess.
As her childhood played out Isabel didn't notice anything about her behavior that could set off any alarms. Time skipped forward and she could witness the first time she laid eyes on Michael. He was stronger looking than most but it wasn't his brawns that attracted her to him it was the way he looked at her as if he could see deep beyond her eyes to the depth of her heart, a place she ward off from anyone who looked her way. She noticed she was looking at him in the same way.
More time passed, most of it with Michael. They had become betrothed and started to plan their wedding.
A short time passed and Isabel began to see things take a turn for the worst. An enemy to the kingdom had smuggled his way in. A childhood friend from a long and forgotten past.
"You will always be mine," he said to her.
Isabel gasped realizing it was the same voice she had heard in her dreams.
Isabel went willing with him, the man who called himself Kivar. The rest was a haze except that she had heard Kivar give her a new name. No longer was she Amarus, sister to the high king but Vilandra, betrayer to her people and Kivar's right hand.
Battles began to ensue and at the last possible second Kivar did the unthinkable, he betrayed her. He gave his word that her family, her parents, her brother, his wife, her betrothed would not be harmed but rather be kept prisoner. Kivar only held her parents captive. Not giving up on a grand opportunity he made his way to slay Tess. Michael then took his place before Max fighting him off. Isabel stood watching in the shadows unsure of what to do. Kivar, having knocked Michael down made his way for the king. Max not giving up fought until his last breath. Just as Kivar started making his way to finish off Michael, Isabel came from the shadows and stabbed him in his chest but not before Kivar had stabbed Micahel.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered as he lay dying.
"He betrayed you, he betrayed all of us. I forgive you."
"You shouldn't," Isabel said through tears.
"But I do."
Kivar, though badly wounded got up and made his way toward Isabel.
"You will always be mine," he said.
Isabel turned to face him. Knowing death was at Michaels' door she knew what she had to do.
"Not in this life," she said. "Not ever."
Isabel stabbed herself in the right side of her chest where her heart was. She began to fall backwards onto Michael who, despite being weak reached out an arm as if to catch her.
The holograms ended and all Isabel could do was sit there on her knees on the floor.
"No!" she screamed hurling the orb to the far wall. It did not shatter. Isabel sat on her knees crying.
Michael came from the shadows having witnessed everything. He walked over and got on his knees in front of her.
"Isabel," he said.
She grabbed onto him and became victim to her tears. Michael held onto her and rubbed her back. He would stay as long as she needed.
END.
