VII

Miguel shifted on the cushions, his back a little sore. He gathered some of the blanket in his hands, wondering how it got there. He froze when he felt someone shift next to him. He glanced over, shocked to see Tulio sleeping beside him. He probably sleep walked over here. I should leave before he realizes where he is and freaks out. Carefully and quietly, he crawled off the cushions and tiptoed out of the temple. He sighed, breathing in the morning air. Time to put my own plan in action. He patted his pocket to make sure the item he needed was still there as he proceeded down the temple stairs.

Tulio rolled over and opened is eyes; almost crying out when he noticed Miguel was gone. The terrible words from his nightmare were still echoing in his mind. He quickly got up and started frantically looking around for his partner.

"Oh, Tulio, you're up already."

Tulio spun around to find Chel standing there. "Oh, yeah."

"Are you looking for something?" she asked as she made the bed.

"Yeah, Miguel," Tulio answered with a small hint of worry. "He was gone when I woke up."

Chel didn't seem too thrilled that Tulio still felt the need to apologize to Miguel. "Maybe he went for a walk, or to find breakfast."

Or to ignore me. Tulio frowned and hung his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess."

"I'm sure you'll see him at some point today," Chel assured him. "Come on, time to meet with the chief about tomorrow."

Tulio almost forgot that he was getting married the next day; he was so busy thinking about Miguel. "Right, I'll find Miguel later." Hopefully. He took Chel's hand and the two of them left the temple.

Miguel walked a ways into the forest, constantly checking to make sure he wasn't being followed. He found the berry bushes he had been looking for…the poisonous berries. This is the dumbest plan I've ever had, but I have to do it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold vial he found the night before from the stash of gold in the temple. Here goes nothing. He began picking berries from the bush. Using a small bowl and a rock he had also brought along, he crushed the berries to drain the juices. He then poured the juice from the bowl into the vial. Once he was finished, he sealed the vial and sighed, reflecting on his plan. He had gotten enough information from Thelina to know that, as part of the wedding ceremony, the most important citizens toasted with a glass of wine. This included himself and Tulio, the chief, the high priest, the healer, and the bride. His plan was to mix the vial of berry juice with his wine, poisoning himself. He would make it look like Chel did it, hopefully sparking a fight between her and Tzekel Kan in which one of them would slip and reveal the truth.

"It's a long shot, but I have to try," he thought out loud. Thelina would be there with him, so there was a chance she could save him. He knew if she couldn't, he would surely die and never see Tulio again. His stomach turned at the thought of never seeing his partner again, after everything they had been through. How will he feel if I die? Will he be happy or sad…will he even care?

He finally stood and pocketed the vial. He turned to leave the forest, snatching a banana on the way out. He walked out of the forest and was headed towards the pond when he heard a voice.

"You went all the way into the forest for a banana?"

Miguel turned and saw Thelina standing there with an amused look on her face. He gave her a genuine smile. "I wanted to see what was so exciting about getting bananas off trees."

Thelina laughed and approached him. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Miguel nodded. "When I woke up, Tulio was sleeping next to me."

Thelina frowned. "Did he say anything to you?"

"No, he didn't wake me up. I left before he woke up."

"That's probably best."

Miguel noticed that she looked a little uneasy. "Are you ok?"

Thelina looked up at him, nervousness in her expression. "The high priest paid me a visit this morning. He…he told me I should stay away from you."

Miguel frowned and narrowed his eyes angrily. "Did he hurt or threaten you?"

"He said you belonged to him," Thelina continued in a frightened tone. "He said if I don't stay away he would make me using whatever means he had to."

"He's trying to isolate me," Miguel muttered to himself. He gently took her into his arms. "I won't let him hurt you, Thelina."

"I do not wish to stay away from you," Thelina admitted, embracing him.

"You don't have to," Miguel replied. "I'll stay with you all the time, and I'll figure out how to deal with Tzekel Kan." He looked down at her. "Is it ok if I stay with you tonight? I'm trying to avoid Tulio, and it would be safer for you to have me there."

Thelina smiled a little. "Of course you can stay with me. I would feel much safer."

"We should tell the chief that Tzekel Kan threatened you."

Thelina frowned and nodded. "The chief will know what to do." She finally pulled away from him." We should go to your temple. I can show you the robes you will need to wear tomorrow."

Miguel smiled a little. "That would be nice."

"That's a lot of fabric," Tulio commented as he watched citizens lie out and hang up dozens of flags.

"The weddings in El Dorado are always very colorful," the chief explained happily. "It represents the brightness of a new future together."

"Oh, I see," Tulio replied, glancing over at the chief. "Have um…have you seen Miguel this morning?"

"No, I have not," the chief answered. "Is something wrong?"

Tulio frowned. "He's been avoiding me. I haven't had the chance to talk to him at all." He sighed and looked down at the ground. "I don't want to lose him when I get married, but I'm afraid that's exactly what's going to happen."

The chief nodded in understanding. "Perhaps Lord Miguel does not feel that you can be faithful to both him and Chel. He fears you would abandon him."

"I'd never do that to him," Tulio said honestly.

"Have you not done so already?"

Tulio frowned, the familiar feeling of guilt returning. "Yeah…I have. Several times." He closed his eyes. No wonder he's been avoiding me. He thinks I hate him. "I don't deserve him," he whispered.

The chief patted Tulio on the shoulder. "Lord Miguel spends much of his time with our healer, Thelina. Perhaps he has chosen his new path."

Tulio's heart twisted at the thought of Miguel being with someone else forever. Must be how he feels about Chel and me. "I wish I could fix this."

The chief smiled reassuringly at him. "Perhaps you should take a break for a while and relax."

Tulio nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good idea. I need time to think." He left the busy area and began walking up the steps to the temple. I never though the day would come that I have to say good-bye to my best friend; my partner. But he's so much more than that, isn't he? I just wish I could tell him.

"Stop it!" a girly voice yelled, followed by laughter.

Tulio looked up and walked to the entrance of the temple, spotting Thelina. Her eyes were wet with tears because she was laughing so hard. He then saw Miguel dancing around, wearing his robes over his regular clothes. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as well. He looks so happy. He backed out of the temple and leaned against the wall. He hadn't seen Miguel that happy for days. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around himself tightly. I can't do this; I can't let him go. It hurts too much.

"Tulio?"

Tulio opened his eyes to find Chel standing there. "Hey."

"Are you alright?" She looked towards the entrance of the temple. "What's going on in there?"

"It's Miguel and Thelina," Tulio said, looking at the ground. "No, I'm not alright. I'm losing my best friend and there is nothing I can do to stop it."

Chel looked at him, grinning inwardly at his vulnerability and sadness. She faked concern and put her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe after the wedding you can sort things out."

Tulio shook his head and looked toward the temple entrance. "He belongs to her now," he said sadly. "It's over. Everything I tried so hard to keep is just gone now. It's all my fault."

"Maybe we should go somewhere else for a while," Chel suggested, reveling at the pain and jealousy she saw in Tulio's eyes.

Tulio nodded sadly, allowing her to lead him down the stairs, away from Miguel and Thelina's laughter.

The feast that night was lively with talk about the wedding the following day. There was the usual dancing and eating and drinking. Tulio sat in his chair and watched the crowd silently. He spotted Miguel and Thelina dancing and sank into an even deeper depression. Chel was off chatting with people, so he sat alone.

Miguel ad Thelina danced around and laughed. "I have had so much fun today," Thelina mused.

"Good," Miguel said with a smile.

Thelina smiled back and looked over his shoulder. She spotted Tzekel Kan, who was glaring maliciously at her. "Miguel," she said in a frightened tone.

Miguel looked back and saw Tzekel Kan as well. He glared at him in warning and pulled Thelina closer to himself. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you with me around."

Thelina nodded in worry. "We have to tell the chief."

"You're right, let's go find him." He took her hand and led her through the crowd until they found the chief. "Chief?"

"Ah, Lord Miguel!" the chief exclaimed cheerfully. "And of course Lady Thelina." He smiled widely at the two of them. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Hopefully," Miguel said. "Tzekel Kan threatened Thelina."

The chief frowned. "About what?"

"He told me I must stay away from Miguel or he would make me," Thelina explained. She pressed closer to Miguel, who put an arm around her protectively.

The chief nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Tzekel Kan is up to something, I can sense it." He looked at Miguel. "Lord Tulio told me about what happened in the garden."

Miguel frowned, remembering the incident all too well. "Tulio blamed me for it…he hit me."

The chief's eyes widened in shock. "He did not tell me that. But he did tell me he was sorry for becoming angry with you."

"He never told me that," Miguel said sadly.

The chief frowned. "Tzekel Kan seems to be trying to keep you from everyone. He has become jealous of your relationship with Thelina."

Miguel nodded. "I've been with her all day and he hasn't tried anything yet."

"Perhaps the two of you should stay together in the god's temple tonight. He will not attempt anything with Lord Tulio there as well."

Thelina and Miguel both nodded, although Miguel was a little uneasy about the thought about being near Tulio. Once the chief left, Thelina looked up at Miguel. "Are you ok?"

Miguel looked back at her. "I just don't know how I feel about being in the same room as Tulio."

Thelina frowned. "I know…it will be difficult in the morning, watching him get ready for the wedding. But you must try."

Miguel nodded and sighed sadly. "I know."

"I do not like seeing you so sad!" Thelina proclaimed, cupping his face in her hands.

Miguel smiled just a little. "Part of my charm."

Thelina laughed a little and put her hands down at her sides. "At the feast last night, Chel approached me. She suggested that you and I would marry some day."

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "Tulio probably loved that."

"He seemed…quite jealous," Thelina added. "He still cares about you, Miguel. He just won't say it."

Miguel sighed once more. I wish that were true.

"I'm nervous, I pace when I'm nervous," Tulio explained as he paced around the temple.

"You don't have to be," Chel giggled. "It's just a wedding. Come on, it's bed time."

"I'll be there in a minute," Tulio said. He continued his pacing, so deep in thought that he didn't stop until he literally walked right into Miguel. "Miguel!"

"Tulio," Miguel responded, surprised at Tulio's clumsiness.

"Sorry, I-" He stopped talking when Thelina appeared by Miguel's side. "Oh…hello."

"Lord Tulio," Thelina acknowledged.

"She's staying with me tonight," Miguel said, looking over Tulio's shoulder. He noticed Chel staring at them and he narrowed his eyes. "Tzekel Kan threatened her."

"He did what?" Tulio asked in shock.

"He told her to stay away from me or he would hurt her," Miguel added angrily. He noticed a glint of jealousy flash across Chel's face. "She's safer with me."

"Yeah," Tulio nodded in agreement.

Miguel looked at Tulio. "I told you he was up to no good." He then took Thelina by the hand and led her to the back of the temple.

Tulio frowned and watched Miguel walk away. Would he even believe me if I told him I'm sorry? He sighed sadly and walked over to join Chel in bed.

Miguel arranged the cushions on the floor a little better. "I'm sorry it's not much, but at least we're not completely on the ground."

"It's ok," Thelina said with a small smile. "I would sleep anywhere as long as you were with me."

Miguel smiled back, sitting back and patting the cushions next to him. "I'll sleep on the outside, just in case." He waited until Thelina was situated on the cushions before settling down himself. He pulled the blanket over then both and wrapped his arm around her. "Everything will be ok."

"I believe you," she said, snuggling against him. She relaxed, and the both of them fell asleep.

Tulio balled up his fists in his sleep. He was having the same nightmare again.

Tulio watched as the image of himself watched Miguel scream and write in agony on the ground.

"You will lose him forever," the same sinister voice as the night before said. "He will die."

"No, no please!" Tulio pleaded. "Please, I need him!" He was horrified as the image of himself turned to face him.

"Forget Miguel, remember?" his image sneered.

"I didn't mean that!" Tulio cried. He could feel tears welling in his eyes.

"You're nothing without him," his image continued, turning to look at Miguel. "But he will die and you will never have him again."

"No!" Tulio pleaded, falling to his knees. He gasped when Miguel turned his head weakly to look at him. "Miguel?"

"I…thought you…loved me," Miguel choked out. He closed his eyes and exhaled one last time.

"NO!" Tulio screamed, tears now pouring down his face.

"I could have kept him safe, alive," the voice of Tzekel Kan sounded. The high priest suddenly appeared and lifted Miguel's body from the ground.

"Please, give him to me," Tulio begged, stretching his arms out towards his deceased partner.

Tzekel Kan laughed evilly and turned to leave with Miguel. "He belongs to me now."

Tulio bolted upright once more, breathing heavy. He leapt from the bed and raced to the back of the temple once more, sighing in relief when he found Miguel sound asleep. He noticed that he had an arm wrapped around Thelina, and her arm was draped over his waist. A jolt of jealousy and sadness ripped through him. I have to accept that he's with her now. He isn't mine anymore.

"Lord Tulio?" a whispered voice spoke up.

Tulio looked up to find Thelina awake and looking at him. "Oh, sorry I woke you."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah I just…had a bad dream. I was checking to make sure you two were ok."

"Oh," she said sleepily.

Tulio sat back and looked at the two of them. Thelina was still covered, but Miguel had kicked the blanked off of himself. Tulio shook his head and covered him up again. "He always does that."

Thelina smiled tiredly. "You do still care about him."

Tulio looked down at Miguel intensely. "I love him."

Thelina's eyes widened. "You must tell him."

"I…can't," Tulio said in a defeated tone. "I've pushed him away so much recently…I don't think he would believe me."

Thelina frowned at the sad expression on Tulio's face. She was about to speak when Miguel stirred. "Miguel?"

"No, don't wake him up," Tulio said. "I should get back to bed, sorry I woke you." He stood up and hurried back to bed.

"Thelina?" Miguel asked sleepily, hardly opening his eyes. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just woke up from a dream," she replied, tucking some hair behind his ear.

"About what?"

She smiled a little. "Lord Tulio telling me that he loves you, but he is afraid to tell you."

"Hmm…that wouldn't happen."

She frowned as Miguel fell back to sleep quickly. If only you knew how true it is.

TBC

Sorry for the long wait in posting this chapter, the next one should be up sooner.