Title: Interlude: Remembrance
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Author's Note: I never got a chance to reply to the reviews from the last chapter of The Crucible, but I did post a review on the reviews page for that story, and it answers a lot of the reviews, so you can check that out if you would like. If you submitted a review to the last chapter, I strongly suggest you read my review because it answers some questions.
Background: This story takes us back to Earth, and back to the other three hybrids. You should read "Prologue: Checkmate" and "The Crucible" first, but if you haven't, here is what you need to know:
Tess did not kill Alex, but she was forced to flee Earth anyway. She sought sanctuary on Larek's planet and was trained in many of the aspects of ruling. Then she was betrayed to Khivar by someone she thought was a friend, Larek's planet was attacked, and she was forced to flee yet again. Larek, Tess' best friend Sria, and several others were killed in Khivar's attack. Tess ended up with her son in the middle of a great, barren desert on Antar, and is trying to cross it on foot in order to reach a Resistance base on the other side. It will take her three months to walk that far.
Meanwhile, on Earth, everyone found out that Tess did not kill Alex, and they realize that they sent her to her worst enemy. Tess had discovered that Khivar planned on turning Isabel into Vilandra (who is, in my story, pretty much evil), and had warned the other hybrid through a telepathic mind link. Isabel now knows that Khivar is after her.
This takes place around the middle of season three, at the point where Isabel is about to marry Jesse. Michael and Maria are still together, although their relationship is under some strain. Same with Max and Liz.
The words in bold italics are from Shakespeare, from Hamlet. It is part of a speech Ophelia delivers to her brother Laertes once she had gone crazy.
Interlude: Remembrance
There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. I beg you, love, remember…
Isabel opened her eyes and gasped, rolling over to her side on the bed and drawing a deep breath. Her body shook with pent up frustration and fear as she had been unable, yet again, to stave off the growing nightmare. Slowly, painfully, she pushed herself upright and swallowed back the urge to scream. Running a hand through her short brown hair, she closed her eyes and conjured up the image of the dream.
She was standing in a room. It was dimly lit with a deep red glow. One wall was covered in windows across its entire length. The windows were tall and draped in black silk curtains which fluttered back and forth in the breeze.
She was dressed in a long black ball gown. Her short hair was longer, and wrapped in an elaborate updo of curls and flowers. Diamond bracelets adorned her wrists, silver hoops hung from her hair. A necklace of ruby and sapphire graced her throat and neck, the only touch of color in her elaborate outfit.
And then the man would appear. Dressed in a tuxedo, his hair neatly combed and his eyes sparkling with warmth and love, he would step out to her, extending a single red rose.
And she would mentally scream at her body to stop, to turn around, to walk away, but it did no good. She always took the flower, always smiled seductively as she smelled the sweet scent, always tilted her head to one side just enough, as though inviting the guest to come closer.
And then she would wake up.
Wake up ready to scream.
"Isabel, are you alright?" Jesse asked, poking his head into the room, his eyes dark with concern.
"I'm fine," Isabel assured her fiancé. "Just have a little difficulty sleeping is all."
"Nerves?" Jesse questioned sympathetically. He walked into the room and took a seat on the bed next to Isabel. Straightening his tie in the mirror, he continued, "Yeah, me too. But don't worry, everything is going to be wonderful."
Isabel mustered a smile, nodding slowly. "Of course it will," she replied in a too high pitched voice. "I've got this entire wedding under control."
Jesse gave her an unsure look, then stood up and shrugged. "I've got to get to work. You would think your father would be more understanding that I'm so busy right now, what with the wedding and all… Especially since it is his daughter I am marrying."
This time Isabel's smile was real. "If you think that, you don't know my father that well," Isabel retorted, grinning.
Jesse leaned over and kissed his soon-to-be wife. "True, true," he murmured. Straightening up, he sent her one last concerned look before saying, "Well, call me if you need anything."
The moment he was out of the room, Isabel jumped out of bed and through open the door to her closet, quickly looking through her clothes. She pulled out jeans and a red top and started changing into them, but she couldn't keep her mind off the dream.
It had been so real, so tangible, so…
So wonderful.
And that scared her more than anything else.
"Max? Earth to Max?" Liz murmured, pressing her lips against Max's cheek. "Are you with me, Max?"
"Yeah, sorry," Max turned and kissed her, his tawny eyes studying the lines in his girlfriend's face. "My mind was on a different planet for a moment."
Liz glanced around the diner quickly to make sure they were not being overheard, then asked in a low voice, "Antar?"
Max ran a shaky hand through his hair and nodded slowly. It was the hardest for him to accept. The others were upset, scared, angry, ashamed…But it was the hardest for him. He had stood in that cave with her. He was the last one to see her before… Before she disappeared into the blinding, swirling mass of light and disappeared from their lives. Before he sent his wife and child into the great unknown. Into their enemies' hands. Into danger and God only knows what else. And he had sent them by themselves. Alone.
Were they alright? Had they survived? He would have given the world to know, but the answer was hidden from him. The universe was too great for even his sister's powers to cross. Not without Tess' help, and she was unlikely to give it again. No, he could not enter their dreams, could not talk to them, could not apologize.
Please forgive me.
The words choked in his throat. He wanted to scream them to the heavens, but what was the use? She would not hear. She could not hear.
And he knew that even if she could, she would not care.
What could a simple sorry mean in the face of everything they had done? Everything he had done.
"I wonder about my son, you know?" Max murmured. "What does he look like? His hair, is it gold like Tess', or brown like my own? Curly or straight? And his eyes, what color are they? Brilliant blue like hers? Or a dark brown? Or were they some other color? Green? Or gray? Hazel?"
He would never know.
Because he had stood in that cave and he had called her a traitor, and he had not thought that maybe, just maybe, she was innocent.
Liz placed a hand on his arm and tried to think of something comforting to say. But she came up blank. So instead of saying anything, she just sat there in silence, listening to the sound of her own breathing.
Inside, her heart was breaking. Max had been like this for months now, ever since they learned the truth about Alex's death. And then he had gone on his crazy mission to save Tess and his son. He had broken laws, traveled across states, and done everything possible in his reckless and desperate attempt to contact the missing hybrid Queen.
And everything else in his life had been pushed onto the back burner.
Including her.
There was no doubt in Liz's mind that he loved her, and not Tess. But there was also very little doubt that, if Tess were to reenter their lives, Max would have no choice but to try and make things work with her. For the sake of everything they had been so wrong about, for the sake of his son, Max would leave Liz.
And if he didn't do that, he wouldn't be the Max that Liz fell in love with. Because the person that Liz loved with all her heart was the boy-king who put such great emphasis on family. Who did stupid and reckless things to protect the people he cared about. Who, when he made mistakes, tried to fix them.
And now, with their son, Max and Tess were a family.
That was the irony of it all. If Max didn't seek out Tess, Liz wouldn't love him as much. If he continued to seek out Tess, Liz knew her relationship would slowly deteriorate. No matter what Max did, she was going to lose him.
Michael yawned and walked over to the door of his apartment, groaning. He could tell by the repeated knocks that the person at the door was one of two people. Maria, or…
"Isabel," Michael greeted, pulling the door all the way open. "Shouldn't you be torturing Maria and Liz with more requests for planning the wedding?"
"Oh, very funny," Isabel snapped, walking into the apartment without waiting for the invitation. She ran a hand through her messed up hair and closed her eyes, throwing herself onto the sofa with a grown. "Is Max here?"
"No," Michael answered, closing the door. "He's off with Liz somewhere." Michael yawned again. "I'm glad to, because he's been sulking around the apartment for days now. Ever since that failed attempt to leave us all and fly off into outer space." Michael rolled his eyes, half-mocking, half-bitter.
Max had spent the past few weeks pursuing a lead on his 'I must save Tess and my son,' mission. The lead had taken him to California, and to a big-name Hollywood producer and director who, as it turned out, was an alien and, bizarrely enough, had access to a spaceship. In one last final attempt to right the horrible wrong they had all committed back in May, Max had ordered the alien to take him on the craft to Antar. And although both Michael and Isabel were a little unclear as to the exact details of what happened, they did know that everything had gone wrong, Max had been unable to leave, and the director-producer alien now hated them all for some reason beyond their comprehension but having to do with his ability to taste lemons.
Max had not really wanted to divulge the full details of the event, and neither Michael nor Isabel pressed the issue, but the hybrid king had been in a sullen mood since his return, and it was driving Michael crazy.
Isabel nodded. "Yeah, I know. He's been short with me and our parents also." She wrapped her arms around herself and stared blankly ahead, her eyes filled with worry. "Michael, I've had a dream."
"What?" Michael asked, confused. "What's wrong with dreaming?"
"I'm in this room, dressed as a princess, and this man approaches and offers me a rose. And I beckon him closer and then…"
"Woah," Michael interrupted, raising his hands up in front of himself as though to ward off her words. "I really don't need to know what happens next, Izzy."
Isabel shook her head in disgust and retorted, "If that had been happening in my dreams, trust me, Michael, I would not be telling you about it." She paused, glaring at Michael for a moment, then continued, "After I beckon him forward, I wake up."
"Oh, but you miss the best part," Michael pointed out, flashing Isabel a disarming grin.
Isabel stood up and started pacing, her eyes wandering over the room. "You don't get it, do you?" she snapped. "I don't want to wake up, I just do. And I'm so disappointed when it happens… I actually had to take a cold shower yesterday morning!"
"Wow, didn't want to know that," Michael commented. "But thanks for the visual."
"Michael, would you just listen to me?" Isabel asked, her voice breaking slightly. Hearing the emotion behind her words, Michael lapsed into immediate silence, gesturing for her to continue. Isabel drew a breath and said, "They seemed so real, Michael. What if they are? What if…what if the guy in the dream is…"
"Is who?" Michael pressed, although he was fairly certain he already knew the answer.
"Khivar?" Isabel breathed. "What if this person is Khivar?"
"What if it is?" Michael replied. "You're just dreaming."
"We don't know that," Isabel countered heatedly. "Tess warned me! She warned us, she said this was going to happen…"
"She said you were going to start having fantasy dreams about Khivar?" Michael questioned, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.
Isabel rolled her eyes. "Well, not that exactly. But she said that Khivar wanted to come after me. He wants Vilandra." She threw herself unceremoniously back on to the sofa. "Why aren't you taking this seriously."
"I am," Michael said heavily. "Trust me, I am. Tess warned you that he was coming, so you could be right about this. But, Izzy, it's been almost three months since Tess warned you and you've been paranoid about everything. Every shadow, every tap of a tree limb against your window, every footstep on the cement behind you…you've seen Khivar in all of them."
"This is different," Isabel said, shaking her head worriedly. "This is real, I know it is.' She closed her eyes for a moment, then continued, "Michael, Tess said that you and Max are the key to stopping this. Just promise me, whatever happens, you'll try and get me back."
Michael got up and crossed the space between the two of them, then kneeled down in front of Isabel. "Izzy, listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to you because we aren't going to let it. I'm not going to let it happen. I'll protect you. Max and I, we won't let Khivar take you. I promise."
Isabel smiled gratefully and reached out to hug Michael. "Thank you," she murmured. That was all she needed to hear. Michael told her that he would protect her, and she felt safe.
And there's pansies, that's for thoughts…
"What do you think?" Michael muttered as he watched Jesse and Isabel talking quietly. They were sitting on a bench at the park, and Jesse was gently moving a strand of Isabel's short brown hair out of her eyes. She was smiling at him, but her smile was tinged with apprehension, an apprehension born of her nightly dreams.
Max and Michael were standing on the other side of the small park, each one glaring at the interaction for entirely different reasons. Max clenched his teeth and debated all of the many ways he could hurt Jesse if the man did anything that even remotely upset Isabel. Michael watched with brooding eyes, running through a mental list of reasons he should be happy for Isabel, and finding that none of them calmed his growing jealousy.
"I don't trust him," Max growled. "What if he's FBI?" He bit his lip and glanced around the park, as though expecting the Special Unit to suddenly jump out from behind some trees and cart the three of them off to the white room.
"What if he's another alien?" Michael asked slowly, thinking over Isabel's dreams. At Isabel's request, had not told Max about them, although he wanted to.
"Like a skin?" Max asked slowly, nodding and narrowing his eyes at Jesse, who had now slid an arm around Isabel's shoulders. "Oh…what if he's Khivar?" The idea suddenly occurred to him and he felt his heart momentarily stop beating.
"We need a sample of his blood," Michael suggested.
Max nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving his sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. "Yeah…" He rubbed his weary eyes and finally turned away. "I don't want Isabel to get hurt."
"Me neither," Michael agreed emphatically. He closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "I keep thinking about Tess' warning. It was so vague. We don't know what is happening, when it is happening, or how to stop it. She was hardly any help."
"Maybe she didn't know much," Max replied quietly, his heart twisting with guilt as he thought of Tess.
"Or maybe she was concealing information to be spiteful," Michael pointed out. "She wouldn't tell Isabel anything."
"Can you blame her?" Max asked, turning haunted eyes to his best friend.
"If her anger put Isabel's life in danger, then yes, I can," Michael answered stubbornly. He swallowed back his fury at the complete helplessness of the situation and looked back over at Isabel.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Kyle asked as he watched his father sandpaper the rough sides of a baseball bat. The two of them were standing in the garage, and Kyle was eerily reminded of the time that he and Tess had stood here and asked the same question. It had been shortly after his father had lost his job as Sheriff, after Max and the others had screwed up his life, and he had been depressed. They had both been depressed.
And Alex's death and all the events that surrounded it had not made anything better.
"I'm making a baseball bat," Valenti replied shortly, his eyes never leaving the wood in his hands.
"Why?" Kyle demanded, his voice slightly harsher than he had intended. But he was scared, and lost, and his father was not helping the situation any. "Dad! Listen to me. I know this year has been hard on you, on both of us. But…I need you to help me. I can't do this, I can't… Dad, you need to…you need to be my Dad again!" His voice broke slightly as he said the words and he stumbled over the last sentence.
Valenti looked up at Kyle. He was silent for a moment, then he shrugged and said, "I don't how, Kyle. I don't know what you want me to do."
"Just be the person you were before," Kyle replied quietly, sinking into a chair next to his father. "Just be that person again."
"I am," Valenti countered. When Kyle opened his mouth to argue, Valenti raised a hand and stalled whatever Kyle was about to say. "No, Kyle, listen to me. Before Tess came into our lives, this was the type of father I was. It was only after Tess came that we started being a family again…She made us feel more like a family than we had since your mother walked out. Now she's gone, and I don't know how to get that back." There was a painful silence, then he continued, "And I'm guessing you don't either."
Kyle buried his head in his hands and closed his eyes, realizing just how right his father was. Tess had made them a family, and they had turned on her, and now… Now they had no idea what to do next.
Peace was not an easy thing to find.
"What is that?" Isabel demanded, crossing the room in an instant and staring at the microscope propped up on Max's bed. She shoved her brother out of the way and leaned over the eyepiece, glancing at the magnified blood cells below. Her voice becoming positively glacial, she asked, "Is this Jesse's blood?"
Max and Michael exchanged a worried glanced and then max answered hesitantly, "Yes, it is. And it is perfectly human, as you can see…"
Isabel spun on him, her face flushed with anger. "You pricked Jesse to look at his blood? What is wrong with you?" Her voice was harsh, her expression furious.
"He didn't know," Max defended himself quickly. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared back at Isabel. "We did it cautiously so Jesse wouldn't suspect. I just accidentally stuck a pin into him when I was helping him try get fitted in the tuxedo for the wedding…"
"That doesn't make it right!" Isabel retorted angrily.
"We were trying to protect you," Max countered. "I'm your brother, Michael is your friend, that's what we do!"
"By lying to me?" Isabel snapped. She threw here coat down on the bed and glanced at the door to Max's bedroom. Using her powers to close and lock the door, to make sure that her parents would not overhear, she growled in a low voice, "Why couldn't you just come to me?"
"We didn't want to worry you with this," Michael answered. "You were stressed out about the wedding enough as it is." Isabel glared at him and opened her mouth to respond, but Michael pushed on, not letting her speak. "Khivar is after you, Isabel. You are in danger, we are all in danger! And we have no idea what we are up against. Is it so unreasonable that we would to make sure that Jesse isn't a threat? Especially after your dreams…" He stopped abruptly, remembering too late that he had promised not to tell Max.
"What dreams?" Max cut in, his expression darkening.
Isabel and Michael both turned and looked at him, unsure of what to say. Isabel, slightly faltering, began the explanation of her dreams, and Max's expression grew more and more grave by the moment.
"And then, after a beckon him forward, I wake up," Isabel finished apprehensively, glancing from her brother to Michael.
"And you think it could be Khivar?" Max asked slowly, running a hand through his hair. He licked his suddenly dry lip and demanded, "Why are you only telling me about this now?"
Isabel sent him a cold smirk and replied in a haughty tone, "You're so stressed out, what with the wedding come up and all…" she gestured to the microscope, her voice icy. "I didn't want to worry you."
Liz pushed a strand of brown hair out of her eyes and glanced over at her best friend. The blonde waitress was carrying a tray of plates and cups back from one of the tables. The men at the table she had just cleared were getting up to leave, although both were clearly giving her a once-over with their eyes.
"Looks like a couple of guys are checking you out," Liz murmured to Maria as the other girl drew near.
Maria rolled her eyes. "They've been doing it all night. Making suggestive comments and things like that." She slammed the tray down on the counter and shook her head in annoyance. "I tried to tell them that I already had a boyfriend, but they wouldn't listen."
Liz smiled slightly, but turned away. Yes, Maria did have a boyfriend. But for how long? She had seen the way Michael stared at Isabel, the jealousy in his eyes whenever Jesse entered the room. She saw the same look in Max's eyes, and so a part of her hoped that Michael's feeling were simply brotherly concern.
The other part of her knew better.
Whatever Michael felt for Isabel, it was more than just brotherly love.
"Penny for your thoughts, chica?" Maria asked.
Liz looked over at Maria and then looked down, not wanting to admit what she was thinking. But Maria was anything but oblivious, and she the guilty look in Liz's eyes, and she knew.
"Thinking about destiny?" Maria whispered softly.
Liz swallowed and nodded. "The wedding is tomorrow," she replied. "We've done everything for Isabel, booked a band, found a dress, figured out the flowers and the food… She's going to have the perfect wedding, but I just can't help but wonder…"
"If she has the right groom?" Maria demanded, a hard edge to her voice. She did not like what Liz was implying.
Liz met Maria's eyes for a moment, then looked away. "I wonder it with Max, sometimes," she said, avoiding directly responding to Maria's question, but implying the answer. "Even though I know that he does not love Tess, not the way he loves me, I still think… I think that destiny will always be there. Even when she is gone, Tess will always be there. Always standing in between us, keeping us apart."
Maria sighed heavily. "I know. I feel it too, Michael's pulling away from me. I know he loves me, and I love him, but the minute Isabel announced that she was getting married…" She swallowed and looked down at the tile floor. "Destiny. What a perfectly miserable concept."
Liz bit her lip and contemplated the truth in Maria's words. She gave a short, bitter chuckle, and nodded in agreement. "I don't think it ever brought any of us happiness, not even Tess."
Isabel adjusted the diamond bracelet on her wrist and looked towards the man who was approaching her, a single red rose in his outstretched hand. She waited until he was standing directly in front of her, all the while expecting to wake up. But the dream continued, and Isabel picked up the courage to finally speak.
"I don't want your flower, Khivar," she said firmly, staring at the handsome man. "I'm marrying Jesse tomorrow, and I am going to live happily ever after with him. And you will never be able to take that from me."
As she said the words, she felt a cold wind blow through the room, a wind that chilled her to her bones. The man smiled up at her, silent and still, but his eyes were filled with something, some emotion she could not quite place. Was it longing? Desire? Passion?
Her skin began to crawl. The man dropped the flower to the ground and ran a hand over the skin on Isabel's arm, moving so close to her that she could feel his breathing.
Isabel swallowed, stepped backward, and whispered, "Goodbye, Khivar." Every muscle in her body ached to stay in this room, and deep inside her, she could feel Vilandra struggling to the surface, wanting to break free. With one final, Herculean effort, she turned and walked away, ending the dream.
Just as the dream ended, the man spoke, his voice echoing around the room, softly and full of double meanings. "There is never a goodbye for us, Vilandra."
And Isabel woke up with a start, her face covered in sweat, her head throbbing painfully.
There's fennel for you, and columbines…
"I, Isabel Amanda, take thee, Jesse Esteban, to be my wedded husband."
"I, Jesse Esteban, take thee, Isabel Amanda, to be my wedded wife."
"In sickness and in health..."
"In plenty and in want..."
"Through joy and through sorrow..."
"So long as we both shall live."
"By the authority committed unto me, as a minister of the church of Jesus Christ, I now proclaim that Jesse and Isabel are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Jesse leaned forward to kiss the brunette beauty in front of him, his heart filling with happiness and love as he did so. He could see a perfect future ahead of them, one full of Sundays at the park with their children and Friday nights under the stars. Everything would be just perfect for them, he could feel it.
Isabel danced slowly with Kyle, staring across the dance floor as Jesse and her father talked in quiet undertones. "I bet my Dad is already trying to figure out how he can get Jesse to skip the honeymoon and stay to work at the firm," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Kyle laughed. "He seriously isn't going to cut the guy some slack? You two just got married."
"Yeah, and now that Jesse is officially a member of the family, Dad thinks he can work him to death." Isabel smiled slightly and turned her attention back to Kyle. "How are you doing?" she asked gently, noting the lack of warmth in Kyle's eyes.
Kyle sighed and lowered his gaze. "It's been hard for Dad and me, I guess," he admitted. "Hard to move on, you know? Hard to let go of the past."
"She loved you," Isabel murmured. The statuesque hybrid closed her eyes for a moment, picturing Tess. She could see Tess teasing Kyle about something, or cooking dinner for Valenti, smiling and happy. Before Alex and the shape-shifter, before everything else happened, before…
"Not anymore, she doesn't," Kyle replied.
Isabel shook her head emphatically, denying Kyle's statement. "She still loves you. She loves you and your father so much, because you were like family to her. We…we actually were her family…and we turned on her…but you…" Isabel's voice was choked with guilt. "She loves you."
Kyle looked away. "I really wish I believed that," he replied as they danced slowly to the gentle rhythm of the band.
"Then do," Isabel pressed. "She wouldn't want you to be unhappy."
The song ended and Kyle held Isabel's gaze for a beat. Then he stepped away and said, "Thanks for the dance, Isabel. And…thanks for everything else." He turned and walked away, and the next man approached Isabel.
"May I have a dance with the bride?" the man asked. Isabel turned and stared at him, her eyes widening slightly. There was a pause, awkward and silent, as she groped for something to say. "Don't say anything, Vilandra," the man continued. "Just act natural. Act happy." He stepped close to her and produced a single red rose. "You will have many more happy days after this one."
Then the man slipped away through the crowd, leaving Isabel alone and scared.
"He was here? He was actually here?" Michael demanded hoarsely, looking around quickly, his eyes full of anger and worry. "Where?"
"On the dance floor," Isabel whispered back. The two of them were seated at a table in the corner of the room, talking quietly. Although Isabel was still furious at Max and Michael for taking samples of Jesse's blood, she could no longer deny the serious danger they were all in. Max and Liz were out on the dance floor, Maria and Jesse were talking to Mr. Evans, and Kyle was engaged in conversation with his father and Mrs. Parker.
So she had gone to Michael, her heart beating erratically with fear, but knowing instinctively that he would calm her down.
"I don't see anyone who looks like an alien," Michael commented, scanning the crowd.
"He didn't look like an alien. He looked like a normal person. He looked like us," Isabel hissed back, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from going into hysterics. This could not be happening, not today, not at her wedding.
"How is that possible?" Michael questioned. "Do you think he is possessing someone?"
"How would I know?" Isabel snapped back. She ran a hand through her hair and looked away from Michael, feeling guilty for taking her frustration out on him, but still furious at what was happening.
"We need to tell Max, Liz, Maria, and Kyle. And Valenti. We've got to be prepared," Michael whispered. He stood up and leaned across the table, placing a hand on Isabel's shoulder. "I'm going to go tell Max now, okay? I'll be right back."
Isabel looked up at him with worried eyes, but nodded slowly. "Hurry," she murmured.
"Izzy, listen to me," Michael said firmly, reaching out with his other hand and placing it on her shoulder. "I won't let him get you. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Max and I will protect you, no matter what." Isabel gave him a half-hearted smile, and he turned and walked away.
Isabel closed her eyes and leaned her head on her palms, propping her elbows up on the table. She took a few breaths, trying to calm her nerves. But no matter what she did, she could not keep the fear from growing in her stomach.
A hand touched her shoulder and a voice whispered comfortingly, "It's alright, my Love. You're alright. You're safe. You're with me."
Isabel's eyes snapped open and she stared up into the handsome face of her worst nightmare. "Khivar…" she breathed.
"I'm here, Vilandra," he whispered back, leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips. Isabel pulled away and tried to scream, but no sound would come out of her mouth. Khivar's hand gripped her shoulder firmly, pulling her to her feet. "Come, my Love." He guided her out of the pavilion where the party was being held and down the steps along a pathway through the lawn. She wanted to pull away, but found she could not. Her feet would not obey her mental command.
"What do you mean?" Max asked in fear as he dropped Liz's hand and stepped away from her towards Michael. Liz followed his quickly, fear in her pretty brown eyes, as she listened to Michael's explanation.
"Khivar is here. At the party," Michael repeated. He scanned the crowd once more, searching for anyone he didn't recognize, anyone who might be the skin King in disguise. He shook his head in frustration and fear, not finding any clues in the crowded room.
"How is he here?" Liz asked, pushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes.
"I don't know," Michael replied. "Maybe he's possessed someone, like Larek does with Brody."
"Great. So he is in the body of some perfectly innocent person we can't kill?" Max hissed. "How are we supposed to stop him?"
"I don't know," Michael repeated. He turned and glanced over at the table that he and Isabel had been at moments before, and felt his heart stop beating.
Isabel was not there.
About fifty feet from the pavilion was a small grove of trees. Khivar lead Isabel behind the trees so that they were concealed from view, then he turned and looked at her, his hard expression melting into one of infinite love and carrying. "I've waited so long for you, Vilandra," he whispered. "But you are here now, and it was well worth the wait to have you back."
"They'll miss me at the party, you know," Isabel pointed out. "You can't just kidnap the bride and expect to go unnoticed."
"I hardly kidnapped you," Khivar replied smugly. "You came on your own accord." He released her hand and stepped away from her. "Go back, if you wish." Isabel stared at him, unable to move, unable to muster the strength to walk away. She couldn't help but stay there and stare into the deep brown eyes of the man in front of her.
"Kyle, you make sure that Jesse stays here, and does not get suspicious," Max instructed. He turned to Liz and Maria. "You two, stick with my parents, make sure they don't start asking too many questions, okay? And keep and eye out for anyone else who might be a problem."
"Okay," Liz agreed, and she and Maria disappeared to find the Evans, while Kyle sought out Jesse.
Max watched them go, then turned to Michael. "Come on," he said. "We've got a sister to save." The two left the party, their faces grim and drawn.
"Max and Michael will come after you, you know," Isabel said quietly, staring icily up at Khivar. She swallowed her fear, willing herself to be strong and brave. "They'll come for me."
"They'll be too late," Khivar laughed. He abruptly took a step forward and kissed Isabel passionately, and stars burst behind her closed eyelids. Colors swirled around her, fire pounded through her veins, emotions she could barely identify rose in her heart. And unwanted, unbidden, but horrifyingly powerful, a new presence surged within her.
Vilandra had awoken.
There's rue for you, and here's some for me. We may call it 'herb of grace…'
Vilandra stepped away from the trees and wrapped her arms around Khivar's waist, leaning forward and kissing him. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled seductively. "Thanks for the lift, my Love," she whispered.
"Always," Khivar replied with a grin. "No matter where you go, I'll find you and come for you. Always."
"Shall we return to Antar?" Vilandra suggested, sliding her hands down Khivar's back. "I've got a few ideas of what to do when we get there."
"We're not in any rush," Khivar replied. "I've got new technology that will take us there instantly."
"Really?" Vilandra raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do show me," she purred.
Khivar raised his hand to oblige with the request, but two figures appeared suddenly, stepping out from the surrounding trees.
"Get away from my sisters, scum," Max snarled, his face twisted with fury and rage. He faltered slightly at the sight of Isabel wrapped in Khivar's arm, and at her completely black eyes. His heart sunk as he realized instantly what had happened.
"Hello, brother," Vilandra drawled.
"Hello, Vilandra," Max replied, his eyes narrowing. "Get out of my sister's body!"
"Don't be silly, Zan. I am your sister," Vilandra shot back.
"The hell you are," Max replied. He turned angry eyes to Khivar. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing," Khivar answered with an infuriatingly smug smirk. "I just gave her the chance to be free."
"We didn't come unprepared, you know," Michael spoke up, edging forward. "Tess warned us what you were up to. We knew you were coming." His voice was filled with bravery and courage he did not feel, but hell would freeze over before he let Isabel be taken by the skin King.
For a moment, Khivar said nothing, his face blank. Whatever emotions he was feeling were hidden behind the mask. In truth, he was surprised. He knew that the Queen had left the planet, and, although he had been unsuccessful in locating her, he knew that she was somewhere close to him, helping the Resistance wage war. He did not like to admit it, but the Resistance at that damnable Queen were beginning to be a nasty thorn in his side. But he did not realize just how much they knew of his plans. He would have to be more careful in the future.
But it was no matter now. The shape-shifter had made a full report of the events on Earth, and he knew that the other three hybrids had betrayed their Queen. And he knew that, given the right lies and manipulations, they would do it again.
"And you believed her?" Khivar asked, laughing slightly, his voice cold and hollow. "You actually believed what she told you?" He shook his head in amusement. "You are every bit as gullible as she said you were."
"Wh-what?" Max stumbled over the word, his question diffident and confused.
"Fool!" Khivar sneered. "She played you. She and my shape-shifter made you believe that she was innocent. It was all an elaborate plot and you fell for it, for the trap. Hook, line, and sinker."
"What are you talking about?" Michael snarled, unwilling to believe Khivar, unwilling to make the same mistake about Tess twice. But if it was true, if Tess had betrayed them, if she had put Isabel in any danger…
"She needed you to think that she was innocent so that you would believe her when she contacted you. So that you would take her warning." Khivar paused, his mind working furiously behind his sneering façade. The Queen could not have known much, his plans were too well guarded, he was sure of that. Which meant that any advice she had given them had to be vague. Unclear. And since the Queen did not have the power of mental connections, she also had to have connected through Isabel…"Let me guess. She gave you vague warnings, but didn't spell it out…"
Michael glared at Khivar, then exchanged a brief glance with Max. Max folded his arms over his chest and said, "What if she did?"
"She didn't come to warn you," Khivar said contemptuously. "She entered Vilandra's mind in order to make her susceptible to me. She planted the first seed of change in your precious hybrid sister's heart. She is the reason I could bring Vilandra out so easily."
"I she really?" Vilandra asked with detached surprised. "I should thank her for that, then."
Michael flushed red with anger as he stared at Isabel. He was going to find that traitorous hybrid and tear her limb from limb. Max, however, stiffened and replied coolly, "You're lying."
"Am I?" Khivar asked, raising an eyebrow. "I struck a deal with her. She could come back to Antar and rule under me so long as she returned with two things." Khivar paused, smirking, and watched the fury and doubt flickering through his rival's eyes. "Your son and Vilandra. Everything Ava did, every move she made, ever interaction she ever had with you, it was leading up to this point. This one moment in time when I could bring my love back to me."
Max stared at Khivar, then shifted his gaze to Vilandra. Was that true? He didn't know. He didn't want to believe that Tess would betray him like this, but at the same time, it would make things easier for him if it was true. He didn't want to have been so wrong about her the first time around. If she was nothing more than a murdering traitor, he did not have to feel guilt that he had sent her away. But if she was innocent…
How could he betray her again?
But this was Isabel, this was his sister, and past wife or not, Tess could never be as important to him as Isabel was.
"It doesn't matter," Max said finally. "I don't care about Tess. Just give me my sister."
Khivar laughed maliciously, sensing the doubt and pain that was eating away at Max's heart. "She's my love, not your sister," Khivar replied.
"Isabel…" Max turned and appealed to the brunette hybrid.
"You were a fool, Zan," Vilandra snarled, her voice filled with loathing. "You destroyed us, destroyed what could have been the most powerful ruling house Antar has ever seen. And for what? Equality and social change." Her tone was filled with derision. "You wanted to make the poor prosper, and you ruined it. You ruined us."
"I can't just let you leave," Michael interceded, walking determinedly towards Vilandra.
She barely blinked. With a casual wave of a hand, she sent Michael flying through the air and crashing painfully into a tree. He fell to the ground with a thud, and lay there for a moment, motionless and stunned. Then he stumbled shakily to his feet and stared at Vilandra in quiet shock.
"I'm ready to get off this planet," Vilandra remarked, turning to Khivar.
Khivar raised his hand, and in the sky high above them, a window appeared. Through the clouds, they could see a set of clear stars and inky sky. Beams streamed down from the hole in the sky, creating a column of light.
"Step into it, my Love. Let's go home."
"Isabel, wait," Max begged. "Stay with us. We love you. You're my sister."
"Remember that time in fourth grade when you threw a temper tantrum because Mrs. Collins wouldn't let you write your homework in pink crayon?" Michael said abruptly, stumbling forward. "Or the time when Hank was really drunk and broke the window to our trailer and you let me stay with you all week until it got fixed? And do you remember learning how to drive? We both did it at the same time, and I was so sure you were going to get us all killed. Remember that, Isabel? We were with you then. We've been with you all along, for all of those events. For your entire life. We are your family, and we love you. Please, don't leave us." He was begging now, his voice thick with fear and longing. He turned to Max and hissed, "Come on, help me with this."
"What about the time in sixth grade when Michael punched the boy…Peter?...because he made some comment about you being nice to look at?" Max added. "Remember how we used to wander out in the desert, or how we would stay up late at night and watch the stars and guess which was home." Max swallowed his tears at those memories. "Do you remember what I said to you when we were preparing to leave Earth, Izzy? I told you that I was not afraid in the desert, because you were my home. You still are, Isabel. You are my sister, you are my home, and I can't do this without you. Please. Fight this. Fight him. Come back with me."
Vilandra and Khivar moved towards the light, but Vilandra was hesitating, her steps getting slower and slower as Max and Michael spoke. When she finally reached the column of light, her eyes were filled with indecision, and the black was slowly fading out of them.
"Vilandra…" Khivar reached towards her. "I love you."
Vilandra swallowed and looked up at Khivar. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately, clinging to him for a moment. Then she stepped away and whispered, "Vilandra loves you too." Her eyes suddenly lost their darkness, turning completely back to normal. "But I'm not Vilandra. And if you ever come back here again, I will kill you myself."
Isabel shoved him backward and into the light, and for a moment Khviar seemed to hover in air, immobilized. Then particles of light rose out of his body and flew up into the sky, disappearing into the stars in a spiral of black and white light. The body Khivar had been possessing collapsed to the ground, the man unconscious, and the beam of light disappeared, the sky returning to normal.
"Izzy?" Max whispered, taking a step towards his sister.
"I almost left you," Isabel gasped, tears pricking at her eyes and falling over her cheeks in a cascade of saltwater.
"But you didn't. You're here. You're still with us," Max murmured.
"You promised me," Isabel sobbed suddenly, doubling over as her vision began to blur and stars danced in front of her eyes. "You promised me you wouldn't let anything happen to me! You lied." Her words were choked, as though she was having trouble forcing them through her dry lips.
Michael knelt down beside her and pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's okay, Izzy. It's okay."
"Okay?" Isabel bit back a bitter laugh. "Vilandra's there, Michael. She's always there, no matter how hard I try to ignore her. I can still feel her in me, screaming to break through. How is that okay? How can it ever be okay?"
Somewhere far beyond the imagination of anyone but a small handful of people from a tiny town in the New Mexico desert, on a small planet that circled a bright star, a woman opened her eyes with a start and stared around the darkness of the desert she was trapped in. She sat up and ran a hand through her blonde curls, trying to make sense of her confusing dream.
They thought she was a traitor again. Or, at least, they questioned her innocence. Khivar had struck again, had gotten them to betray her… How would they remember her now? What would they say when they looked back on the year she had spent with them? Would they tell stories to their children of the traitor who tried to kill them all? Would their misconceptions of her haunt them forever? Would she never have a chance to be accepted?
At least Kyle and Jim still trusted her. At least they still believed in her. Khivar had not tricked them. She drew strength from that, from the knowledge that Khivar's lies and deception had not fooled the humans she loved so much.
The sun rose over the far away mountains, and the world began to slowly light up, the sand shinning golden in the heat. She looked off into the distance and swallowed back her anger and her fear. No use dwelling on old wounds. She couldn't change the past, but she could change the future. And this was the last time that Khivar would ever hurt her, she would make sure of that.
And whatever those left on Earth remembered her as, Antar would remember her as a Queen.
There's rosemary, that's for remembrance…
This story ends where The Crucible began. I would recommend going back and reading the first chapter of The Crucible (The Obliterated) because it helps tie the first half of my series together. The second half will focus on Antar again, and on the war between Khivar and the Resistance. The next story will be titled Mythology, and the first chapter of it should be posted by Monday or Tuesday, January 23 or 24.