What We Missed Out On(Adult)M/L--9/13/07(Ch23) [WIP]

[StormWolfstone]

Chapter 20


Liz leaned against the bathroom door, tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t even know why she had reacted so badly, why she couldn’t talk to Max about everything that had happened. She loved him; she had never stopped loving him. It was just, the memories that had attacked her mind while he was holding her, she knew he wasn’t the one that had hurt her… knew with all her heart, soul and mind…

Yet, she knew she couldn’t put herself back out there, even as she heard him call through the door. She couldn’t bring herself to respond, wanting nothing more then to open the door and run out to be held in his arms. As she stood there, she let herself slide down to sit on the floor and hugged her knees as best as she could despite being careful of her babies.

Closing her eyes, she let the tears flow down her cheeks, images flashing through her mind even as she felt the babies shifting within her womb. “I’m sorry little ones. I wish you could know your daddy.” She sighed as she opened her eyes.

“Liz, please… what’s wrong?” Max’s voice called through the door.

“Liz… Liz.” She could still hear Max but somehow suddenly there seemed to be a woman’s voice calling her name over and over again. And before she knew it, she felt like she was somewhere else, seeing something else.

A meadow seemed to stretch out before her and Max’s voice was gone. “Liz, you have to listen to me.”

Liz turned to see someone, a lovely woman standing there before her. “Who…?”

“I need you to listen carefully, I don’t have much time.” The woman said, her emerald eyes stared at Liz without making her uncomfortable, “You can’t let your babies be born. They have to die. If you let them live, the world will perish. You have to kill them before they are born.”

“No, I can’t kill my children.”

“You have to Liz. If you don’t, humanity with end and all that you love will die…” The voice seemed to fade and moments later the surrounding area was the bathroom but she could still smell the meadow.



Liz stood on shaky legs, the words repeated in her mind and she felt ill. “Don’t worry little ones, I won’t let anyone hurt you.” She whispered lightly and held onto her stomach as she opened the door and saw Max standing there, saw the sudden relief on his face.

“Liz, what is it? You look pale, like you’ve seen a ghost…” Max began and Liz simply let herself fall against him, unable to hold back.

“They want me to kill my babies, Max. I can’t kill my babies, I can’t.” Liz cried as she felt his arms wrap around her.

“You don’t have to, Liz. No one will make you.”

“You don’t understand… they said I have to or my children will destroy the world… that humanity will end.” Liz sobbed, clinging to him and barely reacting when he lifted her in his arms and carried her out toward one of the other rooms. “I know I kept things… and did things and I know that you… you aren’t happy that I’m pregnant by a future version of you that is not in existence now… I’m…”

“Shh, it’s okay. You don’t have to think about that right now or ever. I love you, Liz. Nothing is going to change that and I’m right here.” Max told her softly as he placed her down on the bed gently and then sat, pulling her in against him to simply hold her. “I’m here, Liz. Relax.”




“Max, do you feel that?” Maria asked as they cuddled in the cave. It still felt strange being back in time. It felt completely unnatural and yet having seen the man she now loved as his young self had been rather interesting. The sensation that went through her however was causing her to worry.

“I felt it.” Max replied as he sat up, running a hand through his hair as he stood and frowned as he held a hand out to her. “I don’t like it anymore then you do, but we really don’t have much choice. Something is shifting.”

Maria lifted her hand and let him help her to her feet and as they stared into each others eyes, they felt things fade, fell through. Then, Maria stood there solid but her Max was gone, leaving her alone. “No!”

She shook her head, how could this be? Why had she been left alone? Why had things been changed in such a way? This isn’t how it was supposed to turn out. Tears slipped down her cheek as she felt the loss strongly, wishing beyond all things that she had him in her arms and hadn’t come to the past. There was only one thing she could do, wait.

Had something happened between Max and Liz in this time that changed what would happen for just him, not quite changing her own future?

[StormWolfstone]

Chapter 21



Sarieta looked around the room in concern, her expression barely revealing that emotion. “Describe her to me, Liz.” She said this for the fifth time and shook her head, trying to get all the details into her head.

“I’ve told you. Her hair was waist length, gold and black in different tones. It was simply entrancing; her eyes seemed to swirl with different hues of blue. There was something familiar about her, but yet I know I’ve never met her before. Somehow I felt as though… she knew things, things that were real and true and she seemed to really want to help me save people… but I can’t… I won’t kill my babies.” Liz explained yet again.

“We will not make you, Liz.” Helos responded softly as he put a hand on Sar’s shoulder. “Love, let’s give Liz space. We’ve figured out all we can for the moment. We will have to allow Tika to aid in seeking the mistress out and gaining more answers.”

“Who is this woman?” The question came from Maria who was sitting huddled in against Michael. It was the expression on her face that caught Sarieta by surprise, it was stubborn, strong and filled with determination unlike anything she could recognize from what they had seen of her before.

“The mistress is a seer, a prophetess who sees things. She is ancient, older then even we are, it is believed that she is the one that was sent by the creator of all races to watch over us all. She can take many forms, be many people at one time and grant unusual gifts. It is rare that she visits someone on her own, but the last time I knew her to visit, was when she came to me just after Zan, Vilandra, Rath and Ava were killed on Antar. She’d brought a warning against their mother. I acted on it, saving the Queen Mother and taking her to safety with my troops.” Sarieta replied and sighed, glancing around.

She couldn’t keep from thinking about all the consequences that the mistress being involved could have for her charges. It was definitely not going to be easy, and bound to be trouble. A form of trouble that no one needed at a time like this. She definitely needed to contact Tika to find out just what kind of progress had been made in the planning process.




Tika stood side by side with Jim as some of her crew were in the midst of altering the weaponry they’d managed to purchase for their army. “Don’t forget, we have to make certain they are compensated for the changes in human anatomy, otherwise they will have far too much of a blast back.” Tika commented as she glanced at the tech crew. Pyr had moved off to the other range in order to do some training with the warriors so they could learn the differences in Earth bound movement.

Jim looked at Tika, “I’ll be happy to test the altered weaponry for you at any time.”

Tika smiled, “I know.” They shared a look, both knowing that they had many things that were left unspoken between them. Tika had already spoken to Jeff and closed the old chapters that had once been there. With Jim, it was a great deal harder. Tika had never forgotten Jim and it was for that reason she wasn’t bound. She was actually seen as an oddity on Antar and the planet of her birth.

Tika looked away and began tinkering with another schematic, making the needed adjustments. Once done, she turned to one of the men, “Now, make certain everyone sees this. Jim and I are going to check on Pyr.” It would be the first time that they’d been alone and she knew he had a great deal of questions to ask her.

As they stepped away from the others, she led the way toward one of the smaller jeeps that they’d refitted to fit their purposes and climbed in though she didn’t bother starting it and instead turned to Jim. “I’m sorry that I left the way I did.”

Jim didn’t respond at first, instead he simply looked at her, uncertain about how to feel. When she’d walked into his office with Liz, he’d wanted to embrace her, wanted to scream and wanted to throttle her. He honestly thought she was dead. He’d thought that she had died long before he’d met Kyle’s mother. “Why did you?”

“I was called home. I had a duty that was important to many and I had to go. My needs had to be left behind for the needs of more then one planet. I never forgot you, Jim. I never forgot the way it felt in your arms. How I felt about you.” Tika didn’t really know what to say, she’d never stopped caring. “I checked in with others from time to time, they kept me up to date. So, when I found out that you’d married, I decided it was best that I not come back. I stopped having my contacts let me know about you.”

She shrugged slightly, “I never expected you to wait when I never said goodbye and I wanted you to be happy.” Before Tika knew what was happening, Jim leaned over and kissed her with a passion that was more intense then she had ever felt from him before. He was slightly demanding and yet gentle, his hand slid into her hair to hold her in place but she wasn’t going anywhere.

Her hand came up to the side of his neck as she returned his kiss, wanting for it to never end. However, she knew that she still could not place her own needs and desires above her people. This thought caused her to draw back simply breaking the kiss. “Jim, I can’t promise anything until everyone is safe.”

“I’m not going to ask you to promise me anything, Tika. I never stopped thinking about or loving you as Tanya and I find as I see you all these years later, whether you are Tanya or Tika, I still feel the same. After you left, I met the woman who became my wife and she knew that though I came to really care about her, someone else had my heart more then she did. I always felt bad about not being able to give her more then a place in my heart, but it was you I wanted.” Jim told her this, looking straight into her eyes and not feeling the least bit awkward about it.

Tika smiled, kissing him briefly, “I’ll stay with you tonight if you’d like? I want to experience the one thing with you I never have.” The look in his eyes as he realized what she meant caused Tika’s smile to brighten and her heart rate to speed up. She would never forget the first time she met Jim.

The ship landed, her crew made certain it was well hidden and stayed with it while she took a look around the nearby city, needing to find out whether the royals were safe. She’d been looking around for the children, knowing that they should have been out of their pods. However, days had passed with no sign of them, her concern growing when she couldn’t locate Derin or Lenopi either. They were meant to be protecting the pods.

Her concern had her leaning against a wall trying not to think the worst when she heard a voice, “Are you alright?”

Looking up, she’d seen the most impressive male specimen looking at her with concern, he was by her estimations not even twenty years old. “Just a bit worn.” She’d replied and he’d stepped over to her, holding his hand out which for some reason she had taken.

“Let me take you somewhere that you can rest. I have a feeling you aren’t from around here.”

She had laughed slightly, thinking about the fact that he would never know just how true that was. He’d introduced himself, Jim Valenti and she’d said her name was Tanya Moore. They’d gone to a diner where he’d treated her out to dinner and she’d had to hide her reaction to her first tastes of human food. She’d found herself liking the food almost instantly.

That had been just the beginning of their relationship. But, he wasn’t the only one to catch her attention. Jeffery Parker became like a brother when his parents offered her a place to stay and a job. Jeff would never remember the day he almost died, the day she had risked everything and saved his life but also made certain that everyone around that day would forget the truth they had seen.

It had been a year after she had been sent to Earth, but it was the day she realized she had to leave. She was getting too attached and that was against her job descriptions. She had fallen in love with Jim and knew that the day she chose to get really intimate with him would be the day he would have learned the truth about her, because she wouldn’t have been able to keep it. So, she’d snuck out in the night, heading back to her warriors who had kept things safe with the ship and ordered a few of them to put themselves in different areas so that she would know when the royals were born. Then, she’d left, flying off planet.




Max had been unable to keep from having a private discussion with Sarieta and Helos about the changes that were going to be needed if they were to truly be able to battle the Skins and save the humans from death. The determinations that were made left him feeling unsettled and the knowledge that he couldn’t share the decisions with anyone, not even Liz, Isabel or Michael, made him feel even worse. If he told them, he was certain to have them fight him on it.

Even he was wishing he could fight it, still Sar had a point, one that was well made. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, it was a situation that was beyond his control. He had to help others change if he was to save them. So, it was with a weary heart that he called Maria and Alex over and asked them to join him for a short trip where Sarieta was also going to need to talk to them.

They trusted him so they didn’t even bother asking questions, just agreed. He’d promised Isabel and Michael he’d have them back soon. Now, they stood in the antechamber of the pod chamber, where Max knew Future Maria was just inside, he needed to talk to her after this was over. Sar had told him that she would go in and get her so that he wouldn’t come across his future self.

Max glanced at Sarieta who nodded and looked at Maria and Alex, “Maria, Alex… I’ve wanted to ask you if you really are ready to fight in this battle against the Skins? This isn’t going to be easy, this isn’t something we can run from… it could be dangerous for you.” When their attention was on him, Sarieta took her chance.

Sounds of gunfire filled the rock walls and he watched as his friends’ bodies jerked from the impact. He watched as they began to fall and rushed to Maria, holding her up as best as he could, his hand instantly sought out the wound, “Look at me, Maria. You have to keep looking at me.”

Sarieta moved instantly to Alex, her hand pressing over his wound as she spoke softly, “The pain will fade as long as you meet my eyes, Alex.” They both made the connections needed, seeing images from youth, childhood and emotions. They gasped at the exertion but as they finished, Sarieta drew back and put a small dissolving tablet into Maria’s and then one in Alex’s mouth before giving them the chance to recover from their near death experience.

Max met Sarieta’s gaze and he saw the same haunted look he was certain he was exhibiting himself. Sarieta had been one of the best warriors on Antar, but she hadn’t been cold or cruel. She had never hurt anyone unless she had to. How he remembered that about her was still strange to him, but he did. He remembered a time when she had been forced to kill one of the soldiers because he was trying to kill someone else. He remembered that she’d cried.

“What the hell did you do that for?” Maria’s voice sounded as she began stirring, looking at Max and Sarieta with accusation.

“We had to. If you are going to survive what’s going to be happening, you’ll need to be changed the way Liz has been. The way she was because of my healing her.” Max explained, though he knew it wouldn’t make up for the deception. “We didn’t want you to have warning because you could have moved at the wrong time and it could have prevented us from being able to save you.”

“It was not Max’s idea, Maria. It was mine.” Sar added in, wanting to make certain that the young royal wasn’t blamed for something that he had no control over. If he hadn’t helped, she had told him in no uncertain terms that she would have done it herself.



Pacing inside the chamber, looking at the granolith, Maria could only continue to ask herself why Max had vanished. Why hadn’t she faded with him? What could have changed for him that didn’t change her coming back? Noise from the antechamber reached her, sounds like gunshots and she itched to go check it out but as she listened, she heard her younger self and knew she couldn’t risk it.

Instead, she waited, wondering just what was going to happen. Several minutes passed and she heard voices die down and thought they had left when she stepped out and saw that Max and Sarieta were embracing each other. What? Had this somehow been something that changed things? Clearing her throat, she watched as the two stepped back from each other slowly and glanced at her. “Maria.”

Sarieta was looking at her and remained silent as Max greeted her and continued, “I need to know everything you know about Liz’s children. What happens?”

Maria shook her head as she looked at him sadly, “It’s best you don’t know…”

“Maria, I command you to tell Max what he’s asked.”

Maria straightened, her expression deadening as she nodded, “Yes, Commander. Liz was believed to have died in childbirth and a mix of Special Agents and Skins operatives raised the children. Khivar and Nicholas were there, made the children believe that we were evil, that we had killed their mother. Come to find out, Liz was alive, being held by the Special Agents the entire time and when she was released, she was nothing like she once had been. She was weak, ill, and when she came across her kids, she tried to talk to them but they didn’t believe her. They killed her. Then when they learned from Nicholas that they had just killed their real mother, they went berserk.”

Maria paused as she closed her eyes, the tears welling up. “They were more powerful then any of us could be. They killed everyone they came across, but then they saw my Max and recognized him as their father. Feeling abandoned by him, they decided to get revenge and began taking us all out one at a time. Michael was tortured before they killed him. They were torturing Isabel and me together and I was forced to watch her die. Her daughter went delving into my mind and found out that I was their mother’s best friend so they let me live. Alex died taking a hit meant for Sarieta, Kyle… he died in Tess’ arms as she lay dying herself.”

Sobs wracked her frame, as she had no choice but to wait for a few minutes before she could continue. “By the time we got to the granolith and Serena had it programmed, everyone I loved was dead other then my Max and Malachi. All the warriors we’d known… Tika, Jim, Pyr… the kids killed them.”

[StormWolfstone]

Chapter 22

Khivar glared at Nicholas who was now chained and an inhibitor was locked around his neck to keep him from having the ability to use his powers. He was angry, he was in a killing mood and the only thing saving Nicholas at that moment was the fact that he still needed the idiot. “You failed me, Nicholas. Yet again, I asked you to do a simple job and you failed me.”

“I’m sorry Your Excellency, I swear it’ll never happen again.” Nicholas sounded pathetic. He looked pathetic. Well, in a way he did. Khivar decided right then and there, the perfect punishment for the failure.

“You’re right, it won’t. You’d better pray that Rath comes back with someone we can use. Otherwise, you’ll be dying after he returns, but in case he returns a failure himself and I still end up needing you, I’m going to show you a side of me you don’t ever want to feel again.” He’d already ordered the man stripped and had a whip nearby. He could have used his powers, but he liked the sound of the human weapon when it cracked.

This warehouse was the perfect place for him to deal out his punishments, it was used to store sensitive equipment that the government used to have, but now they loaned it to Khivar. The chains held Nicholas in place, the man faced the wall and Khivar grabbed the whip, giving it a crack and making certain that it simply flicked next to Nicholas’ ear. “You’ll learn what failing me will cost you anytime it happens, at least until I decided to just kill you.”

“Please, give me another chance.”

“I might.” Khivar said, his voice cold as he stepped up behind Nicholas and pressed his body against the man’s back. Khivar himself had stripped earlier, simply because he didn’t like the clothing that humans used. But, the fact that he had, simply aided in the punishment. Feeling the man tense against him, knowing that Nick was uncomfortable, Khivar played up to it, reaching a hand up to yank him back by his hair. Letting Nick see his face while his other hand moved around to take hold of the other man’s currently limp shaft. “I might give you another chance after I’ve had some fun with you. You see, this is your punishment, at least part of it.”

Nick couldn’t keep from groaning in disgust. “Please… don’t.” He couldn’t keep from being afraid of what Khivar would do. He didn’t fear anyone else, but this alien, especially the older version of the one he’d served, Nick had no idea what to expect.

Khivar laughed coldly, stroking the other man slowly, knowing that no matter what he might think, he would still find his body reacting to his master’s touch. And, that’s what Khivar was to Nicholas, his Master.

Yanking on his hair, he said straight out, “You are my slave, remember that. You failed me and I’m going to see to it that you never forget it.”

“Khivar, I’m sorry… I… please… I won’t fail again…” Nick cried out at the sudden pain that went through his head, the hair being yanked wasn’t a problem for long when the hand in his hair slid around to hold his neck in place. “I’ll do anything! Anything you want me to do… just please…don’t do this.” He gasped out as best he could.

The fear in his slave, his General was enjoyable to him and he could well picture the way things could be if he got his hands on his enemies. He stepped away from Nick, releasing him for a moment while he picked up a few items he’d purchased that he actually thought humans were geniuses for creating. One of his favorites that he had yet to test out was something they called the Rubber Gates of Hell. Walking back over to Nick, he forced his slaves body to twist enough so that he could attach the rings.

It was only the beginning of what he was going to do to Nick, but it was enough to get the man to realize he wasn’t playing games. Nick tried to move away, but as he did, he found himself groaning from the way the rings played over his shaft. He was literally finding himself shaking with the fear of what his Master would do to him now. He’d never known Khivar to be like this even when he was on Antar himself.



Rath had traveled into Roswell as ordered, having learned how to completely alter his appearance rather then just little details, he no longer looked anything like his dupe. Even that wouldn’t have stopped him though, considering he now had a few others on his side, true blood aliens that had come from his home planet. As he glanced at one of them, he spoke in a tone that brooked no arguments, “Remember what I said, get her alone, give her the message and have a little fun with her before you let her go. I don’t care how you do it.”

The man before him nodded, smiling at the very thought of what he was about to do. It wasn’t every day that a simple soldier was given the task that he was getting. “As you command. I will not fail you.”

The man carried a small briefcase with him and walked away, Rath watching the entire time and thinking that if the soldier came through, soon his counterpart and many of the others around him would pay for ever thinking that they could best Khivar and for failing to see that going home was necessary. Killing Lonnie had been satisfying, but not as satisfying as it would be to see how Michael and the others liked his gift.

“Spread out and take your positions around the town. Do what you have to do to make yourselves fit in with the locals until it’s time for the attack.” He ordered the other soldiers that he had with him. It was decided that he would start this first wave and prepare for the next one before he returned to Khivar. He couldn’t help but pity Nicholas for being trapped with their boss, knowing first hand some of the things Khivar was capable of.



It had been a long day, one that only seemed to get longer as time continued to pass. What were they going to do? They had no idea what to expect from Khivar’s forces and worse yet, their own capabilities. Closing her eyes, she turned down the small alley behind the Crashdown café where her car was parked. Having come from seeing Liz to talk, she was now ready to head home where she was going to have dinner with the man she loved.

Opening her eyes, she saw someone bent over several papers that were lying everywhere, hearing him muttering curses as she grew closer. “Need some help.” She offered and when he glanced up, she saw that he couldn’t have been much older then she was.

“If it’s not much trouble. I always seem to forget to close this thing properly.” He said, his voice sounded with embarrassment and she moved to help him, kneeling down to pick up some of the papers. From a quick glance they seemed to be some form of thesis, probably for some college report. Trying to stack them as neatly as possible, she was focused on the papers when suddenly a hand snuck around and something was pressed against her mouth and nose.

Before she could think, she was inhaling and the scent of whatever it was caused her to feel faint. “You are so naïve.” She heard whispered in her ear just as darkness overtook her and she fell limp into the arms of whoever the man was.




Michael glared at Max as they stood in his apartment, “I’m sorry, Michael… I did what I thought needed to be done.” Max had just informed Michael that he’d allowed Maria to be shot and nearly die only to be healed so that she could be changed. A part of him thought he should be glad that Maria would be able to take care of herself, but instead he was afraid that the girl he loved would lose herself in the process.

“What about giving her a choice, Maxwell? Did that ever cross your mind?” He couldn’t stand it anymore and he did the one thing he had been tempted to do the second he’d seen Maria and Alex coming back with blood stained shirts. He stepped up to Max, swung his fist and connected with Max’s jaw rather loudly. “What you did to her and Alex was almost like rape, Maxwell? You took something from them without their permission. Did something to them that wasn’t really necessary. I suggest that you leave my place now, get out of my face… because you may be a brother to me, but right now, I want to kill you for what you did to her…”

“Michael, I never wanted to hurt her. I did what had to be done, I had to do it. If I didn’t, then we’d have an issue with them dying during this war. I don’t want them to die.”

“Just get out!” Michael’s face was contorted with the anger he felt. He didn’t want to think about the complexities that could now happen with Maria. She had been relatively safe from all the drama of being in the ‘club’. But, she couldn’t have been as bad as the rest. She might have had the chance to be safe from worrying about internal changes. What if she couldn’t handle the powers she gained? What if it killed her? They still had no idea what happened within the humans when they changed and if everyone could handle it.

He watched Max walk out and then moved to punch the wall before going into his bedroom, Maria lay curled in a ball on the bed just as he’d left her before his talk with Max. She was asleep and it gave him time to focus on how this could affect them. Without wanting to wake her, he moved to the bed, laying down and holding her against him.

[StormWolfstone]

Sorry that it took so long for the update... I have another in the works as well. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 23


Maria tossed and turned on the pallet in the other room of the chamber, her body soaked with sweat as she murmured in her sleep. Her eyes opened wide, white and unseeing as she screamed, “Michael!” The panic in her voice tore through him and he looked at her future version with anger and concern.

“Tell me, what do I have to do?” Michael asked in a near frenzy, the future version of Maria was also writhing in agony in front of him as she breathed heavily; her eyes seemed to bleed from light to dark as she shook in waves.

“Form… a… connection… heart… to… heart…” The older version of Maria gasped out painfully, “Make love to her… cement your… commitment… to her… or she’ll… die. Tell… Isabel… the same… for Alex…” Another wave tore through her and both Maria’s screamed as though they were being ripped apart. “Hurry!”

Michael, reached for his cell, dialed and got Isabel’s voice mail, “Izzy, you have to have sex with him and form a connection from deep inside…” Michael said, looking at Future Maria who nodded, “Hurry, Izzy… or he’ll die.” He hung up and went into the other room with his Maria, moving down beside her as he wrapped his arms around her, “It’s okay, Ria. I’m here.” He told her softly, rocking her lightly in his arms.

Future Maria could feel everything in the other room as she lay there alone, the agony of the change in her younger self a renewed sensation but as she closed her eyes, she pictured her Max for as long as she could before she lifted her hands which burned as though on fire and watched them begin to fade from existence even as she heard her past self scream out with a mix of pleasure and pain. The pain, was still part of the change, but Future Maria sighed even though she could feel both as well and shook her head. She would never have her Max… times had already been changed.




~Year: 2030~


“What do you mean, Khivar’s gone?” Serena asked; her anger flaring as she looked around at her men. “How could he have just vanished when you were watching his movements?”

“Ma’am, we don’t understand it ourselves. He went in the warehouse with a detachment of fifty skins and they all left but he never came out. We searched everywhere and the only thing we found was this.” The sergeant handed her a ring and she looked at it and the stone carefully.

“Fuck… if he had this that means…” Serena stood, pounding her fist on the table, “Damn it, bring Alex and Kyle in here immediately.” It was sad really, only the changed humans still lived on out of their original group. Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess were all dead, Ava and Zan were both dying and they had no idea what to do about it. The only good thing was that Khivar’s troops didn’t have him or Rath anymore.

Sitting down again, she clasped her hands, leaning her chin on them with the desk beneath her arms and shook her head while remembering everything they’d been through. All the people they’d lost and everything they were going through. “Rena, hey…” Kyle came in and moved around the desk to wrap her in his arms, “What’s going on?”

“Khivar has somehow traveled back into the past.” She held up the ring, “With this…”

“The Stone of Renoth.” Alex commented with anger as he took it and looked it over, closing his eyes. “He’s going after your past self, Rena, to get this when it was still fully charged by you and your brother.” He spoke after a moment and looked at her, “We have to stop him, warn them somehow.”

Serena nodded and looked at them all a moment before stating, “It’s time we send her back. She’s the only one that won’t be affected no matter the changes they make and will be able to be our link to them.” She looked at them with a meaning of deep importance showing in her voice and expression, “I think we’ve tried other means long enough. They need our secret weapon more then we do.”

Alex nodded with a sigh, “I’ll get her prepared. Let’s hope she can handle the change in time as much as she did the space change.”

“She has to, for all our sakes.”



~Present Time~



Tess struggled to sit up, her bones ached, her muscles seemed permanently bunched and she could barely see through either eye. Her own blood had dried and coated most of her sides and abdomen as well as her neck but what had her the most was the pain in her head from the constant attempts that had been made to get into her mind and gain insight to what she was doing. She screamed again as she felt him trying to connect, fighting as hard as she could mentally. She could have tried for help, she knew of a way, but she didn’t want to endanger anyone.

She’d been under the mercy of this man’s care for nearly a week now and in that time she had suffered the tortures thinking only that Kyle was safe and she would be able to die knowing the others would keep him safe. The collar around her neck kept her from being able to use any of her offensive powers, she’d tried and that was the hardest thing of all. “I’ll break you eventually, little Queen.” The man told her, his name she had learned was Lionel and he was a new breed of Skin, crossed over with human. He’d been bred nearly thirty years ago so he wasn’t around when they were in Copper Summit.

“Ne..ver.” She breathed painfully as she felt the haze moving through her and had to bunch her hands into fists in order to stop herself from giving into the need for sleep.

“Oh good, I was hoping I’d catch up with you before you killed the bitch Queen.” A female voice sounded and Tess tried to see her but couldn’t. She could only make out a female form standing about five feet away.

“Lionel, come here a moment,” The woman urged and the sound of her voice had changed, it was almost hypnotic. She felt the hand on her head moved, saw the dark form of her attacker move away and before she knew what was happening a boom like thunder without sound was heard.

“What do you wish of me, Mistress.” Lionel’s voice sounded.

“Untie the Queen.” The woman spoke, her voice now hardened and Tess remained still as her hands were freed. “Now, help her stand, gently. Do not displease me.”

“Anything you wish, Mistress. I just wish to serve you.” Lionel sounded pathetic but as he helped her stand all Tess could do was cry out from the pain.

“Take her to the jeep outside and cover her with blankets, make certain no one touches her. If she is harmed further it will displease me.” The woman spoke again.

“Who are you?” Tess bit out through pained breaths.

“Later, Queen.” The woman dismissed her question.