Part 51
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:09 pm
Part 51
With a tired groan, his body gave in to the weakness it felt and he sat down on one of the bar stools lined up along the counter in his kitchen. The room was unoccupied and the silence was just what his aching head needed right now.
Healing the Captain had taken massive strength from him, strength he normally couldn’t afford to lose, but there had never been a question if the risk of saving the man had been worth it. The Commander trusted his second with his life, so it was only fair that he trusted the man charged the defense of their kingdom as well.
Ava had done so much damage to Captain Valenti. He was still surprised he had managed to heal the man before blacking out in first place. Had he ever healed so much damage at once? He couldn’t remember. The few important people who had been brought to him for healing had all been hurt badly, but they had been Antarians or at least hybrids, so the damage had never been as extensive as what the human had suffered.
“I wondered if the healing had affected you.” A female voice suddenly disturbed the silence and brought his blurry gaze towards the entry. Tess closed the door behind her and walked deeper into the room. “You look like you’ve been run over by a transport, King Max. No offense.”
He snorted weakly and rested both of his hands on the counter in front of him for support. How long would it take before he regained enough strength to think straight again, he wondered. “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t the normal habit for his soon-to-be wife to approach him or wander around on his side of the castle – especially not in his kitchen. She tried to stay away from him as much and as long as she managed to most days.
“I heard what you did,” she said, her eyes carefully watching him since he looked like he could fall from the chair any moment. When she had come back to the castle, things had immediately seemed to be out of place. A feeling of unease and crept up her spine and it had taken less than 10 minutes to find out what had been going on in her absence. Ava – that traitorous bitch!
“And you are here instead of with the Captain?” Max lifted his eyes towards her, a hint of amusement in his features.
Tess looked back at him indecisively. How much did he know about Kyle and her? Learning about what her dupe had done to her lover had felt like a punch in the gut and reawakened the determined wish to rip the other woman’s head off, but Michael refused to let her into the interrogation cell where the bitch was imprisoned. “Is it normal for you to be so weak a few hours after healing?” She ignored his question.
“Always depends on the damage that has to be healed,” he admitted and held her gaze. He didn’t know if it should surprise him or not when he detected what appeared to be hurt and empathy there.
She clenched her fists to remain in control of the anger she felt inside of her. If only her stubborn brother would kill her! How could he still hesitate after what she had done to Kyle? How could he still stand in the way of letting her kill that bitch?
“Don’t be too angry with your brother. Anger only makes us blind to the truth. You have to trust him to do the right thing,” Max told her when her expression was easy to read for once. There was no doubt the woman in front of him was rattled from the shock of almost losing her… lover or whatever, and rage was now slowly overtaking the other feelings.
Tess couldn’t even hide her surprise at his words. “Those words out of your mouth, King?”
He chuckled hoarsely and rubbed one hand over his chest in an attempt to ease the pressure there. “I know, but maybe it helps you to hear it from me.”
Her jaw tightened when she swallowed her reply to him. Nothing could make her fury towards Ava fade. Not after what she had done!
“Why have you come to see me?”
His question reminded her to focus again and her vision became clearer – her features almost turning soft. “To thank you for what you did.” She approached him from the other side of the counter.
It was his turn to be surprised, but he shook his head. “There is no need to – “
“Maybe there isn’t, but just take it, Max. Okay?”
She hadn’t called him by name for what seemed like an endless time and he had to admit that it felt good to hear her say it. It wasn’t the only surprise she had in store though because a moment later her hands were on his and warmth tingled on his skin before a connection was established and he was so unprepared that he didn’t have time to form a barrier against the flashes.
Tess didn’t break eye contact while she transferred some of her strength to him in exchange for what he had done to save the man she cared most about. She took in the emotions and flashes she received from him and didn’t do anything to disguise her own. When she felt his heartbeat becoming stronger through the connection she blinked and removed her hands from his.
Max stared at her, unable to speak. What the Princess had just done was something so out of character that words were simply not enough to describe what was going on in his head.
“It seems like we all have our secrets, huh?” She winked at him before she left to go and see her lover in case the doctor had finally completed his examination.
“True,” he muttered when she was long gone and he stared at his hands on the counter. There was no doubt she was referring to Liz and something she had seen through the connection.
*****
Maria walked through the corridors with Satara close behind her. There was a note of urgency in her steps as she searched the castle for Michael. She had experienced a sensation that could only be called grief and it had quickly been followed by so much anger she was surprised it had been possible to contain it. The feelings were too close to the surface for him to be very far away and after a few inquiries she had discovered that he had returned to the castle a short while ago but he had immediately been summoned to a meeting.
“It is time for your daily appointment with Dr. Collon,” Satara reminded her.
She sighed and nodded. The checkups the good doctor insisted on running daily didn’t take long and she knew they were important. Not more important than finding Michael, but perhaps it would be best to have it out of the way before finding him.
The medical unit was buzzing with activity when they arrived and she nearly collided with Tess when the Corporal came around the corner, her steps hurried. She wondered what was going on when the woman barely spared her a glance before pushing through the doors and barking out questions as to the Captain’s location.
The Captain must’ve been injured, she realized. That would explain the emotions she had felt from Michael because he was close to the other man. She passed through a set of doors that housed the short corridor that led to the patient examination rooms and she saw the Commander leaning against the doorframe of the room with the most activity. His eyes were locked on Dr. Collon as he explained something and as she watched the rest of the medical personnel filed out of the room, careful not to touch the big man standing there.
Michael felt like he was being watched, but when he turned to glance back his sister collided with his arm and he immediately reacted and grabbed her. “Give him two more minutes to finish the last test.”
Tess frowned at him. “Why don’t you see to your own human?” she growled quietly. “I know how to avoid medical personnel and stay out of their way.”
He frowned and turned to see Maria watching him with a sorrowful look on her face. He sighed and pushed himself from the frame. “I’ll be right back.”
“Fine.” She waved him off and rolled her eyes.
Maria straightened when Michael started to walk towards her. She had no clue what news he had in store for her and right now she feared the worst judging from his looks. All day she had been looking forward to seeing him again after the things that had happened between them, but in that moment she wanted to be anywhere but here.
“Maria,” he greeted as he stopped in front of her. “What’re you doing here?”
“I was getting ready for my daily checks,” she said nervously and glanced over his shoulder. “What happened?”
“Kyle was injured during an interrogation.” He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. “He’s in with the doctors now.”
“During an interrogation?”
He gnawed on his bottom lip as he nodded. “We captured Ava and unfortunately he was no match for the wall she hurled him into.”
Maria gasped. “Will he be okay?”
“Max was able to heal him. The physical damage is gone.”
“Okay,” she sighed in relief and wanted to touch him but there were a lot of witnesses around so she let the moment pass.
“This is your normal time to meet with Dr. Collon?”
“Yeah, he just takes my vital signs and then I can leave. It only takes a few minutes most of the time.”
“Have you made plans yet for the evening meal?” He knew he had matters to attend to but there were still decisions to be made before he could go back into the interrogation room with Ava.
“No, not yet.”
He turned to lean against the wall, his eyes on the doorway to Kyle’s room. He didn’t really understand all the tests when the King had already healed him and the waiting was driving him crazy. He hated waiting. “Will you be preparing the meal?”
“If you wish.”
“And if I do? Will you join me?”
A smile tugged on her lips. “I’d be happy to.”
He felt some of the weight on his shoulders lighten in response to her small smile. “Then I’ll be sure to be there.”
“Okay,” she glanced behind him once again before she decided it was better to leave for now. “I’ll see you then, Michael.”
“I’m sure Collon will have time for you soon,” he said, reluctant to see her leave.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about your Captain.”
He nodded and wondered how she could doubt her own strength. “I’ll see you for the evening meal.”
Dr. Collon stepped towards him after the Commander had said his goodbyes to the human who was connected to him. “He’s ready now. Still weak, but we are positive he will recover from it quickly.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” he said and clapped the man on the shoulder. “I’d like to speak with him now.”
“Of course. I will be in the next room if you need me.”
“Maria was here to have her vitals taken. You’ll send someone to her so she doesn’t have to make another trip down here?”
Although it was formulated as a question, the doctor knew it really wasn’t one. “Of course.”
Michael nodded sharply. “Doctor.”
Tess hadn’t waited for the doctor’s okay when he had gone to talk to her brother and ignored her. As soon as the man was out of sight she had slipped into her lover’s room.
Kyle had already seen her out of the corner of his eye, impatiently waiting for him to be released. He didn’t like the worry and shock in her face. “They drugged me to keep me still,” he groaned quietly.
“A very smart call on the doctor’s part,” she said as her eyes swept over him.
He grunted in disagreement. “Not necessary. The King healed me and other than feeling a little wobbly I felt fine before they drugged me. Now I just feel...” he grinned goofily. “Kinda like I’m floating on a fat, fluffy cloud.”
“Shut up,” she snorted and dragged a chair over to the bed to sit down. Despite her best intention of putting on a brave face, she leaned in and buried her face against his neck for a moment, enjoying the warmth of his skin soothing her and telling her that he was still alive.
“I’m okay, Tess,” he mumbled, making a concentrated effort to lift his hand and direct it to her cheek.
She nodded against him and grabbed a handful of his clothes. “I can see.”
“Uh-huh.”
After taking a deep breath she lifted her head again and pressed his hand against her lips to kiss it.
“So soft,” he murmured and gave her a crooked smile. “Got lots of places you can kiss an’ make better when they let me outta here.”
She rolled her eyes at him. He was trying to make light of this situation, but it wasn’t working. Today she had almost lost him and it scared her like nothing else.
He knew she had seen right through his attempted humor but he didn’t want her to be upset about something that had been prevented. “I’m okay, Tess,” he said, his expression somber. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Because you’re drugged like a junkie,” Michael stood behind his sister, arms crossed as he looked down at his Captain.
Kyle gave the serious-looking Commander a sloppy salute. “We showed Ava, didn’t we?”
“We did,” the other man agreed and squeezed his sister’s shoulder.
The man in the bed nodded in satisfaction. “I think I’m ready to go,” he said after a moment. “This bed’s not very comfortable.”
“You’ll stay where you are,” Tess glared at him.
“She looks so fierce, doesn’t she?” he asked with a big grin. “She loves me.” He pressed a finger to his lips and made a ‘shh’ sound that dragged out for several long seconds. “Don’t tell anybody ‘cause it’s a secret.”
“I don’t think I like him drugged,” Tess leaned back in her seat.
“Yeah, me either,” Michael admitted. “No use on the field this way.”
“I don’t like me drugged either.” Kyle tried to leverage himself into a sitting position. “So let’s go.”
“Kyle,” Tess got up to sit next to him on the bed and placed both hands on his shoulder. “Take it easy, okay?”
“You can help me,” he said graciously.
“Alright. We’ll take you to my quarters to rest.”
“Okay.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet, swaying when the room seemed to spin around him. He was vaguely aware of the Commander grabbing his other arm to keep him from falling on his face. “Whoa... those are some powerful meds.”
“They’re for Antarians, never tested on humans,” Michael gave him a serious look and chuckled when the man’s face fell. “C’mon, Captain. We’d better get you outta sight for a while.”
“Human guinea pig,” Kyle muttered as his lover and the Commander practically carried him out of the medical quarters. “There better not be any weird side effects from that stuff.” He snorted to himself. “If I turn blue I’m not gonna be happy.”
*****
Max stood at the large window in the war room, his hands clasped loosely behind his back as he stared out at the fields that stretched in the distance. He had reviewed the events that had led to the Captain’s injured state and he didn’t know how they were going to contain Ava. He had spoken with Michael briefly after the Commander had left the infirmary and they had scheduled a meeting for later to go over their options.
He still felt drained, his head still ached, but rather than cancel the appointment he had agreed upon with his sister he had forced himself to his feet and made them carry him to the war room. One of the things he had learned from watching the Commander was that men in their positions couldn’t afford to let their people see their weakness.
The doors behind him opened and he turned to look at his personal guard. The Antarian soldier had been assigned to him since his return to Antar and in the beginning he had run the poor man ragged. Over time though he had grown up and learned to appreciate the stoic man.
“Princess Isabel has arrived, Sire.”
He nodded and made a motion for the man to permit her entrance. “Thank you, Rykar.”
The soldier’s fisted hand impacted with the chest armor and he bowed his head as he backed out of the room.
“I don’t understand why he feels he needs to verify my identity and ask permission before granting me entrance to visit with my own brother,” she huffed.
“Because it’s his job,” Max said as he met her annoyed gaze. “And since we’ve had an intruder breach our walls he’s even more cautious than normal.”
“An intruder?” she asked slowly.
“Yes, Ava was captured inside the walls of the castle.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But you didn’t come to talk about that.” He walked over to the table that dominated the center of the room and ran his fingers over its surface, calling up several files that blinked patiently on the screen, waiting to be opened.
Isabel let the subject drop for the moment, her curiosity piqued by what he had to show her. “Do you recall any of the images from Earth that you intend to show me? I mean, the locations you’ve chosen, do you remember them?”
“Some of them seem familiar. Whether it is because they’re places we visited or saw while on Earth, that I do not know.” His fingertips hovered above the first file. “Many of the images are quite unpleasant and disturbing, Isabel. The destruction Earth has suffered has been extensive.”
“I don’t need to be handled like a fragile piece of glass, Max.” She hated the way everyone around her seemed to treat her as if she might shatter in the face of unpleasantness.
He nodded. “I understand that, perhaps better than anyone else. But the fact remains that many of the images are devastating.” He called up the first file, glancing at her before he opened it. The images leapt to life before them, bringing to life scenes city that had been identified as San Francisco. The streets were teeming with life, vehicles and people constantly in motion as they went about their daily routines.
“It doesn’t appear to be devastated,” she said, her tone confused.
“At this point life continued as normal as you can see. The people went about their daily lives; conducting business, participating in celebrations.” His expression became somber, his eyes saddened as he waited for what he knew was coming within the next few seconds.
Isabel’s eyes widened as the images suddenly began to shake and the sounds of explosions could be heard. She watched as a giant plume of black smoke rose at the center and the cloud formed the shape of a mushroom as a fireball burst through its center and high into the sky. “What happened?” She moved closer to the image, pursing her lips as she observed thousands of people running from the explosion. Those who were closer had suffered the immediate effects of the explosion; wounded and broken, bodies lay all around. Some of them were nothing more than charred, blackened corpses, many of them unrecognizable as human remains.
She swallowed hard as some of the people at the outer edges of the explosion crawled away from it, dragging their bloody, broken bodies across the pavement in an attempt to escape. Their flesh was charred in places as if they had been through a fire, some were missing limbs, many had large gaping wounds, and the wailing and agonized screaming was painful to listen to.
More explosions rocked the city and she watched as large buildings began to shake and fall, crumbling on their foundations. The falling debris buried many of the humans and before the destruction and noise from one explosion could be silenced another erupted and the chaos worsened. In the background a might bridge shuddered, the thick cables and beams groaning as it began to sway. The images suddenly faded and she looked at her brother. “What happened?”
“That one was cut short because the unit transmitting the images was wiped out in one of the explosions. We lost everyone on that team.” He paused with his finger over the next file. “What you just saw, Alex survived it. San Francisco was his home. He came to us not long after everyone in his family was killed there.”
Isabel filed that information away and motioned for him to continue. The images of death and destruction only got worse with each new file that he opened and as she watched the planet began to die before her very eyes. The stockpiles had somehow destabilized and when the first one had exploded it had caused a chain reaction around the world. The wind had carried the nuclear radiation from the explosions halfway around the world, turning it into a life-threatening atmosphere for humans and animals. People had started to flee to other parts of the world, but things had gotten out of control. Crime, brutality and anger had broken lose – everyone focused on saving themselves and the people they cared about. It was only a matter of a few weeks before a world war had broken out. Every cities, states, and countries that hadn’t been totally contaminated had defended against those who tried to overtake it. In the end, the remaining atomic stockpiles that hadn’t exploded in the initial chain reaction had been attacked as revenge against those who still were able to live in healthy territories and as the years passed the effects of the explosions had manifested themselves in many forms. There were physical deformities, ailments, mental disease, organ failure, and others too numerous to mention.
Many of the cities had fallen to gangs and violence. There was no illusion of safety left and in spite of that many of the people still tried to hold onto some form of normalcy. It was no wonder they fought so hard to be accepted for positions on Antar, she mused. What was left for them on Earth?
Her gaze was following the movement on the projection when the scene in front of her eyes suddenly shifted to the inside of the castle she had called home in recent years. The darkened corridors flickered to life as torches were lit by the soldiers rushing by, their armor clanking loudly. She watched as they burst through one of the hidden doors and out into the courtyard and she gasped when she saw Khivar’s soldiers everywhere.
Her eyes were drawn to the Commander when she realized he was leading the men into battle. In spite of their desire to be with anyone but each other she did care what happened to him. Not that she would ever admit it, but the Commander and his sister were more like family than her own parents were. Pounding hooves drew her attention to the gaping hole in the protective wall and in the distance she could see Rath leading another regiment into the battle.
As she watched he drew a weapon, but it wasn’t anything she could recall seeing before. He reined his mount in as he neared the wall and he raised the weapon, lining the Commander up in his sights. She heard the sound and she watched as something impacted with his upper body, causing him to stumble back several feet. The momentary loss of concentration was enough to give one of the enemy soldiers the opening he needed to drive the tip of his sword through the Commander’s back.
Max turned to his sister when she suddenly screamed and he scrambled around the table to catch her when she began to fall. He carefully lowered her to the floor and was about to call for Rykar but she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shown you all of that at once,” he said apologetically.
“No, Max, it wasn’t the images,” she protested.
“Then what was it?” His tone was demanding as his concern for her safety overrode everything else.
She gripped his arm tightly. “The Commander. I saw the Commander die.”
With a tired groan, his body gave in to the weakness it felt and he sat down on one of the bar stools lined up along the counter in his kitchen. The room was unoccupied and the silence was just what his aching head needed right now.
Healing the Captain had taken massive strength from him, strength he normally couldn’t afford to lose, but there had never been a question if the risk of saving the man had been worth it. The Commander trusted his second with his life, so it was only fair that he trusted the man charged the defense of their kingdom as well.
Ava had done so much damage to Captain Valenti. He was still surprised he had managed to heal the man before blacking out in first place. Had he ever healed so much damage at once? He couldn’t remember. The few important people who had been brought to him for healing had all been hurt badly, but they had been Antarians or at least hybrids, so the damage had never been as extensive as what the human had suffered.
“I wondered if the healing had affected you.” A female voice suddenly disturbed the silence and brought his blurry gaze towards the entry. Tess closed the door behind her and walked deeper into the room. “You look like you’ve been run over by a transport, King Max. No offense.”
He snorted weakly and rested both of his hands on the counter in front of him for support. How long would it take before he regained enough strength to think straight again, he wondered. “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t the normal habit for his soon-to-be wife to approach him or wander around on his side of the castle – especially not in his kitchen. She tried to stay away from him as much and as long as she managed to most days.
“I heard what you did,” she said, her eyes carefully watching him since he looked like he could fall from the chair any moment. When she had come back to the castle, things had immediately seemed to be out of place. A feeling of unease and crept up her spine and it had taken less than 10 minutes to find out what had been going on in her absence. Ava – that traitorous bitch!
“And you are here instead of with the Captain?” Max lifted his eyes towards her, a hint of amusement in his features.
Tess looked back at him indecisively. How much did he know about Kyle and her? Learning about what her dupe had done to her lover had felt like a punch in the gut and reawakened the determined wish to rip the other woman’s head off, but Michael refused to let her into the interrogation cell where the bitch was imprisoned. “Is it normal for you to be so weak a few hours after healing?” She ignored his question.
“Always depends on the damage that has to be healed,” he admitted and held her gaze. He didn’t know if it should surprise him or not when he detected what appeared to be hurt and empathy there.
She clenched her fists to remain in control of the anger she felt inside of her. If only her stubborn brother would kill her! How could he still hesitate after what she had done to Kyle? How could he still stand in the way of letting her kill that bitch?
“Don’t be too angry with your brother. Anger only makes us blind to the truth. You have to trust him to do the right thing,” Max told her when her expression was easy to read for once. There was no doubt the woman in front of him was rattled from the shock of almost losing her… lover or whatever, and rage was now slowly overtaking the other feelings.
Tess couldn’t even hide her surprise at his words. “Those words out of your mouth, King?”
He chuckled hoarsely and rubbed one hand over his chest in an attempt to ease the pressure there. “I know, but maybe it helps you to hear it from me.”
Her jaw tightened when she swallowed her reply to him. Nothing could make her fury towards Ava fade. Not after what she had done!
“Why have you come to see me?”
His question reminded her to focus again and her vision became clearer – her features almost turning soft. “To thank you for what you did.” She approached him from the other side of the counter.
It was his turn to be surprised, but he shook his head. “There is no need to – “
“Maybe there isn’t, but just take it, Max. Okay?”
She hadn’t called him by name for what seemed like an endless time and he had to admit that it felt good to hear her say it. It wasn’t the only surprise she had in store though because a moment later her hands were on his and warmth tingled on his skin before a connection was established and he was so unprepared that he didn’t have time to form a barrier against the flashes.
Tess didn’t break eye contact while she transferred some of her strength to him in exchange for what he had done to save the man she cared most about. She took in the emotions and flashes she received from him and didn’t do anything to disguise her own. When she felt his heartbeat becoming stronger through the connection she blinked and removed her hands from his.
Max stared at her, unable to speak. What the Princess had just done was something so out of character that words were simply not enough to describe what was going on in his head.
“It seems like we all have our secrets, huh?” She winked at him before she left to go and see her lover in case the doctor had finally completed his examination.
“True,” he muttered when she was long gone and he stared at his hands on the counter. There was no doubt she was referring to Liz and something she had seen through the connection.
*****
Maria walked through the corridors with Satara close behind her. There was a note of urgency in her steps as she searched the castle for Michael. She had experienced a sensation that could only be called grief and it had quickly been followed by so much anger she was surprised it had been possible to contain it. The feelings were too close to the surface for him to be very far away and after a few inquiries she had discovered that he had returned to the castle a short while ago but he had immediately been summoned to a meeting.
“It is time for your daily appointment with Dr. Collon,” Satara reminded her.
She sighed and nodded. The checkups the good doctor insisted on running daily didn’t take long and she knew they were important. Not more important than finding Michael, but perhaps it would be best to have it out of the way before finding him.
The medical unit was buzzing with activity when they arrived and she nearly collided with Tess when the Corporal came around the corner, her steps hurried. She wondered what was going on when the woman barely spared her a glance before pushing through the doors and barking out questions as to the Captain’s location.
The Captain must’ve been injured, she realized. That would explain the emotions she had felt from Michael because he was close to the other man. She passed through a set of doors that housed the short corridor that led to the patient examination rooms and she saw the Commander leaning against the doorframe of the room with the most activity. His eyes were locked on Dr. Collon as he explained something and as she watched the rest of the medical personnel filed out of the room, careful not to touch the big man standing there.
Michael felt like he was being watched, but when he turned to glance back his sister collided with his arm and he immediately reacted and grabbed her. “Give him two more minutes to finish the last test.”
Tess frowned at him. “Why don’t you see to your own human?” she growled quietly. “I know how to avoid medical personnel and stay out of their way.”
He frowned and turned to see Maria watching him with a sorrowful look on her face. He sighed and pushed himself from the frame. “I’ll be right back.”
“Fine.” She waved him off and rolled her eyes.
Maria straightened when Michael started to walk towards her. She had no clue what news he had in store for her and right now she feared the worst judging from his looks. All day she had been looking forward to seeing him again after the things that had happened between them, but in that moment she wanted to be anywhere but here.
“Maria,” he greeted as he stopped in front of her. “What’re you doing here?”
“I was getting ready for my daily checks,” she said nervously and glanced over his shoulder. “What happened?”
“Kyle was injured during an interrogation.” He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. “He’s in with the doctors now.”
“During an interrogation?”
He gnawed on his bottom lip as he nodded. “We captured Ava and unfortunately he was no match for the wall she hurled him into.”
Maria gasped. “Will he be okay?”
“Max was able to heal him. The physical damage is gone.”
“Okay,” she sighed in relief and wanted to touch him but there were a lot of witnesses around so she let the moment pass.
“This is your normal time to meet with Dr. Collon?”
“Yeah, he just takes my vital signs and then I can leave. It only takes a few minutes most of the time.”
“Have you made plans yet for the evening meal?” He knew he had matters to attend to but there were still decisions to be made before he could go back into the interrogation room with Ava.
“No, not yet.”
He turned to lean against the wall, his eyes on the doorway to Kyle’s room. He didn’t really understand all the tests when the King had already healed him and the waiting was driving him crazy. He hated waiting. “Will you be preparing the meal?”
“If you wish.”
“And if I do? Will you join me?”
A smile tugged on her lips. “I’d be happy to.”
He felt some of the weight on his shoulders lighten in response to her small smile. “Then I’ll be sure to be there.”
“Okay,” she glanced behind him once again before she decided it was better to leave for now. “I’ll see you then, Michael.”
“I’m sure Collon will have time for you soon,” he said, reluctant to see her leave.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about your Captain.”
He nodded and wondered how she could doubt her own strength. “I’ll see you for the evening meal.”
Dr. Collon stepped towards him after the Commander had said his goodbyes to the human who was connected to him. “He’s ready now. Still weak, but we are positive he will recover from it quickly.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” he said and clapped the man on the shoulder. “I’d like to speak with him now.”
“Of course. I will be in the next room if you need me.”
“Maria was here to have her vitals taken. You’ll send someone to her so she doesn’t have to make another trip down here?”
Although it was formulated as a question, the doctor knew it really wasn’t one. “Of course.”
Michael nodded sharply. “Doctor.”
Tess hadn’t waited for the doctor’s okay when he had gone to talk to her brother and ignored her. As soon as the man was out of sight she had slipped into her lover’s room.
Kyle had already seen her out of the corner of his eye, impatiently waiting for him to be released. He didn’t like the worry and shock in her face. “They drugged me to keep me still,” he groaned quietly.
“A very smart call on the doctor’s part,” she said as her eyes swept over him.
He grunted in disagreement. “Not necessary. The King healed me and other than feeling a little wobbly I felt fine before they drugged me. Now I just feel...” he grinned goofily. “Kinda like I’m floating on a fat, fluffy cloud.”
“Shut up,” she snorted and dragged a chair over to the bed to sit down. Despite her best intention of putting on a brave face, she leaned in and buried her face against his neck for a moment, enjoying the warmth of his skin soothing her and telling her that he was still alive.
“I’m okay, Tess,” he mumbled, making a concentrated effort to lift his hand and direct it to her cheek.
She nodded against him and grabbed a handful of his clothes. “I can see.”
“Uh-huh.”
After taking a deep breath she lifted her head again and pressed his hand against her lips to kiss it.
“So soft,” he murmured and gave her a crooked smile. “Got lots of places you can kiss an’ make better when they let me outta here.”
She rolled her eyes at him. He was trying to make light of this situation, but it wasn’t working. Today she had almost lost him and it scared her like nothing else.
He knew she had seen right through his attempted humor but he didn’t want her to be upset about something that had been prevented. “I’m okay, Tess,” he said, his expression somber. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Because you’re drugged like a junkie,” Michael stood behind his sister, arms crossed as he looked down at his Captain.
Kyle gave the serious-looking Commander a sloppy salute. “We showed Ava, didn’t we?”
“We did,” the other man agreed and squeezed his sister’s shoulder.
The man in the bed nodded in satisfaction. “I think I’m ready to go,” he said after a moment. “This bed’s not very comfortable.”
“You’ll stay where you are,” Tess glared at him.
“She looks so fierce, doesn’t she?” he asked with a big grin. “She loves me.” He pressed a finger to his lips and made a ‘shh’ sound that dragged out for several long seconds. “Don’t tell anybody ‘cause it’s a secret.”
“I don’t think I like him drugged,” Tess leaned back in her seat.
“Yeah, me either,” Michael admitted. “No use on the field this way.”
“I don’t like me drugged either.” Kyle tried to leverage himself into a sitting position. “So let’s go.”
“Kyle,” Tess got up to sit next to him on the bed and placed both hands on his shoulder. “Take it easy, okay?”
“You can help me,” he said graciously.
“Alright. We’ll take you to my quarters to rest.”
“Okay.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet, swaying when the room seemed to spin around him. He was vaguely aware of the Commander grabbing his other arm to keep him from falling on his face. “Whoa... those are some powerful meds.”
“They’re for Antarians, never tested on humans,” Michael gave him a serious look and chuckled when the man’s face fell. “C’mon, Captain. We’d better get you outta sight for a while.”
“Human guinea pig,” Kyle muttered as his lover and the Commander practically carried him out of the medical quarters. “There better not be any weird side effects from that stuff.” He snorted to himself. “If I turn blue I’m not gonna be happy.”
*****
Max stood at the large window in the war room, his hands clasped loosely behind his back as he stared out at the fields that stretched in the distance. He had reviewed the events that had led to the Captain’s injured state and he didn’t know how they were going to contain Ava. He had spoken with Michael briefly after the Commander had left the infirmary and they had scheduled a meeting for later to go over their options.
He still felt drained, his head still ached, but rather than cancel the appointment he had agreed upon with his sister he had forced himself to his feet and made them carry him to the war room. One of the things he had learned from watching the Commander was that men in their positions couldn’t afford to let their people see their weakness.
The doors behind him opened and he turned to look at his personal guard. The Antarian soldier had been assigned to him since his return to Antar and in the beginning he had run the poor man ragged. Over time though he had grown up and learned to appreciate the stoic man.
“Princess Isabel has arrived, Sire.”
He nodded and made a motion for the man to permit her entrance. “Thank you, Rykar.”
The soldier’s fisted hand impacted with the chest armor and he bowed his head as he backed out of the room.
“I don’t understand why he feels he needs to verify my identity and ask permission before granting me entrance to visit with my own brother,” she huffed.
“Because it’s his job,” Max said as he met her annoyed gaze. “And since we’ve had an intruder breach our walls he’s even more cautious than normal.”
“An intruder?” she asked slowly.
“Yes, Ava was captured inside the walls of the castle.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But you didn’t come to talk about that.” He walked over to the table that dominated the center of the room and ran his fingers over its surface, calling up several files that blinked patiently on the screen, waiting to be opened.
Isabel let the subject drop for the moment, her curiosity piqued by what he had to show her. “Do you recall any of the images from Earth that you intend to show me? I mean, the locations you’ve chosen, do you remember them?”
“Some of them seem familiar. Whether it is because they’re places we visited or saw while on Earth, that I do not know.” His fingertips hovered above the first file. “Many of the images are quite unpleasant and disturbing, Isabel. The destruction Earth has suffered has been extensive.”
“I don’t need to be handled like a fragile piece of glass, Max.” She hated the way everyone around her seemed to treat her as if she might shatter in the face of unpleasantness.
He nodded. “I understand that, perhaps better than anyone else. But the fact remains that many of the images are devastating.” He called up the first file, glancing at her before he opened it. The images leapt to life before them, bringing to life scenes city that had been identified as San Francisco. The streets were teeming with life, vehicles and people constantly in motion as they went about their daily routines.
“It doesn’t appear to be devastated,” she said, her tone confused.
“At this point life continued as normal as you can see. The people went about their daily lives; conducting business, participating in celebrations.” His expression became somber, his eyes saddened as he waited for what he knew was coming within the next few seconds.
Isabel’s eyes widened as the images suddenly began to shake and the sounds of explosions could be heard. She watched as a giant plume of black smoke rose at the center and the cloud formed the shape of a mushroom as a fireball burst through its center and high into the sky. “What happened?” She moved closer to the image, pursing her lips as she observed thousands of people running from the explosion. Those who were closer had suffered the immediate effects of the explosion; wounded and broken, bodies lay all around. Some of them were nothing more than charred, blackened corpses, many of them unrecognizable as human remains.
She swallowed hard as some of the people at the outer edges of the explosion crawled away from it, dragging their bloody, broken bodies across the pavement in an attempt to escape. Their flesh was charred in places as if they had been through a fire, some were missing limbs, many had large gaping wounds, and the wailing and agonized screaming was painful to listen to.
More explosions rocked the city and she watched as large buildings began to shake and fall, crumbling on their foundations. The falling debris buried many of the humans and before the destruction and noise from one explosion could be silenced another erupted and the chaos worsened. In the background a might bridge shuddered, the thick cables and beams groaning as it began to sway. The images suddenly faded and she looked at her brother. “What happened?”
“That one was cut short because the unit transmitting the images was wiped out in one of the explosions. We lost everyone on that team.” He paused with his finger over the next file. “What you just saw, Alex survived it. San Francisco was his home. He came to us not long after everyone in his family was killed there.”
Isabel filed that information away and motioned for him to continue. The images of death and destruction only got worse with each new file that he opened and as she watched the planet began to die before her very eyes. The stockpiles had somehow destabilized and when the first one had exploded it had caused a chain reaction around the world. The wind had carried the nuclear radiation from the explosions halfway around the world, turning it into a life-threatening atmosphere for humans and animals. People had started to flee to other parts of the world, but things had gotten out of control. Crime, brutality and anger had broken lose – everyone focused on saving themselves and the people they cared about. It was only a matter of a few weeks before a world war had broken out. Every cities, states, and countries that hadn’t been totally contaminated had defended against those who tried to overtake it. In the end, the remaining atomic stockpiles that hadn’t exploded in the initial chain reaction had been attacked as revenge against those who still were able to live in healthy territories and as the years passed the effects of the explosions had manifested themselves in many forms. There were physical deformities, ailments, mental disease, organ failure, and others too numerous to mention.
Many of the cities had fallen to gangs and violence. There was no illusion of safety left and in spite of that many of the people still tried to hold onto some form of normalcy. It was no wonder they fought so hard to be accepted for positions on Antar, she mused. What was left for them on Earth?
Her gaze was following the movement on the projection when the scene in front of her eyes suddenly shifted to the inside of the castle she had called home in recent years. The darkened corridors flickered to life as torches were lit by the soldiers rushing by, their armor clanking loudly. She watched as they burst through one of the hidden doors and out into the courtyard and she gasped when she saw Khivar’s soldiers everywhere.
Her eyes were drawn to the Commander when she realized he was leading the men into battle. In spite of their desire to be with anyone but each other she did care what happened to him. Not that she would ever admit it, but the Commander and his sister were more like family than her own parents were. Pounding hooves drew her attention to the gaping hole in the protective wall and in the distance she could see Rath leading another regiment into the battle.
As she watched he drew a weapon, but it wasn’t anything she could recall seeing before. He reined his mount in as he neared the wall and he raised the weapon, lining the Commander up in his sights. She heard the sound and she watched as something impacted with his upper body, causing him to stumble back several feet. The momentary loss of concentration was enough to give one of the enemy soldiers the opening he needed to drive the tip of his sword through the Commander’s back.
Max turned to his sister when she suddenly screamed and he scrambled around the table to catch her when she began to fall. He carefully lowered her to the floor and was about to call for Rykar but she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shown you all of that at once,” he said apologetically.
“No, Max, it wasn’t the images,” she protested.
“Then what was it?” His tone was demanding as his concern for her safety overrode everything else.
She gripped his arm tightly. “The Commander. I saw the Commander die.”