Is it too late to take that backLatina Rebel 720 wrote:great, so i can harass you here to update THERE lol
postmoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremore!!! lol
Nessa
Well anyway....here's the next couple of chapters.
Chapter Twenty Two
***
So dear I love him that with him,
All deaths I could endure.
Without him, live no life.
- William Shakespeare
***
Tess hadn’t expected everything to happen so quickly. Andaria had disappeared earlier on that night. She suspected Andaria had gone to check on Zander after Tess had been mentioning him every couple of minutes. Tess was left to the task of assimilating all the information that had been laid before her.
Medgio helped in large by giving her some space to think, though always standing by to answer any questions she may have. Her mother had shown her plans for Tess’ return to Earth under Khivar’s nose. Tess had fretted over leaving her son.
She didn’t know what Khivar had up his sleeve in regards to Zander; it could have been anything. Down in her gut, Tess just knew he was waiting for an opportunity to use her son in retaining his throne. Khivar would rule for a lifetime if he had Zander under his thumb.
“What if he finds out?” Tess asked, breaking the silence.
“Andaria would not allow that to happen Your Highness,” Medgio answered calmly. “You will return before Khivar has realized you even left Antar.”
“But if something goes wrong? What then?” she countered. “What if I can’t get back or Khivar does something to my mother?” Tess began to pace back and forth at the horrible possibilities.
Medgio placed his strong slender hands on her shoulders and forced Tess to look up into his older and wise, gentle grey eyes. “If you know your mother, you know that Khivar is the one that needs to worry, rather than Andaria, about him.”
Tess cracked the first smile she’d had since phasing through that wall. She felt her heart lighten at the servant’s confidence in her mother. “Really?” she laughed as she patted his arm.
Medgio seemed to remember his station again and placed his hands stiffly down at his sides. He bowed his head and stood about an arms’ length away from Tess. “You are very much like your mother,” he murmured.
Tess shook her head slightly. She was nothing like Andaria. Tess may have looked like her mother, but Tess thought her mother was wiser and stronger than she could ever be – no matter how brave a front Tess put on.
Tess thought Medgio read her thoughts as he spoke his next words. “Do not doubt that you are your mother’s daughter. She is as proud of you as she has ever been, even when you were raised on Antar.”
~ * ~
The time drew near as Medgio led her through a darkened corridor. Tess felt anxious, yet also anticipation during their short jaunt through the winding tunnel. There were small round spotlights illuminating their path. The lights were about three inches in diameter and spaced intermittently against the smooth wall, which encased them.
As they arrived at their final destination, the tunnel began to expand and open into a large room built out of the familiar iridescent charcoal-colored metal she’d seen in Khivar’s house. The metal had the strength of adamatium, but a strange malleability when pressed under heat.
Medgio led her to a cushioned swivel chair, which was positioned before a large panel of lights and buttons. As she settled into her seat, Tess waited expectantly as Medgio began pressing buttons and flipping unknown switches on the panel. Just as she was about to ask Medgio a question, a short plump man in a contemporary military uniform – rigid, sharp and clean cut – appeared up from behind the control panel.
Medgio’s eyes lit in recognition. “Hammon, you are here!” he exclaimed excitedly. He stepped aside and allowed Tess a clearer view of the stranger. “Your Highness this is Major Hammon; Major Hammon, this is Her Highness, Tess, or as she was formerly known, Ava.”
The young major seemed beside himself. An immediate sweat broke out upon his smooth brow. He couldn’t have been older than in his early thirties by Earth standards. Major Hammon smiled awkwardly and began to fidget, shifting from one foot to another. “Your…uh, Your Highness,” he stammered as he bowed. “We have…waited, uh, so long for your return.”
Tess nodded her head in acknowledgement of the Major. So far she’d met three in a supposed army of Loyalists. Sometimes she felt as if it was all a dream and everything was happening was all in her mind. Tess sighed softly as she unconsciously cradled her arms.
Zander. It had been only a few hours since she’d left him in Khivar’s house, but it already felt like days. Tess swallowed hard and strengthened her resolve. She would save Max and return to her son – Maxwell or no Maxwell.
“Your Highness?” Medgio beckoned softly.
Tess awakened from her reverie and followed Medgio’s gaze over to a set of doors at the far left corner of the room. It was Andaria. She had come back.
~ * ~
“Come,” Andaria summoned.
Tess frowned as she rose from her chair, quickly bowing her head to Major Hammon and Medgio, who knelt before her. As she fell into step with her mother, Tess voiced her confusion. “I thought I was going back? Is something wrong?”
Andaria smiled and stroked Tess’ hair. “No, not yet. We must prepare Max for what is about to happen and you need to know exactly what you’re facing. Dalia will explain precisely what is ailing Maxwell and the best course of action.” The older version of Tess brought her to a small room with a white leather chair, almost like an over-sized beanbag chair. The room was filled with candles.
“What is this?” Tess asked curiously.
“This,” a low voice answered gently from a dark corner of the room, “is where you’ll be safe and speak with Zan, or as he prefers, Maxwell.”
Tess felt her heart leap as the stranger startled her. She strained forward in attempt to catch a glimpse of the stranger’s face. There was no need. The woman stepped out from the cover of darkness and revealed a tall slender woman in her forties. Her dark hair was tightly pulled back into a low ponytail, and in the glow of the candlelight, a light flashed across the woman’s face. It was just below her dark brown eyes. Tess realized she was wearing an unusual pair of glasses, with no frames or nosepiece. “Your Highness,” the mysterious woman greeted humbly.
Tess acknowledged the woman with a nod and a polite smile. As she glanced at her mother for an introduction, Tess watched as Andaria moved forward to shake the woman’s hand. “Tess,” Andaria said, presenting the stranger, “this is Dalia, the woman I was telling you about.”
A weary smile was about all Tess could muster. For all of the sudden she grew very tired. She wanted to get down to business already and back to her son. “Tell me what you know Dalia,” Tess ordered. “I know Max is sick because of his…well, his liason with Liz, but why?”
The brunette took a deep breath and smiled. Clasping her hands together as if readying herself for this moment, Dalia began slowly explaining in latent terms what was happening to Max. “Well Your Highness, Max’s healing gift enables, as you know, Max to heal physical illness and disease.” Dalia paused waiting for some sign of understanding from Tess.
Tess nodded, “Yes. Go on. I’ll stop you if I don’t understand,” she commanded.
Dalia smiled at her quiet authority and motioned for Tess to have a seat in the white chair. “Well,” she continued, “when Max heals a human body he manipulates and regenerates certain molecular structures in the human genes.” Dalia began pacing as if the movement helped her think. She briefly glanced up at Andaria and Tess and resumed her story. “When Max healed Liz, he restructured her genetic make up somehow, causing the development of her ‘so-called’ powers.”
“Now these would have appeared slowly over time and would have gradually faded as the energy he exerted into her body wore off; though the body would be healed because Max was just speeding up the process.”
Tess was on the edge of her seat. She never knew the science of Max’s powers and it was quite fascinating. “And?” Tess coaxed.
Dalia’s eyes twinkled as she was asked continue. “Well as Liz apparently had some anomaly within her genetic makeup already, which pre-deposed her to a physical, and on some level a spiritual connection with Zan. I mean Max,” she explained excitedly. The scientific mind continued to work beneath those brown eyes and a low chuckle escaped her lips.
Tess still didn’t see what exactly she was getting at. She couldn’t quite grasp where it could possibly lead. Tess shook her head. “I still don’t see how that could put Max in the state he’s in,” Tess complained. “So what if Liz was genetically flawed?”
Dalia’s face fell and once again she was reserved and composed, as when Tess had first set foot in the room. “The point is, as far as I can theorize without Max’s physical body here, is that when Max and Liz had se, their connection was made again and the remaining energy or power, whatever you would call it, ignited some genetic acceleration within the two bodies. For Liz it accelerated the process of her ‘powers’ emerging, but for Max it had an adverse reaction, sending his body into a spiral.”
Tess rested her head in the palms of her hands. It was so much to take in. She thought most of it made sense, but would her powers not wreak more chaos and havoc to Max’s body? Tess had never even healed anyone before. What made them think she could do it now?
“But how am I supposed to fix it?” Tess groaned.
Andaria kneeled before Tess and clasped her hand. “Tess, you and Maxwell are connected; not just by your past, but as partners you are physically linked. That is why you felt nauseous and dizzy the day of my interview when Max was hurting.” Andaria locked gazes with her daughter. “I know you don’t want to hurt Max, but trust me when I say that you are his only hope.”
Tess nodded slowly, accepting the fate of the love of her life into her hands. “And am I just going to ‘know’ what to do?” she asked somberly. “All Nasedo taught me was how to protect myself and mind warp, a power I already had.”
Dalia smiled. “Your healing Max is something inherent in each of the Royal Four. When you were created, they sent you to Earth with the knowledge that there would always be the possibility that you would could be hurt or ill and there wouldn’t be a physician-of-sorts to heal you.” She took a deep breath and continued on in the history of the weird story that was her life. “So they connected you to your partner in a way that you would always be able to heal each other physically.”
Tess stood up and ran her fingers through her curly hair. “This is amazing,” gasped Tess. “I mean these are big things that I never knew, and Nasedo never even bothered to tell me.”
Andaria pushed herself up until she was standing eye to eye with Tess. “He didn’t know,” she explained. “There was a limited amount of time to teach those who would guard you and teach you all that you needed to know to return to Antar.”
Tess stared at the two women, who had her life locked up inside their heads, standing before her. They were her first true link to who she was. Nasedo gave her guidance and some sense of purpose, but now to have her mother and now this other fountain of knowledge in her grasp, Tess felt unusually calm and ready. “So am I ready?” Tess asked softly.
Andaria folded her arms across her chest. “You tell me Tess,” her mother challenged.
Tess turned around and looked at the white plush chair, which sat in the middle of a circle of candles. She let out a sigh and straightened her posture as she nodded. “I need to talk to Max.”
***
Max hadn’t expected the visit from Andaria. And he sure didn’t know what to make of their conversation. As she spoke about Antar and his people, once again Max felt the weight of an unknown people fall upon his shoulders.
He’d even tried to remember his past life. Max tried to focus on his mother. What had she looked like? It was the first time he’d asked himself that question since the fateful shooting at Crashdown. Max used to imagine what it would be like to meet his parents. He and Isabel would lay in the dark, in his room and talk about who she was and what she would be like.
Maxwell rubbed his tried face. He didn’t know what to do. Every part of him ached for some rest, but there was no sleep in this place.
“Max?” Tess voice called out.
Suddenly in the dark nothingness, Tess appeared before him - life size and real to the touch. It was an odd sensation, but somewhere deep down in his gut; Max knew that this would be their final meeting. “Tess?”
The petite blonde smiled and clasped his hand in hers. “Max, there isn’t much time to explain everything, but it’s happening Maxwell. We’re going to get your out of here.”
Max was filled with an abundance of emotion. He didn’t quite know what exactly to feel first. The first reaction he had was to wrap his arms around her waist and swing her around. “I’m getting out of here!” he shouted out in elation.
Suddenly Max realized who he held in his arms and set Tess down, her body slowly slid down as she braced herself against his chest. Their faces were only inches apart. Max didn’t quite know exactly how he got here, but as he was about to pull away, Tess caressed his face and suddenly the darkness, which once enveloped him, flickered and opened a portal of light. His brow creased in wonder. Was it going to be this fast?
“Max,” Tess whispered. “You need to find the past to step back into the present. Will you go?”
Max looked at Tess hesitantly. How could he trust her? How could he trust the woman who murdered Alex? Never before had he not trusted his instincts about a person, and the one time he did, it brought him the death of one of his close friends.
But he needed to get home, and there was just something about Tess. Even now, looking at her, Max had the feeling there was more to her stories and lies than she’d let him know. Max came back to the present, or whatever it was. Time didn’t necessarily seem to apply in that dark place. “What is it? Is it taking me back?”
Tess lowered her gaze. “To be honest Max, I don’t exactly know. But Andaria told me that it would be dangerous and there is a lot working against you here,” Tess said bluntly. “She said that if you didn’t go through this, there would be no going back Max.”
He didn’t like the sounds of this. “Do you know what’s going on Tess? I’d like to know before I take this leap of faith again and find myself in some web of lies that you’ve created to trap me,” Max demanded. “And you know Andaria?”
She took a deep breath before raising her eyes to meet his. “Max, look, your body’s sick from your connection with Liz. I need to go back and heal you. But before I could, Andaria, my mother, told me that you needed to take a journey of your own, while I prepare for mine.” Tess swallowed hard and her pale hands slid from his chest down to her sides.
“Your mother?” he said disbelievingly. “You met your mother?”
Tess nodded. “But we can talk about the mushy stuff later Max. You need to walk through that light.”
All of this sounded so surreal. “So I need to take ‘a trip’,” he repeated slowly, debating whether this could possibly be the truth. “And you’ll be going back to Earth to heal me?”
Tess rolled her eyes. “I know that this sounds so surreal,” she laughed in disbelief, “but this is the truth Max.”
Now it was his turn to laugh. “Since when do you deal with the ‘truth’ Tess?” Max retorted.
She shook her head in frustration and Max watched as her blonde locks fell neatly against her shoulders. “You either take this trip Max and realize that I am not trying to hurt you or you can just fade away Max,” she spat angrily.
Max fazed out during Tess’ tirade. He was surprised at the understanding Tess had of what he’d been experiencing. He had felt weary and faint. Max did fear he was just fading away. Suddenly Tess’ voice brought him back from his thoughts and questions. “I am not trying to kill you, it’s just the opposite, and if you knew what I went through to keep you alive…” She stopped short of finishing her thought.
Max frowned. “What do you mean, what you went through? What did you ever go through that…?”
Tess shook her head and turned her back to him. “Never mind Max. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that time is running short and our people are counting on me to bring back their king alive.”
Max smirked. He knew there was a catch. “I’m not going back to Antar, Tess. And if you think that you can trick me into some sort of…” Tess interrupted him before he could finish. “Look Max I don’t care what you think right at this point. I’m on Antar and I have taken on my responsibilities and duties as the mother of the heir to Antar. I will not have my child grow up on a planet ruled by Khivar,” growled Tess. “My son will not be a puppet.”
He was taken aback. Max never thought about how ruthless Khivar when it came to his son. But Max belonged on Earth with Liz; he had made that choice; actually Tess made it for him.
“Listen,” Tess commanded, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. “I don’t care about the future, or what’s going to happen later on and the choices you will and won’t make. Right now, I’m here to tell you to walk through that light and help me to save you.”
Max swallowed hard. He’d sworn to himself that he’d do whatever it took to get out there, but now the time had come and Max had become unsure of what choice to make. His gaze fell upon Tess’ beautiful face; it showed nothing of the murder and betrayal that hid beneath the surface.
***
Tess saw the uncertainty in his face. There had to be a way to convince him to step through that door, which held keys to their past, and who he was. She cautiously approached Max and placed both hands on his brow. Closing her eyes she let him into mind and the private places there.
As she opened herself to Max’s painful and scrutinizing eyes, Tess let him roam free. She had nothing to hide. Though she secretly hid the lies she had told him about Alex’s death hidden in the darkness, but in plain sight, Tess prayed Max would look into the recesses of her mind and realize quickly that she had nothing but the best intentions.
Tess could feel Max raking through her memories and her dreams of the future. Max was leafing through the joy of giving birth to their son Zander and the memories of his first laugh and the smell of his hair after she’d just given him a bath. He’d seen all of it.
Suddenly she felt Max pull away from her mind link and yet again Tess stood before the scrutinizing gaze of her would-be husband. Tess felt herself grow faint, gasping after that painful search. “Did you see Max? Do you know that I’m not lying to you?” she panted, holding her head gently.
“I’m going to do it Tess,” Max announced stoically. “But I warn you Tess, if you try to pull something.”
Tess looked up at the man she loved. It hurt deep inside to see distrust and anger burning beneath his dark brooding eyes. But she wouldn’t allow him to know that. Max would not get the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt to be separated from him and seeing his face everyday in Zander’s eyes. She took a deep breath and sighed warily. “I’m not Max.”
*******
Chapter Twenty Three
***
You will never know true happiness
until you have truly loved,
and you will never understand
what pain really is
until you have lost it.
- Unknown
***
By the end of the weekend it had been announced that school had been re-opened. This pronounced a large problem for Michael, Liz and Maria. Each had classes, which now had to be sped up since the students had missed so many days due to the water main break. Michael more than anyone couldn’t afford to miss another class; at least that was Mr. Kent’s opinion, Michael’s guidance counselor.
Michael tried to convince Isabel that it was all right; he didn’t care if he missed a couple of classes. The situation with Max was top priority. But Isabel refused to allow any of the three to miss any school because of Max. “People would get suspicious,” she had argued. Finally Michael, Maria and Liz agreed with Isabel and went back to school.
The only set back in Michael’s mind was Isabel’s desire to include Jesse in the bedside schedule. Michael hackled at the idea. “Why? He didn’t want anything to do with us before, why now? What’s changed?” Michael asked tersely.
“Michael you can’t expect to pull shifts at work, go to school and still have time to come here for hours on end!” Isabel snapped. “Jesse wants to help and I think we should let him.”
After almost breaking out into a huge argument, Michael once more gave in. By the time Michael was about let the disagreement break out into a full-scale argument, Liz and Maria had arrived and put in their two cents worth. In the end it was three against one
***
When they had returned the trio was bombarded with questions and the exacerbating amount of sympathetic glances and apologies for Max’s disappearance. It drove them up the wall and they were tiring of all the lies and trying to remember what they had said the day before. They hoped they didn’t have to keep this up for long.
“His parents must be going insane,” Jenny, a bubbly blonde from Liz’s Chem. class commented as Liz was walking through the cafeteria lunch line up. Liz smiled politely and shrugged. “I guess,” was her only response.
Liz and Maria buried themselves in extra-curricular activities and hoped to avoid unwanted conversations. After a few days, Liz and Maria figured if they pretended they were fine the other kids would stop hassling them. It worked, but for one flaw in their logic.
“So how about Friday night?” Tommy, the star center for Roswell High’s basketball team inquired.
Liz was at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected it. Just as she was about to reply with a rude remark, Kyle showed up. “Buzz off Henderson!” barked Kyle, pushing the lanky 6 foot 2 inch senior down the hallway.
Liz let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you Kyle. I can’t believe that just happened!” she laughed, pretending to gag as she locked arms with Maria as they walked to homeroom.
“All to happy to help m’ladies,” Kyle replied cheekily, as he also followed along.
***
However, as life seemed normal on the surface, the group of friends worried about Max. Michael had somehow gotten a heart rate monitor in the last couple of days to keep an eye on Max’s pulse. He seemed to be getting weaker, his pulse thready. Finally Michael called several into the Granolith chamber: Isabel, Maria, Jesse and Liz.
It was the middle of the night and it was storming outside. Droplets of rain fell lightly as they paired off and drove to the cliff peak. But as time wore on, the five had arrived at the hidden cavern and it was a torrential downpour.
“I think it’s time we stop playing around,” Michael announced firmly. “It’s been days since we’ve heard from Tess and I have my doubts about her even getting here. If she’s even trying.”
Isabel frowned. “We need to wait a little longer. Just let me try to get in touch with her one more time,” she pleaded. “She said in our last meeting that things were almost ready.”
“No!” Maria cried. “You’ve tried for the past couple of days. We can’t risk Max’s life on the word of a lying, conniving murderer!”
All eyes fell on Liz. The petite brunette shook her head. “I don’t know guys. I mean if there were some actual plan to help Max, but we don’t even have that,” Liz sighed. “Michael, what are you planning on doing? I mean, is there a plan?”
Michael clenched his teeth and shook his head frustratingly. “No, but what else can we do?” he exclaimed. “His heart rate is dropping and we can’t wait here forever!”
“Then what do you propose we do?” Jesse challenged. “Are you going to drop him off at the hospital? Hmmm, maybe you could drop him off on the Evans’ doorstep? I’m sure they’ll be relieved.”
Michael had had just about enough of Jesse’s cutting comments. He offered nothing, and agreed with nothing. Jesse knew nothing about their situation, or Michael’s continuing internal debate over the right decision. He finally had enough. Michael lunged at Jesse, but Maria and Liz held him back. “What do you know?” Michael growled. “The only reason you’re here is because of Isabel.”
“And that’s the only reason I need, Michael!” Jesse smirked as he wrapped his arms around Isabel’s shoulders.
Isabel pulled away and put up her hands, signaling the two men to stop. “Look we need to decide!” Isabel shouted tensely, her eyes glanced between the two men.
Tension filled the stale room. No one moved. Every muscle stiffened like waiting for the pin to drop, but before anything else was said Max sat up gasping for air and then crumpled into a heap on the ground.
“Max!” Isabel screamed as she rushed to her brother’s side. Her trembling hands hovered over his chest and forehead, unsure of just exactly where she should place them.
Isabel looked up hopefully at Jesse, who stood grimly at Maxwell’s feet, while Michael studied the heart monitor. Max’s heart rate was erratic, with many high peaks and valleys. She looked over at Michael, who had Liz hovering beside him, wanting to be at Max’s side, while Maria held her back. “What is it?” Isabel whispered as she watched Max’s chest begin to rise and fall.
“He’s breathing again,” Michael smiled in relief.
Everyone let out a shout of joy. Isabel slowly released the air within her as she had been holding her breath for some prognosis. “Oh,” she sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes. “I can’t believe it.”
Michael had learned a lot over the past several days about heart rates and some of the anatomy of the human body. He’d hoped most of it would apply, which it seemed to. Their bodies seemed to function with the same meta-physiology a full-blooded human would, with the exceptions of powers and other little known factors.
Suddenly Michael watched the line on the heart monitor weaken and become unstable. He grabbed Max’s wrist and felt for a pulse. It was faint. Though Max had begun breathing again, his pulse seemed slower and weaker than ever before. His face drained of what color it had left. Michael looked at Liz, Maria and lastly Isabel. Now it was his blood that drained from his face.
“What?” Liz cried anxiously. “Is something wrong?”
Liz pushed Michael away from Max and held his face in her hands. “Max?” she whimpered. “Don’t do this. Please…what’s wrong?”
Michael dropped his head. “I can’t find a pulse.”
Isabel’s eyes widened and her hands fell limply to her side. “Maybe you made a mistake?” she said softly, almost in a daze.
“Try harder!” Maria yelled, pacing behind Liz whose head was resting on Max’s chest.
The high pitch screech of the Max’s heart flat lining seemed to fill the stark, sterile white room. Everyone fell silent and all things seemed to be frozen in time. This was not happening.
~ * ~
Isabel watched as Michael lifted Max’s lifeless body into his arms and carry him quickly out into the entrance way and through the narrow tunnel. “Maybe I’m wrong,” Michael said quickly, seemingly in despair. “If we could just take him to the hospital…”
Liz and Maria followed him next, while Isabel just sat still beside the blankets, which had just a few minutes ago, warmed her brother. Her chest began to hurt and she couldn’t breathe. “Max,” she gasped, finally able to utter something in the sheer silence of the room.
Her hands gripped the blankets that lay in front of her. Isabel’s thoughts wandered to their first day of school; the day the Evans’ adopted them; their first celebratory birthday party. Once more she found her voice. “Max! Max!” Isabel cried out, her voice strangled by the unnoticeable tears. “No!”
She closed her eyes as the turmoil and disbelief overwhelmed her. Isabel didn’t even feel Jesse’s arms embrace her; rock her. She didn’t hear his voice whisper comforting words. Isabel reached out into the darkness with all the will and power she had within her, searching for some sign of her brother. Instead the couple was awakened from their grief by an illuminating light, which filled the now lifeless room. It shook as if its foundations were being shifted from within.
***
The shimmering light pierced every crack and crevice within the dark, dusty cliff peak cavern. Liz, Maria, even Michael were stopped by the wonder. Michael’s heart began to pound when he realized that Isabel and Jesse were still in that room. If anything had happened to Isabel, Michael knew there was nothing else for him here.
At that moment, he couldn’t even fathom why he even held Max’s lifeless body in his arms. He’d obviously made the wrong choice, believing and trusting Tess one last time. It had cost him everything he loved.
“Isabel!” Michael cried out. “Isabel!”
He looked at both Liz and Maria who seemed disoriented. Michael placed Max’s body gently on the rocky soil as he approached the Granolith chamber one more time. “Isabel,” he repeated once more.
A woman’s figure approached him within the blinding white light. “Isabel, you’re okay,” he murmured, placing his hand on his chest.
Michael stood up and reached out to the faceless woman and was about to take her hand when he realized that it wasn’t Isabel. The light faded in the box-like room and he was stood once more in the hidden cavern of their birth. Liz and Maria came up behind him to face this stranger, whether friend or foe. “Who is it Michael?” Maria asked as she came upon the entrance to the chamber.
There was no response. As the woman’s face came into view, all who stood there were stunned into silence. There in the Granolith chamber stood Tess.
Yes...you know exactly what! 