Oh well... I'll post this new part anyway....Chapter 19:
"We have to get out of here. We have to warn them. I can only imagine the horrible things they have planned! It isn't just her you know! It's Kivar! He is the mastermind behind all this! I can assure you that she got roped into this, regardless of how much we may not be able to stand her, she isn't a mean person!" Elena was pacing nervously around the cell they were in, and Alakiah and Mayala sat off on the floor. Alakiah was covering his face with his hands and Mayala sat biting her nails in nervousness.
"Maybe... maybe I could contact Zan. We have this connection now, I mean we bonded, remember?"
"Elena, you're babbling. And I don't think that talking about your bonding ceremony is going to help us any here, considering it is a large part of the reason we are here." Alakiah got up and went over to Elena and wrapped his arms around her. "Come on, just sit with us. Maybe if we think hard enough, we can think of something." He brought her back with him to where he and Mayala sat and the look on her face scared them.
"Maya? Are you alright?" Elena leaned down suddenly concerned with her friend. "Maya? Please talk to me." Mayala's deep blue eyes looked up, a confused and empty expression lying there. She was biting on her nails nervously rocking slowly back and forth.
"Mayala? Come on, you have not said a word since we were taken. Please, say something so that we know that you are not in shock or brain dead in there." He expected her normal smile, that smile that lit up the room, but instead her empty eyes looked into his own blue ones, a flash of fear ripping through them making him shiver.
"I didn't stop it." The words were dry and seemed to be coming from a different person. Her normal singsong voice was gone, replaced by a tired voice that trembled in fear.
"Stop what?"
"Do not blame yourself! It is NOT your fault!" Elena got on her knees to be at eye level with the woman she considered a sister. Suddenly her eyes began water as she saw Mayala break out in tears.
"I didn't know when it was supposed to happen! I tried to warn them, I did! But they didn't believe me! Now we're here and the situation is probably worse than I could've imagined. It is ALL my fault! Don't you get it? This is it! The fall of the house of Antar! The royal family's destruction is at hand and it all started with us! If I had not suggested we go to the idiotic ball, none of this would have happened! If I had not been so persistent... or maybe if I would have just left it at that one night, rather than trying to pursue something that should never have happened in the first place!" Mayala was hysterical now, the walls she'd built up were quickly crumbling in front of them as they saw the guilt and pain she was enduring on her own. Elena hugged her friend tightly and Alakiah was sitting back in awe, the true meaning of her words hanging in the air.
"You cannot blame yourself for something that was inevitable." Elena pulled away from Mayala, her hands on her shoulders, so they could look into each other's eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I do not think you had anything to do with what is happening. This is it Mayala. Our purpose. The gods had a plan for us and it is up to us to fulfill that. You were right all along. We were not meant to be slaves, but perhaps soldiers. Maybe we can save the house of Antar."
"Woah, woah, wait a second. We are not going to run out of here! Elena, I think you are losing your mind. Even if we did get out of here alive, what could we possibly do to save the revolution that is uprising? Nothing! We are but three slaves who happened to get ourselves a little too involved with the royal family. In public they would never admit to knowing us! They can't! So what exactly do you suppose we do?" Alakiah was now in the small circle the girls had formed and was trying to make sense of what seemed to be an illogical situation.
"Do you trust me?" Her face was stern and determined. He had not seen Elena like this since her parents had died years before. She had been determined to get Mayala to stop crying, much like now. He sighed loudly and nodded.
"Of course."
"Well then, just listen. I have a plan."
"A plan?"
"Yes. Don't worry Maya... we're getting out of here."
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Zan had made several rounds of the castle, the cabin, the gardens, the expanse of the castle and even once or twice in the main city in disguise. He had seen no trace of them anywhere. It was as if they had fallen off the face of the planet. But he could feel Elena. He couldn't quite explain how, but he felt a presence in the back of his mind, like a distant voice calling to him, assuring him she was fine. He was amazed at how strong his heart beat whenever he thought he had found something. He had always loved Elena. Had adored her from afar knowing that it was forbidden to be with her. But he had never imagined she returned the emotions. As he thought, he made his way back to his chambers. He'd been searching for three hours and his body was beginning to fail him. He desperately felt like he needed a nap. He looked at his bed and his heart broke. Just hours ago, she'd been lying on his bed, in all her beauty, looking lovingly at him. She had promised to see him just hours later. But it was the last time they'd seen each other. He shouldn't have let her leave.
He walked over to the bed and sat, running his hand across the silk sheets. Suddenly, he closed his eyes in pain as he felt a strange feeling take over his mind. He looked up, shaking the sudden jolt out of his head and felt his breath catch in his throat.
"Elena?"
"Zan!" He looked around the room to make sure he wasn't going crazy. He looked back at her and she was closer, her deep brown eyes looking into his pleadingly.
"What... I mean where are you?"
"We were kidnapped! Zan listen to me carefully ok? Be careful. They are out to get you!"
"Who?"
"Just listen! Please. I can't hold on to this much longer."
"This?" She walked up closer to him and cupped his face in her hands. She kissed him softly on the lips, but it felt strange, almost ghostly.
"I am not really here. We're communicating through astral projection."
"That's impossible."
"No. No, Zan our bond is so strong that I can tap into your mind. You could do the same to me, which is why I felt you earlier. You were frantic... you were searching." She gave him half a smile and he kissed her harder.
"So where are you?"
"We're not on the planet."
"WHAT!?"
"We've been transported somewhere else, I'm not exactly sure where, but I know that it's her planet."
"Who's?" His eyes were full of curiousity and suddenly she began to fade. He felt panic rising in his chest.
"Wait! Wait, Elena who?"
"She's... princess... you... ball... Av..." She sounded like she was being cut off by another voice in his subconscious. He tried to fight it, but he couldn't understand her, only certain words came through. He felt his eyes flutter open and someone was shaking him awake, talking to him.
"Zan." He looked up at saw Rath staring at him with an unbelievable face.
"I thought you were searching!?" Zan felt himself coming back to reality and shook his head. He had not even noticed he'd fallen asleep. Was that all a dream? No, he could still feel the strange ghostly kisses on his lips. She had been there and had tried to tell him where they were. But she herself did not know. He looked at Rath and his eyes were wide.
"I think she tried to give me a hint."
"What?" Rath looked like he was bored and frustrated with Zan and about ready to walk out mid-conversation.
"We connected. Rath, it's the bonding ceremony. It does something to your bodies. It allows us to be literally like one. I can feel her emotions, which is why I was so troubled this morning. I can sense her presence in my mind. She can see things when we kiss, as can I. She can project her image in my brain when I am sleeping, and actually speak to me! It's amazing!" Rath was suddenly curious about such a connection.
"Can that help us find them?"
"She told me they're not on the planet. They are all still alive, but being held prisoners on the captivator's planet. She tried to tell me who it was, but you managed to wake me up!"
"So now it's my fault?!" Rath's eyes were jumping in fury. He was too riled up and needed to calm down.
"No! No, and we are not going to argue. Come on, I think I may know where to begin." He and Rath walked out of the room in a rush and into the main hallway. They walked into the main foyer of the castle, where the chaos had been earlier. The activity had dwindled slightly but there were still a number of people trying to get things done quickly. They reached the other end of the castle and went into the ballroom that lead out to the gardens. They were talking to each other when suddenly a voice interrupted them.
"Your Highness, King Zan. May I have a word with you?" Ava stood, her dress shaping her petite body, her curly blonde hair falling in loose cascades over her shoulder. They stopped to look back at her and Zan sighed loudly.
"Miss Ava, I am very sorry, but I told you that I have a situation of desperate measure that needs to be dealt with...."
"It is very important."
"Look, he said that..." Rath began to raise his voice as she reached her hand out.
"I was not speaking to you." Rath's body went flying across the room and out the door and then the door slammed closed and bolted shut. She turned back to Zan, her eyes suddenly looking a bit psychotic. She was losing her mind.
"Ava... what...?"
"I told you we needed to speak. You have been ignoring me since the night of the ball and I don't like it!"
"That's no reason for you to lose your head! I can have you killed for that little act you just pulled!" His eyes were narrowing in anger and he felt his hands come up in fists at his side.
"You wouldn't kill me." His eyes widened at her confidence. Obviously poorly spent, or so he thought.
"I wouldn't?"
"No. Not if you want to see your little wife again." He felt his back tense and his head began to spin. Had she just said that?
"What are you talking about?"
"I have them. All three of them. If you ever want to see them alive... her alive, I have a couple of things that I want first." He walked up to her, his rage was fuming and rushing through his blood stream. His jaw was clenched tight and he was standing face to face with Ava, his dark eyes looking down at her own blue ones with a look of hatred. He saw her flinch once, but then her eyes held a defiance in them and she didn't back down. He grabbed her neck and held her up in the air.
"Do you know I could kill you right now? Then what?"
"I have someone who is expecting me this afternoon at seven. If I am not there, they will kill them. So go ahead, but I doubt you would want to do that." She spit the words out with little breath as her face began to redden and suddenly he understood Elena's words. She was the princess he had been with at the ball the first night they'd seen each other. She had tried to say Ava but had been cut off. He tried to keep himself under control and set her down, letting go of her and she rubbed on her neck as he left red finger marks.
"What do you want?" He practically had a growl in his voice and she suddenly held no allure whatsoever. Her blue eyes simply looked icy, her blonde hair a betrayal to any observer. He could not imagine how he had ever felt anything for this woman, this woman who was willing to kill in order to get what she wanted.
"I want you Zan. I want you to fulfill that promise you made me. We were supposed to get married! And then you find this... this slave! And you think she's better than me! Please! I loved you! So now, you will marry me regardless. And I want it to happen tomorrow night."
"Or else."
"Or else you'll be killed."
"By you?" He held almost a mockery in his voice and she felt her blood boil with anger.
"No. By Kivar." His eyes shot open and he felt his heart stop. That name had not been mentioned in his presence since his father had passed, but it still sent shivers down his spine.
"Kivar is in prison." She smiled, a smile that was wicked and uncaring and made his stomach turn.
"That is what you would want to think. But he isn't. He is very much out and free. And we have made a bargain I could not refuse. So what do you say? You either die in the hands of your father's killer... or you marry me. Of course, if you deny me the privilege, your friends all die too. Except perhaps Elena. She'd probably spend the rest of her life as a tortured prisoner. It's a lot more fun than just killing her, don't you think? SO... what do you say?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly and heard his groan.
"I will begin the preparations this afternoon. But you have to let them go. Tonight! Do you undertsand?! Ava... I said do you understand!?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her for emphasis and she nodded.
"Of course. But she is banned from Antar. So you will not be able to see her. I will send her to one of the distant planets... and you are never to see her again." She kissed his lips suddenly and he pulled away at the disgust he felt. She walked away and reached her hand out so that the door she had bolted flew open and Rath came flying in, his previous attempts to break through obviously not working. Rath stood himself up and went after her when Zan stopped him.
"Let go of me! I'm going to KILL her!"
"Rath! STOP! She had them!" Rath slowed down and looked at Zan incredulously.
"What?"
"She is releasing them this afternoon, but we may never see them again."
"Even more reason to kill her!"
"If she's not back at a certain time, they will kill them regardless. Now you have to calm down. This is what we'll do. We'll get some of our soldiers to go to all the planets in our system. They will keep watch out for them. I'm sure she won't keep them together, an attempt to return would be too simple."
"Return here?"
"Yes. They're banned. You and I have to keep our army on look out."
"She's planning an attack?"
"No. But Kivar is."
"Kivar?!! I thought that he was in jail?"
"Not anymore. Come on, I have to plan a wedding." Rath stopped in his tracks.
"WHAT? You JUST got married like last night! That's part of the problem remember?"
"It will give us time to find them and bring them back and get rid of Ava and Kivar. Then we can get Alakiah back to Vilan..." Zan felt his stomach turn and his eyes widened in panic.
"Vilandra!" Rath and Zan both knew about Vilandra's earlier enfatuation with Kivar and the consequences it lead to. They never spoke of it, honestly they didn't blame her, however, they knew Kivar had his ways with women, and Vilandra was especially vulnerable now. Zan broke out running and Rath followed close behind. They charged into her bed chamber to call out and warn her. They stopped to catch their breath and looked around the dark room. She was gone and all that was left was a small note she'd left on the bed.
Hey Zan... I'm back!
~Lonnie.
Rath felt himself get sick. He had loved her years and years ago, when he had promised he'd marry her. Then she had met Kivar and turned into a completely different person. That person was dangerous. That person was capable of anything. That person was called Lonnie.
Ha ha ha ha ha! (evil laugh) finally.... Hope you guys haven't abandoned me. Enjoy the new chapter!**