Um I have an idea how I want to end this but it may get really dark before the light so bare with me...
Pls continue to feedback it inspires me Chapter 32
He stared at his surroundings and a released a heavy sigh, though he was not surprised by the coldness of her actions, it never dawned on him that she'd be capable of so much cruelty. He could still hear the fear that trembled in his sister's final plea or the way her eyes widened in terror as her life was snuffed out, he'd never been close to her, even when they were children she kept herself closed off from the rest of them, but she did not deserve to die like that.
"Zan...?"
He turned to find Ava's frightened blue eyes staring back at him, "Yeah Aves."
She scurried to his side, desperate to feel the security his arms always seemed to provide, "I'm sorry Zan, I'm so sorry..." her apology deserved no explanations. They both were well aware of their fate, and though they'd never held any delusions as to what their purpose in this life was, it still left them acheing for what could've been.
Zan held her as she cried and offered what little comfort he could, "Sshh Aves, yous got nothin to be sorry for..." His arms tightened around her, "...hey we's gonna be okay, you and me, wes always find our own way, right?"
Ava nodded and smiled timidly up at him, and thanked the gods for allowing her the honor remain at his side, "Yeah we's always do..."
In this moment Zan finally understood the depth of Ava's love for him, he let the images of his memory float by and watched each moment in time. She'd never betrayed him, even when he'd been so heartless in his attentions to other women, even when he'd used her and left her alone and crying. Her love remained unchanged and pure, and Zan finally realized though his love for Alexia would never really disappear, his heart would/could love again. The punked out blonde in his arms, was his future, and a small smile graced his lips.
She could feel the shift in his emotions and turned her face up to meet his gaze, "Zan?"
"Aves I've been so stupid, and yous been at my side through it all, yous never once faltered, Iz can't ever apologize enough to you, but Iz swear..." he traced the contours of her face gently, and wiped a smudge of dirt of her cheek, "...I swear, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she stared up at him in shock, what a cruel irony it was, that what she's always prayed for was happening on the cusp of her death. Yet she'd take it, even if it was only a few hours, she'd live a liftime in those hours and she'd love him with the urgency of death. "Oh Zan..." she whispered before she tipped her head up and met his lips.
Their kiss was not hungry or rushed, it was gentle and reaffirming, allowing both of them the oppurtunity to reconnect with each other. Allowing them a small fragment of time, that belonged only to them. Despite the war, or their upcoming execution, these few hours belonged to them and them alone. Zan lifted her into his arms and walked them both over to the bed, he'd offer her his heart and what little else he possesed and she'd take it gratefully.
They'd face the world together in the morning, face the horrors that awaited them as duplicates, and even the pitiful death that was looming on the horizon, but they'd face it with the strength of a couple. They'd face it as a couple and endure the sacrifice with the strength of love in their hearts.
**********
The morning light that drifted in slits from the blinds, brushed over her face leaving jagged shadows to dance across the room. Though she could feel her body awakening from sleep's tired embrace, she struggled to remain under, she fought to continue the dream that was her only salvation. Yet like everything in life, the good never remains a constant, and soon enough her illusions vanished.
"Morning Highness, did you sleep well?"
"Yes thank you..." she yawned and stretched with catlike finesse. Her eyes immediately landed on the blonde that was still bowed at her feet, "There is no need for such formalities Ambrosia, you may rise."
"Majesty it is merely a sign of my respect..." Ambrosia smiled and winked as she stood and stared adroingly at her queen.
With a quick wave of her hand, Liz fixed herself, leaving her perfectly dressed, with immaculate percission. "What is on the agenda today?"
"Well, first you must address the troops and announce our departure, after which I suggest you handle the dupes and Khivarr, there is no need to delay their fate any longer than necessary." Ambrosia paused and waited for the nod to continue, "I assume you would want to secure the royal court now that Ciyan has been reenstated..."
"So the prince is awake, and I assume they are non the wiser of his true purposes." Liz stared with unseeing eyes at the morning landscape, from her window.
"No clue Highness, so far all is falling into place, um.."
"Yes Ambro what is it?"
"Highness we are going to proceed with the Kings awakening and would like your authourity to step up the time table." She waited with baited breath, unsure how the news would be recieved. At first the silence was unnerving, but when Liz nodded she released a breath and continued, "Other than that we are set, shall I inform the others?"
"Fine, I will be out shortly, dismissed." Liz informed and watched as her Captain vanished from sight.
Ambrosia's departure, left her feeling empty, she'd never been one to enjoy the trajedies of power, and now was no exception. She could feel the weight of her decisions, as they bared down on her soul, and knew instinctively that this path would ultimately lead to her destruction, but she seemed powerless to stop her own actions. 'This must take its course...' her mind explained.
'They will never forgive me...' she silently mused, already weary from the days hardships.
The voice in her soul was already arguing back, 'They will have no choice but forgive you, when they realized what you've spared them from.'
She hated that voice, her twined soul, locked deep within her mind, the cold and heartless ruler that pushed for vengence, the darkness in her heart that threatened to devour her completely. 'You are a fool, if you imagine we will survie this trail, we were doomed from birth' Liz wordlessly spat back at herself.
She caught her reflection in the mirror, and shuddered, this creature was not her, this creature was a twisted wretch and she pitied her, 'We are cursed, the prophecy was right, no being should be damned with the knowledge of eternity, we will perish under its weight.' she caustically laughed before flinging an arm out and disintegrating the glass in a shower of violet sparks.
'You never could accept our destiny, now you fear the truth behind our visage, you are weak!' the voice snarled.
Straightening Liz raised her head high and continued forward towards the door, 'Soon' she thought back, soon she'd find her peace, soon all this treachery would finally be over and she'd vanish back into the emptiness of time, where she belonged. Her heart only had one regret, her hand came to rest at the flat expanse of her belly, and the warm glow of her child nestled inside.
'Forgive me Zan...' Her heart cried out as the voice in her soul laughed maniacally.
*************
It was a less somber group of royals that greeted the morning, they were aware of the trails that awaited them and held no misconceptions regarding how difficult it'd be to ovecome them, but with the hope of a new day also came a new sense of determination. They may have lost one of their own, but they also saved another, the scales seemed even and perhaps they could tip them in their favor.
Max sat alone staring out at the dawn, his thoughts a jumble of worry and pain, he knew they weren't his feelings alone, and it gave him a sense of comfort to know that the link between them was still intact. Needless to say the fact that she could feel, gave him hope, she was not the machine she so desperately tried to appear to be to the others. He could sense her sorrow, her confusion, her regret...
"Hey..."
"Goodmorning." He smiled up at his beloved's sister, "Your up early."
"Yeah, I really couldn't sleep, so how yous holdin up?" she questioned catiously.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Max gave her a sympathetic smile and offered her a seat next to him. Though they'd never been close in this life or the last, he still felt the commadary that had blossomed at the same sense of loss they shared. Perhaps no other member of his family felt her loss as deeply as she did, and to know that they'd only had a mere second of time with her before the chaos seemed a cruel joke.
"Max.."
"Serina.."
She blushed and offered him the first opportunity, when he declined and insisted she finish her thought she gratefully smiled, "Iz know that I've never given you the benifit of the doubt, and Iz know that dis shit aint fair to you or any of us. It's just..." She swallowed hard and turned away from his gaze, it was hard enough to get through this without actually having to look at him. "Iz can't lose her again, you may not have had all your memories from back then, but da three of us were born with them still intact, and ders one thing that maybe even yous don't remember, but has haunted me for two lifetimes."
Max stared at her curiously, whatever it was she was struggling with, it was something big and it would probably rock his little world to the core, once again. Fear suddenly settled in the pit of his stomach and he almost stopped her unsure if he wanted to know, this secret, but one look at her teary eyed stare and he held his peace.
"She loved you from the first moment she saw you, we were only children no more than toddlers, but she knew immediately, she knew that there would only be you in her heart. And I was jealous and angry, she was my big sister, she was everything to me and when you came into the picture she just pushed me aside, not completely because its not in her nature to be cruel, but she closed off a piece of herself from me and the others and I was jealous of you, I hated you for that and..." She was now crying uncontrollably, her shudders making it hard to talk, but when he tried to comfort her she pulled away.
"Please don't be nice to me, I don't deserve it, I'm the reason we are all here, I'm the cause of all this pain and heart ache, I DID THIS!" She hissed out in anger, the force of her emotions causing the walls to shake briefly.
He simply nodded and kept his eyes trained on her, he could feel the others begining to wake and gather, but he warned Isabel to keep them away mentally, this was not something that needed a crowd. Max felt them back off, but could still fell everyone at the outskirts of the connection.
Grateful for the reprieve of having to explain her actions to an audience Serina sadly smiled at her king, her guilt ripping away at her resolve, when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Please don't look at me with those eyes, I don't deserve your concern, I don't deserve any of it..." Serina rubbed at her eyes, willing the tears to stop, "...It seemed simple back then, you know, I actually thought I was doing what was best for everyone, I actually believed in my heart that we'd all be better for it, how wrong I was, how irrecovably wrong I really was." She stood and began to pace the length of the room, it seemed so simple in her mind, even now the childlike simplicity of her plan made her laugh.
"I don't know if you remember, but Alexia was born for the soul purpose of one day ascending as the new holy maiden, she was going to bring about a new era, a golden era, but only with your help..." Serina watched as the confusion spread over Max's features, "...See Lexi isn't like the rest of us, well not exactly she is like one other another born under the same cusp of light and dark, but that is not the point of all this. Lexi had a destiny that was far greater than any of us could ever comprehend, but you have to understand Max, I just wanted my sister back, and I made a deal with the devil himself to achieve that. I destroyed so many lives for my own selfish reasons..."
Max felt the world around him begin to waver as her words sunk in, he'd always believed that it was never meant for him and Alexia to be, he'd been told from childhood that she was meant for another, she was destined for another. It was all a lie, he was her destiny, it was going against that destiny that had cost them all so much, it was because of...
"Don't Serina...please don't say anymore..."He pleaded his mind finally grasping what she was getting at.
Serina shook her head furiously, she needed to get this out, it may have been a selfish desire, but he needed to know the truth if they were going to surpass this obsticle. "The two of you were going to bring about a new age of peace and prosperity, and with it you'd be more powerful than any other leader to ever take the throne, but I changed that. I threw a pebble in the pond and rippled that destiny, sending everything into chaos, leading us to this point in time."
"How..." he whispered dejectedly, his eyes staring unfocused at the horizon.
"Once I heard that both Zan and Alexia were betrothed I set my plan in motion, we were still so young, barely in our 15th year, but I could see how much you both loved each other, and knew there'd be no way to seperate you by my merit alone, so I enlisted the help of unlikely allies. Only a few members of the royal court knew the full prophecy, and only a handful of priestesses at the temple new the truth, I made the deal that sealed our fate..."
His eyes wiped back to her, and he could see the truth even before she spoke it, but this needed to be spoken, he needed to hear her say the words, "Keep Going." his voice was steely cold as the transformation took over his body.
Terrified she watched as Max, transformed into King Zan, his obsidian eyes rimmed with fiery gold power, Serina could only nod and continue, "Khivar was easy to manipulate, I simply told him what he wanted to hear, and dressed in her robes I whispered sweet nothings of power and lust in his ears and sealed our fates, but it wasn't enough to have him under my thumb I needed one other. One who could manipulate memories, one who could transform what was known into a completely different outcome.."
"Ava..." he whispered
"Yes Ava, you may not know this but we were all great childhood friends, and Ava was desperately in love with your brother, he loved her just as fiercely. I knew this and I destroyed any chance of their happiness. I poisoned her thoughts against him, and led her to desire you, I never realized how very good my lies were..." Serina mused ironically, "...she became obessesed with the notion that you and her were prophesized by heaven to be this great couple, and she twisted Ciyan's thoughts away from her and onto Alexia. Once I was certain that Ava was completely onboard, we set out to change the course of history, and you know where it led us. God I am so sorry Zan, you will never know how sorry I am, I did all that to keep my sister at my side and I ended up being the cause of her death, nothing will ever change that and I will never find reprieve for my actions..." Serina sobbed falling to her knees in desperation.
"FINISH!" he ground out.
"I...I tried to set things right, but the more I tried to fix things the worse they got, Khivarr and Ava grew crazy obsessed and soon plotted without my consent, when I'd learned of Alexia's pregnancy and the marriage. I believed that fate had salvaged destiny on its own, I never imagined..." The tears were running wildly down her cheeks, as she was almost to the point of hysterics.
Max stood horrified and stared at the pitiful being at his feet, and all the anger and pain boiled to the surface, his restraint snapped and all hell broke loose. He kneeled down and forcefully lifted her chin up to meet his gaze.
Terror rolled through her as she stared into the jet black eyes of retribution, she waited for the swift hand of vengence to strike her down. She heard the doors burst open and could barely make out the screams of her family. Everything faded into the background, a blur of voices and shapes, the only solid thing was the unrestraint anger that tore into her as she continued to stare into his midnight eyes.
With a wave of his hand Max erected an invisible wall, seperating his family from himself and Serina, he could here their pleas, begging him to release her, begging him to spare her, begging him to be merciful. But all he could see when he stared at her familiar face was the bloodied mess that was his wife and unborn child, her dead eyes staring out into the blackness of night, her cold pale hands trying to protect their child even in death. A wave of sheer hate crashed into his heart, and had he not released her face he'd have fried her brain with the overwhelming force of it. He stood his body consumed with red sparks of power, as he stared down at her weeping form.
"YOU NEVER IMAGINED...YOU WHO PLAYED GOD WITH ALL OUR LIVES FOR WHAT? FOR PEITY JEALOUSY!" His voice roared in the small space, he could feel the presence of new arrivals, but ignored everything around him and focused on her. Fighting the urge to rip her to shreds, he took a breath and focused his mind, "Serina your selfishness destroyed an empire, you killed us all, death is far to generous an act for you..."
"NO PLEASE!!" Serina cried out, begging to be finally released, but when she stared up at the malicious smirk that unfurled on her king's lips, all hope vanished.
"No Please...I believe those were your precious sisters last words, as she stared into the eyes of her murderor, the funny thing is, it isn't Ava's blue eyes she's staring into, but the emerald eyes of her beloved sister. You will live with the burden of knowing you destroyed everything you loved, and nothing will ever take that pain away. Your hell is far worse than anything I could ever concieve of doing to you..." Max harshly whispered before turning his back on her.
The room was gravely silent, and when the wall fell and Max stepped through the crowd, not a soul dared to move, the only sound that could be heard were the broken cries of a guilty sister. He walked past the three Captains and never faltered when they bowed to him, his entire person radiating pure power, he needed to get away before he killed the traitorous bitch at his feet and was thankful no one attempted to stop him. In the frame of mind he was in, he'd probably kill the next person to get in his way.
Serina stared after him, tears blurring her vision, she watched as the trio bowed and then watched as he disappeared from sight, the last thing she noticed before the world went black around her, was the satisfied smirk on the face of the brunette staring down at her. 'What have I done...' she whispered in her mind and then allowed the darkness to swallow her whole.
**********
"It has begun Majesty."
"Where is he now?" she asked with concern.
"He is headed for your room."
"Thank you, that will be all Evani, be on alert and make sure the Royals are secure."
"As you wish Highness." with a bow the brunette vanished.
Mere seconds later, the doors to her room burst open and their in all his glory stood her mate, power and anger thrumming through his body. She could feel her own energy rising eager to join the call of her king. She'd never seen him look more magnificent, and at the moment the room felt entirely to small, her breath was coming out in ragged pants and it was hard to focus on anything except his face.
"Zan..." his name came out in more of a plea and she noticed the half smirk that graced his lips.
Each powerful step caused her pulse to leap, Max's black eyes were now glowing with power and they were trained on her. Liz felt a wave of desire hit her suddenly and moaned out his name. He was reeking havoc on her senses and enjoying every single second of it, they'd not been together in almost a week and her body was craving his touch. In the back of her mind she knew this was a dangerous situation, especially since both their emotions were so heightened, their'd be no way to hide anything from each other if they happened to touch, at this moment.
"Ma..Max...we need to talk..." She felt him release another rush of desire and bit back a moan that tried to escape from her lips.
"I'm done talking Liz." He growled and stepped within a hair's breath away from her, he could feel the heat radiating off her body, and the entoxicating aroma of her feminity slithered around him teasingly.
Liz sucked in her bottom lip and prayed that some unexpected natural disaster abruptly bore down upon them, anything would do at this point, a freak tsunami, a tidal wave, even a hurricane would suffice. And though she was well aware that New Mexico was not really known for it's costal trajedies, she continued to pray hoping that perhaps the gods would be merciful.
"Max...Please..." her words silenced as he suddenly lunged and crashed his lips onto her. The kiss was the culmination of all the anger and passion that teatered between the two for the past week and it exploded around them, setting the room into a whirlwind of power and heat. Almost instantly the flashes started to flow freely between the two.
Flash...
Liz as a young child laughing and goofing around with Alex...
Flash..
Max stepping off the bus for the first time in the 3rd grade, feeling incredibly lonely and sad, but then a small girl with blonde pigtails and amazing green eyes running up to him and smiling.
"Hey your new here right, why not come play with me?" she asked but never waited for a reply before dragging him away to the playground.
Max feeling a little less alone, as he pushed her on the swings...
Flash...
"Ava I need your help?" Liz cautiously stepped up to the punked out version of her cousin.
She'd been expecting this for some time now, and she could say she was surprised to find Liz at the other end of the door to her hotel room, "Whats you need me to do?"
Liz smiled and for a moment regretted the place you would inadvertantly place her in, "Well, I need to get myself captured..."
Flash...
His voice roared in the small space, he could feel the presence of new arrivals, but ignored everything around him and focused on her. Fighting the urge to rip her to shreds, he took a breath and focused his mind, "Serina your selfishness destroyed an empire, you killed us all, death is far to generous an act for you..."
"NO PLEASE!!" Serina cried out, begging to be finally released, but when she stared up at the malicious smirk that unfurled on her king's lips, all hope vanished.
"No Please...I believe those were your precious sisters last words, as she stared into the eyes of her murderor, the funny thing is, it isn't Ava's blue eyes she's staring into, but the emerald eyes of her beloved sister. You will live with the burden of knowing you destroyed everything you loved, and nothing will ever take that pain away. Your hell is far worse than anything I could ever concieve of doing to you..." Max harshly whispered before turning his back on her.
Flash...
Two girls both identicle in apperance with long chocolate locks that flowed down their backs in curly waves, they both sat indian style facing each other, similar smiles graced their faces and their eyes were closed as they communicated without words. They were the personification of childlike innocence, as they held the worlds secrets in the depths of their mind.
Slowly they each turned to face the horizon, as their eyes opened the most amazing set of amber eyes stared out onto the vast open landscape.
"Daddy..."
End Flashes...
Max tore his lips away from Liz, and pushed her forcefully from his grasp, his mind was spinning, and he couldn't process the images he'd just seen, "What was that?" he asked, fear lacing his words for what her next answer would be.
Even before he pulled away, she knew, there'd be no possibly way he wouldn't know, "Max..." she whispered his name cautiously.
His eyes flickered back and forth between black and amber, his emotions were on a rampage, and it was taking all his self control to remain rooted in one place. Everytime he focused on her, his mind would flash with the images of the two perfect angels. "Please tell me, this is all just one big mistake, please tell me you did not set all this up...Please Liz, just tell me...please"
The pain and confusion dripping from his words, tore at her heart, the man before her was on the verge of snapping, he'd been through hell these last few months and this final betrayal would destroy him. This is what she feared, not the prophecy and not Khivarr, not even the 3 Sentiets, no what she feared was having to stand in this position, having to explain her part in this betrayal to the only man she'd ever truly love.
"I'm so sorry Max...I'm so sorry." she wept clutching her arms and falling to the floor.
And Max Evans world shattered to pieces...
**********
The prophecy will be revealed in full in the next two chpts and basically revolves around Liz and Michael. 