Disclaimer: The characters of “Roswell” belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, and 20th Century Fox. Lyrics to Between the Lines belong to Sara Bareilles
Pairings: Liz POV, no pairing as yet
Rating: Adult
Summary: Post Grad; Liz gave Max up, but war still came to Earth. It’s Post-war and Liz is one of few free humans and on the run, hunted by both Rath (dupe) and Michael as a mate to gain control over the Granilith. Liz returns to the place it all began hoping to find some much needed answers to the questions of her heart.
AN: Third in the Spoils of War Series; I highly suggest you read the other stories in the series Shattered and Stand By You and the drabble/vignette series All's Fair in Love and War to fill in the gaps.
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On The Run
Time to tell me the truth
To burden your mouth for what you say
No pieces of paper in the way
Liz perched quietly on some rocks, fine espresso strands whipping in the arid desert wind, weary eyes taking in the broken landscape of her world. Burned out husks of jeeps and other debris littered the desert floor, a fine layer of dust covering everything. Inhaling a sharp breath, she clutched her side, her stomach rolling sickly as the reason for the dust seeped into her consciousness. She couldn’t block out the reality of her lost world for long.
She hadn’t been back here since the Great Battle, avoiding this entire area because she didn’t want to remember the last moments of said battle, when she tapped into a dark, powerful side of herself that still sent shudders through her system. It frightened her that she was capable of such destruction; that she was essentially a living weapon due to her link to the Granilith.
And given that, she wasn’t really sure why she had headed here when she escaped the palace, other than the fact that something was drawing her in this direction.
Staring dully at the layer of ash blanketing the ground, she shuddered as the phantom scent of singed skin and smoke tainted the air and clenched her eyes shut, recalling those killed when she tapped into that power. It hadn’t been something she wanted to do, but when faced with the prospect of their side falling, she did what she had to do to protect Michael and the crystal. It had been a last ditch effort and one she hadn’t made lightly.
“Give the code,” she whispered, her heart hammering in her temples as she stared out at the advancing front of soldiers slicing through their lines, intent on gaining access to her and Granilith chamber. Swallowing harshly, she pushed at her hair impatiently; swiping stray ebony strands from her face, pain flashing across her face as one of her personal guards staggered, blood blooming over his chest and knew she had no choice. They were losing ground fast.
“Liz, no, we’ll find another way,” Michael protested, grabbing her arm, drawing her eyes from the bloody scene to momentarily clash with worried caramel irises, his gaze and touch sending flutters through her stomach. They stared at each other for a long moment, each battling for dominance, fear welling in their hearts at what she was about to attempt, knowing all too well how the Granilith could potentially drain her of her energy and leave her a sitting duck if her plan failed.
“Do it,” she commanded softly, eyes shining with steely determination as she pushed away from him, going to stand on the rise so she could see everything around her, feeling his displeasure radiate through their connection, but brushing past it, focusing her energy. Drawing a deep breath, she centered herself, tapping into the humming other in the back of her head, where She resided, quietly observing the events through her chosen’s eyes and Liz felt Her acceptance of the plan as she ordered Michael and those standing nearby. “Get behind me, so I can shield you.”
“Liz, I will not let…” Michael argued, reaching for her arm and cursing under his breath when he met with a barrier as she began erecting her shield and growled with frustration at her absolute stubbornness, striking his fist against the barrier, shooting her a fiery glance. “Damn it! We will discuss this later, Lumia, mark my words on that.”
“Fine, later,” she snapped, sending him a heated glance as well, before turning her back once more and focused on pooling her powers deep within her gut, the air stirring electrically as it built, sending her hair dancing as lines of green power slid over her skin, crackling audibly as she watched their men fight valiantly.
Closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer for those who wouldn’t make it out of the kill zone, her eyes tearing briefly at the loss before steeling her backbone and delving deep within herself, grabbing onto to every spark of energy in her body. Slowly shaping and building it inside, the power rose in intensity until she felt her body expanding, drawing tight and thin, the pressure welling until she was sure she’d explode into a million tiny pieces before she opened her eyes once more and focused on her target.
Smiling slyly, she met wide-green eyes, the faintest hint of fear flashing through them before they dulled with resignation. Cutting her eyes away from the rebel leader to his general, she smirked further to find his whiskey eyes trained on her with awe as she clasped her hands together and looked him straight in the eye before she closed hers, incanting the words of power as her arms shot out from her body. Her power exploded from within, lashing out in ripples of energy, laying everything flat with in a hundred feet radius, until nothing but the stench of seared flesh and dust wafted on the air.
Drawing the energy back within herself, she opened her eyes, shock flashing through her system as Rath stared at her, his own filled with surprise before his form flickered slightly before it went out. Cursing under her breath, she swayed dizzily as she realized he’d been projecting himself again and lifting a sluggish hand to her head, pain ricocheting through her skull as her shields dropped, vision dimming as she crumpled to the ground.
Thankfully, most of their side had retreated out of range when it became obvious that they were losing, and Michael, along with most of the counsel had been with her and behind her shield when the being wreaked Her vengeance.
Or at least, she once thought it was beneficial.
Cause I can’t continue pretending to choose
These opposite sides on which we fall
The loving you laters if at all
No right minds could wrong be this many times
That had been when she was still free and not being hunted by both sides for that very link. Before Michael and the council had betrayed her. Turns out you really couldn’t trust any of the Antarians or Dalerians no matter which side of the war they fought on. They all wanted one thing and one thing only – power over the chosen voice of their God.
She wasn’t surprised by the council’s actions, had even expected it. But Michael – that wound cut deep. She had never dreamed he’d go back on his promise. Especially given everything they had been through and the bond they shared first as allies, then friends and finally as almost lovers. She had thought…well it didn’t matter what she thought. She’d been dolefully wrong.
Smiling bitterly, she stared at the pod chamber behind her, flinching slightly when she felt the being flare to life in her head, and Her energy washed over her like warm silk, desperately trying to soothe her jangled nerves. The crystal that was once housed in this chamber wasn’t the true Granilith, but more a holy relic or symbol of the true being. The crystal allowed the Granilith’s priestess to focus her awareness and tap into Her thoughts when she touched it, but was of little use to anyone who didn’t have Her blessing.
Sighing, she brushed the thrum away, still uncertain as to why she’d been chosen for this duty despite the attempts of several skilled Segartris’a and Segart’a to bond with the being, but chosen she was, whether she liked it or not.
She shook her head carefully, her body feeling heavy and sluggish and she moaned quietly as pain radiated over her nerves, her head swimming hazily. Licking her lips to wet them, she slowly opened her eyes, blinking them slowly, trying to clear them of the film covering the pupils as she lifted a hand to her head, pushing her hair back from her face and winced as the low light made her headache worsen.
Coughing quietly, she startled when arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a firm chest, noticing for the first time she wasn’t in her room, but Michael’s and that he was lying in the bed next to her. His arms shook slightly as he squeezed her to him, his face pressing against her head as his fingers combed through her hair and he murmured against her ear.
“Jesus, Parker, you scared the hell out of me,” he rasped, drawing her deeper into his body, holding her as if he were afraid that she’d disappear, and she gasped as his arms tightened, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall how she’d gotten here, but her brain was still far too fuzzy to make sense of the images in her head. “Don’t do that again.”
“Michael,” she croaked her throat scratchy and dry from disuse and her heart sped up as she wondered just how long she’d been out of it based on that observation. Pushing against his chest, she sighed when instead of loosing his hold he tightened his hold once more and pushed against him again, quipping with slight breathless exasperation. “Michael, I can’t breathe, you want to ease up just a little.”
“Sorry,” he murmured, loosing his hold slightly as he stared down into her face, his eyes filled with worry and some indefinable emotion before they turned stoic and he ran a hand over her head slowly, his breathing evening out as he realized she had made it through the worse of her energy drain. “Are you okay?”
“Ummm, I feel weak and achy, wiped out, but otherwise okay,” she replied, her brow pinching thoughtfully, her mouth quirking as she tried to make sense of everything, wondering what had scared the man beside her so badly that he brought her to his chambers to watch over her. Biting her lower lip, she looked up into his face with a bewildered frown and asked the question plaguing her mind. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” he asked quietly, his brows rising in surprise before furrowing with his own confusion and shrugged slightly as he played with the strands of her hair absently, looking away as if searching for words. “I’m not exactly sure. I was in the war room when all of a sudden a connection flared between us and you told me that you had touched the crystal and met the Granilith. And then I felt you growing weak, so I hurried to the chamber to find you passed out on the floor. Do you have any idea how badly you frightened me? I thought you were dead for a moment!”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes widening at the fear flashing in his eyes and her heart ached, remorseful that he went through that after everyone they had already lost in the war. Wrapping her arms around him, she ran her hand over his back soothingly, pressing her face into his neck, murmuring reassuringly, “I won’t do it again. I promise. I’m sorry I worried you.”
“I don’t know if you can make that promise, Liz,” he disagreed, tapping her lightly on the left arm, causing her to look at the bicep in question, her eyes widening when she saw a tattoo of the crystal cupped by the Antarian seal burned into the skin. Flicking fearful eyes back to him, she swallowed as everything came flooding back and her heart started hammering. “You’ve been marked as Segartris. The Granilith has chosen you as her voice.”
Rubbing her arms to ward off the chill crawling under her skin, she turned away, pushing the memories aside for the moment and closed her eyes, opening her senses to scan the surrounding desert for the all too familiar sparks of life that had been her constant companions since she’d fled the citadel in which she’d been imprisoned. They were still there and approaching at an alarming pace.
Swallowing harshly, she opened her eyes and stared out blankly into the distance, searching the direction she’d just traveled and knew she had to get to civilization before they caught up with her, before he found her and she caved, forgetting all of her good intentions. Before he convinced her that bonding to him was the right thing to do and she relented to his plea because there was nothing more she wanted.
Moving towards her confiscated jeep swiftly, she jumped into the driver’s seat and started it, pulling out onto the road towards her former hometown, casting a worried glance into the rearview mirror. Her gut swirled sickly as she recalled his parting words to her when he managed to break through her shields. ‘I will find you, Lumia. You can’t hide from me forever.’ God he was stubborn.
Biting her lip against the flash of pain that slashed through her heart, she swiped an impatient hand over her face, brushing away the tear that leaked over one cheek and cursed her lapse, refocusing on the task at hand. She didn’t have time for this as she was currently a sitting duck in the jeep and needed to figure out another mode of transportation once she got to Roswell.
Inhaling sharply, she quickly assessed her options, limited as they were in this time and decided to dump the jeep once she hit town and head out on foot until she could find another working vehicle, or at the very least, one she could get running with a little alien magic. Her hunters, both generals of their respective armies, had to know what she was fleeing in and there was no need to give herself away so easily.
She’d have changed it out already if she hadn’t been determined to put as much distance between her and king’s new stronghold, knowing that Michael was only minutes behind and determined to catch up. Heart heavy, she shrugged off that thought for later consideration, as she couldn’t afford the distraction. One slip and she’d end up like many of her kind – imprisoned or, if the two men following her had anything to do with it, bonded for life. And at this point, she wasn’t really sure which the lesser evil was.
How had it come to this?
My memory is cruel
I’m queen of attention to details
Defending intentions if he fails
Scurrying along the darkened alleyway as quietly as she could, Liz panted breathlessly, keeping to the shadows, a worried gaze fixed behind her as the cold, damp night wrapped around her tense, weary body. She had left the jeep behind an hour ago and had yet to stumble on anything halfway usable. Her hometown was nothing more than a decaying ghost town, not a spark of life left in it. Or, if there were any inhabitants, they wisely stayed hidden as to not end up prisoners. The war might be over, but that didn’t mean there weren’t roving bands of disgruntled soldiers on the loose.
Letting out a shuddering breath, she flung herself into a dark corner, seeking sanctuary from the unrelenting night and stared out at the rubble and ash dully. Demolished buildings crumbled all around her, creaking unsteadily in the brisk, whining desert wind and she shuddered apprehensively at the press of primal power battering against her shields, slyly seeking her location. Breathing deeply, she sunk her head against the wall wearily and closed her eyes; frantically strengthening the wall she’d built between her and Michael to retain some sanity.
Thankfully she was able to block most of his call because of her connection to the Granilith, although she couldn’t stop it completely, especially when she finally had no choice but to give in to rest. In her dreams, his aura whispered over her, her own curling around that vibrant power like a cat, repairing the damage she’d done to their bond and allowing him to quietly seek her location. It was the sweetest torture.
Opening her senses again, she tapped into the Granilith to find that they still hadn’t quite made it to town and she was safe to stop for a few minutes to catch her breath. She had purposely changed directions several times rather than heading straight into town, as she knew Michael could track her through their bond. He had done it many times at the palace and she didn’t want to chance him catching up to her, although, how she’d gotten caught up in this mess, she wasn’t sure. Everything had gone to hell.
This was not the future she signed up for when she pushed Max towards Tess.
A feat that worked very well when Max, hurt and betrayed by her actions, finally let Tess in and remembered the love he held for his former wife, embracing his destiny whole-heartedly. Her heart twinged slightly at the thought, as it always did when she remembered the sweet boy who grew into a great king, but not for the reason most people expected. Not that his turning to Tess didn’t hurt her at the time. It had felt as if her heart had been ripped out when she discovered them together.
She hovered by his window, pacing back and forth nervously, wondering if she should be doing this. Biting her lip, she tipped her eyes to the heavens, praying for strength as her heart ached, running her hand through unkempt hair as she looked over to the glowing window and squared her shoulders. Maybe if she told him about Future Max and that it had all been a lie, they could figure out a way to keep Tess from leaving Roswell without her having to give him up.
God, she missed him; his touch, his kisses, his smile and the way his eyes brightened when she entered a room. The last three months away from him had been torture and only cemented how much she loved him. Something had to give because she couldn’t go on like this anymore.
Nodding decisively, she walked to his window slowly, her heart in her throat as she frantically thought out what she could tell him so that he understood that she’d no choice but to push him away at the time, but that she still loved him with all her heart. Licking her lips, she drew a deep breath and raised her hand, about to knock when movement caught her eye, her hand falling limply to her side.
Max was sitting on his bed, eyes closed, holding Tess’s hands as the girl stared at him lovingly, blue eyes soft with wonder. Swallowing thickly, her heart began to hammer when Max’s eyes opened slowly, awe and something she couldn’t place filling glassy, golden eyes as he stared at Tess.
Tess watched him with confusion as he releasing her hands and leaned closer, brushing the tangled waves from her face, rubbing the strands between his fingers absently as he continued to stare at her intently, his eyes drifting over her face with wonder. Liz’s heart cracked as she watched the love of her life creep even closer until his and Tess’s lips were inches apart, hovering together as he cupped her face gently, his eyes shimmering with tears and a contentment she’d never seen in this life
She ripped her gaze away for a second, eyes filling with tears as pain ripped through her heart before drawn back to the scene inside, her heart plummeting as Max’s lips brushed over the petite blonde’s reverently and then pulled back for a moment, before he sunk into her mouth, deepening the caress as Tess’s lips parted. Biting back a sob she looked on a moment longer, in awe at how beautiful they looked together and heartbroken as all her dreams crashed around her for the final time.
Reeling away from the window, she took a couple of steps, staggering as pain ripped over her senses and then broke into a run, tears streaming down her face as she stumbled away from his house. Her throat constricted, a pained sob bubbling over her lips as she ran back to her house blindly.
Until now, he told me her name
It sounded familiar in a way
I could have sworn I'd heard him say it ten thousand times
If only I had been listening
In the end, she realized that as painful as it had been to watch the two of them together, it had been for the best, although it had taken her a long time before she could come to terms with their relationship. But now she could honestly say she wasn’t jealous or hurt that he turned to Tess and left her behind as she had made peace with it about a year after they made a go of destiny and eventually, Tess had become one of her dearest friends.
She had even been an honor attendant in their bonding ceremony and was happy that they had found happiness once more. Anyone that saw them could feel the love that radiated off each of them when the other was nearby. Her lips tugged reluctantly upward as she remembered that day and the camaraderie that she shared with Michael and the four of them laughing in their heads. She hadn’t felt that connected to her friends in a long time and it finally healed last shreds of lingering hurt that she felt when she’d watched the two of them together.
Heart pinching slightly, she tipped her face to the sky and touched that small part of her that Michael owned, her heart fluttering as she recalled the way he watched her for the rest of the evening. She’d never seen that expression on his face before unless it had been to watch Maria when they first began dancing around one another. Biting her lip, her stomach jumped at the thought and she swallowed thickly, shunting the memory away. She couldn’t afford to think of that right now.
Maria had never understood her reasoning when it came to Max and Tess, thinking she should have fought harder. And she might have fought the pull of their destiny if it hadn’t been for Isabel and Michael. The possibility of their deaths had been pivotal in her decision to leave Max. Oh, that and the world ending. Can’t forget that little tidbit. What was love compared to being the sole reason one’s planet faced extinction? In the end, there wasn’t much of a choice in the matter and she willingly stepped aside.
Her pain wasn’t because she had lost him to his eventual destiny, it stemmed from the death and destruction in the following years.
Her sacrifice had been for naught. The war came anyway – harder, faster and much more vicious than any of the flashes she had gotten off of Future Max had indicated. If she had known that the war was inevitable, had been written in the stars decades before, when a planet couldn’t let go of the past, she might have found another way.
But she never imagined that by tampering with future events, she would spark a much more devastating picture. It was true what her future husband said before fading into oblivion, the future had yet to be determined and they were born into a different world, she just never dreamed it would be this world with its broken hopes and dreams.
God, she had been so young and so damned naïve.
Shoulders slumped, she stared down the street in disbelief, spinning around in a slow circle, her heart hammering and eyes filling with horror as smoke curled around crumbling, destroyed buildings, the stench of singed flesh in the air. Covering her mouth, her stomach lurched sickly and she dropped to her knees, stomach heaving as she retched up what little she’d been able to choke down that morning.
No. This couldn’t be happening. She had done everything Max had asked her. Gave him up. Pushed him towards Tess. Hell, she’d all but gilded the path to his destiny in gold. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He promised her that the future was secured, safe-guarded. Head reeling, she pressed her sweaty brow to the cool concrete of the building next to her, a cold chill snaking down her body as she recalled the night her future came back to haunt her and force her into changing it so their family would live.
No. He had never promised that, it was what she had chosen to believe in her naiveté. After everything she had gone through, the pain of watching her boyfriend fall out of love with her and fall in love with someone else, embracing his destiny, she had thought they deserved a little respite. All Max had promised her was the future was unknown. That was hardly an assurance that everything would work out as they planned.
She should have known better.
Staggering to her feet, she swayed dizzily as she stared down the debris-laden street, the agonized screams of people discovering dead loved ones mingling with the moans of the injured and panicked shouts of the shocked and disillusioned. Her throat constricted as she stared at the destruction around her, her eyes filling with tears, her breath falling in heavy, gasping pants as panic trickled over her spine. Searching the streets frantically, she wondered what happened to the others and staggered down the street, calling her friend’s names, adding to the cacophony of voices filling the hazy air.
“Parker,” a familiar voice called, making her heart leap with joy momentarily as she spun the direction of the voice, her greeting freezing on her lips and blood chilling as she took in a well-known face, but it wasn’t the one she’d been expecting.
“Rath,” she greeted flatly, acid coating her throat as she quickly detected the differences between the two aliens and her stomach flipped as she backed away from him slowly, searching for an escape route. Shivering as he smiled slyly, she quickened her pace, fear curling through her veins as she headed toward the milling emergency crew, hoping that being in the midst of a crowd might keep him from doing anything.
She was about to run, when another figure stepped in front of her menacingly and her heart jumped into her throat, thinking she was trapped and nearly babbled in relief when Michael’s fiery bourbon eyes filled her vision. Looking over his shoulder, she watched Rath melt into the crowd and her body sagged in relief, her eyes flitting back to the irritated man in front of her.
“What are you doing out here?” he griped, wrapping his hand around her arm, pulling her along the street as he looked around, scanning the street surreptitiously before fixing her with angry glare. Heart pounding in her head, she knew that he was pissed because she disobeyed orders, but at this point she would rather deal with this particular pissed off alien than his depraved double. “I told you to stay inside!”
Pushing her into a one of the buildings still standing, he watched her intently; crowding her until he was sure he had her full attention. Leaning down, he warned her in a low, dangerous voice, “Don’t make me search for you again, Parker, or you won’t like me. I’m going to search for the others.”
Massaging the stitch in her side, she inhaled sharply, choking on the black smoky haze that clogged the sky and blocked out the heavens with its thick, murky blanket. Staring up into the billowing clouds of white, black and gray, she couldn’t remember the last time she has seen the stars. She hadn’t been able to look at them in the same way in the five years their enemy had landed.
A hobby that once fascinated and comforted her has become nothing more than a bitter reminder of the evil that laid in wait of innocent, unsuspecting populations.
Khivar and his flunkies came with a vengeance.
I thought I thought I was ready to bleed
That we'd move from the shadows on the wall
And stand in the center of it all
The orb they had all once thought a blessing, a message from the aliens mother and a solid clue to their past, was nothing more than a homing beacon set to alert their enemy once activated by the Royal Four. The message itself had been accurate, but the actual device was constructed by their enemies and entrusted to that…traitor, Nasedo, to trap the former king and his court. Ironic that he warned them of this very thing tongue in cheek, and they pressed ahead with the heedless regard of teenagers thinking they were invincible. What could go wrong, right?
Everything as it turned out.
Resting her head in her hands, she closed her eyes, a flash of pain searing her heart as she recalled the day her world fell apart. It had started like any other day and ended in what would build into a never-ending nightmare – May 26 would haunt her forever. The day Khivar slew Alex for daring to love his intended bride and earn her love in return, turning her against their enemy indefinitely.
Running a tremulous hand through her tangled hair, she tipped her face to the darkening sky and fixed haunted ebony eyes on the black smoke curling from some nearby embers, her face contorting with pain as the memories came flooding back. Sighing deeply, she pressed her fingers to her gritty eyes, unknowingly smudging gaunt cheeks with ashes and gave into the choking emotions burning her lungs, two tiny tears trickling down her face.
God, there had been so much blood.
She climbed the porch stairs quietly and knocked on the door, turning to scan the suspiciously quiet neighborhood, the slightest hint of unease rippling over her spine as the cool morning air wrapped around her, adding to the chills already traveling through her body. Taking a deep breath, her brow furrowed and she knocked on Alex’s door again, wondering what was taking him so long to open it since he knew she was dropping by this morning.
A couple more minutes passed and huffing with exasperation, she dug through her bag, searching for her key ring; she was going to kill him if he had forgotten and was still asleep. Grabbing the keys, she picked out the spare he’d given her and inserted into the door, quickly unlocking it and pushing her way into the house.
Looking around, she set her purse on the table and rolled her eyes as the house remained silent and headed down the hall towards his room, irritation flaring as she called out to him. “Alex, I swear to God, if you’re still sleeping, you’re a dead man. I mean seriously, is it too much to remember your best friend is coming over? God knows if it were Isabel, you’d be practically hanging out the window, watching for her.”
Reaching his room, the trickle of foreboding she felt on the porch steps came back tenfold as the house remained unnaturally silent and her heart began to pound as she placed her hand on the doorknob, suddenly scared to open the door.
“Alex?” she whispered, knowing there was no way he could hear her through the door but unable to vocalize any louder as fear coursed through her veins, setting her blood rushing through her veins as she slowly turned the knob. Shaking off the uneasy feelings, she laughed at her silliness, the sound coming out more of a choked cry than a genuine laugh as she threw the door open.
Blanching, she stilled as horror and pain crashed over her senses, her eyes unable to make sense of the scene at first, her brain trying to protect her from the sight before her, before everything suddenly fell together like puzzle pieces and she desperately wished it hadn’t. A keening cry rose into her throat as she took in the blood-spattered walls, the bright red liquid soaking white sheets and seeping sluggishly out of the multiple slash wounds that covered his body.
In shock, her eyes traveled over her friend, taking in his wide, glassed over eyes, horror etched into his face, mouth agape as she stumbled into the room, falling to her knees at his bed side as she tried to detect any signs of life in her friend despite knowing by the sheer amount of blood, there was no way he could have survived, crying brokenly as she shook him. “Alex! Oh God no…Alex…”
Wrapping her arms around her waist, she clutched at her stomach hollowly, her throat clenching as a pained sob burst over her lips, shattering the horrific image around her and she heaved slightly, the cloying metallic scent of blood lingering in her nose despite the distance of time and space. Clenching her eyes closed, her muscles seized as anguish ripped through her once more, tears dripping over her cheeks as her shoulders shook with distressed sobs.
She had never had the chance to grieve for her fallen friend, being thrust into the middle of a war that was gathering force and speed in the horizon. Tilting her head against the wall, she allowed the tears to flow unchecked, purging a little of the black taint that scarred her soul and wondered how much loss they would endure before this was finally over and done. It didn’t seem fair.
Alex may have been the first victim claimed, but he certainly wasn’t the last. They had lost so many in the battle for Earth – Maria claimed by the other side, and Jim, her parents and Max dead. They hadn’t seen or heard from Isabel, Tess or Kyle in months and she still wasn’t sure if they had made it into hiding or were killed or captured in route. She hoped that they were safe or dead because she could only imagine the fate they’d fare in their enemies’ hands.
In the end, Michael and she were the only ones left of their octet.
Too late, two choices, to stay or to leave
Mine was so easy to uncover
He'd already left with the other
So I've learned to listen through silence
She and the stoic alien had never been the closest in the group, so it was ironic that in the end, they had no one but each other to lean on. She’d like to say that they grew closer in the years before the war since they had been thrust together in close quarters while hiding from their enemies. But the truth was they rarely spoke to one another outside of planning sessions and group meetings.
Michael had never been one to share his feelings with anyone other than Maria and she was still reeling from the realization that she hadn’t prevented the war as she once thought, followed quickly by Alex’s horrible death.
She’d given up everything she ever dreamed, everything her young heart had desired in order to safe guard her world. In the end, it had been for the best, as she had discovered that Max had been a sweet first love, but not one that would have stood the test of time. But the sacrifice had been devastating at the time and she pulled in on herself, brushing everyone off, although only a couple of people knew the real reason for her hurt.
After the shock had worn off, they’d been in the midst of a war that lent little time to developing relationships, friends or otherwise. They had been too focused on survival to really do more than pay the bare minimum of attention to each other. And then Maria went missing. He blamed her for that. Hell, she blamed herself for that.
Hurrying into the war room, she looked around frantically for someone that could refute the news she’d overheard from a couple of gossiping army wives, her heart seizing with fear as she saw Michael pacing the room frantically, his hands running through his hair in agitation as Max tried to talk some sense into him. Looking over at Isabel, her heart sank further as the look on her face confirmed her worst fears and she quickly crossed the room, intent on finding out what exactly had happened and when Maria had gone missing, halting uncertainly when Michael caught sight of her.
“You!” he hissed, his face filled with anger as he whirled around, pointing at her accusingly as he stalked across the room, towering over her menacingly, the air fairly crackling around him as he grabbed her arm. Dragging her towards him the rest of the way, he glared at her, anguish filling his eyes as he got into her face, his breath coming in short, rasping pants.
“What?” she asked, confusion clouding her face, as she had no idea what she had done to incite his ire. Flicking wide eyes over the tall alien, she searched her mind for any current or past transgressions against him, but her mind came up blank. Shaking her head slightly, she flicked a glance over to her stunned friends for moment before turning them back to the irate man as his grip tightened.
“This is your fault!” he rasped harshly, shaking her slightly before realizing what he was doing, dropping her arm as is she had burned him once his uncharacteristic actions registered and cursed softly as he backed away, resuming his anxious pacing as she watched him with bewilderment. What was her fault?
“Michael…” Isabel gasped, her eyes widening at her brother’s words and manner, obviously aghast that he would say something like that to the petite brunette. Liz flicked her gaze over her friends’ horrified faces, then looked back at Michael, her stomach lurching as understanding dawned.
“You just had to change the future,” he snarked, not really even coherent in what he was saying or the accusations he was flinging at the ashen girl behind him as rattled as he was about Maria’s disappearance. Fighting back the fear growing inside, he grit his teeth and did the only thing he knew at times like this, deflected it with anger, as unfair as it was to the shaken brunette. “If you hadn’t interfered, this wouldn’t be happening!”
“That’s not fair, Michael,” Max admonished quietly, realizing his brother didn’t mean what he was saying, but was so eaten up with worry, anxiety and guilt that he was taking it out on whoever crossed his path and right now, Liz made a convenient scapegoat. “Liz did what I asked her to…well…what my future self told her to do…”
“Like she ever listened to you before,” he growled, flicking his brother a quelling glance as he spun once more, marching back over to Liz and hovering over her once more as her grated scathingly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Why start that time?”
“I-I…I’m sorry,” Liz whispered, her heart plummeting as she blinked back horrified tears and she averted them to keep him from seeing her weakness, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep the distressed whimper choking her throat from bubbling over her lips.
“You should be,” he hissed angrily, whirling around and storming out of the room, slamming the door in his wake, the noise cracking through the room like a gunshot, making her flinch in its finality. Inhaling sharply, she pressed a fist against her stomach, her face crumpling with anguish and her knees buckled slightly, nearly giving out entirely.
“He didn’t mean it Liz,” Tess murmured soothingly, her arms wrapping around the stricken brunette and she pressed her head to her back, her heart aching as a harsh sob wracked her body before she could hold it back. “He’s just hurting.”
“No, he meant every word,” she said hollowly, something inside her shriveling up and dying as she stared at the door blankly and pulled away from the petite blond, hurrying toward it in her desperate need to get way from the situation before she made a fool of herself and broke down completely. “And he’s right. It is my fault.”
Losing her other best friend destroyed something all too fragile and breakable inside her heart. She could barely function that first month she had been so eaten alive with guilt and anguish. It had been her fault that Maria had been dragged into this mess and became a war prize. War prize…God how she hated those words, no matter how apt.
Humans became nothing but pawns in this intergalactic game.
Leave unsaid unspoken
Eyes wide shut unopened
You and me always be
Closing her eyes wearily, she remembered the day Michael had finally come home after several months searching for Maria. No one knew where he had gone or what he had seen in that time, but he returned broken and quieter than she’d ever seen him. She did her best to stay out of his way, not wanting to subject either of them to an uncomfortable situation, but even in a compound that large they were bound to run into each other occasionally. They would exchange a few words and then she’d leave quickly, unable to look him in the eye after everything that had happened.
She had to give him credit it however, he had tried to talk to her at first, and she could see the remorse that would shine briefly in his eyes when he watched her, but she was still too raw and bleeding inside to deal with him. Eventually, as their numbers diminished, she’d had no choice but to face him, first out of necessity, both forced to rely on each other’s gifts while they were out in the field and then with a distant camaraderie as they finally realized they had more in common than they originally thought. But they’d remained polite strangers at best.
Until he’d spent a harrowing night at her side, bathing her burning skin as she battled an infection after being knifed in surprise attack on their convoy as they moved from one of the camps. She, Isabel and Tess weren’t supposed to be with the party and the Council had wanted to send them away to a safe house, but Michael, Kyle and Max refused, becoming almost fanatical about keeping their girls safe.
During the skirmish, she had gotten separated from the group somehow and stumbled onto a soldier from the other side and the only thing she remembered from that point was a searing pain in her back as she fled, followed by nothing but darkness. Later she learned that Michael went frantic with worry when he found out she had been left behind and went back to find her, dragging her to a nearby home to nurse her through the worst of her injury. That night changed the course of their lives in more ways than one.
He had managed to heal the damage slowly with his limited abilities, but it took a couple of days and in that time she’d fallen to a fever raging through her body. She still had no idea how long she’d been out of it, but when she had woken, he was hovering over her, watching her with unreadable honey eyes.
“Is it true?” he asked quietly, pinning her with an unrelenting gaze and pressing his lips together as her face blanched at his anger, her red-rimmed eyes hazy with confusion. Scratching his brow with agitation, he leaned back in his chair and continued to study her, pressing his hands together, finely controlled anger tightening the lines around his eyes. “Did you change the future because of me?”
“H-how…how did you find out?” she croaked, wetting her parched lips and swallowing harshly, trying to hydrate the back of her throat. Watching him apprehensively, she trembled slightly as he shifted with agitation and clasped his hands, his brandy eyes darkening when she evaded his question with one of her own.
“You babble in your sleep,” he retorted, temper flaring in his bourbon eyes, the tendons in his jaw and neck twitching as he gnashed his teeth at her continuing avoidance. She looked away, flinching slightly when he leaned forward and grabbed her chin, forcing her eyes back to his, the primal warlord shining out of their fiery depths. Blinking slowly, she pressed her lips together and stared at him defiantly.
“What does it matter Michael?” she replied as evenly as her cracking voice would allow, pushing limp, matted locks out of her face. She didn’t see what he was fussing over. It wasn’t like he gave a damn about her or her heart. “I had my reasons.”
“It matters when you forget to mention vital information, like your future husband popping up and talking you into changing the future to save me!” he grated, throwing her a fulminating glance as he launched from his chair and paced the room. He ran his hands over his hair with agitation as he spun around and glared at her heatedly. “I had a right to know!”
“I did what I had to do!” she exclaimed, heartily sick of getting reamed by him and the others for the Future Max debacle. She got that they wanted to help, but Max entrusted this to her and they’d just have to deal with it. “What good would it have done to tell you that you died in Max’s arms twenty minutes before he left? What could you have done?”
“I would have…” he trailed off, pursing his lips as his eyes darted around the room, his fists clenching as he thought of the task his brother laid at her feet. Fixing another fiery glance on her, he argued. “I could have helped! Protected you! Found another way to…”
“Michael, you weren’t the only reason,” she responded wearily, rubbing her hand over her face, the fight draining out of her as she realized her protests would just be met with more animosity and she was tired of fighting with him. If he wanted to blame her, so be it. “End of the world, remember.”
“But I felt it,” he rasped hoarsely, the heat draining from his eyes only to fill with bewilderment as he remembered the flash he’d gotten off her. Crossing over to her bed, he sunk onto the mattress, watching her with a touch of awe. “For some reason you were balking until you saw me laughing with Isabel and it was in that moment that you decided to get serious. Why?”
“Because I couldn’t have lived with myself if you had died and I could have prevented it,” she shrugged, meeting his eyes once more, surprised to see the faintest hint of admiration and gratitude swimming in their depths. Averting her eyes, her eyes misted slightly and she didn’t know what to think about his reaction. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…one life for another; it made sense to me.”
They had gone a few rounds on that one. Especially when he got more flashes of that night while she was still recovering. To say he was pissed that Max had dumped that responsibility on a teenager and felt hurt of Max’s lack of trust in him was an understatement. It had taken days for her to calm him down and get him to promise he wouldn’t seek out this Max and beat him senseless for crimes he hadn’t committed.
Snorting as she recalled the evil looks he had shot Max for days after her attack, she shook her head ruefully, still slightly in awe as to how her biggest antagonist in the group switched to her greatest defender and protector almost overnight. She had to drag him away from many an argument with Max before they came to blows, manipulating him slightly by announcing she wanted to go for a walk on the grounds and he refused to let her go anywhere without an escort.
God, how she had come to cherish those walks with him, finally getting to see a little of the quiet, determined and honorable man that resided behind his carefully crafted mask. Finally appreciating the sarcastic humor and his funny, yet all too accurate portrayal of their friends, she had never realized what a wicked sense of humor he had or the depth of his soul until those quiet moments.
It was those small moments that fostered an understanding between them that deepened into true friendship as they battled for their very lives. A good thing too as he never let her out of his sight unless he absolutely had to after that moment. It had been endearing, yet frustrating at the same time and had lead to more than one heated argument.
“Michael, what are you doing here?” she sighed, looking up from her planning, exasperated to find the man hovering over her yet again. This was becoming a bad habit of late, his constant tailing and watching over her every move out of some irritating belief that he had to be her protector.
“You left the compound yesterday,” he replied quietly, annoyed whiskey eyes traveling over glossy molasses tresses as she rolled her eyes and dipped her head to continue her work. Narrowing his gaze, his hand shot out and clenched her wrist as she reached across the table to grab a ruler, dragging her irritated gaze back to him.
“So? I went for a walk,” she returned evenly, tugging on her wrist and pressed her lips in a thin line when he refused to relinquish his hold. Sighing when she saw a flash of hurt flit through his eyes before he quelled it, she sat back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair, biting back a groan that she had inadvertently hurt him by not inviting him along. She just needed to get away from the constant hovering.
Rubbing her face wearily, she cocked a brow at him, looking at her wrist pointedly before returning his heated gaze and huffed when he continued to hold onto it, quirking his own brow in challenge.
“You’re not supposed to leave without a guard,” he growled, his temper sparking as he glared at her cool countenance, the only indication of her mounting anger residing in the fiery sparkle of her eyes. Smirking at that dead give away, he released her wrist and bent over the table, invading her space. “Don’t do it again.”
“Or what, Your Highness?” she bit out, pushing her face into his, molten chocolate gaze clashing with brandy-tinted fire. She understood his need to protect her, but damn it, she wasn’t helpless. She had her own set of powers, including a blast almost as powerful as his. She didn’t need his constant surveillance.
“You don’t want to find out, Parker,” he grated, holding her angry gaze unflinchingly, his nose almost touching hers. Her heart fluttered, skipping a beat as his breath mingled with hers before she shoved it away and focused on crackling eyes, burning with whiskey-tinted fire as he vowed darkly. “You will comply on this, Liz. I couldn’t protect you from Max or the resulting fall out, but I can and will do it this time.”
“Whatever,” she flared, pulling away and gathering her things up to leave. Walking towards the door, she huffed when he stepped in front of her blocking her path, the breath ripping from her lungs as she collided against his chest.
“I mean it, you will take me or another guard next time,” he commanded, his arm braced in the doorway to prevent her escape as their eyes met once more, growling slightly when she tried to dodge him and he caged her into the door frame with his body, making her body flush uncomfortably as he whispered heatedly. “No exceptions.”
“Fine,” she sneered, ducking under his arm, biting back a groan when their bodies brushed together and stalked out the door, muttering under her breath about stubborn, pain in the ass men who tried to control her life, bristling further when he snickered behind her and shot over his shoulder “Glad we could chat, Parker.”
But what surprised her most was how well he had come to know her over those months, how attentive he had been to her habits and the things she said while they were walking. She figured he was only paying her words half a mind as he figured out new strategies for the war or let his mind wander to new ways to fortify their shield from the enemy while allowing her to babble on since he rarely responded with more than a few words.
This is why he’d completely shocked her when he joined her for breakfast one day and handed her a package wrapped in plain brown paper, bound with dark blue twine. Staring at him in confusion as he handed it to her, shifting uncomfortably under her assessing gaze before she’d turned to the gift.
“What is this?” she asked softly, a small smile touching her lips, turning the small package around in her hands as she met quiet bourbon eyes for a moment before she turned them back to the gift.
“I…uh…wanted to do something small to show you how much I…uh…appreciate your friendship,” he shrugged haltingly, shrugging his shoulders quietly and smiling as he watched her rip into the paper like a child on Christmas morning.
“Oh, Michael…” she whispered her face lighting up as she saw the black leather-bound journal, fingering it reverently as a smile spread across her face at the unexpected gift. “You didn’t have to; I already know that you appreciate my help.”
“Yeah, well…I know I’m not the easiest guy to deal with…” he murmured, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck as he averted his eyes, a light tinting of pink cresting his cheeks as she jumped up and wrapped him into a hug.
“Yeah, well, it’s not like I’m any better,” she quipped dryly, her heart beating rapidly as his arms wrapped around her in turn, and she tipped her head up, her eyes dancing with laughter, her lips quirking at his amused expression.
“Good point,” he snorted, cocking a brow at her comment and watched her with a calculating smirk. “In fact, where is my present for putting up with you?”
“Hey!” she cried, pulling out of his arms, smacking him lightly on the arm and then crossed her arms over her chest in mock indignation, a pretty pout settling on her lips.
“You said it,” he sniggered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders companionably, drawing her back into the circle of his arms and laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him petulantly, the sparkle in her eyes belying her act.
“You didn’t have to agree,” she pouted, trying to shove him away and giggling when he just continued to hold onto her as if he never intended to let her get loose, biting back a groan at the thought and how much she wished he wouldn’t.
“That would have meant lying and I have enough sins on my soul,” he snickered, his breath nearly stalling when she stopped fighting him and leaned back into his chest instead, burrowing in as if she didn’t want to leave. Licking his lips, he rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes, wanting to stay that way forever.
“Besides, I remember how you used to write in it every night until…” he trailed off, letting the sad words since Alex died go unspoken and tightened his arms around her when she stiffened slightly, then relaxed against him once more. Pressing a light kiss to her temple and murmured. “I thought you might enjoy it again.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, touched by his thoughtfulness, amazed that he seemed to know her so well and tightened her arms around him, falling into silence as they enjoyed the quiet moment.
You and me
Always between the lines
Between the lines
And then, and then there was that night. That one, unbelievable night when his overprotective tendencies became all too clear as they sat on first watch together. She wasn’t supposed to be out there with him and in fact they were breaking several customs and rules, but Michael had never cared about such limitations or restrictions and it gave him great pleasure to thumb his nose at the Council.
It had been unnaturally cold that night, even for the desert, the climate changing because of the relentless bombardment their planet was under and she had forgotten to bring a warmer jacket when they left the compound for a ‘walk.’ But even with the closeness they had developed, not to mention the stirrings of attraction on her side, she hadn’t seen it coming and wouldn’t have believed it had she not seen the emotions so clearly etched in his eyes. Her heart panged at the memory.
“You cold?” his whispered, shuffling across the cold, hard-packed ground towards her as she huddled into her jacket, the freezing, night air wrapping around them. She rubbed her hands along her jacket, trying to rub life back into them and her stiff fingers.
“A little,” she murmured her breath frosting as she sighed softly, thankful their shift was near the end and she could slip back into the compound for a hot shower and warm bed. Maybe even a shot of brandy to help chase the never-ending chill from inside for a few hours.
“Come here,” he offered quietly, reaching over and tugging on her sleeve, pulling her over to the cradle of his body gently. Situating her between his legs, he tucked her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, sharing his own body heat to chase the chill away.
Leaning back into his chest, she shifted slightly so she could rest her face against the firm wall and sighed once more, reveling in his proximity, his scent of sandalwood and earth teasing her senses. Smiling contentedly, she rested her hand over his heart, taking comfort in its steady thrumming.
“Better?” he asked softly, the hint of a smile in his voice as his arms tightened around her reflexively, his cheek resting against the back of her head.
“Mmm hmmmm,” she murmured, tipping her head back to meet his soft gaze, sucking in a surprised breath at the heat burning in their depths. Licking her lips unconsciously, her heart sped up and lips parting, an answering rush of heat pulsed through her body as his eyes became dark and desire laden. “Michael…”
“Liz…” he murmured helplessly, dipping his head hesitantly, hovering over her lips as if he expected her to pull or turn away at any moment. He swallowed thickly, throat convulsing as his eyes danced over her face in question. Holding his gaze, she leaned up until their lips were millimeters apart. Rasping breaths mingling, she wound her fingers into his jacket and used it to pull her self the remaining distance, sighing when their lips brushed together softly, in a sweet, barely there caress.
Pulling back, she stared at him, her heart pounding as she waited to see if he would protest or push her away; a fear that was groundless as he groaned and delving his hands into her hair, he crushed his lips to hers, swiping his tongue over her bottom lip and claimed her mouth fully when her lips parted invitingly.
Whimpering as the memory crashed over her senses, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She missed him. And she still wanted him. Loved him so much. What had she been thinking in this caper; did she honestly hope that by getting away from him that it would kill the feelings burning inside, that she’d forget him? That his and the Council’s actions would snuff the yearning? Groaning at her foolish thoughts, she bit her lip, toying with the ring on her finger and gave a watery chuckle.
No, she was far too realistic to deny her feelings for the boy that grew up into a strong, honorable man. Because no matter how much she wanted to stay mad at him and accuse him of betrayal, she couldn’t hold this against him. He was doing what he always did – safeguarding her and the rest of the world, often at the expense of his self.
And if she were to be completely honest with herself, it was why she ran when the orders for them to bond came down. She couldn’t bear being yet another sacrifice he made. And now, she didn’t even have him. She was alone and on her own, fleeing the two men that wanted to take the only thing she held of value – her freedom.
I tell myself all the words he surely meant to say
I'll talk until the conversation doesn't stay on
Wait for me I'm almost ready
When he meant let go
That was what her life amounted to in the end. Liz Parker, once in the running for valedictorian and on the road to Harvard, one of the leaders of the Human Rebellion and the Granilith’s chosen Segartris was nothing more than the Grand Prize to whomever won this chase – the faithful second come King or his depraved dupe, general of the other faction. She was nothing more than a spoil of war.
“We have received intelligence that the other side is regrouping,” Calais smirked cryptically, looking down at some papers in front of him before looking back up at her and watching her coolly. God she wanted to punch his smug face in. If it weren’t for her office and the fact that Michael would be unhappy that she’d taken matters into her own hands, she’d have found a way to get the disgusting man removed.
“Khivar’s dead,” she pointed out, speaking for the first time since she had entered the chamber, still wondering what the point to this meeting was since by their laws she wasn’t supposed to be involved with the war, not to mention she was heartily sick of the self-serving jackass’s mind games. She knew he was up to something due to the clandestine summons, but she couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
“His general, Rath is trying to instate himself as their leader,” the braying ass shrugged, standing and sinking his hands into his pockets as he studied her quietly and caught the faintest hint of malice and grim satisfaction shining out of those cold eyes before they blanked.
“It won’t happen,” she refuted, knowing that Rath didn’t have the kind of following necessary to claim that role. Narrowing her eyes thoughtfully, she watched the noble idiot smirk and her stomach flipped sickly as she studied his aura, the black streaks swimming in the maroon he usually projected making her body tense with apprehension. What are you up to now? “They’re too fractured.”
“It will if he has the Granilith,” Rais pointed out, drawing her attention momentarily away from the other man with those words, her eyes widening as suddenly her presence became all too apparent. She should have known that this would boil down to the crystal icon once more. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, they were more worried about it falling into Rath’s hands than Khivar’s and she had a bad feeling they weren’t telling her everything when it came to the past.
“He can’t,” she argued, bolting straight up in her seat, her heart speeding up and flicked her eyes over to Calais momentarily, shuddering at the murky light of his aura. Yeah, she didn’t have a good feeling about this at all. Darting her eyes back to Rais, her heart sunk further as she detected his nervousness. “Everyone knows that I’m bonded to it.”
“And if he has you, kvetina?” her friend rebutted gently, rising from the table and crossing over to kneel in front of her chair, taking her trembling hands into his. Searching his eyes quietly, she didn’t see the malice present in Calais, but there was something there that she couldn’t make out. Knowledge, something he was keeping from her, and she sunk into herself a bit more.
“What?” she choked, her throat closing at the thought that she couldn’t trust even him and her breath hitched as she studied him anxiously, hoping she read him wrong. But the evidence was in his aura, the sickly yellowish green that said he was hiding something and her heart thrummed as his words sunk in, fear skittering over raw nerves.
“Our spies tell us that he is planning to claim you,” Rais continued gravely, gripping her hands firmly and holding her gaze determinedly. Et tu Brute? Steeling her backbone, she knew that whatever was happening, she was on her own and had to keep her wits about her if she was going to make it through whatever scheme the Council had planned. “By force if necessary.”
~
“Why?” she couldn’t help asking softly, her voice shaky to her own ears, dread and sorrow filling her heart at his terse reply, her lips quivering as she stifled a choked cry. Rubbing her fingers over her arms to ease the chill filling her chest, she watched his back bleakly, praying for any sign that her thoughts were wrong, that she had misunderstood Calais’ words. Anything to show he really wanted this, not that he had caved out of some misbegotten sense of duty and a promise he made Max a long time ago.
“To protect you,” he murmured distractedly as he stared out the window, likely because he didn’t want her to see the pity lurking in his eyes. Pain flashed through her heart at the confirmation of her greatest fear; he was playing along because he felt she needed to be protected. Biting back her tears she snorted derisively, shaking her head at his stubbornness. It always came back to this, him sacrificing himself to keep everyone safe
“To protect me,” she muttered bitterly, her arms dropping to her sides limply and she turned away, staring out the window with a crestfallen expression etched into her face. Running a hand over her hair to push back a stray chocolate tendril before clutching the sill to bolster her jellylike legs, she continued woodenly. “And what of you? What do you get out of this? What do you want?”
“I want...I will do anything to keep you safe,” he rasped passionately, making her flinch as he crossed the room and came to standstill at her back, almost too close for comfort, his breath whispering damply over her neck. Biting her lip, she barely quelled a pained whimper as he slid his hands over her arms, gripping her shoulders gently. Swallowing thickly, her heart leapt as he pulled her into his chest and pressed his forehead to the back of her head and she flinched as the heat of his body permeated her robes, sending a delicious ache racing through her blood. “I will guard you with my very life if necessary.”
“Because of the Granilith,” she said, trying to keep her voice even and eyes down-turned so that he wouldn’t guess how much he affected her, face blank and heart aching as her hopes died with every answer she received. Closing her eyes to quell the tears forming in haunted coffee-tinted irises, she drew a deep breath and bit back soft moan when his lips brushed her temple, his earth and spice scent wafting around her, setting her blood humming and pulse racing.
“Partly” Michael whispered as he drew a deep breath, his words cementing her heartbreak and killing any dreams she had let herself secretly wish for; what had she been thinking? Sucking in a breath, she knew she couldn’t let him do this. “And I’ve lost too many people I…care about in this war. I will not let Rath take you.”
Apparently, there was a reward from each of the two factions to bring her in very much alive and well. She supposed she should feel flattered. In the space of a week, she’d become the most wanted human on Earth. But all she wanted was peace.
She has to give Michael some credit however; he at the very least was determined to make her his queen, whereas Rath just wanted to make her his slave. When forced, she’d admit that being Michael’s mate was the far more appealing option, however she’d just prefer her freedom, away from the political games and schemes.
Just when she thought her life couldn’t become anymore complicated, the fates fucked her over once again.
Drawing in deep breath, she gathered herself for her continued flight, ignoring the press of power that got stronger the closer they got and dragged herself to her feet. Rubbing her arms she looked down at her impractical clothing and made a mental note to find an abandoned home or shop where she could find something warmer. She hadn’t really been able to bring too much with her, as that would have alerted Michael to her intentions.
She was surprised she’d even gotten as far out of the compound as she had without his detection given his rampant paranoia after Maria had slipped past their carefully crafted shields and was taken. Because of that folly, she was under constant supervision and he made it a point to keep her within arms reach or at the very least, under the watchful eye of his trusted second.
But even they couldn’t follow her into the women’s quarters when she visited Courtney. For once their antiquated customs worked in her favor.
Leave unsaid unspoken
Eyes wide shut unopened
You and me
He trusted her, expected her to fall in line with their plans out of fear. He miscalculated her desire to remain her own person. Maybe if he had asked for her hand opposed to demanding it out of some misguided protective instinct, things would have been different.
But she’d given up so much in this bloody war, changed and adapted herself to fit the needs of others; that this is one thing she couldn’t give up. If she did, she’d end up hating herself even more than she already did.
Pushing herself off the wall, she staggered off into the night, the cold wind wrapping around her not nearly as cold as the chill that ate her up inside. A shudder slipped over her spine as the oppressive presence of one of her hunters made itself known, hovering on the peripheral of her senses and cursed the momentary absorption that cost her that precious distance she’d kept between them since leaving the citadel. He was closer than she expected and closing in fast. This close, he’d feel her for sure; she was a sitting duck.
Breaking into a run, she squealed when a shape hurtled out of the dark behind her, a victorious roar of triumph ringing through the night and she doubled her speed, careening through the alley way at break neck speed. Sliding on some gravel, she nearly went down but managed to catch her balance and kept moving. But that small falter was enough for her assailant.
Panting harshly, she let out a cry of frustration when steely fingers wrapped around her wrist and swung her around, pushing her against the nearest wall. Tipping her head up, she shuddered with apprehension and her heartbeat sped up further, pounding out a staccato rhythm as burning whiskey eyes stared down on her with glee.
Always be
You and me
Always between the lines
~ Between the Lines, Sara Bareilles
