Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:56 pm
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Roswellian characters. My plot springs from the original plot of Roswell, which I also do not own.
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks had passed since training started, everyone’s abilities were growing and Liz determined that she should begin exploring her own unique gifts. Ava and Zan had agreed when she broached the topic and so she had told them that on the morrow she would commence.
Liz gazed at Zan, lying on his stomach in their hotel bed. She felt as if she’d known him forever, the way he treated her, the way he seemed to know her inside out and the way that every time he spoke to her he said something to make her feel confident when she lacked it; he truly was her other half.
The sudden urge to swim overcame her and Liz’s thoughts drifted to the hotel’s pool. One of the advertisements of the cheap hotel was it’s indoor pool. Ava and Liz had not had the time or inclination to try out the “luxuries” of the hotel, but Liz seemed to have bouts of insomnia of late and at the moment she couldn’t imagine a more perfect time to go for a swim. She rummaged around for her swim suit and changed quickly, her eyes always on Zan.
Liz made her way through the lobby and down a corridor to shelter of a surprisingly well kept room with a large rectangular pool. Lounge chairs were scattered about and a few tables were placed at the four corners of the room. The vacancy of the room was resounding, but Liz reveled in the alone moment. Obviously going out was out of the question per her own decree/Zan’s order- therefore this absolute moment of aloneness was vastly appreciated. Placing her towel on a chase lounge, Liz took to the pool at a run, diving into the 10 ft end.
The water was cool and refreshing, a shock to the senses and a blissful relief from the New Mexico heat. Liz felt weightless, graceful- as if she were a part of the water. Opening her eyes, she turned her head left and right, seeing the vast and clear blue water surrounding her. The need for air arose and she pumped her legs toward the surface- bursting through- Liz laughed outright and spun around creating ripples that expanded outward.
Diving back down and surging like bullet to the shallower end, Liz did a flip and rebounded off the wall, breast-stroking back toward the deep side. When Liz exhaustedly finished out four laps, she paused to hang off the side of the pool near the diving board.
“God this is great.”
“It is nice.” Liz’s eyes snapped to the figure hovering above her. The guy standing on the pools edge looked to be in his early-twenties. Liz assessed his features: light brown hair, crystal blue eyes, a defined build, a little over six foot, a long, strong nose, and full lips that would make most girls weak-kneed. Despite her appreciation for his hunky features, Liz couldn’t help but compare him to Zan- to whom he quite clearly fell short.
“I’m Nathaniel.” He leaned down and extended his hand to Liz.
“Nice to meet you. I was actually just getting out.” She made a move to lift her body up and over the edge of the pool, toward her chase.
“Oh please, don’t leave on my account. I could come back later if you like.” He backed off and turned toward the exit.
“Wait.” She sighed. “I guess it’s a large enough pool to share. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. My name’s Liz. I’m involved with someone and well meeting a strange guy in the middle of the night is not exactly safe.” Liz settled back down into the water, treading the same space she had been just before he had approached her.
“Oh, I realize that. I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s nice to meet you. I can understand why you would be leery. I’m here on vacation with my family. My dad’s a geologist. He’s excavating here in the desert.” Nathaniel made his way around to the shallow end and slowly moved into the pool. He started rubbing his arms and clutching his sides protectively. “It’s a little cold.”
Liz laughed and dove under before resurfacing a moment later a few feet closer. Her senses were picking up some odd powers off Nathaniel, but she couldn’t exactly bluntly ask if he was inner or outer galactic. “Always is if you walk in. I just dive in, best way to get used to it.”
“I know, but there’s this obstinate part of me that always says gradual entrance is the best way to get used to it. Seems as though I’m a sadist.” They both chuckled a bit and Liz tried to explore her feelings of how foreign his aura felt. “You could just ask you know.”
Liz tilted her head, he couldn’t possibly sense her probing could he. “Ask what?”
“Who I am.” Nathaniel’s smile remained in tact, but she felt a shift in his demeanor.
“Okay, I’ll bite; who are you?” Deciding it was better to play stupid, Liz smiled coyly.
“Hathor, son of Bycon- second son of the Azerian Empire.” Her eyes doubled in size and Liz back pedaled. She didn’t know exactly what the Azerian Empire was, but she couldn’t trust anyone right now. “I’m not here to harm you, highness.”
“Highness?”
“I know who you are. Queen Elizabeth of Antar. Everyone felt your coronation presented by King Zander of Antar. I was sent to earth by my planet to protect and serve the Azerian’s ally. King Zander struck a deal with my relatives back on our home planet to create a better united front against the enemy. When he was reborn here, I and my army were sent to search him and the royal family out. Your recent assent to power alerted me and my troops to the exact location of the reborn royals. I am sworn to protect and serve the Antarian royal family.”
“Why the ruse if you planned to tell me?” Liz gazed at him suspiciously.
“Well I felt you probing me, I figured that you were obviously not buying the vacation thing. I guess it’s foolish to try and pull something over on a queen.” Gave a devastating smile that lit up his face and submerged himself in the frigid waters. Liz watched him glide through the waters and though he had purged his secrets, she felt as though he had something to hide, something that went beyond honor and duty.
When he resurfaced, Liz was still keeping a float at the deep end, her desire to swim no longer existent. “I think I’m going to head back to my room. It was…interesting to meet you. I’ll inform…Zander that you are here at his disposal. He’ll be in touch. What room are you staying in?” Liz held her breath for his reaction.
“274. I’ll await your summons.” He bowed his head and Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement before hoisting herself out of the water and in spite of her clearly involved status, sauntered sexily over to the chase for her towel.
She felt his eyes on her as she exited and a small part of her was thrilled by the male attention, a minute part. As Liz closed the door behind her when she returned to her room, she began to towel dry her hair and then stripped off her suit. She tossed on an oversized shirt Zan had left lying about and crawled into their bed, snuggling up beside him. His body radiated heat and she realized just how cold her skin had become in the chilly pool water.
Zan murmured something in his sleep and Liz rose up on her side glancing at his handsome visage and gently ran her fingertips over his brow, along the curve of his cheekbones, and down the curve of his jaw. “You’re beautiful, Zan. I’m so in love with you. I met a very charming attractive man downstairs, but he couldn’t compare. I wish so much for this war to end, so that I could live, to love you the way I dream of. You are better. The dream I didn’t even know could possibly come true. When this is over, you and I are going to get married.” She leaned in and placed a kiss to his soft lips and closed her eyes for a moment before pulling free and resituating herself by his side for a night’s rest.
Later, Liz fidgeted by the phone- waiting for Maria to call. Everyone else had checked in, but apparently Maria had gone AWOL on checking in. The phone gave a shrill ring and Liz lunged forward to pick up the receiver, but when her fingers wrapped around the handle a vision hit.
A sandstorm blew around the pod chamber. Snatches of conversation whirled around, carried by the air. Maria’s face flashed to the forefront, she shrieked, her pain was intense. More voices, a flash of a silver palm print, and the sound of dragging. Maria’s face became clear again- she has blood running down the side of her face, dripping off her chin; someone had a grip on her upper-arm, and her eyelids were slipping shut. She met Liz’s eyes and a jolt ran through her.
“LIZ!” Maria screamed out and jerked forward.
Liz came out of her vision panting. “Zan!”
Zan came crashing out from the bathroom at Liz’s call, and rushed to her side.
“What’s wrong? What happen?” He asked quickly.
“I had another vision. I saw Maria. Someone has her, she’s terrified, and she was hurt Zan. Her head was bleeding. She screamed out for me, but then I lost the vision. God, someone took her.” Now in full panic mode, Liz stood, pushing passed Zan, and started to pace. “We…We have to get her, find her. I saw a sandstorm…um I think the pod chambers, but it was dusty it could’ve been some other part of the desert. God, she was so scared. I felt like she could see me. Our eyes met- Zan we have to call the others.” Liz paused and turned to Zan who has since started dialing numbers; Liz calmed a degree and nodded her head trying to sort out the shifting images.
Twenty minutes later everyone was assembled in Liz and Zan’s rented room, all knew what was going on, and everyone was nervously shifting from one foot to the other. Liz recounted what she saw once more and they glanced around the semi-circle from one face to another.
“I can’t be sure when this happened. I felt like Maria could actually see me. She screamed out to me.” Liz said. Isabel locked eyes with her and a frown marred her beautiful visage.
“Maybe it was more than a vision? If you actually meet her eyes and she shouted out to you, maybe you connected with her.” Isabel suggested.
“But it felt like a vision.” Liz shook her head in confusion and took on a pensive look.
“Well what if your powers are more advanced than what we thought? What if it was a vision, but you took it a step further, you reached out to the future?” Alex, who had been the least talkative of the group, spoke up for the first time.
“I don’t even know if that’s possible. That would mean I’m capable of influencing the future- possibly even time travel. Alex I don’t know.” Liz gazed around at everyone. Just then the phone rang- Max answered as he was closest. He had a short “uh-huh” and “yeah” conversation before hanging up and staring at Liz, mouth agape.
“What is it Max?” Isabel jumped in at her brother’s expression.
“Who was on the phone?” Zan demanded.
“It was Sheriff Valenti, your dad Kyle. He just received a call from Amy DeLuca; she reported Maria missing- she never got home last night.” Everyone paled at his words.
“WHAT! I thought Kyle got her to and from work!” Liz rounded on Kyle who looked ready to jump out of his skin.
“I did. I dropped her off in front of her house and she made it in, I stayed to make sure.” Kyle defended.
“Then what the HELL happened!” Liz was in a rage. Everyone but Michael had spoken up, he seemed to be in shock. “Michael.” Liz’s voice had grown soft, she approached him. When she touched his shoulder he snapped back from his daze and gazed at Liz. “Michael, we’ll find her.”
“I know. I was thinking, I think you connected with the past. Because what if Maria had been abducted from her bedroom last night, she wouldn’t have had any kind of protection, or been able to defend herself. If you saw her being dragged out to the desert it wouldn’t have taken them all night to get out there.” Michael let loose with his theory and then he was staring at Liz. “I think you should try and connect with her.”
“No way! That would put her in danger. If another alien is there they might sense her!” Ava broke in, halting her and Tess’s quiet conversation.
“MARIA COULD DIE!” It seemed Michael had lost pretense of calm.
A loud whistling brought everyone’s eyes back to rest on Zan. “Look, it’s up to Liz. I don’t like the idea anymore than Ava, but Maria’s a part of the unit and we’re going to get her back.” Zan pointedly meet Michael’s furious gaze.
“I’ll try. I mean all of you are here with me; I’m a lot safer than Maria is right now. If I can get through I will.” Moving to the bed, Liz sat down and decided it was do or die time, she had to explore her powers depth and she had to do it to save the life of her one of her best friends.
Closing her eyes and going still, Liz called up an image of Maria- one from before the alien abyss had swallowed them whole- and held it.
“Maria.” Surrounded in darkness, Liz felt like she was close though; quieting once more, she dove deeper into the memory of her best friend. She remembered her smell, the light patchouli scent mixed with lavender; she hear the husky feminine sound of her laughter, and then she felt it- she connected. Maria, scared and tired, was leaning against a rock wall inside the pod chamber. Words didn’t reach her, but she saw Maria. “Maria?” Liz attempted to gain her attention, but Maria was staring elsewhere.
Turning to see what had Maria so captivated, Liz froze. There in the middle of the pod chamber stood Lonnie and Rath. They were talking to Maria, but Liz’s range of hearing seemed to be slightly out of focus. Recalling the sound of their voices, Liz tilted her ear toward them and immediately she found her hearing.
“We’re not going to kill you, yet. Once my sweet brother comes looking for you, and he will- duke’s all about loyalty- we’ll get rid of him. You’re a bargaining chip for now.” Lonnie’s voice held more than a hit of hubris and her expression was one of supreme pleasure.
“She looks like a good fuck though. We only have to keep her alive, don’t see why she can’t entertain us.” Maria cried out then, and Liz snapped her head back to look at her. Rath had advanced on Maria, he held her tight to his chest, her back pressed against his front, as he ran his tongue along her neck and his right hand grasped at her chest.
“Leave her alone, Rath. Girly ain’t woman enough for you.” Rath released Maria and smirked while advancing on Lonnie. He grabbed her up into his arms and their lips crashed together. Disgusted, Liz returned her gaze back to Maria; poor Maria who sat quivering and hold herself huddled on the floor.
“Maria.” Maria’s eyes snapped in her direction and became wild.
“Liz!” Maria whispered, her voice tremulous and panicked.
“Maria, we’re coming for you. I promise. You can explain what happened later. Just don’t provoke them, okay? I’m coming for you, we all are.” Liz felt like crying, tears of relief and worry were already cascading down Maria’s cheeks and she gave a meek nod.
Liz came back to herself, and surged off the bed, bounding for the door. “We have to go. She’s in the pod chambers. Lonnie and Rath have her.” The door slammed open as Liz took off, shouting her instructions behind her for the others to hear.
Zan caught up with her, but Liz was too far gone- her instinct had gone into hyper-alert. Liz, Zan, Ava, and Max packed in the jeep and took off first, they had made it to the parking lot before the others. Liz demanded Max hand over the keys and when she had them the jeep peeled out of the parking lot. Isabel, Tess, Michael, and Alex squeezed in with Kyle and took off after them.
“Liz what happened? Did Rath and Lonnie see you?” Ava popped the question off while Liz made a sharp right.
“I don’t think so, they were to busy keeping each other preoccupied, waiting for us to come to them.
“So it’s a trap.” Max tossed in.
“No Max, not at all. They kidnapped a member of our inner-circle because they had nothing else to do.” Liz’s sarcasm was biting and venomous, but she was wild with anger and fear.
“Sorry.” He mumbled back at her.
“Look forget it. She’s not really hurt, terrified yes, hurt no. She looked a bit banged up from being dragged, but I don’t think she’s injured.” Another swerved to the left and Liz hit sixty-five, heading for the open desert.
“My fucking sister and her bastard lover. They’re not working alone, I can guarantee it. Lonnie’s too much a follower to pull this shit off, and Rath was made for taking commands. This could be bigger than we think, Liz. This is a trap, yes, but whose set it?” Zan leaned over in his seat to grasp her hand- trying to knock so sense into her adrenaline filled mind.
“Fine. We’ll take whoever’s in charge out too. Maria has been one of my best friends since we were five, Zan. I don’t care who the fuck’s in charge, they wanted us here, we’ll I’m delivering their wish personally. If they happen to get more than they expected, well that’s just too bad.” Liz slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and they hit ninety-five.
“Uh, Liz…I know you want to help Maria, but aren’t we going a tad bit fast?” Max shouted from the backseat, the wind whipping about them.
“NO!” came her thunderous reply.
“Liz you need to calm down.” Ava coaxed. There was a subtle decrease in speed and as they neared the pod chambers, Liz decreased with a skid of the tires and the jeep came to an abrupt and jolting stop.
The others showed up ten minutes later as Liz paced impatiently. “Finally. Listening I’ve been thinking and I have an idea. Ava, Isabel, and Alex will stay out here. Max-” Liz was cut off by Zan, he placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped forward.
“We’re going to do this my way. Liz, you’re not thinking right at the moment. NO, listen- don’t interrupt. Ava, Isabel, and Alex should stay her to keep watch for others. Max and Tess- I want you by the entrance of the pod chambers while the others circle from below. Kyle, you and Michael will come in behind me and Liz; when I say you two come in and grab Maria- get out. That’s all you have to do, don’t fight unless you have to got me? Me and Liz can handle Lonnie and Rath. Now we know someone else is running this show. I want you, Alex to watch for suspicious activity; Ava and Isabel will be doing the guarding and circling, I’m making it your responsibility to determine the real ring leader, or to at least make sure everyone gets back to the cars. Now let’s go.” Zan pushed his way between Tess and Ava, Liz following closely behind.
“Do you really think it’s safe for Alex? I mean I know I was the one to suggest it, but maybe we should make him and Kyle get out of here. They don’t have powers.” Liz voiced her fears.
Alex, Isabel, and Ava were already positioned at the bottom of the rock formation. “I think that they’d come back in the middle of it anyway and end up hurt worse. They might not have our abilities, but they have hearts just like the rest of us.” Zan whispered back. They made it too the entrance and Tess and Max took up positions on either side of the entry way.
Michael and Kyle stood directly behind Liz as she watched Zan wave his hand over the rock wall, then pressed it flat against the silver handprint that appeared. The rock formation shook and the pod chamber revealed itself to them. Liz and Zan walked in, facing Lonnie and Rath, ignoring Maria- who cried out upon their entrance.
“What’s up Duke?” Rath’s arrogant smirk was in place as he stood slightly behind Lonnie.
“Rath.” One word full of fury.
“Aw…Not happy to see us little brother?” Lonnie was fixing her clothes a bit, but she caught his eye and grinned.
“I wouldn’t say that. I’ve wanted to meet up with you two for quite a while now.” Zan stepped forward, but Liz cut him off.
“Ah…So this is queenie? I remember you. Good lips. She work you over good, Duke? Last time I checked she was with your replacement though.” Crudely, Rath ran his eyes up and down Liz’s body and then rested on her chest. “Bet she’s a good tumble.” Rath flicked his tongue out at Liz suggestively and Zan snarled at him beyond logical thought.
“Zan ignore him. He’s trying to get a rise out of you.” Liz watched Lonnie cautiously. The bitch had been inching her way toward the back of the cave, and in a movement she had snatched a dagger that had thus far gone unseen.
As it came hurtling toward the, Rath made his move; rushing forward to catch Zan around the middle. Liz reacted, her hand went up, but the dagger was to fast; it embedded itself in her palm and Liz cringed in pain. “NOW MICHAEL!” Liz knew Zan was too busy to give the signal. Michael burst in the room with Kyle and the two took hold of Maria. Michael paused for a moment, staring as Liz pulled the dagger clean and watched in awe as it was engulfed in flames and thrown back at Lonnie.
“Liz do you-”
“GET THE FUCK OUT NOW! THAT’S AN ORDER!” Liz screamed as she gingerly tucked her wounded hand behind her back and threw up her other hand to send a blast at Lonnie, who had caught the dagger before it hit her. Zan and Rath were on the floor wrestling one another and hit each other with close range power blasts. She spared a glance to make sure that Michael, Kyle, and Maria made it out of the chamber before diving to the side- avoiding an energy blast.
As Liz skidded across the floor a sudden throb went through her body, and her seal burned her flesh. A wave of nausea hit her and then her power was crackling green energy across her skin; she searched with her eyes for Zan and when she found him, he was hoisting himself off the ground, energy zinging through him as well. “ZAN!” Rath was on the floor, he didn’t move- probably dead- but Lonnie raged forward toward him. Liz pushed herself up on her bleeding hand, and released a surge of silver fire from her open palm. Before Lonnie could reach Zan, or make a move to blast him- she was encased by the fire and smoke began to rise. Liz turned her face away even as she fed the fire.
“Liz stop!” She pulled her hand back at Zan’s command and looked up. He stood from the ground, a few scratches, and a burn mark on his torso where the shirt he had been wearing was burned away- but he looked relatively fine. Liz got to her feet and the two made their way to the exit. Once outside they glanced around and found that it was a full on ambush. Tess and Max were a bit further from the entrance than when Liz and Zan had entered, and were fighting off skins.
Zan joined the fray and cleared the path down the rock formation, and Liz grabbed hold of Max in time to pull him out of the way of an oncoming blast; she threw up her good hand and sent three enemies flying and clutched Max to her side with her injured hand. Max appeared to have taken a hit from behind, his whole back was red and some of the skin charred. Glancing over at Tess, Liz realized that she was trying to use her mind warp. On further inspection, Liz saw Isabel being attacked by four skins, Alex was behind her, struggling with another. Terrified she swung her head to Zan who was fighting beside Ava.
Michael and Kyle were defending Kyle’s car- clearly they had put Maria in the backseat. “Shit.” Liz raised her uninjured hand to Max’s back and willed him to heal. “Get down there by Isabel and help and Alex. Get them, Michael, and Kyle out of here. I’ll take care of the others. Go.” Max hesitated for a fraction of a second realizing that Liz was fighting one-handed, but at her stern reproving glare he took off, blasting and using his shield.
“Tess get the up. Move. We have to make it down to Ava and Zan.” The blond glanced up, concentration broken and reached out a hand to Liz, who took it and pulled her to her feet. A shield erupted around them and Liz pooled her energy as blasts and energy shocks hit her energy shield. “Stop squirming.” Tess was trembling in Liz’s hold and Liz was losing patience for her; between her wound and the energy she was expending the girl was just a nuisance.
They reached the bottom or the slope and Liz dropped her shield to join the fight. Ava was going strong, unharmed, and skilled. Tess dropped to the ground once more and closed her eyes to concentrate. “If you’re going to sit there I want this mind warp to be good. Ava, join her; get it going fast.” The other two women complied and Liz placed herself at Zan’s side. Their enemies amassed at approximately thirty in numbers. Intertwining their hands, Liz focused her mind on the seal. Light shimmered around her and Zan and together they attacked. The moment a blast made contact the energy caused the husks to crumble. The blasts built in size and took out three at a time.
Liz chanced a look in the others direction and was relieved to see they had made it to Kyle’s car and that they were all piled in and head out. Michael and Isabel hung out the side windows throwing off stray skins and blasting the path clear for them to escape. Coming back to herself, Liz realized that Ava and Tess had caused some sort of distraction and that she was being half-pulled/half-dragged by Zan in the direction of Max’s jeep.
Liz shook loose his grasp on her hand and the doors to the car flew open, she remembered giving the keys back to Max and dwelled on it for half a second before hopping in the driver’s seat and telekinetically shocking the car to a start. Once they were all in, Liz floored the jeep and it flew over rocks and debris- accelerating quickly and it was all Liz could do to maneuver around boulders and passed skins without breaking the continual mind warp Ava and Tess had going.
Liz kept her eye in the rearview mirror when Ava and Tess broke out of their trance. She estimated a five minute head start and headed for the hotel. “Should we get out of Roswell?” Tess stuttered out.
“No. We have backup at the hotel. Last night I met someone, an ally.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Zan shouted.
“Hello, we’ve kind of had a busy morning. And I wasn’t sure. His name is Hathor, son of Bycon. He comes from something called the Azerian Empire.” Liz’s eyes flickered between the road and Zan. “I met him when I went for a swim at the hotel pool. Do you recognize the name?” Liz prayed that he did, an ally would be welcome.
“Yes. I remember the Azerians. Our trust was new. I’m unsure if we should trust them.” Zan said.
“Well I say whatever help we can get we take, we are in the middle of a war here.” Poking her head up front she waved a hand at the dashboard, cooling it down a degree and making the car shake less.
“I agree.” Liz spoke up.
“I don’t. We should wait for Max and the others and then make a decision.” Tess argued.
“Right because in the middle of a war we have time to deliberate-” Liz cut off as she caught sight of cars coming up behind them. “We don’t have time.” Liz pulled in to the parking lot of the hotel and cut the car to a stop and took of at a run in the direction she hoped room 274 was.
Banging on the door, Liz saw that Tess, Ava, and Zan were at it once again. The door was thrown open and Liz gazed up into Hathor’s wide eyes. “We’re at war.”
A/N: So here's my surprise for you guys. I wasn't going to update until tomorrow, but I got to writing and it just all came to me. My muse is back. Thank God, you can't possibly realize how stressful not writing is and knowing that you have readers that want an update. Let me know what you think. Enjoy. EK!
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks had passed since training started, everyone’s abilities were growing and Liz determined that she should begin exploring her own unique gifts. Ava and Zan had agreed when she broached the topic and so she had told them that on the morrow she would commence.
Liz gazed at Zan, lying on his stomach in their hotel bed. She felt as if she’d known him forever, the way he treated her, the way he seemed to know her inside out and the way that every time he spoke to her he said something to make her feel confident when she lacked it; he truly was her other half.
The sudden urge to swim overcame her and Liz’s thoughts drifted to the hotel’s pool. One of the advertisements of the cheap hotel was it’s indoor pool. Ava and Liz had not had the time or inclination to try out the “luxuries” of the hotel, but Liz seemed to have bouts of insomnia of late and at the moment she couldn’t imagine a more perfect time to go for a swim. She rummaged around for her swim suit and changed quickly, her eyes always on Zan.
Liz made her way through the lobby and down a corridor to shelter of a surprisingly well kept room with a large rectangular pool. Lounge chairs were scattered about and a few tables were placed at the four corners of the room. The vacancy of the room was resounding, but Liz reveled in the alone moment. Obviously going out was out of the question per her own decree/Zan’s order- therefore this absolute moment of aloneness was vastly appreciated. Placing her towel on a chase lounge, Liz took to the pool at a run, diving into the 10 ft end.
The water was cool and refreshing, a shock to the senses and a blissful relief from the New Mexico heat. Liz felt weightless, graceful- as if she were a part of the water. Opening her eyes, she turned her head left and right, seeing the vast and clear blue water surrounding her. The need for air arose and she pumped her legs toward the surface- bursting through- Liz laughed outright and spun around creating ripples that expanded outward.
Diving back down and surging like bullet to the shallower end, Liz did a flip and rebounded off the wall, breast-stroking back toward the deep side. When Liz exhaustedly finished out four laps, she paused to hang off the side of the pool near the diving board.
“God this is great.”
“It is nice.” Liz’s eyes snapped to the figure hovering above her. The guy standing on the pools edge looked to be in his early-twenties. Liz assessed his features: light brown hair, crystal blue eyes, a defined build, a little over six foot, a long, strong nose, and full lips that would make most girls weak-kneed. Despite her appreciation for his hunky features, Liz couldn’t help but compare him to Zan- to whom he quite clearly fell short.
“I’m Nathaniel.” He leaned down and extended his hand to Liz.
“Nice to meet you. I was actually just getting out.” She made a move to lift her body up and over the edge of the pool, toward her chase.
“Oh please, don’t leave on my account. I could come back later if you like.” He backed off and turned toward the exit.
“Wait.” She sighed. “I guess it’s a large enough pool to share. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. My name’s Liz. I’m involved with someone and well meeting a strange guy in the middle of the night is not exactly safe.” Liz settled back down into the water, treading the same space she had been just before he had approached her.
“Oh, I realize that. I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s nice to meet you. I can understand why you would be leery. I’m here on vacation with my family. My dad’s a geologist. He’s excavating here in the desert.” Nathaniel made his way around to the shallow end and slowly moved into the pool. He started rubbing his arms and clutching his sides protectively. “It’s a little cold.”
Liz laughed and dove under before resurfacing a moment later a few feet closer. Her senses were picking up some odd powers off Nathaniel, but she couldn’t exactly bluntly ask if he was inner or outer galactic. “Always is if you walk in. I just dive in, best way to get used to it.”
“I know, but there’s this obstinate part of me that always says gradual entrance is the best way to get used to it. Seems as though I’m a sadist.” They both chuckled a bit and Liz tried to explore her feelings of how foreign his aura felt. “You could just ask you know.”
Liz tilted her head, he couldn’t possibly sense her probing could he. “Ask what?”
“Who I am.” Nathaniel’s smile remained in tact, but she felt a shift in his demeanor.
“Okay, I’ll bite; who are you?” Deciding it was better to play stupid, Liz smiled coyly.
“Hathor, son of Bycon- second son of the Azerian Empire.” Her eyes doubled in size and Liz back pedaled. She didn’t know exactly what the Azerian Empire was, but she couldn’t trust anyone right now. “I’m not here to harm you, highness.”
“Highness?”
“I know who you are. Queen Elizabeth of Antar. Everyone felt your coronation presented by King Zander of Antar. I was sent to earth by my planet to protect and serve the Azerian’s ally. King Zander struck a deal with my relatives back on our home planet to create a better united front against the enemy. When he was reborn here, I and my army were sent to search him and the royal family out. Your recent assent to power alerted me and my troops to the exact location of the reborn royals. I am sworn to protect and serve the Antarian royal family.”
“Why the ruse if you planned to tell me?” Liz gazed at him suspiciously.
“Well I felt you probing me, I figured that you were obviously not buying the vacation thing. I guess it’s foolish to try and pull something over on a queen.” Gave a devastating smile that lit up his face and submerged himself in the frigid waters. Liz watched him glide through the waters and though he had purged his secrets, she felt as though he had something to hide, something that went beyond honor and duty.
When he resurfaced, Liz was still keeping a float at the deep end, her desire to swim no longer existent. “I think I’m going to head back to my room. It was…interesting to meet you. I’ll inform…Zander that you are here at his disposal. He’ll be in touch. What room are you staying in?” Liz held her breath for his reaction.
“274. I’ll await your summons.” He bowed his head and Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement before hoisting herself out of the water and in spite of her clearly involved status, sauntered sexily over to the chase for her towel.
She felt his eyes on her as she exited and a small part of her was thrilled by the male attention, a minute part. As Liz closed the door behind her when she returned to her room, she began to towel dry her hair and then stripped off her suit. She tossed on an oversized shirt Zan had left lying about and crawled into their bed, snuggling up beside him. His body radiated heat and she realized just how cold her skin had become in the chilly pool water.
Zan murmured something in his sleep and Liz rose up on her side glancing at his handsome visage and gently ran her fingertips over his brow, along the curve of his cheekbones, and down the curve of his jaw. “You’re beautiful, Zan. I’m so in love with you. I met a very charming attractive man downstairs, but he couldn’t compare. I wish so much for this war to end, so that I could live, to love you the way I dream of. You are better. The dream I didn’t even know could possibly come true. When this is over, you and I are going to get married.” She leaned in and placed a kiss to his soft lips and closed her eyes for a moment before pulling free and resituating herself by his side for a night’s rest.
Later, Liz fidgeted by the phone- waiting for Maria to call. Everyone else had checked in, but apparently Maria had gone AWOL on checking in. The phone gave a shrill ring and Liz lunged forward to pick up the receiver, but when her fingers wrapped around the handle a vision hit.
A sandstorm blew around the pod chamber. Snatches of conversation whirled around, carried by the air. Maria’s face flashed to the forefront, she shrieked, her pain was intense. More voices, a flash of a silver palm print, and the sound of dragging. Maria’s face became clear again- she has blood running down the side of her face, dripping off her chin; someone had a grip on her upper-arm, and her eyelids were slipping shut. She met Liz’s eyes and a jolt ran through her.
“LIZ!” Maria screamed out and jerked forward.
Liz came out of her vision panting. “Zan!”
Zan came crashing out from the bathroom at Liz’s call, and rushed to her side.
“What’s wrong? What happen?” He asked quickly.
“I had another vision. I saw Maria. Someone has her, she’s terrified, and she was hurt Zan. Her head was bleeding. She screamed out for me, but then I lost the vision. God, someone took her.” Now in full panic mode, Liz stood, pushing passed Zan, and started to pace. “We…We have to get her, find her. I saw a sandstorm…um I think the pod chambers, but it was dusty it could’ve been some other part of the desert. God, she was so scared. I felt like she could see me. Our eyes met- Zan we have to call the others.” Liz paused and turned to Zan who has since started dialing numbers; Liz calmed a degree and nodded her head trying to sort out the shifting images.
Twenty minutes later everyone was assembled in Liz and Zan’s rented room, all knew what was going on, and everyone was nervously shifting from one foot to the other. Liz recounted what she saw once more and they glanced around the semi-circle from one face to another.
“I can’t be sure when this happened. I felt like Maria could actually see me. She screamed out to me.” Liz said. Isabel locked eyes with her and a frown marred her beautiful visage.
“Maybe it was more than a vision? If you actually meet her eyes and she shouted out to you, maybe you connected with her.” Isabel suggested.
“But it felt like a vision.” Liz shook her head in confusion and took on a pensive look.
“Well what if your powers are more advanced than what we thought? What if it was a vision, but you took it a step further, you reached out to the future?” Alex, who had been the least talkative of the group, spoke up for the first time.
“I don’t even know if that’s possible. That would mean I’m capable of influencing the future- possibly even time travel. Alex I don’t know.” Liz gazed around at everyone. Just then the phone rang- Max answered as he was closest. He had a short “uh-huh” and “yeah” conversation before hanging up and staring at Liz, mouth agape.
“What is it Max?” Isabel jumped in at her brother’s expression.
“Who was on the phone?” Zan demanded.
“It was Sheriff Valenti, your dad Kyle. He just received a call from Amy DeLuca; she reported Maria missing- she never got home last night.” Everyone paled at his words.
“WHAT! I thought Kyle got her to and from work!” Liz rounded on Kyle who looked ready to jump out of his skin.
“I did. I dropped her off in front of her house and she made it in, I stayed to make sure.” Kyle defended.
“Then what the HELL happened!” Liz was in a rage. Everyone but Michael had spoken up, he seemed to be in shock. “Michael.” Liz’s voice had grown soft, she approached him. When she touched his shoulder he snapped back from his daze and gazed at Liz. “Michael, we’ll find her.”
“I know. I was thinking, I think you connected with the past. Because what if Maria had been abducted from her bedroom last night, she wouldn’t have had any kind of protection, or been able to defend herself. If you saw her being dragged out to the desert it wouldn’t have taken them all night to get out there.” Michael let loose with his theory and then he was staring at Liz. “I think you should try and connect with her.”
“No way! That would put her in danger. If another alien is there they might sense her!” Ava broke in, halting her and Tess’s quiet conversation.
“MARIA COULD DIE!” It seemed Michael had lost pretense of calm.
A loud whistling brought everyone’s eyes back to rest on Zan. “Look, it’s up to Liz. I don’t like the idea anymore than Ava, but Maria’s a part of the unit and we’re going to get her back.” Zan pointedly meet Michael’s furious gaze.
“I’ll try. I mean all of you are here with me; I’m a lot safer than Maria is right now. If I can get through I will.” Moving to the bed, Liz sat down and decided it was do or die time, she had to explore her powers depth and she had to do it to save the life of her one of her best friends.
Closing her eyes and going still, Liz called up an image of Maria- one from before the alien abyss had swallowed them whole- and held it.
“Maria.” Surrounded in darkness, Liz felt like she was close though; quieting once more, she dove deeper into the memory of her best friend. She remembered her smell, the light patchouli scent mixed with lavender; she hear the husky feminine sound of her laughter, and then she felt it- she connected. Maria, scared and tired, was leaning against a rock wall inside the pod chamber. Words didn’t reach her, but she saw Maria. “Maria?” Liz attempted to gain her attention, but Maria was staring elsewhere.
Turning to see what had Maria so captivated, Liz froze. There in the middle of the pod chamber stood Lonnie and Rath. They were talking to Maria, but Liz’s range of hearing seemed to be slightly out of focus. Recalling the sound of their voices, Liz tilted her ear toward them and immediately she found her hearing.
“We’re not going to kill you, yet. Once my sweet brother comes looking for you, and he will- duke’s all about loyalty- we’ll get rid of him. You’re a bargaining chip for now.” Lonnie’s voice held more than a hit of hubris and her expression was one of supreme pleasure.
“She looks like a good fuck though. We only have to keep her alive, don’t see why she can’t entertain us.” Maria cried out then, and Liz snapped her head back to look at her. Rath had advanced on Maria, he held her tight to his chest, her back pressed against his front, as he ran his tongue along her neck and his right hand grasped at her chest.
“Leave her alone, Rath. Girly ain’t woman enough for you.” Rath released Maria and smirked while advancing on Lonnie. He grabbed her up into his arms and their lips crashed together. Disgusted, Liz returned her gaze back to Maria; poor Maria who sat quivering and hold herself huddled on the floor.
“Maria.” Maria’s eyes snapped in her direction and became wild.
“Liz!” Maria whispered, her voice tremulous and panicked.
“Maria, we’re coming for you. I promise. You can explain what happened later. Just don’t provoke them, okay? I’m coming for you, we all are.” Liz felt like crying, tears of relief and worry were already cascading down Maria’s cheeks and she gave a meek nod.
Liz came back to herself, and surged off the bed, bounding for the door. “We have to go. She’s in the pod chambers. Lonnie and Rath have her.” The door slammed open as Liz took off, shouting her instructions behind her for the others to hear.
Zan caught up with her, but Liz was too far gone- her instinct had gone into hyper-alert. Liz, Zan, Ava, and Max packed in the jeep and took off first, they had made it to the parking lot before the others. Liz demanded Max hand over the keys and when she had them the jeep peeled out of the parking lot. Isabel, Tess, Michael, and Alex squeezed in with Kyle and took off after them.
“Liz what happened? Did Rath and Lonnie see you?” Ava popped the question off while Liz made a sharp right.
“I don’t think so, they were to busy keeping each other preoccupied, waiting for us to come to them.
“So it’s a trap.” Max tossed in.
“No Max, not at all. They kidnapped a member of our inner-circle because they had nothing else to do.” Liz’s sarcasm was biting and venomous, but she was wild with anger and fear.
“Sorry.” He mumbled back at her.
“Look forget it. She’s not really hurt, terrified yes, hurt no. She looked a bit banged up from being dragged, but I don’t think she’s injured.” Another swerved to the left and Liz hit sixty-five, heading for the open desert.
“My fucking sister and her bastard lover. They’re not working alone, I can guarantee it. Lonnie’s too much a follower to pull this shit off, and Rath was made for taking commands. This could be bigger than we think, Liz. This is a trap, yes, but whose set it?” Zan leaned over in his seat to grasp her hand- trying to knock so sense into her adrenaline filled mind.
“Fine. We’ll take whoever’s in charge out too. Maria has been one of my best friends since we were five, Zan. I don’t care who the fuck’s in charge, they wanted us here, we’ll I’m delivering their wish personally. If they happen to get more than they expected, well that’s just too bad.” Liz slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and they hit ninety-five.
“Uh, Liz…I know you want to help Maria, but aren’t we going a tad bit fast?” Max shouted from the backseat, the wind whipping about them.
“NO!” came her thunderous reply.
“Liz you need to calm down.” Ava coaxed. There was a subtle decrease in speed and as they neared the pod chambers, Liz decreased with a skid of the tires and the jeep came to an abrupt and jolting stop.
The others showed up ten minutes later as Liz paced impatiently. “Finally. Listening I’ve been thinking and I have an idea. Ava, Isabel, and Alex will stay out here. Max-” Liz was cut off by Zan, he placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped forward.
“We’re going to do this my way. Liz, you’re not thinking right at the moment. NO, listen- don’t interrupt. Ava, Isabel, and Alex should stay her to keep watch for others. Max and Tess- I want you by the entrance of the pod chambers while the others circle from below. Kyle, you and Michael will come in behind me and Liz; when I say you two come in and grab Maria- get out. That’s all you have to do, don’t fight unless you have to got me? Me and Liz can handle Lonnie and Rath. Now we know someone else is running this show. I want you, Alex to watch for suspicious activity; Ava and Isabel will be doing the guarding and circling, I’m making it your responsibility to determine the real ring leader, or to at least make sure everyone gets back to the cars. Now let’s go.” Zan pushed his way between Tess and Ava, Liz following closely behind.
“Do you really think it’s safe for Alex? I mean I know I was the one to suggest it, but maybe we should make him and Kyle get out of here. They don’t have powers.” Liz voiced her fears.
Alex, Isabel, and Ava were already positioned at the bottom of the rock formation. “I think that they’d come back in the middle of it anyway and end up hurt worse. They might not have our abilities, but they have hearts just like the rest of us.” Zan whispered back. They made it too the entrance and Tess and Max took up positions on either side of the entry way.
Michael and Kyle stood directly behind Liz as she watched Zan wave his hand over the rock wall, then pressed it flat against the silver handprint that appeared. The rock formation shook and the pod chamber revealed itself to them. Liz and Zan walked in, facing Lonnie and Rath, ignoring Maria- who cried out upon their entrance.
“What’s up Duke?” Rath’s arrogant smirk was in place as he stood slightly behind Lonnie.
“Rath.” One word full of fury.
“Aw…Not happy to see us little brother?” Lonnie was fixing her clothes a bit, but she caught his eye and grinned.
“I wouldn’t say that. I’ve wanted to meet up with you two for quite a while now.” Zan stepped forward, but Liz cut him off.
“Ah…So this is queenie? I remember you. Good lips. She work you over good, Duke? Last time I checked she was with your replacement though.” Crudely, Rath ran his eyes up and down Liz’s body and then rested on her chest. “Bet she’s a good tumble.” Rath flicked his tongue out at Liz suggestively and Zan snarled at him beyond logical thought.
“Zan ignore him. He’s trying to get a rise out of you.” Liz watched Lonnie cautiously. The bitch had been inching her way toward the back of the cave, and in a movement she had snatched a dagger that had thus far gone unseen.
As it came hurtling toward the, Rath made his move; rushing forward to catch Zan around the middle. Liz reacted, her hand went up, but the dagger was to fast; it embedded itself in her palm and Liz cringed in pain. “NOW MICHAEL!” Liz knew Zan was too busy to give the signal. Michael burst in the room with Kyle and the two took hold of Maria. Michael paused for a moment, staring as Liz pulled the dagger clean and watched in awe as it was engulfed in flames and thrown back at Lonnie.
“Liz do you-”
“GET THE FUCK OUT NOW! THAT’S AN ORDER!” Liz screamed as she gingerly tucked her wounded hand behind her back and threw up her other hand to send a blast at Lonnie, who had caught the dagger before it hit her. Zan and Rath were on the floor wrestling one another and hit each other with close range power blasts. She spared a glance to make sure that Michael, Kyle, and Maria made it out of the chamber before diving to the side- avoiding an energy blast.
As Liz skidded across the floor a sudden throb went through her body, and her seal burned her flesh. A wave of nausea hit her and then her power was crackling green energy across her skin; she searched with her eyes for Zan and when she found him, he was hoisting himself off the ground, energy zinging through him as well. “ZAN!” Rath was on the floor, he didn’t move- probably dead- but Lonnie raged forward toward him. Liz pushed herself up on her bleeding hand, and released a surge of silver fire from her open palm. Before Lonnie could reach Zan, or make a move to blast him- she was encased by the fire and smoke began to rise. Liz turned her face away even as she fed the fire.
“Liz stop!” She pulled her hand back at Zan’s command and looked up. He stood from the ground, a few scratches, and a burn mark on his torso where the shirt he had been wearing was burned away- but he looked relatively fine. Liz got to her feet and the two made their way to the exit. Once outside they glanced around and found that it was a full on ambush. Tess and Max were a bit further from the entrance than when Liz and Zan had entered, and were fighting off skins.
Zan joined the fray and cleared the path down the rock formation, and Liz grabbed hold of Max in time to pull him out of the way of an oncoming blast; she threw up her good hand and sent three enemies flying and clutched Max to her side with her injured hand. Max appeared to have taken a hit from behind, his whole back was red and some of the skin charred. Glancing over at Tess, Liz realized that she was trying to use her mind warp. On further inspection, Liz saw Isabel being attacked by four skins, Alex was behind her, struggling with another. Terrified she swung her head to Zan who was fighting beside Ava.
Michael and Kyle were defending Kyle’s car- clearly they had put Maria in the backseat. “Shit.” Liz raised her uninjured hand to Max’s back and willed him to heal. “Get down there by Isabel and help and Alex. Get them, Michael, and Kyle out of here. I’ll take care of the others. Go.” Max hesitated for a fraction of a second realizing that Liz was fighting one-handed, but at her stern reproving glare he took off, blasting and using his shield.
“Tess get the up. Move. We have to make it down to Ava and Zan.” The blond glanced up, concentration broken and reached out a hand to Liz, who took it and pulled her to her feet. A shield erupted around them and Liz pooled her energy as blasts and energy shocks hit her energy shield. “Stop squirming.” Tess was trembling in Liz’s hold and Liz was losing patience for her; between her wound and the energy she was expending the girl was just a nuisance.
They reached the bottom or the slope and Liz dropped her shield to join the fight. Ava was going strong, unharmed, and skilled. Tess dropped to the ground once more and closed her eyes to concentrate. “If you’re going to sit there I want this mind warp to be good. Ava, join her; get it going fast.” The other two women complied and Liz placed herself at Zan’s side. Their enemies amassed at approximately thirty in numbers. Intertwining their hands, Liz focused her mind on the seal. Light shimmered around her and Zan and together they attacked. The moment a blast made contact the energy caused the husks to crumble. The blasts built in size and took out three at a time.
Liz chanced a look in the others direction and was relieved to see they had made it to Kyle’s car and that they were all piled in and head out. Michael and Isabel hung out the side windows throwing off stray skins and blasting the path clear for them to escape. Coming back to herself, Liz realized that Ava and Tess had caused some sort of distraction and that she was being half-pulled/half-dragged by Zan in the direction of Max’s jeep.
Liz shook loose his grasp on her hand and the doors to the car flew open, she remembered giving the keys back to Max and dwelled on it for half a second before hopping in the driver’s seat and telekinetically shocking the car to a start. Once they were all in, Liz floored the jeep and it flew over rocks and debris- accelerating quickly and it was all Liz could do to maneuver around boulders and passed skins without breaking the continual mind warp Ava and Tess had going.
Liz kept her eye in the rearview mirror when Ava and Tess broke out of their trance. She estimated a five minute head start and headed for the hotel. “Should we get out of Roswell?” Tess stuttered out.
“No. We have backup at the hotel. Last night I met someone, an ally.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Zan shouted.
“Hello, we’ve kind of had a busy morning. And I wasn’t sure. His name is Hathor, son of Bycon. He comes from something called the Azerian Empire.” Liz’s eyes flickered between the road and Zan. “I met him when I went for a swim at the hotel pool. Do you recognize the name?” Liz prayed that he did, an ally would be welcome.
“Yes. I remember the Azerians. Our trust was new. I’m unsure if we should trust them.” Zan said.
“Well I say whatever help we can get we take, we are in the middle of a war here.” Poking her head up front she waved a hand at the dashboard, cooling it down a degree and making the car shake less.
“I agree.” Liz spoke up.
“I don’t. We should wait for Max and the others and then make a decision.” Tess argued.
“Right because in the middle of a war we have time to deliberate-” Liz cut off as she caught sight of cars coming up behind them. “We don’t have time.” Liz pulled in to the parking lot of the hotel and cut the car to a stop and took of at a run in the direction she hoped room 274 was.
Banging on the door, Liz saw that Tess, Ava, and Zan were at it once again. The door was thrown open and Liz gazed up into Hathor’s wide eyes. “We’re at war.”
A/N: So here's my surprise for you guys. I wasn't going to update until tomorrow, but I got to writing and it just all came to me. My muse is back. Thank God, you can't possibly realize how stressful not writing is and knowing that you have readers that want an update. Let me know what you think. Enjoy. EK!
