| Phase 45 � But they won�t be able to get through the scanners!� Sister Agnes just shook her head slowly. � They were planning to use the late Mother�s retinas to get through the scanners.� Bart bristled. � Why that . . .!� I didn�t realize how angry I�d gotten until there was a snap and everyone jumped and turned to me. The wings curled over and around me menacingly, warning them that I wasn�t in a good mood. � . . . Kris?� Fei inquired tentatively. I spun and leapt out the door, flying for the cathedral. I ignored the calls for me and circled around to where the mausoleum was. Entering, I pulled the wings close and glided down the stairs and through the doorways. I entered the cavernous ground room. The door was sealed. How did one open it again? . . . Oh yes. I went to the right corner and touched the wall. A panel lowered and I stared at the odd assortment of buttons. Uh . . . � Need help?� I spun. � Lyn?!� She laughed. � Surprised?� � How did you get here?!� � I can appear in places that I�ve been before. The Yggdrasil, Shevat, Nisan, the mausoleum . . .� � Why the mausoleum?� � Besides it being part of Nisan?� she shrugged and punched in a code. � I was put here along with Roni.� I felt another presence and turned and looked so far up that my head was scrunched down in my shoulders. Kind of like what I had to do with Sig. � Roni?� He smiled and lifted my hand to kiss the back of it gently. � It�s a pleasure, Krista-Lyn.� I felt a sudden surge of affection for him that seemed to come from nowhere and a blush crept up in my cheeks as Lyn picked up on it and snickered. � He has that effect on our type, Kris. Don�t be embarrassed.� But the resemblance between Roni and Bart was uncanny. Wait . . . I did research for Lyn once. Roni is Bart�s ancestor. Well, good thing that�s explained then. I was starting to get worried . . . And another thing. This guy had long blond hair in a braid like Bart, but the same bangs as Sig . . . Could I have been missing something all these years . . .? I mean, Bart and Sig argue like they�re related, though that doesn�t mean anything because I argue with both of them the same way . . . But they do sound a lot alike, their mental signatures are similar, and would that explain Sig�s impulsive decision to kiss me? . . . Nah. There�s no way. Bart and Sig are just too different. � There.� I turned back to Lyn. � Thank you.� � Anytime. Besides, it�s my job to help you in little ways.� She looked around and frowned thoughtfully, as though something was missing. � Where�s Bartholomew?� Roni snorted and crossed his arms. � Who cares?� Lyn smacked the back of his head. � You should care! He�s your descendant, damn it!� He rubbed the back of his head. � God, Lyn . . .� � You be quiet! Just because you and Bartholomew are at opposite ends of the politeness scale doesn�t mean you need to be all snooty!� � Snooty?� � Yes, snooty!� � When was I snooty?� Lyn rolled her eyes and held back a yell. � Oh, you can be such a moron!� Roni decided it was best to not fight anymore and backed down right there, ducking his head a little. � . . . Sorry, Lyn.� I entered the mausoleum and stopped as Shakhan�s guards surrounded me. I fought them all and landed as the townspeople surrounded me. � It�s Krista-Lyn!� they called to each other. � Where�s Bartholomew?� � He�s coming,� I assured them. Sure enough, I heard Bart�s footsteps running through the cavern room and up into the mausoleum. � Kris!� I turned. � Yeah?� He dashed at me full-tilt until he had almost run me down, then skidded to a stop. � Have you lost your mind?!� Uh oh. He was getting into that jerky mood again. � As a matter of fact, yes, I suppose I have!� Margie ran down the line of coffins until she got to her mother�s and inspected it thoroughly. � . . . She�s all right! They haven�t touched her!� Bart sighed. � Good.� His glare turned on me, full-force. � And you---� We weren�t able to get into an argument because the townspeople began to question him, but the look he gave me told me it was only a matter of time. I turned my back on him and walked down the line of coffins, looking at the names there to see who was in them. I stopped when I saw Sophia�s name, then blinked when I took a few more steps and saw Lyn�s name. On Lyn�s other side was Roni. � See?� � Yes, I see.� She stepped around me and touched the smooth wood. � Actually, I died before Roni did, but since he was the King of Aveh, they put him in first.� � I still don�t like that,� Roni muttered. She rolled her eyes. � If you think I�m offended, get real.� � Hey, Lyn!� Bart shouted from across the room. � Don�t touch anything!� � It�s my coffin, dumbass!� Lyn snarled in reply. � I�ll touch it if I want!� She rolled her eyes again. � What an idiot! Just like you, Roni.� Roni intelligently kept his mouth shut and accepted the insult. � But, Lyn,� I protested, � it says you were the Queen of Aveh when you weren�t. Why?� � It does?� Roni bent over to look. � Well well well. That�s nice to see.� Lyn smiled. � Actually, that�s half accurate. Roni proposed to me, but we had planned to wait until the war was over before getting married. Everybody in Nisan knew within two days; they all thought it was wonderful.� I really didn�t understand that. � Why?� � He was . . . How old were you?� � You think I remember? Or even care?� � . . . Anyway, he was probably in his late twenties. He should have gotten married a long time before and had an heir, but he hadn�t. Nobody really pressed him except his mother; she was the only one who didn�t have to be afraid of getting into trouble by mentioning it. He was pretty sensitive about the subject and got mad if someone tried to push him. I know. I bugged him until he started yelling at me. But he was one of those people who wouldn�t settle for anything less than exactly what he wanted. And, it seems, I fit that bill.� I looked at Roni, intrigued. � Why her?� He shrugged helplessly. � I don�t know. I was just drawn to her.� � It�s not often someone finds their other half,� Lyn put in softly. � We didn�t know that�s what it was then, but now we do.� � It hasn�t changed anything?� I persued. Roni shook his head. � Not a thing.� I sighed and dropped carelessly to my knees. � I hate this.� They didn�t understand. � Why?� � Because everybody has somebody except me!� They looked at each other, horrified. Lyn knelt beside me and frantically tried to piece it together. � What about Bartholomew?� � It�s a joke. Solaris put a CC in my head. They�re controlling me. Fooling him. The way he�s been acting recently . . . I think he figured it out.� � Oh, come now, Kris. Surely you don�t---� � I was sent to kill him!� I screamed. � It�s all a damn lie!� She jerked back as if I�d hit her. � A . . . Are you sure?� Pain shot through me and I fell the rest of the way to the floor, clutching my head. Footsteps ran over and I could tell it was Bart. Something made me draw my knife and roll to my feet, my left hand holding the knife out warningly and my right over the base of the back of my skull. Bart slid to a stop on the metal floor just a tiny distance from the knife and backed away. � Kris?� . . . What? My arm . . . Someone was controlling my movements! Exerting all my strength, I managed to get my fingers under control and spun the knife to face myself. I�d be damned if I killed him because I don�t want to and it will only make �them� happy. Bart, on the other hand, went from wary to worried in a split-second. � Kris, what are you doing?� he asked quietly. � Put it down.� I found myself backing away from he and Lyn and Roni, though I wasn�t doing it willingly. I stopped just a little bit away from the wall of coffins and knew it was the end of this. � Bart, it was all a lie,� I began. � A big joke.� � What was?� � Us. They�re controlling me. They sent me here to kill you. They made me do the things I did. Right?� � What?� He was starting to sound panicked. � Isn�t that why you�ve been acting like you have?� I questioned. � You figured it out, didn�t you?� He was nearly hysterical. � What are you talking about?!� I opened my mouth to reply and barely caught sight of my hand jamming the knife into my stomach. I didn�t feel anything initially--shock held it at bay. Then a dull pain spread through me. I slowly fell to my knees, then down onto my face. I was alone for just a moment and then I was frantically rolled onto my back and cradled gently. � Kris! No!� Warm tears fell on my face and a hand touched me gently. Another hand closed carefully around my left and pulled the knife out, then dropped the weapon on the floor and covered the wound. � No . . . Kris, why? Why now? The Yggdrasil�s long gone.� I shook my head a little. It�s better this way. � How?! How is spending the rest of my life without you better?!� I�m not a threat any longer. You don�t have to worry about me turning on you anymore. He shook his head, suddenly calm. � Kris, I was never afraid. I knew you wouldn�t.� You shouldn�t�ve trusted me so completely. He bent over and kissed me softly. When he pulled away, he said, � I don�t trust you. I love you.� I looked up at him sadly. Why can�t you see? It was all a ruse. We were fooled into believing it. Don�t say you love me. You can�t possibly. I was just sent here to do whatever it took to kill you. He blinked once and a single tear ran down his cheek and plopped onto my nose. � Oh Kris . . . If you only knew how wrong you are.� Lyn knelt and put her hand on Bart�s shoulder, giving a small nod. � You need to get the Treasure before Shakhan does. I�ll watch out for Kris.� Bart�s wrist was against my jawbone and I felt his pulse quicken. � No! I�m staying with Kris! You can�t make me go!� I reached up with my right hand and touched his face, memorizing the sharp yet smooth contours for the millionth time. It�s all right, Princeling. I won�t be going anywhere. Bart gave it serious consideration, then looked up at Roni. � Don�t you let anything happen to Kris or I�ll . . . I don�t know! But you won�t like it!� Roni nodded understandingly. � I will protect her. I swear it.� Without acknowledging the promise, Bart gave me another kiss and got up, handing me over to Lyn. � I�ll come back for you.� Don�t bother. I�d rather die alone. He looked very upset and seemed about ready to forget about everything and stay with me, but Margie�s urgent call for him managed to draw him away. He got into the elevator and pressed his face and hands against the glass, watching me worriedly. Margie touched his arm and said something. He nodded, but didn�t take his eyes off me. I watched the elevator and its occupants until it disappeared into the upper level, then closed my eyes and relaxed. I was ready, come hell or high water. If I died, I would be prepared. If I lived . . . I would keep going, as I always had. Lyn kept checking my face to see if I was developing a fever. It seemed to be a distraction from something else. � Kris, I can heal you, but you�ll have to recover as a different creature.� I don�t need another chance to kill him. Besides, I�m mortally wounded. <--Phase 44 Phase 46--> |