The In Between - 17. Nightmares

17 ~Nightmares~

Jordan watched that evening as Brandon carefully measured out the herbs for Leia's sleep remedy. "Good," Jordan said when Brandon showed him the finished product. "Pretty easy, huh?"

"Yeah," Brandon said softly, setting it aside. "But I don't like it."

"My mixture will just make me sleep for a couple of days. It's the same thing Leia takes, only stronger. I won't be unconscious or anything," Jordan explained as he dumped triple the amount they mixed for Leia into a mug. "I'm not crazy about it either, but we need to test it and before the baby is born."

"Why are you always taking the risks?" Brandon asked. "Let me take this."

"It's a calculated risk with good odds," Jordan said. "It's just like a sleeping pill."

"People can overdose on sleeping pills."

"It's not as strong as sleeping pills and probably a lot safer. It's all natural and the palace healers were all right with letting me give this to her. I also talked to Salvo about it quite a bit and it would take a mixture four times the strength of what I have here to take out a normal sized human being, so stop worrying. We both know we need you awake to watch over Leia. I can't get to her as easily as you can. And... if anything does go wrong with me, go get a healer. They can do whatever they need to wake me back up."

Brandon frowned. Jordan's reassurances, if anything, made him more uneasy. "Don't do it," Brandon said finally. "We can find another way. I don't like this."

Jordan sighed and made a shooing motion. "Go ahead and give Leia her dose. I'll meet you in my room afterwards and we'll talk about this. All right?"

"Okay," Brandon said, slightly relieved, the tight ball of anxiety in his chest loosening some. He took the mug containing her dose and left down the hallway.

* * *

Leia was staring at the walls with a detached fascination when Brandon came in. "Hey, Princess."

"I'm a Queen." Leia corrected him.

"My apologies," Brandon said, rolling his eyes. He hated to admit it, but this new, spaced out Leia annoyed him and he missed the old Leia with a roaring ferocity. He gave Leia her mug and she took it then continued to stare at the wall. "Do you see what I see?" Leia whispered.

"And what do you see?" Brandon asked. "I see a wall."

"There are moths on the wall," Leia said. "Thousands of them, camouflaged. They make the wall move, like it's breathing. Can you see?"

Brandon glanced at the wall, covered with scalloped wallpaper. He could see how that design could be confused with winged insects, sure. If he was high as a kite and half blind, that was. "Not really," he said, placing the mug on her vanity. "Leia, I want to ask you something."

She tilted her head back and looked at him.

Brandon thought briefly about how to phrase what he wanted to say. He probably shouldn't even bring it up, but...

"You remember me, right?" Leia nodded woodenly, her face blank. "What else do you remember? I mean, do you remember your life before you came here? Your mom? Alexis, Andrew?"

Leia shook her head. "No. That life was a mistake. That world was all wrong for Ezekial; it hurt him. He belongs here; this is the best place for him. And so this is the best place for me, too."

"But don't you want to see your mom again? Your friends? I can get you back there. They miss you."

Leia shook her head again. "Ezekial belongs here. So do I." She lifted her eyes to his face. "Don't even think of asking me to leave. He needs to be here and I need to be with him."

"I know, Princess," he said and heard Leia sigh. "I know."

When he got back to the room, Jordan was sitting on the bed, removing his shoes.

"Is Leia okay?" Jordan asked softly and there was a tinge of nervousness in his voice that instantly had Brandon on edge.

"Jordan?"

Jordan refused to look at him.

"Jordan, what did you do?"

Jordan didn't answer, but pulled up his knees to his chest and looked down at the sheets underneath him. Brandon looked around and saw a mug, like the one he had just given Leia her dose in. He picked it up, frowning as he saw the damp remains in the bottom of the cup.

Shit. Shit shit shit.

"So much for 'we'll talk about it', huh?" Brandon said, well aware of how angry and bitter he sounded and not caring.

Jordan's face turned pink. "We needed to do it. Needed to make sure it wouldn't hurt her."

"Without knowing whether or not it would hurt us," Brandon said. "Goddamn it, Jordan, you should have let me-"

"What?" Jordan interrupted. "Let you try it? Use your head, Brandon, you're a Creator. My life is tied to yours. This way, at least, if something happens to me, you can still take care of her."

"I don't fucking want anything to happen to you!" Brandon shouted, flinging the cup across the room. It hit the opposite wall, shattered, and Jordan flinched slightly. "I don't want to do anything without you! Goddamn it!" Brandon raked his fingers through his hair, trying to rein in his raging temper and that tiny nagging seed of jealousy. "And since when did you care so much about what happens to Leia anyway?"

"Since you did," Jordan said softly. He sounded on the verge of tears, and his head dropped to the side, heavily. "I'm so tired, Bran. Am I going to have an argument on my mind as I drift off? Your angry face?"

Not fair. Not fucking fair. Brandon thought. "You lied to me," Brandon pointed out.

"I know," Jordan replied miserably. "I'm sorry."

Brandon climbed up next to him, shedding his palace guard paraphernalia as he went. He opened his arms, letting Jordan curl up against him and rest his head on Brandon's shoulder. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, baby," Brandon said. He allowed his mind to open, gently brushing against Jordan's. "I'm here, baby. I've got you. Nothing is going to happen to you, because I'm right here." He kissed the top of Jordan's head. "I'm here and I'll protect you. You'll be safe. Dream away."

"I love you," Jordan murmured. His eyes were heavy and wanting to close, but he tilted his head up and looked at Brandon. He felt odd, like it might be the last time he would see him. Brandon leaned down to brush his lips against his.

"I love you, too, blue eyes," Brandon said. He held Jordan for a while, feeling him grow heavy and loose in his arms as his breathing slowed and evened out.

Brandon shifted, biting his lip until it tore and bled. His head was in turmoil. He felt angry, betrayed and a little disappointed. He couldn't believe that Jordan had taken the sleeping dose behind his back. And his pitiful excuses...Yeah, Brandon was a Creator and could keep on going if Jordan was somehow incapacitated... but he wouldn't even want to. Jordan wasn't just his Enabler, or his lover. Jordan was his soul mate, his heart, his everything.

Besides, where the hell would he go? Jordan was the only person who could send them back.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid.

And he had lied to him. He still couldn't get over that. He thought they were over that kind of shit. Jordan and that damn martyr streak he had going on.

He sighed. All that and Jordan knew he would fall asleep before Brandon could work up a good head of steam about it. God, but Jordan was a conniving bastard at times.

Brandon knew he loved him anyway.

Most of the next day, Brandon spent with Jordan. Every few hours he could rouse Jordan enough to drink some water before he fell back asleep. It really was like a sleeping pill. Jordan slept soundly, was hard to wake up and fell back asleep quickly and effortlessly.

Brandon would lie down next to him and watch him sleep and feel incredibly lonely. Jordan was right here beside him, but Brandon felt totally alone.

The problem, Brandon reflected as he lay there, was that once they had Leia, they still needed to find out how to get her and themselves back to their own world. His gut told him that it was through the Chimney, that they could get out the same way they arrived, but there was still the problem of getting there. His back was healed, thanks to Dathilda's talent, but he could still remember the agonizing fire that spread over his back as the hooping cat's claws tore him open. He wasn't going to go through that again, and he was sure as hell not going to let Jordan or Leia go through it either. There had to be a way. He just had to find it.

The following night, he slept poorly, tossing and turning for hours before finally drifting off. He was plagued by strange dreams. Most of them broke apart and disintegrated as soon as he woke up, except for the last one.

He was at the beach, Jordan spread out on a towel, and belly down, presenting his back. Brandon was rubbing lotion onto his skin, the scent of the beach and the lotion's oily coconut scent filling his nose. He could remember the slick, slightly greasy feeling of it as he rubbed it into Jordan's sun-warmed skin.

Waves crashed against the shore, creating a pleasant background roar. He could hear the chatter of people all around him, but when he looked up, all he could see was Leia, in a black bikini, showing off her pregnancy. She was kneeling on the ground, examining something.

"Hey, Princess, what do you have over there?" Brandon had shouted.

In a quick, impossible transition, he was back at his house, Jordan and the beach were gone and Leia had her hands outstretched, showing off her prize. A starfish, arms still moving feebly, lay in her hands. A baby's face, sobbing mightily, was in its center.

Brandon could still see the baby's angry, wrinkled face in his mind after he woke, could still hear the desperate cries. He shivered slightly. It had been a little creepy seeing that strange dream hybrid. At the same time, the dream made him a feel a little sad... He had been happy, there at the beach with Jordan and Leia. An ache radiated out from his chest. He would never be able to do that here... just pack up his friends and boyfriend and take off for a couple of days.

Missing Jordan so much he knew it would keep him awake, Brandon got up out of his too empty bed in the guard's quarters and pulled on his clothes. Moving carefully as to not wake his slumbering comrades, he made his way to the door and opened it, squinting slightly in the glow of torchlight. He walked slowly down the hallway, his hand drifting against the cold stone to help him find his way.

He slowed and stilled as he heard a slither of sound, saw a shadow detach itself from the wall. "Blue eyes?" he called uncertainly.

"Not yet." A voice echoed back from the gloom. "But that can be arranged." The shadow shifted and Brandon could see Rajar's face in the glow from the torches. "If you like."

He had never been in close proximity to the creature, and up close, it disturbed him to see that Rajar was stunningly beautiful. He had dark green eyes that matched his hair and a finely featured face that was currently graced with a sexy smirk.

"Um, s-sorry," Brandon stammered, feeling uncharacteristically shy and uncertain. "I was just-"

"Lonely?" Rajar suggested, giving him a grin and moving in closer. "Looking for a body to warm your bed?" He gave Brandon an appraising glance. "I wouldn't mind volunteering."

"Um..." Brandon took several steps back until his back hit the wall. Rajar's voice and sharp green eyes were hypnotic. He couldn't think of anything except what Rajar was offering and how much he suddenly wanted it. "That's okay; I'm just going to-"

"Don't be shy. I can give you anything you are looking for. Can be whoever you want." Rajar stared him down and Brandon felt goosebumps spring forward, crawling over his skin. "Tell me who," Rajar enticed, even as the lips that spoke the words changed and different faces flashed before Brandon's shocked eyes. Tananja, Leia, Dathilda, Alexis, Dalaja. "Or..." Rajar tilted his head and studied Brandon briefly. "Am I barking up the wrong tree?" A new set of faces melted and morphed in front of Brandon's eyes. Jordan, Salvo, Andrew.

"Stop," Brandon croaked out, his voice weak and not terribly convincing. He brought up a block and pushed back against Rajar's invasive mental fingers. Rajar chuckled slightly. "Relax, sunshine. I only touch memories, and strong ones at that. No mind reading. Yet." Rajar's face was openly curious. "I am having trouble figuring you out. Figuring out what you want." He took another step closer. "Or perhaps you don't really want any of them. Would a fantasy do you better?" Rajar's face shimmered. "His eyes, perhaps?" Jordan's brilliant cerulean stared back at him. "Her lips?" Leia's smile smirked out of his face. "Whose body do you crave to feel under yours?" Rajar's long fingers pulled at the laces holding his vest together. "Of course, my own has plenty to offer as well." He ran a hand seductively down his chest and stomach.

"Enough Rajar." A masculine voice echoed from the shadows and a figure wearing the guard's garb stepped forward. "It is your place to pleasure the Queen, not to tempt a lonely guardsman."

Rajar rolled his eyes. "The Queen has no need for me right now. She is too close to gestation. I tire of being a pretty decoration."

"If being a decoration is what the Queen wants, then that is what you shall be. Back to where you belong."

Rajar glowered at the guard, his skin darkening to a deeper hue, but he said nothing as he turned on his heels and stalked off.

"Are you all right?" the guard asked. "Don't mind him. I know he comes across a bit strong, but he's harmless and devoted to our Queen."

"I'm fine," Brandon said, turning away. He'd had enough. He didn't miss Jordan anymore and would rather just go back to his own quarters and return to bed.

"Wait just a moment, please," the guard said. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to speak with you privately....Brandon Williams."

Brandon froze. It was the most obvious giveaway short from confessing, but the shock of hearing his name, in this place, from this person who shouldn't have any way to know it stunned him. A feeling of unease curled in his stomach. "Who are you?" Brandon asked.

The guard reached up and pulled off his helmet, revealing a pale face with thick glasses and thin brown hair. "My name is Ralph McClain. I believe we had the same chemistry class last year."

Brandon racked his brain briefly and could vaguely remember someone who looked kinda similar to him chewing him out one time for playing with the Bunsen burner while he was trying to complete a lab assignment.

"Yeah," Brandon said cautiously, taking a step back. "But why are you here?"

"That was going to be my question. See, I belong here. I helped create this place. But you--you were not part of the team."

"Team?" Brandon echoed.

"Walk with me," Ralph requested. "If you stand in one place long enough, I can guarantee that the walls will grow ears. This way." Ralph turned and walked away. Brandon hesitated for just a minute before following.

"I take it you found the video I left for you," Ralph said.

"The Charion video? On YouTube, that was you?"

Ralph nodded. "Yes. That was my doing."

"Why did you put it up? Why did you want someone to find the coding?"

Ralph closed his eyes briefly. "I am not a hero. I am a coward and I am just as guilty as anyone else in this tragedy that has befallen our Queen's mind. That video was a way to ease my own conscience, to let someone else know what was happening, that she needs help. Once I knew someone had found it then I could wash my hands of the matter and let it be someone else's problem."

"So you wanted someone to find out Leia was in trouble, then come over here and take care of it?" Brandon asked, slightly pissed off. Mainly because that was what exactly happened.

"Yes," Ralph said. "It is my duty to watch over and protect our Queen as well as I can. That is why I am a head guard. It gives me the ability to know who is near the Queen, who is watching her when I am not. Most times it works rather well," he added, giving Brandon a pointed look. Brandon ignored it. If the guy couldn't keep up with his own staff, that was his damn problem.

"How long have you been over here?"

"A while," Ralph said vaguely. "I made that video before I came over and gave it to another team member to post on a specific date if I wasn't back. I'm pleased it worked."

"What do you mean that you are part of a team?" Brandon pressed. Ralph held up his hand.

"Excuse me, but I need some answers from you as well," he said. "How did you get here?"

"I used the coding from the safety deposit box. The video you left told us where to find it."

Ralph smiled, a gleam of white teeth. "You figured that out, huh? I would never have guessed you would be smart enough."

Brandon felt his face heat up and decided that he didn't really need to let this asshole know that he had a little bit of help.

"How did you get over here? Do you do it the same way Keith and that lady does?"

"Is he here? Keith?" Brandon asked instantly.

"Answer the question," Ralph said.

"Yes, I get over here the same way he does," Brandon said impatiently. "Is he here? Keith?"

"I don't know. He was in the beginning, I don't know where he spends his time now," Ralph said. Brandon tried to tell himself it wasn't disappointment he was feeling. "So you are the same kind of person Keith is," Ralph continued. "That must mean there are two of you, right?"

Damned if he was going to answer that one. "Keith came over here with someone, a woman, blond hair, blue eyes, pretty tall, right?"

Ralph nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't know who she was. She wasn't a member of the team, but she was at Keith's house a lot."

"I've answered some of you questions," Brandon said as they rounded a corner. "Tell me about the team."

Ralph sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his helmet tucked underneath his arm. "There were a group of us working on this idea Keith had. This Charion. I saw him working on it at a computer during class one day, so I went over and asked about it. I'm really into computer games myself and thought I could help.

"He was really secretive about it at first, a jerk too, but eventually he showed me a little bit and admitted that he was frustrated with his progress. I was really impressed with his ambition because it was a huge project and he was doing most of the work himself, although he claimed to have a partner. I offered my help, and after a while he accepted and let me bring my best friend, Abel, in as well. Keith was paranoid, though. Made all of us swear secrecy and crap like that, and was really serious about it, too. He made some vague threats if we were to tell anyone about it and I just figured it was because he wanted to market it one day. But the guy still made me really nervous. Like all the machinery upstairs wasn't exactly in perfect working order, if you know what I mean.

"But this game was so cool and so complex and I loved working on it. I devoted so much time; it was like I was obsessed. I ate, slept, and breathed this project. And after a while, we decided we needed to beta test it to make sure there weren't any bugs and that everything was in proper working order and all that. And my lab partner in Physics loved video games, so I asked her if she wanted to try out a brand new computer game."

"Leia," Brandon said. His lips felt numb. He realized that his hands were shaking slightly and he couldn't make them stop.

Ralph nodded. "Yeah. I checked it out with Keith and he said it was fine, but she had to go through the whole 'top secret, tell no one' rigmarole that we did. And she did, but she didn't like Keith from the get go. Thought he was arrogant and paranoid, like the rest of us did, but she was a whole lot more vocal about it. For a while it was okay, because she liked the game and she had really good suggestions about what could be improved and so on and so forth. Great input. But after a while the tension between her and Keith got really bad and she finally said that she was done with it, that she was leaving the project. And Keith didn't like her leaving before the project was done, was convinced that she was going to take all of the games secrets and sell them or something. Which was ridiculous, because Leia didn't know anything about computer programming or coding or anything like that; she just liked to play games on them. But it got really ugly between the two of them and Leia stormed out one night after Keith had threatened her." Ralph shook his head. "I never thought he would follow through."

"Was he the one? Who raped her?" Brandon asked. God help him, he was going to tear the little fucker's balls off.

"No. That's what Abel and I thought when we heard the rumors about her being pregnant. But Keith swore he never laid a hand on her. The theory..." Ralph's voice trailed off.

"The theory?" Brandon prompted impatiently.

"The theory right now is that whoever attacked her was from here," Ralph finally said. "That he brought over something from this world to 'teach her a lesson'. Maybe he only intended to scare her and things got out of control. I don't know. But..." Ralph went quiet and averted his eyes.

"What?" Brandon asked.

"Around that time, I was going through the game and I noticed one of the non-player characters was missing. I thought it was a bug, but when I checked back a few weeks later, I saw that the character was back. So..." Ralph shrugged. "It's a possibility. Keith can do crazy things."

"No shit," Brandon said. "Who was this character?"

Ralph shook his head. "I'm not telling you."

Brandon advanced on him quickly, forcing the other boy back a few steps and trying his best to look intimidating. "Why the hell not?" he asked, forcing himself to speak the words slowly.

"One, because I don't know anything for sure and I believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Two, even if he did rape our Queen, I'm not sure if he could even help it. Changing worlds is not an easy thing. It wears on the mind, as I'm sure you could tell."

"You seem to be fine," Brandon pointed out.

Ralph smiled thinly. "You didn't see me when I first arrived. I would as soon kill you as look at you." His eyes took on a dreamy look. "In fact, I still feel that way sometimes. But when you first cross over, it makes you a little bit crazy. Turns you into a monster. If you think I have recovered, you are very much mistaken. I won't betray our Queen. It's my job to protect her, and as long as you are here to help her, I won't interfere. But I can't tell you what might happen when the drug in my system wears off, so I suggest you continue to wherever you were going, right now."

The look in Ralph's eyes spooked him.

Brandon left. He headed back to the guardsmen's quarters and was nearly there when he collided with another guard.

The other guard, one of the young new guards that Brandon had spoken to a couple of times while on assignment, stared up at Brandon from the floor.

"Are you the one that gives the Queen her medicine every night?" the guard asked.

"Yeah," Brandon said, offering a hand and pulling the guard up to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I've been looking all over for you," the guard panted. "The Queen, she has requested to see you. Right away."

Brandon mentally rolled his eyes. What now? "Okay. Chill out, I'm on my way."

"I'm supposed to escort you," the guard said nervously.

"I can find it; I've been there plenty of times," Brandon said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll take over the watch on the Queen for now. Go get some sleep." Brandon left before the guard could come up with a suitable reply. He was confused, tired and annoyed in general. He just wanted to go back to his bed and go to sleep and wondered why he had even bothered to get up and leave in the first place. It ended up being a horrible idea. It seemed like everyone in the entire freaking palace wanted to screw with him tonight.

He knocked gently on the door and heard Leia call out for him to enter. Leia was sitting on the edge of her unmade bed, wearing a long white gown with a dressing robe over it. Her hair was down in loose ringlets, her face looking tired and drawn.

"Are you alright?" Brandon asked. Leia looked almost a little ill.

"Yeah," Leia said. Her voice was hoarse and earthy, not the empty or slightly confused tone he usually heard from her. "I can't sleep tonight."

Brandon felt a twinge of surprise and wondered if she had taken her medicine. He hadn't lingered in the room to make sure she had taken it, so it was entirely possible that she hadn't drank it. But she would have no reason not to...

"Help me up," she requested. "I'm going for a walk in the gardens. You are to accompany me."

"Leia, you shouldn't be spending more time on your feet than is absolutely necessary. I don't think a walk is a good idea."

"I don't care whether you think it’s a good idea," Leia said, grasping Brandon's hand and pulling herself onto her feet. "It's your job to accompany me, not to give me your opinion." She slid her feet into a pair of soft slippers near the bed and Brandon, trying to ignore the sting of hurt that her words caused, followed her. Leia trailed her fingers along the cold stone walls, walking with slow, deliberate steps. Brandon walked alongside her, one hand on her back, the other gripping her above the elbow to steady her while she walked. When they approached a heavy wooden door, he ran ahead of her and pushed it aside.

It was his first time in the palace gardens and he surveyed the place with interest as he followed Leia throughout the cobbled pathways. He guessed it would be more impressive in the daytime, but here at night, with the plants and flowers painted bright silver with the moonlight and the scent of them filling the air, it was quite nice. Leia walked for quite a distance, before sitting down on a bench near a fountain.

"Sit with me," Leia requested and Brandon settled himself down on a bench across from her. The stone was cold and hard. Leia looked down, fussed with her gown and robe. "You got my messages, didn't you?" she asked.

"Messages?" Brandon asked.

Leia nodded. "Yes. I am often confused and... not right. But when I sleep, sometimes, I go to that place. That room with the piano."

"The in between," Brandon said, having trouble forming the words. His dry tongue wanted to stick to the roof of his mouth.

Leia nodded. "Yes. I wanted help. I wanted someone to come and help me so bad. You were the only one I could get to. I prayed every day for you to come here and help me and my baby."

"I know," Brandon whispered. "I know, Princess, that's why I'm here. To help you."

Leia shook her head. "No Brandon. No. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"For what, Princess?" Brandon asked.

Leia lifted her head, staring at him with soft eyes that were damp with unfallen tears beading her lashes. "You are too late," Leia said. "I'm so sorry, but you are just too late."

"Too late for what?" Brandon asked. The breath from the last word had barely passed his lips before something heavy and soft with an unfamiliar smell covered his mouth and nose. He started and by the time his already sluggish mind thought to struggle there was already an arm locked around his waist, pinning his arms to his side.

Leia watched passively as Brandon's strength failed and after a couple seconds his captor released him and Brandon fell boneless to the ground like a puppet with the strings cut.

"Pathetic, Brandon," Keith said, poking him with the toe of his boot before nudging him with his foot so he was turned on his back, staring at the dark sky. "Seriously, how long did you think you could run around in my world without me knowing about it?"

Brandon didn't answer. He couldn't even if he wanted to. He took a deep breath and felt like he had just gotten a face full of fire. He cried out soundlessly, tears springing to his eyes, his lips twisting into a grimace. His mouth and nose burned where the cloth had been pressed. Although the pain was new, he recognized the helpless, immobile feeling from when he had been drugged at the party and wondered if he had been given the same thing in a stronger concentration. If so, he was in deep trouble. He remembered Jordan's words. I'm not always going to be around to unlock doors, Brandon. A lance of cold terror shot through him as he remembered Jordan, asleep and defenseless inside the palace. Then, something else caught his attention.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Leia grimace and double over, grasping at her swollen stomach. A wash of blood and fluid colored her gown pink and she groaned.

"Ah. Ahhhh," she panted, sinking to her knees. Keith glanced over and a cold smile curled over his face. "Right on schedule, beautiful."

Leia groaned, again, pressing her hand to her stomach. "Please," she gasped. "You promised. Take care-"

"-of your child," Keith finished. "You did as I asked. You delivered him to me, so I will take care of your darling son." Keith crouched down next to her, brushed some sweaty tendrils of hair away from her face. "You need not worry. Your son will achieve greatness, I have no doubt."

Leia didn't reply, just cried out again. "Please...help."

There was a pounding of footsteps and then there was a small crowd of people surrounding them and Brandon could hear Keith giving orders.

"Find all the young boys in the castle with blond hair and blue eyes and detain them. Especially if they are new faces or have been seen with this guard. Take the Queen to the temple. We are able to witness the birth of a new King!"

Several people bent down next to Leia. Brandon saw one of them was Rajar, and Brandon watched his features twist, ripple and shift, until one of the boys from school was smiling down at her, and they lifted her up off the ground. Understanding clicked in Brandon's mind instantly and the surge of hard anger that tore through his body was not enough to move his limbs, but it was close. One of his hands curled up into a fist, but he couldn't lift his arm to even attempt a punch.

Keith leered down at him as they carried Leia away. "Oh, the things I would love to do to you right now." He knelt down and caressed Brandon's face in a mockery of affection. "Unfortunately, I have my hands full right now. But I will find your partner... Jordan is his name, correct?"

Brandon didn't say anything, but something in his eyes must have answered Keith's question for him. The smile widened.

"Yes. Very good. And when I find him, I will take care of both of you-once and for all. But for right now-" Keith knelt down and picked Brandon up. Brandon rebelled fiercely inside, but his body remained limp and pliant in his enemy's arms. "-we have the dawning of a new age of Charion upon us. And you are lucky enough to see the beginning."

In a moment of clear, coherent thought among the panic and pain circling his mind and the smothering humiliation of his helpless state, he remembered the seemingly effortless ability Keith had to pry into his mind. With great reluctance, he carefully detached his mind from Jordan's and blocked it off. If Jordan got himself in trouble, which was more looking likely with every second, Brandon wouldn't hear about it, but it seemed a far better alternative than to let Keith find him inside his head.

He was deposited rather roughly on the hard ground of what looked like a temple of some kind. Leia was sprawled upon some kind of alter, religious paraphernalia strewn on the ground around it. Her moans and gasps had turned to strong screams. She was sweating and swearing and gritting her teeth. Somehow through all of that, she still looked so beautiful and Brandon felt his heart twist painfully at her betrayal.

A few seconds later, as Leia's screams faded and the new screams of a newborn filled the air, Brandon opened up his mouth and found the strength to start screaming as well.

End of Book 2