Chapter 11: Chapter 11

ISABELLE

“Iz, hey, you okay, babe?” Amy asked as she came to stand by her.

“No. Not even close,” Izzy said, wiping the tears off her face.

“Yeah, I can believe that. It’s all real now, isn’t it?”

“Yip. And I don’t think I can do this. Up until I saw Iry, I didn’t really believe them. Now I do, and I feel the weight of that,” Izzy said, turning to look at her friend.

“I get that, Iz, and I don’t envy you, but you have me with you, and I will never leave you to do this alone. Besides, Mikhlas and Silian will help you settle in,” Amy said.

“But, can I trust them? After what he just did?”

Amy stood silent for a moment. “I know seeing someone die like that is shocking, Iz, but I think you can,” Amy said, turning serious eyes on her.

“I’m a cop now, but you know I served on a tour before I joined the police. I’ve met guys like this before. They are soldiers. Just because they are willing and capable of killing someone else, doesn’t make them bad guys.

“They’ve kept saying it is their job to protect you since the moment I met them. That’s their mission. I think you can trust that.”

“What difference does that make? Murder is still murder, isn’t it? How can killing someone ever be okay?”

“Because they are following orders, and I get the feeling that refusing an order really isn’t an option for these guys. It’s not like these orders of theirs come from some general.

“They are coming from a Monarch chosen by these Sentinels. What was it you said before? The five beings of creation in their Realm. How could they refuse that? They’ll do their duty.”

Izzy mulled over her words, staring at the scenery.

~That’s what they want me to be. Being the Queen means the power of life and death over a hundred billion people. Why did the Sentinels choose me?~

“What if this is all a mistake? What if going with them gets us killed?”

“From what I saw today, I don’t think either of them will let that happen.”

“What if I mess up, Aims? I don’t know anything about ruling. I can barely keep my own house in order.”

“One step at a time, Iz. It’s all you can do. Besides, you really want to be the one who says no to going to another planet?

“Scratch that, ~lots~ of other planets, and meeting a bunch of aliens? Because I never thought you were a chicken,” Amy said.

“I’m no chicken, but I do have two little lives that count on me to keep them safe,” she said.

“Iz, face it, they’re not that little anymore. James is fifteen. He’ll be driving soon. Lucas is growing up fast, and can you imagine what they will say when they hear about this?”

“I know. This is going to be like Christmas morning to them. Better,” Izzy said.

“Let’s go back inside. It is freezing out here, and I still have to get Simon’s confession and send him off,” Amy said, turning to the door and then pausing.

“Talk to Mikhlas, babe. You’ll see he isn’t as bad as you think.”

They went back inside, and Izzy blinked when she realized the blood, which once pooled on the floor, was gone. Not even a stain in the wood.

She looked at Mikhlas, and he smiled at her. Only they would have been able to clean a mess like that up so fast.

~He’s trying to make me feel more comfortable. I think I scared him.~ “Thank you,” she said to him, and he dipped his head to her.

“You are welcome, Dakira Isabelle,” Mikhlas said. “What should we do with the prisoner?”

“I’ll get his confession, and then you can send him away,” Amy replied.

“Good, we have wasted enough time with this schofu. Dakira Isabelle, I did as you asked. Will you now come with me willingly?” Mikhlas asked.

“Yes, but what about my boys?”

“We’ll go retrieve them as soon as you are packed,” Mikhlas replied.

Izzy nodded, still unsure how to feel about him. Her head swirled in confusion. Ever since that incredible kiss, she knew she felt a powerful attraction to him, but the violence reminded her of Peter.

~Is that a fair comparison, though?~ she thought to herself, looking at his concerned features. She stayed silent, heading upstairs to mull things over and pack while Amy did what she needed to.

***

It didn’t take Izzy long to pack, mostly because she hadn’t unpacked her things when she got here. Yet she took her time, taking far longer than she needed to stuff a few sentimental things from the cabin into her suitcase.

A picture of her and her father here in summer when she was nine. She loved that picture. It was the one that always made her feel at home.

She sat on the bed with it for a while, gazing into the hazel eyes of her father and wondering about what her future might hold.

Once she felt Amy must have had enough time to deal with Simon, she stood, picking up her bag, and made for the stairs.

As she came down the stairs, she could see Amy outside, puttering around in her car. Mikhlas sat in the lounge, just staring at the fire, deep in thought. She moved next to the door and put her bag down.

“Where’s Silian?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“He’s gone back to the ship,” Mikhlas said, taking his eyes off the dancing flames.

“I’m all packed,” she said, twisting her hands together and unsure what to say.

“Good. We will leave soon,” he said, standing up.

“Is Amy back?” she asked, looking around as if she didn’t know. She had no idea what to say to Mikhlas and simply said the first thing that popped into her head.

“No. She is still with her vehicle,” he said. She nodded to herself. Amy would have a hard time parting with her pride and joy.

Izzy looked around the room again. She had so many happy memories in this house. The thought of leaving it all behind and never seeing it again made her nerves flare up.

“Are you afraid?” Mikhlas asked. Izzy looked at him and nodded.

“Of me?”

The question hung in the air between them, the silence stretching out while Mikhlas looked more and more uncomfortable. She thought of what Amy said on the porch.

~He’s a soldier, a man governed by duty and obedience to a higher power. Can I really fault him for doing his duty?~

“A bit,” she said finally. “I can’t deny that seeing what you did shocked me, but I’m more afraid of the future. What it means to be the queen. Someone whose word and judgment means a man like you is ready to kill because of it.”

He hesitated before standing straighter and placing his closed fists on his chest. “I will never harm you, Dakira,” he said.

“As for being queen, I understand. This must be overwhelming to you, but know that you can always turn to me if you need anything.”

“Thank you Mikhlas. That…means more than you know to me.”

“Do not fear. Everyone in the court will be there to help you,” he said.

“What’s the court?” she asked.

Mikhlas smiled. “You will have plenty of time to learn everything you need to know on the way back. It will take four days to return to the Realm. Five if you wish to stop and view the Nebulas.”

“Where is that?” ~So many questions, what, where, when. I hope I sound like someone curious rather than the village idiot.~

“Two hundred million light-years from this planet. A wonder of the Universe,” he said. Izzy’s mouth fell open. ~That’s crazy. How are we going to travel so far in just four days?~

“What’s the rush?” she asked.

Mikhlas tilted his head to one side. “Time is relative when you are talking about that kind of distance.

“While it may only take two weeks for my ship to travel from Homeworld to Earth and back, when we return, three weeks will have passed.

“The longer we delay here, the more time will pass on Homeworld awaiting our return.

“And with the previous Monarch dead, the Fleet and the court are without leadership. Our entire society awaits your arrival and feels your absence.”

Izzy just stared at him, trying to process his answer.

“Dakira Isabelle, I will teach you about anything you wish. Do not let it all overwhelm your mind,” he said. Izzy just nodded to him, and he let out a small laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said.

“Forgive me. I was not laughing at you. I am simply admiring the look on your face. There is the sweetest look of amazement in your eyes when I spoke about something as boring as space travel.

“I haven’t seen that in a very long time,” he said.

“Izzy. You in here?” They heard Amy call out. Mikhlas stepped back from her as Amy came into the room.

“Hey, listen, I can’t leave my baby here in the snow and cold. I just don’t have the heart to let her die such a miserable death!” she said looking at them. “Oh sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“No, not at all,” Izzy said, looking back at Mikhlas.

“You have a child?” Mikhlas asked with genuine shock.

“She means her car. She can’t leave her car,” Izzy clarified.

“It’s not just a car, Iz. You know that,” Amy said in a small voice.

“Take it with you,” Mikhlas said. Both women looked at him with surprise.

“I can do that?”

“Yes. There is plenty of room on the ship. You can take anything you like,” he said. Amy smiled wide and then frowned.

“How am I going to get it to the ship?” she asked.

“Prime will transport it for you. She can also do some modifications to it as well, if you like. You won’t find a way to refuel your vehicle on Homeworld, and the vehicle can be made much faster.”

Amy’s eyes lit up, and Mikhlas grinned at her. ~These two seemed to be equally excited about that idea.~

Isabelle just shook her head and went into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. A thought sparked in her mind.

~Do they have coffee? What about toilets? I have so much to learn.~ She didn’t know what to expect, but it began to feel more like an adventure with every passing moment.

Izzy made herself a cup of coffee and savored every sip. She turned to look out the window. The sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky, and the snow in the valley looked clean and fresh.

The mountains in the distance, covered in trees and snow, radiated a certain serenity. ~I’m going to miss this cabin and the memories it contains~, she thought. The kitchen door swung open again, and Amy came in.

“Hey,” Izzy said. Amy smiled and made a cup of coffee for herself.

“You okay?” Izzy asked her.

“Yeah. It’s sweet that I get to take the beast with me. I’m just thinking about my job. I’m good at it. What am I going to do out there?” she asked, pointing to the sky.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I have no idea, but I’m sure you will find something. I’ll make you the Royal Ass-Kicker if I have to.”

Amy laughed and took a sip of her coffee. Izzy put her cup down and went over to her friend. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Amy returned the embrace.

“Thank you,” Izzy said.

“For what?”

“For everything. For coming out here to help me. For believing all of this. For coming with me. I don’t think I would be able to do this without you.”

“You’re my best friend, Iz. You’re like a sister to me. There is no way I wouldn’t go with you.”

Izzy heard a throat clear and looked up to see Silian standing in the doorway, holding her suitcase and Amy’s duffel bag.

“It is time to go, isn’t it?” Izzy said, and he nodded. She took one last look around the kitchen, nodded, and looked at Amy.

“Let’s do this,” she said. Amy pulled in a deep breath and nodded.

“I agree. Let’s do this,” she said back to her. They turned to him, Amy holding Izzy’s hand.

“How do we do this?” Izzy asked.

“Are you ready?” he asked. They looked at each other and nodded.

“Very well. Prime,” he said, and a sudden bright flash of light blinded Izzy for a half second.