Zen awoke staring at a dark blue ceiling. She slowly rolled to her side and winced at the burning pain she felt under the patch that stretched along her wound.

“They had to take the thread and staples out, and do a whole cleansing for the coagulating poison, before lasering the wound shut,” said a surprising voice.

Zen eyes gazed at the familiar blue hue she thought she wouldn’t see for ages. Well, two weeks. “How long was I out? Wait? Lasered! I didn’t want that!”

“We don’t always get what we want,” Stephan chided as he turned around to face her. “Hey, aren’t you glad to see me? He asked pouting, arms crossed and lying against the footboard. She was in a small bed with bars on each side holding her in. She was also connected to an IV. Her eyes traced the tubes connected to her left hand. Scoffing, she wriggled uncomfortably and started to take the IV out. Stephan grabbed her hand and kissed it making a blush spread like a rash all over her face.

“Don’t touch that. You don’t want to be poked again,” he muttered setting their hands down on her stomach.

“H--How did you get here? Is Edlin here?” she asked wincing as she moved briskly and her wound ached.

“Stop that,” he muttered, raising his other hand and caressing her cheek. She stopped struggling, leaning in slightly to his hand. “No, Edline isn’t here. The way I came was--unusual. I actually gave everyone a fright when I materialized inside the pool,” he laughed moving his hand to the free hair that was bunched under her head like a halo. His fingers carted from her roots to her tips and back up in a soothing motion. Zen’s eyes were closing again. She yawned and he chuckled.

“What way is that?” she asked.

“Water travel. I can teleport anywhere my element is in abundance. I could never teleport like Marco or Edline, so I sought a way around that weakness. One day my mom found me practicing, and she was quick to capitalize on my ingenuity. He paused in his petting, a foreign look in his eyes she couldn’t place. “That’s when I ran. I wasn’t helping BEI become even more monstrous than it already was,” he said shrugging.

“She hurt you, your mom,” said Zen.

“She hurt all three of us. She has three kids and none wants to return to her side,” he sighed bending down and kissing her forehead.

Zen smiled and gazed into his eyes lost. They drifted closer and when they were inches apart ...the door banged open and Isaias grabbed Stephan around the neck, tossing him towards Marco who had entered beside him and was sighing at his partner’s behavior. Marco caught his younger brother from tumbling into him.

“Thanks,” Stephan grumbled before water raced from his fingers to Isaias, and wrapped around his neck squeezing.

Isaias choked and Zen sighed. “Can’t you guys get along?”

“No,” stated Stephan with a grin as he squeezed a little more.

“N-ev-er!” choked out Isaias wrestling with the water tentacles around his neck.

It was Marco who intervened. “Okay, Stephan. I know Isaias is awfully cute, but he’s spoken for so go flirt with Zen.”

“Marco!” groaned Isaias while Stephan made a disgusted face and let Issaias go. He walked back to Zen’s side and kissed her cheek.

Zen blushed and touched her cheek, turning to him. “What was that for,” she stuttered.

“Marco got one thing right. I should be flirting with you,” he said winking.

Isaias growled. “Pirate lay off her,” he warned watching as Stephan grinned and kissed Zen’s forehead. Shadows began to collect under him, around him even on the ceiling.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“No,” said Stephan keeping an eye on the mounting shadows. What in hell could be making them react?

Stephan’s eyebrows rose, when Zen put her hand in a stop sign, and the shadows dispersed. “Stop it both of you,” she said lifting one of her brows in contention. She was very aware of Stephan’s closeness and that damnable grin on his face.

He leaned down until their noses almost touched. “Make me,” he taunted chuckling when she squared her shoulders.

She smiled. “Fine,” then she headbutted him hard enough to make Isaias laugh.

“He grabbed his head. “Damn!”

“Don’t ever dare her,” Isaias laughed holding onto Marco who couldn’t hold in his chuckle.

The door to the room opened and Rosa stepped in dressed in a cascading sand brown dress of reflecting fabric. She smiled when she noticed her children smiling and acting their ages for once. The brothers nodded politely at her as she moved across the room to Zen’s side. She wasn’t there for a social call. As things were, Carmelo was discussing the fate of Zen with her and she wanted Zen there. It was her future. She had a right to be there.

“Are you well enough to move, Zen?” she asked, removing the girders from the bed and letting Zen’s feet meet the cool tiled floor. Zen winced when she shifted to stand. Stephan took her hand and helped her stand before Isaias could help. Isaias glared at Stephan while Marco and Zen rolled their eyes at the display.

“Yes, Máma,” said Zen hiding her wince.

“Good, Carmelo and I are discussing your future and I want you there for it,” said Rosa as she unhooked the IV from Zen’s arm. Isaias shuddered as the needle left his sister’s skin. Marco hugged him closer.

“Why? Especially if I don’t get a say in my future? What about a bath? New clothes? I’m in my jammies,” grumbled Zen. Stephan chuckled and put his hands over her waist, before lifting her. Zen squealed and glared at his grinning face.

“Do you want another headbutt?” she asked making Rosa smile. They were led down vermillion hallways to the Don’s office. Inside Rosa went to stand beside Carmelo as the others bunched into the big office.

Carmelo nodded to everyone and began. “I’ve decided what should be done with the situation, but I’d like the GC Captain’s and the Guardian’s opinions as this regards both.”

Stephan set Zen down beside him and took her hand to stabilize her. He squeezed her hand and then spoke. “Despite what you might think or legends say, the intergalactic crystal brings no harm to its guardian as long as it’s not used. The bond becomes stronger with every use.” He turned to Zen grinning. “You haven’t used it have you?”

Zen blushed and took a deep breath before nodding. “I have.”

“So--what did you say?” asked Stephan, his eyes glowing slightly, discomforting Zen.

“I used it in the deadlands, to heal Isaias of his ribs, which Val nearly pulverized to dust. I panicked and used the crystal,” she said glancing away from those once beautiful eyes now turned otherworldly.

“Then you know the price? You lost a fourth of your life already?” he asked hoping he was wrong but she nodded in the affirmative.

“I have paid the price and swear not to use it for any foolhardy task,” she said. That didn’t comfort anyone in that room, but she was the Guardian of the thing, so her words were impacting.

“Zen, don’t use it for anything else,” warned Stephan. She nodded and Stephan turned to Carmelo. “Well since it’s been used by Zen there is no denying she is the Guardian. As long as she doesn’t use the crystal for anything it should be fi…” he never finished as the doors to the room were banged open and Bernado marched in, in full battle regalia. A few Guerreros were with him.

“Arrest my niece and bring her to me,” he commanded the Guerreros, who were met with a wall of water and a very angry water elemental.

“Don’t even think about it,” Stephan said between clenched teeth. Stephan strode towards Bernado, and before anyone could act, had him underwater.

Bernado struggled in the bubble until almost collapsing of air in which case, Stephan set him free of his bubble. “According to the 59th ordinance, in the Galactic treaty from the Galactic Council to Earthlings, you fucked up big time old man. I can and will kill you,” said Stephan as he began to let out a bit of power into his eyes making them glow an eerie blue color.

Bernado gasped as two water tentacles swept him up and hung him by his feet. He dangled in thin air. He shuddered.

Stephan grinned. “Why did you steal an intergalactic crystal? Earth was forbidden to have one long ago--after the wars of the Legendarios. It was proven that mankind couldn’t take care of such an object, so why bring yourself, your family, and your entire planet under Galactic watch for a damn crystal?”

Bernado stayed silent and the tentacles wrapped around his body constricted.

“With every unanswered question, those water tentacles will squeeze until your bones are dust. It’s better to answer,” said Stephan.

Bernado refused and the tentacles constricted more.

“To cure Mariposa!” he squealed as the tentacles squeezed again.

Carmelo spoke up. “Why do you want to cure a little girl you barely know?”

Bernado opened his mouth to send Carmelo to el carajo but the tentacles squeezed again.

“I’m not too sure what that means, but I don’t think it was what we wanted to hear,” said Stephan, smiling.

Rosa’s eyebrows lifted. “You’re reading his mind with the water?”

Stephan grinned. “Yup.”

Slowly the tentacles squeezed the truth from Bernado. “Marie Elena shared her blood with that child years ago and is linked to her somehow. We’ve tried everything to break that bond. Nothing works. The child is near her deathbed now. If she dies so does my child. I can’t lose Marie. I already lost her mother despite what others think I loved Patricia very much! Now take these blasted things off me!” he yelled struggling within the tentacle’s grips.

Rosa’s eyes narrowed. “While he has everyone fooled, he doesn’t fool me. Bernado, why did you want Zen to be the crystal’s guardian and no lies brother. You can’t hide from me.”

“In case I lost Marie Elena, you would have lost Zen,” he muttered.

Rosa recoiled as if slapped. “Did you think that I could still lose Zen, while you still have Marie?”

“Yes,” he shrugged. The tentacles began to squeeze then and Bernado struggled to breathe. This time they didn’t stop. Stephan was too far gone into past demons.