Stephan had been kept outside of the room on purpose. Still, he managed to circumvent Ishivara’s power from reaching the maximum. It was tiring work and he sweat quite a bit in doing so. It took mind power and he was sure his brother could have done it without the strain, but he wanted nothing to come between him and the crystal. There was a reason he didn’t trust Ishevara and it came with her promise to the last guardian, Emerilis Amargarita.

None of my guardians have been true to me, so I shall curse the next one. Be true or die unfaithfully. I shall use all their life force until nothing remains. Mark my words!

After her curse, no one wanted to use her, but now Zen had her and he swore to limit Ishevara’s taking of her life force. Inside the room, he could feel Isaias’s water signature move.

What the hell is going on?

###

Isaias made the first move and ran over to Zen. He rolled her over and checked her pulse, letting out a big sigh of relief. “Thank God,” he murmured and slowly began to pick her up. When he had her in his arms he began to stand.

“Isaias, place her on the floor and step away,” commanded Bernado.

Isaias looked up shocked and held Zen closer. “Uncle, what are you talking about? She needs somewhere to rest from the healing. It took a lot from her.”

“Stand down Guerrero!”

“She is my twin! My family and family come first to the Arrio. Something you have been forgetting lately uncle. I will not back down or stay away from her!”

“Isaias, I told you being a Guerrero is a serious thing!”

“My family is a serious thing to me, far more than a rank. Strip me of my rank but I will not let her go!”

The cock of a gun sounded and Isaias looked to find D’Angelo aiming at him.

Isaias grinned. “Try it and she’ll hate your guts for the rest of your existence.”

“Hand Zen over. She belongs to the Dons.” D’Angelo said.

Isaias laughed. “So what, you can use her? Abuse the power of the crystal for your own means, now that you’ve seen it work?”

A groan came from Cecile’s body as she slowly got up from the floor. Her piercing green eyes took in the scene and then the scared eyes of a child just woken. “Mariposa!” She pushed her way to the child’s bedside and held onto her granddaughter. “Mi hijita estás bien?” (My granddaughter, are you ok?)

Mariposa nodded. “Que paso, abuelita?” (What happened, grandmother?)

“Estabas muy enferma, pero gracias a Dios te curastes. Es un milagro!”(You were very sick but thanks to God you are cured. It is a miracle!) She turned to face Isaias who was glaring at D’Angelo. He was cradling the girl and she was holding on to the crystal, but she had her suspicions. “Quiero que me hagas una prueba de la expectativa de vida de mi nieta, Bernado.” (I want you to do a test of the expectancy of life for my granddaughter)

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Bernado took a step back. “Zen no es capaz de eso Cecile!” (Zen isn’t capable of that Cecile.)

“Esa descarada es capaz de cualquier cosa!” (That wretched girl is capable of anything!)

“Hey! Esa descarada te salvo tu preciosa nieta y está tirada en el suelo por eso! Más es Ishivara, el cristal, que determina quién va a dar su energía para su funcionamiento, no la guardiana! Así que, vieja descarada, mi hermana no tiene nada que ver con la expectativa de vida, de tu nieta! Si el cristal le quitó parte de su vida, ese fue el precio que tuvo que pagar para que la sanaran!” (Hey! That wretched girl saved your precious granddaughter and is down on the floor because of it! Also, it’s Ishivara, the crystal, that determines whose energy gets drawn not the guardian! So you ugly old woman, my sister doesn’t have a thing to do with the life expectancy of your granddaughter. If the crystal took her life force, that was the price to pay for her to be healed!) Isaias yelled cradling Zen.

Cecile glared at Isaias and then looked back at Bernado. “Hazlo!” (Do it!)

Bernado went to a machine near the far corner and turned it on. After a few seconds, it beeped.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Mariposa ha perdido un quarto de su expectativa de vida, Cecile.” (Mariposa has lost a quarter of her life expectancy.)

Cecil screamed. “Quiero esa descarada muerta!” (I want that wretched girl dead!)

Her guards at hearing her scream, barged into the room looking for the threat. She pointed at Isaias who held Zen. “Matenlos! Son unas amenazas! Matenlos!” (Kill them, they are a threat! Kill them!)

The guards pointed their guns and shot.

Isaias curled around Zen and found himself outside of the hospital with a strained-faced Marco looking at him.

“We have to run.”

Gathering Zen in his arms more securely, Isaias lifted her up and followed Marco out onto the streets of New Arctica.

###

This was going to be hard to explain to Rosa. Her kids were now fugitives from the law, from him, and all because he was too scared to stand up for his niece...again. Rosa is going to give me a nice scar when I get back. How am I going to fix this? Zen stole Mariposa’s life instead of using her own! Then again Isaias said that wasn’t in her control. I could ask Armida. She would know better than anyone being a guardian as well.

Bernado walked over to the only person not giving orders. She sat very still, with her eyes closed and her violet-hued skin glowing.

“You were going to ask me a question, Don Arrio,” she said, eyes still closed.

Bernado sighed and nodded. “Yes, was what my nephew said true? The crystal is the one who decides who it takes the life force from?”

Armida nodded. “Yes, that is up to the crystal alone and I’m sure Cecile hitting Ishevara’s guardian was the source of the girl’s life force being taken...a show of power Don Arrio. It is a cosmic rule that the crystal punishes Lady Cecile for her actions against her guardian and what would hurt her more than seeing her granddaughter die before her? Of course, Ishevara is not so cruel and only took a fourth of her life force. Her sisters would have taken much more. That is why Ishevara is a favorite of the council apart from what she is capable of. This was just a taste of her abilities.”

“Is she stronger than that?”

“Much stronger. Strong enough to bend our reality if not careful.”

Bernado sighed. “That just makes others want her more, and in consequence my niece!”

Armida chuckled. “That is the lure of the crystals. Your niece is in for one hell of a time. I know I was before the GC stepped in.”

“Will they step in?”

Armida glared at Bernado. “It depends. You got yourself into this mess Don Arrio by stealing Ishevara and exposing your niece to her.”

“I know and now I regret it. I only wanted…”

“I know what you wanted. Life does not work as we planned and now your niece will have to pay the price. Tell me was it worth it? To lose your existing family and the respect of your Guerreros? Was it?”

“No”

“Then you know what you must do. I will not say more. There are those with double reasoning in this room,” she whispered. Her eyes went from Cecile to D’Angelo and back. “You must rescue your niece as soon as you can. Something awful awaits her. Here take this,” she said, handing over a small gray pearl to Bernado. “You will know when to use this object.”