by Melanie Ray
Ezra didn't know what to do as she felt her Protector's mouth on hers. It wasn't right, this wasn't Yed, this wasn't like Yed. This is Wye? The future Yeducavich? The way he held her with no guilt, a life where he no longer needed to stay at a distance. No longer had to watch the way he acted. She closed her eyes, falling into the feeling. Her body didn't feel numb, but different. Her head felt like she was gaining a fever while her body felt weightless. It was an amazing feeling she didn't have last time he kissed her. That had been out of desperation, this was out of something else. Against her good senses, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She needed to hold on. He was so close, and he shouldn't have been, but he was so close and warm.
Yed broke the contact regrettably. "Damn." As he let go of her, Ezra reached for the wall to help brace her. "Woulda, shoulda, coulda." He rubbed the side of his nose. "Don't forget to tell me...I don't know anymore, I feel it disappearing as I speak..."
“I don’t like this,” Ezra said as she reached for him again. “Before you kept acting like you would leave, almost like going out of town. This time, I see so much more. Where are you going? Wye?”
Yed gave her one final kiss. “Wye can’t exist, along with Yed. He’ll never exist. Everything that made me him, it has to go. I can’t escape to the future because pieces of me will stay. The primitive instincts of what I want most. Everything I was as Wye, the last eighty years...” He chuckled nervously. “I have to make sure it all fades away. I won’t be him. He’ll never be me.”
"I'll remember you," Ezra said softly. "I'll never forget."
"Good. Probably the last thing in the end for me..." He moved backwards slightly. "It was 'Men In Black', they liked the irony. I forgot." He seemed completely out of it, but then snapped his eyes back to Ezra. It wouldn't be much longer, she could tell. "I’m Wye."
“Hey, I thought the Irish were supposed to be nice? Oh no wait, that’s right. They drink and get in fistfights, stupid me.”
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing, X? Aliens with tails? That are speaking English?”
"Besides, the fact still stands. Why would I ever waste years on studying and training just to protect some girls? It doesn't make sense."
Yed held his head tighter.
"Ezra, no, no. The puzzle piece goes here, not there. See the sides? Try again."
"Try again, Ezra. You'll get it." Yed closed his eyes as the world moved around him. The last, final future memory to leave was a girl. No, it was Muinela.
"Wye?" Ezra echoed in his head.
"Rome could make popcorn faster than me. She said that, that Rome could make popcorn faster than me." Yed asked Ezra, his eyes blank. "Did I?"
"Did you what?"
"Did I add enough butter?" Yed trailed off. "...did I add enough butter..."
Eighty years. A different life, a different planet, and a different time. Ezra watched Yed look at her, his eyes back to the unsatisfied orbs that she was most used to. The 'Wye' of him was gone. A different part she didn't understand, but she felt pangs of sorrow for. Every experience from his last eighty years, that had shaped who he had become, gone. She came close and touched his chin tenderly. "Wye?" As she expected, she was met with a confused expression. "Yed."
Chapter 64
JUST DELUSIONAL
He moved his chin away from her hand and stared at her, his back rigid. “Ezraponia, how did you escape?” Suspicion dwelled within his eyes.
Ezra knew the Yed she knew was back. “Memories missing?” She had to think fast. “I don’t remember everything either. Perhaps the waryes are experimenting on the water, or the inhibitors?” Would he buy that?
Suspicion left his eyes. “Inhibitors.” His eyes didn’t leave hers. “Can you tell me how we are days away from where you were captured?”
“You saved me,” Ezra said, “and-”
“I wouldn’t do that, it would be too risky for the others,” Yed interrupted her, suspicion hitting his eyes again.
“I don’t really remember, that’s what Xiam said,” Ezra lied. “It’s all messed up in my head, I just gave birth for crying out loud.”
Yed’s eyes shot around, his attention focused on any sound. He was completely on alert still, as if he were in the thick dangerous part of the battle.
“It’s been days,” Ezra commented. “We don’t know what’s been happening, you have been fading in and out delusional.”
“Delusional.” Yed raised his eyebrows at her. “Crazy? Inhibitors. The waryes are experimenting again. What could cause that much disruption?” He scratched his head. “Is everyone okay?”
“Xiam and Iri stayed in Fallensworth,” Ezra answered. “The babies are upstairs napping, and King Regwallis is making himself something to eat. You rescued him.” Remembering how tough Yed was on connections she added, “that’s when you became the worst. We have all been getting better.”
"Hm." Yed didn’t say anymore, but she knew from his stance he was reading her.
"And..." Ezra trailed her fingers along her arm, thinking about what his future self said. The feel of him against her. Something so, so wrong by their laws, yet so right. So, so right, oh did that feel right. Even if Wye never existed now, maybe one day he would. Maybe she could bring him to the surface. "I think you should call me Ezzy more. I mean, you used to call me it all the time when we were kids. When you weren't so tied up."
Yed went from funny to a weird frown "...are you sure the waryes didn't do anything to you? You're acting strange." He grabbed her hand but not the same way as before. Strictly looking for information as he flipped them around, examining them. He let go and grabbed her chin. Not real rough, but not with love as he twisted her head side to side with it. "How do you feel? Any tingling sensation? How is your head, do you have moments of blanking out?" He let go of her chin and felt her head. "You show no signs of surgery."
"I'm fine," Ezra pulled his hands away from her head.
"I hope, but my gut says you're hiding something." Yed rested his hand on her forehead. "You're warm, why is your head so warm?" He checked her heart near her chest, which started to skip very fast. "Your heart is racing, Ezraponia. I don't know what's going on. You should lie down on the couch."
Ezra groaned as Yed led her to the couch. She had to admit, know him well or not, she had liked the future side of him. He made her feel valued, like a real female. The Yed she knew during the war-
"You're slouching, and I said lie down. Put your feet on the end of the couch. Put your head up higher, levitate it."
This Yed made her feel like a little girl. "I know how to lie down, Yed."
"Huh? Oh." Yed stood up. "Sure, yeah...Ezzy. You rest, I'll go check on the babies."
"Are you alright, Ezra?"
Ezra watched Regwallis approach her. This was actually what she wanted to see, how Yed reacted to the crib room. Any trace of Wye would certainly wake up. "I'm fine, Wallis. Just a little light headed I guess."
"Wallis?" Yed didn't seem to approve as he stopped his descent and came back. "I need to call you Ezzy again, and you are calling our new king, Wallis? They did something to you, I know they did."
"I asked her to call me that," Regwallis said.
"Oh. Yes, sire, understood." Yed didn't say a word more. "I'll go check on the babies now."
When he began to leave, Ezra swung her legs back down and sat back up. She watched as he went upstairs, no trepidation whatsoever. She looked over at Regwallis. "He isn't the one from the future anymore. He doesn't remember the future anymore."
"Oh good." Regwallis grinned. "I'm used to Protectors, not warnos from the future."
"Well, I don't know. The one from the future knew so much more. He was different, but in a good way." Ezra patted beside her on the couch. "Why don't you sit beside me? Yed won't be back for a little while."
She heard Yed coming down the stairs. "How are the children,Yed?"
Yed stopped walking and looked back at her again a second longer. "Fine."
"Are they awake?"
Ezra asked, "because you've been gone for a time."
"No, sleeping. Room feels weird up there though, I can't pin it." Yed continued down the stairs. "A high concentration of something in that room. May have to do with inhibitors, I can't say for certain. We may think about switching rooms for them."
Ezra looked at him thoughtfully, "If you want to, Yed." He dwelled on her a little longer than he had to again.
"When the babies wake up, we'll move them." Yed looked over at Regwallis and nodded. "Majesty. Could I have a word with you?"
Regwallis began to fidget. "About what?"
"Twins. Did your father even mention anything about special twins?" Yed pried. "The former king had plans for my children, and he never told me what they were."
"I can't tell you, you're not royalty." Regwallis held his head up high. "Daddy held...he held con...fir..confi...confidence in me."
"King Regwallis, I know the former king explained his new laws to you. Let's not drag it in here." Yed took a seat next to Ezra, he glanced at her once in disappointment that she was sitting up when he commanded she laid down, but went back to him.
Regwallis scratched his head, unsure of what to do. Poor boy.
"Maybe we should give him some time, Yed,” Ezra suggested.
"I know they did something to you." Yed reached out for her head again. "I don’t know what, but something. Something doesn’t feel right, they can’t hide it from me." He may have gone on farther but he heard a cell phone ring. On him. He reached for it and examined it carefully. No doubt he knew it was a waryes phone.
"Maybe you should answer it?" Ezra suggested. Yed glared at her, anger in his eyes still. Not particularly at her, but at the waryes that he thought did something to her. It could have also been meant for the cell phone he didn't understand. "Or not."
"Where did this come from?" Yed asked her as he looked at the back of it, looking for some kind of tracer. He pulled apart the back as the ring stopped. "What am I doing wearing a waryes cell phone?"
"I don't know," Ezra said, "maybe you picked it up along the way?" Yed didn't say a word as he stood up and exited the house. He would be gone a distance before he answered it.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?"
Ezra looked over at the door as Yed blared in. Any caution be damned, he looked pissed. She picked up Tiger, Caress still sleeping soundly. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Yed threw the cell phone next to her on the couch. "King Regwallis is here because I saved him in the Waryes Kingdom somehow, and I've dealt with that. Inhibitors are weird, my emotions went wild, and I risked everything to save you and Iri. I get it. But that? Ezra. Why is a waryes, claiming to be my father, breaking out Protectors who should have been destroyed?"
Ezra tapped her fingers alongside the couch. "I don't know about the last part. The first part though is..." She stopped tapping her fingers. "Believe in it or not, your future self took over. He tried to undo some things, I guess to make a better future. I suppose you knew your father in the future."
Yed looked like he was about to blow, but he regained himself. "Okay. Clearly something is going on." His agitation changed to curiosity. "You wanted me to call you Ezzy more."
Ezra stood up and rubbed her arms. "You're memories were different, and you acted a little different. He didn't make it back, and he seemed to just fade away.”
"What do you mean went away?"
"I mean you took over."
"I am not from the future."
"Yed." Ezra gestured to his throat. "Listen to your voice."
"What do you mean...what do..." He heard it, oh she knew he heard it as he touched his vocal chords. "...what is that?"
"Accent. From Earth I believe," Ezra informed him, with a tinge of remorse. “It’s becoming much lighter though.”
Yed pulled his hand away. "Remind me to have enough respect for myself in the future and not go back to take over my body." He laced his fingers through his hair. "It could have been anything taking over my mind, saying it was me."
"It wasn't, it was you," Ezra said firmly.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I know you," Ezra said as she walked around, avoiding his eyes. "He was anxious, and he didn't want to get close. Had a duty to take care of, it came first. It wasn't until he knew he wouldn't return that..." she trailed off. "I knew he was you."
"Yeah." Yed's voice was becoming more regal sounding by the second. He looked at her with an untrusting look and covered his top lip briefly with his bottom. He wasn't a fool. "Interesting."
Ezra didn't have to ask, he'd probably been getting a light taste of lipstick. "Yeah."
An awkward moment fell between the two of them. Neither spoke for several minutes.
Ezra made the first move. "When I was captured by the waryes, what were you going to say?"
Yed moved his left finger back and forth against his lips, not looking at her in the eyes. "I don't remember. Maybe words of comfort. Maybe not. Why do I have lipstick on my lips?"
Her turn. "When you knew it was over, ummm..." Her lips quirked up. "You've lost control before and were jailed for it."
"Oh." Yed nodded. "Understandable then. The inhibitors drew me into a delusional state of mind, and I thought I was from the future."
"I don’t know about that," Ezra answered. “You were the same, but different.”
"Good different or bad different?" Yed had to ask.
"Both," Ezra said simply. "He was edgy. I don't think the future turned out well. He acted like there never was a way for it to turn out well yet..." She remembered his laugh, and what little she saw of his smile. Towards the end when he finally relaxed. "He was something. I mean, you were something. I mean, you as him." Okay, she couldn't save that.
Yed pulled them out of the awkward moment. "Fine, my mind knew events in the future, what was it dwelling on around here? Did he tell you anything, warn you of anything?"
"Regwallis," Ezra answered. "He was extremely curious about the twins. Regwallis wouldn't tell him anything."
"But the new king does know something." Yed headed around the corner, searching for the new king.
"He can't share," Ezra tagged along behind him. "Yed, please."
"There was no future self here."
"There was too," Ezra muttered but stopped when he turned around abruptly. "Please. Don't you remember how hard it was when you lost your family? Regwallis swore to his father he'd keep that secret. We shouldn't be prying so soon after all this. Let's give him some more time."
"Why? Would this other me care more?" Yed asked half in anger and half in curiosity.
"He was you, the future you. So yes, I think you would care." Ezra crossed her arms and sighed. "It's you. And even if his memory did fade away, it's still you."
Yed didn't reply right away as he seemed to be studying her. Ezra shifted slightly. He knew something had happened between them, and she wasn't sharing much. He was well trained at studying movements and gestures, the less she moved the better. If only she could take that small shift back.
"I don't care how much of a riot I seem to be in the future, if that’s what you think I was. I'm me, in the now though, and the now says if our new king knows anything that could help, I'm getting it." He turned back around and proceeded on.
What the heck was happening? His father, alive and well. Protectors, alive and well. Ezra apparently making out with a whacked out delusional him. Not remembering the details of one night of conceiving was bad enough, but he had now lost at least a week of memories. Oh, she could say it was just the same thing as before, but her eyes sparked and were too wide. Her shifting, her smiles when she talked about him. She was in love with him that way. And as nice of a gesture as that may be, it didn't help things. Number one, different experiences created that version of him, and she seemed to be more attracted to him. Number two, they were in the middle of a dangerous battle that hadn't reached its precipice quite yet. Now was not the time for even thinking about romance. Number three, time travel was p
ossible and she was falling for a future self of him. If so, my future self either went back to the future, died, or faded away and screwed up the flow of time. He tried to hide his laugh, she was under a lot of stress.
He rounded another corner and spotted the new king making a sandwich. "Sire," he bowed lightly with his head. "We must speak of urgent matters." Speaking to the prince as a king felt strange. The small lad that everyone tripped over at the castle was now in charge of the entire kingdom. "If you wish not to speak highness, I will have no choice but to make claims on article 362."
Regwallis stopped buttering his sandwich and looked over at Yed. "I know what you want, and I can't. I'm not allowed, it would be wrong."
"The information you hold within may help your kingdom. Are you going to let this kingdom go down without even a fight?" Yed asked. "Sire, it is a smart move to tell me."
"I don't wanna," Regwallis said as he buttered his bread again. "Ezra said I didn't have to."
"Ezra's not in charge." Yed bowed softly with his head, slightly nodding to the left. "Highness."
"I'm not highness, and I'm not king," Regwallis whined. "I don't know anything about running a whole kingdom! That was daddy's thing, it was daddy's! I was learning how to spell. That was my thing."
"Sire-"
"Ezra!" Regwallis cried as he shot past Yed and flew into Ezra's arms.
Oh no, he was not going to fall for this. In the past, Regwallis won against his father because the queen held some authority. He was going to use Ezra to try and keep him at bay. Sorry kid, but it's not the same thing.
"You shouldn't force him," Ezra complained. "Give him time."
"I don't know how much time we have left," Yed reminded her. "For all I know, a week later might be too late. As dissatisfying as I feel knowing some future version took over me, or that I was so insane from waryes playing with inhibitors, something big is happening." He looked over at Regwallis. "I am sorry, Majesty, you leave me no choice. The former King Sheward and Queen Trivelle are dead, they will never come back. I am now your soul provider for shelter, food, and protection. As the law states if something happens to the king and there is no other royalty left, a Protector of the king may lay claim to the son provided he supplies all necessities dictated by Article 362. That again being shelter, food and protection. Therefore, I lay claim to you, King Regwallis." Yed nodded at him. "I was the King's Protector, ergo I am now your Protector, and since I provide all the necessities in Article 362 during a time where there is no other royalty to lay claim, I can legally announce you as my son. Therefore, you have now been given the status of prince hood again. Now tell me, Prince Regwallis, what I need to know."