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Chapter 7

Kevin stopped his anxious pacing when the door slid open after an eternity.  Brian led Zanell inside with AJ at the rear.  The princess froze when she saw her father.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"We have a few questions, princess," Brian explained, "and you have the answers."

Kevin couldn't believe the spite in Brian's voice at 'princess.'  Somehow they had to convince him that the man that had his loyalty was the evil one and not Zanell.

Zanell's mouth hung open as she gazed back and forth between us. "Brian, what are you talking about?  What questions?"

Nick hurried to her and took her hands.  "It's just some lies we want cleared up, that's all."

Brian rolled his eyes behind them and shake his head. "Nick-"

"His illusions will be shattered momentarily," Zator said, stopping Brian's words.

"Illusions?  Brian, what is going on?" Zanell asked.  She looked from him to her father.  Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Why are you standing there with him like he's an ally?"

"I've recently learned the truth," Brian said. "And I realize that Zator was never the real threat.  You're a traitor, Zanell, and I plan on making things right." He scoffed and shook his head. "I can't believe it took me almost ten years to realize that this was all a trick.  You stole the amulets, lied to us, and I almost died because of it!"

Zanell's look of astonishment quickly turned to anger. "I never lied to you! I came to you years ago because-"

"Because you needed someone to keep you safe from your father when you knew what the consequences would be, had he caught you," Brian jumped in.  He motioned to Zator. "He finally revealed the truth to me and I'm allied with him so that this is put right!"

"What?"

"Brian, have you completely lost your mind?" Kevin demanded, moving right up to his face.  Kevin grabbed the man by his arms and shook him. "How could you do that?"

Next thing he knew, Kevin was stumbling backward with his cheek stinging.  Zator stood in front of Brian. "He is doing what he knows is right.  How dare you dispute that?"

Someone steadied Kevin while he regained his balance.  A quick word from behind told him it was Howie.  Kevin didn't spare him a look; his focus was on Brian.  He could swear there was a smirk on Brian's face.

Zanell, with a surprised look on her face, was the next to speak. "Brian, how can you just stand there and let your own cousin be treated like that?"

"Kevin was always a little slow," Brian said. "He refuses to believe what his own eyes have shown him.  His protests aren't getting us anywhere."  He arched an eyebrow at Zanell. "But then again, you know all about Kevin.  After all, you've manipulated him very deftly over the years."

"What are you-" she began.

"Watch the recordings, and then we'll see what you have to say," Zator cut in.  The machine was activated again.

A few minutes later, Zanell's expression was one of confusion and disbelief. "That wasn't me," she declared. "I never did any of those things.  How could I have wanted my mother's death?  You can't believe this trickery!"

"What about the amulets?"

"I took them for safe keeping, you know that!" she answered Brian. "I gave them to you; I didn't keep them for myself!"

"Because you couldn't control them all by yourself.  You needed five others to work them."

"The amulets choose their hosts!" Zanell argued. "Don't you remember what I told you?  Or what you even saw that day you found me?"

Brian got right into her face. "That day was nothing but a confused mess, and it's been worse ever since.  You know, Leighanne was right.  If you hadn't brought us these amulets, none of this would have happened."

Nick spoke up. "Bri, she said that when she'd been brainwashed.  Don't you remember?  Angel told me she'd said that while you and the others were fighting both for your lives and to break the mind control Zator had over us."

Kevin thought he saw a flicker of doubt cross his cousin's face. "So what?" he asked. "She still says it even today."

"Are you saying you don't even believe your own wife?" Kevin asked incredulously.

"Of course I believe her!" Brian spat. "I simply couldn't do anything about it until recently, when I learned the truth."

"Brian, just admit you don't know what the truth is anymore!  You've become so blinded that anything that looks like a shred of truth, you'll believe it."

"I'm not the one that's blind!"

"Father, how could you do this?" Zanell demanded. "Brian has a wife and three children to care for, and you brainwash him with lies!"

"The only lies that have been cast have been yours," Zator grated.

"Enough," Howie said, surprising us all. "These accusations are getting us nowhere."

Zator smiled. "Howard is right, we must-"

"Stay off of my side.  I'm not on yours."

Kevin wasn't expecting an outburst like that from Howie, but he was glad of it.  If Howie had believed right along with Brian and AJ, Kevin didn't know what he would have done.  He sent me a wink.  So now Kevin knew where everyone stood: Nick and Howie stood with him against Brian, AJ and Zator.  And everyone was arguing about Zanell and her true motives.  He felt another headache coming on, as if being struck hadn't been enough.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brian shake his head in disbelief.

Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to be back home, holding Spencer in his arms, tucking Natalie into bed for the night.  A week ago his life had been so simple, and now...

He heard Brian's frustrated sigh. "Sir, they're obviously not going to believe us.  Why don't we just show them how the amulets can combine and let them decide after that?" He motioned to the machine. "It's not like they can do anything otherwise."

It was then that Kevin realized his amulet was gone.  A quick glance told him that Nick and Howie had just discovered the same thing.

Brian winced and massaged his shoulder.  The light fell on his hair as he turned away, and for the first time Kevin noticed splashes of premature gray.  And the shoulder... an old injury, perhaps?

Brian caught him looking over and dropped his hand. "What are you looking at?  We're all tired of fighting.  Why should that surprise you?"

"You could've-"

Brian shook his head. "You wouldn't have believed me.  Even if you had, you wouldn't have come back to fight with us."

Kevin groaned quietly. "Brian, I don't want to argue anymore."

"Neither do I." He sounded tired, tired of everything. "Kevin, just listen, okay?  It makes a lot of sense now, and I'm sure you could understand it too."

Kevin sighed and crossed his arms. "Brian... Fine.  If it'll make you happy that I at least listen, I'll listen.  But that doesn't mean it'll change my mind."

"But Kevin," Nick protested, "they'll just lie!"

"Nick, there is nothing we can do right now.  They have us where we can't do anything and we're not getting sensible answers from anyone.  Let's just listen."

Nick grumbled a little, but fell silent.  They turned back to Brian, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.  There had to be something wrong somewhere, something they could use to prove to Brian and AJ that they'd been tricked.

Brian nodded gratefully, and then stepped toward Zator and the machine. "You noticed that your amulets are missing.  We need them so we can show you how their powers can combine into one.  It can make any of us more powerful than ever before."

"I don't believe it," Nick argued.

"It's true," Zanell reluctantly agreed. "In times of great need, the power of all the amulets can combine into one, allowing the wearer to become several times stronger than what he is given by his amulet alone."

Kevin, Howie and Nick stared at her. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" Howie demanded.  "We could have saved a lot of energy, as well as strength.  Brian wouldn't have had to be near death on occasion."

"Because she was afraid of what you would do once you realized what you were capable of," Zator remarked.

"That's not true!"

"No?" Brian countered. "Do you want a demonstration, princess?"

Demonstration?  That didn't sound good.  "Brian, don't!" Kevin cried. "You don't know what you're getting in to."

He just smiled and shook his head.  Kevin couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something was more wrong than he realized.  He knew there was no reasoning with Brian, but he had to try.

"Brian, this is crazy.  You have no idea what's going to happen!"

"Zanell and I just told you what's going to happen!  Why do you have to worry about something that can only make you stronger?"  He suddenly smiled. "Imagine that, Kevin.  Being several times stronger than you would ever be as Power Lord.  Imagine all you could do."

Kevin wrinkled his nose. "Considering who I'd have to thank for it, I'd prefer not."

Brian's smile vanished instantly.  The silence of the room told Kevin that he had just made a huge mistake and should have kept his mouth shut.  Brian stepped closer, and moved so fast that Kevin never really saw the punch coming. The next thing he knew, he was hitting the floor and seeing stars.  Brian had put a ton of anger in the blow... anger that didn't belong inside the Brian he knew.

Nick appeared by his side, trying to help, but Kevin could only stare at the infuriated face of his cousin.  The realization that Brian had changed so fundamentally hurt him harder than his punch had.  He slowly got to his feet, thanks to Nick's support.  Kevin and Brian just stared at each other, not speaking.

"Come, Brian," Zator said. "Let us show him what he feels ungrateful for.  Perhaps he will change his mind."

Brian turned his back, keeping his eyes on Kevin until he started toward his ally.  Ally.  That word burned in Kevin's stomach worse than acid.  My own cousin working with our enemy.  Zator had something of a victorious smile on his face as Brian approached him.  An angry fire burned in Kevin's chest.  He shouldn't be so smug; he hasn't won yet.  There had to be something they can use against him.

As Brian reached Zator, Kevin spotted the amulets glowing in little niches on a console.  Hearing a hiss, Kevin looked up to see Brian step inside a glass and metal cylindrical chamber with a bar around the inside of the glass at hand level.  The feeling of something being wrong grew stronger as he placed his hands on the bar.

"Brian, don't!"

But the door slid shut before Kevin could finish speaking.  Brian glanced over at him, then back to Zator and nodded.

"Father, no!"

Zator ignored his daughter, dismissing her with a gesture.  His focus was on Brian and the machine.  A small tube connecting the machine to the chamber began to glow deep red, like the crystals inside the amulets.  The glow traveled down the tube and into the chamber, surrounding Brian.  His back arched and his eyes widened.  Kevin saw his mouth open in a silent gasp of pain.  Soon, Brian was white-knuckling the bar, his eyes scrunched closed, jaw clenched, not wanting to display the pain.

"Is it supposed to be that painful?" Nick whispered.

Kevin risked a quick glance - not wanting to take more than a few seconds away from Brian - and saw Zanell shake her head. "No," she whispered back. "It's being done all wrong."

He whirled back to the chamber.  He had been tricked. I knew it!  Ten seconds later the glow faded and the group saw Brian struggling to stay upright.  He took several deep breaths.  As he did, Kevin noticed that his legs stopped shaking and the pain was gone from his face.  He opened his eyes and stepped away from the bar.  Had he regained his strength that quickly?

Brian took a deep breath and turned toward the glass door as it slid open.

"You okay, Brian?" Nick asked.

Brian stepped out and glanced at his friend. "I'm fine," he replied. "But I don't feel any different." He turned to Zator. "Shouldn't I?"

"It takes a minute," Zator replied. "In the meantime-"

"He should feel the effects right away," Zanell interrupted hotly. "At least, from what I've heard."

"You know nothing about this," Zator snapped. Turning to Brian, he ordered, "Go ahead and ready yourself for the demonstration."

Kevin watched as Brian obeyed instantly.  Inwardly, he cringed.  This was not the Brian he knew.  Brian seemed more of a puppet than his cousin and friend.  Kevin began to wonder if he'd really been through more than he'd been able to handle.  Had he truly lost his reasoning to the point he didn't know right from wrong?  Kevin rushed up to stop him, but AJ blocked the way.

"Let him go, man.  Let's see what we've been missing all these years."

Kevin looked past him to see that Brian had opened a door to another room.  Brian, don't do it! He silently begged as he stepped through.