FOUR

Isabel didn't want to step into the bedroom. If she did, she might end up having to use her power on Max. Well, on the consciousness, really. But she couldn't attack the consciousness without damaging Max. And even thinking about hurting her brother set the contents of her stomach agitating.

"So, are my two starlets ready to perform?" Alex asked, putting one hand on her shoulder and one on Liz's.

"Starlet? Did I actually hear you use the word starlet?" Isabel muttered, tossing her long, blond hair over her shoulder in an attempt to look nonchalant. "Are you from planet 1950 or what?"

But did it feel good to have Alex making dorky comments? Did it feel good to feel the warmth of his hand through her shirt? Yes, she had to admit it did. Anything calming and familiar was good at this point.

"Isabel's right," Liz jumped in. "The word you'd be wanting to use is actor."

"Not actress?" Alex asked, green eyes widening in what Isabel suspected was mock surprise.

"There's no reason for a word like that to be sex differentiated," Liz said with a little nod. "No one says doctress, right?"

"Or lawyeress," Isabel added. She shot a glance at the closed bedroom door, then immediately looked away. Could it possibly be more obvious that they were all avoiding going inside?

"But then, there is stewardess," Alex countered, tightening his grip on her shoulder slightly.

"Flight attendant, cave boy," Isabel shot back, leveling him with a glare. She knew she should be reaching for the door handle, but she didn't. She just couldn't make her fingers go there.

"So if I want to be politically correct, I should just call all three of us chickens for standing out here having a fake argument instead of going in?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," Liz told him. She clicked her teeth together nervously, then reached out and jerked open the door.

Now that it was open, there was really no choice but to walk through, so Isabel took the plunge. There was a lot that scared her in this world, but there wasn't much she'd admit to being scared of. Once she was inside, Liz and Alex tentatively followed.

"Max, we talked it over, and we want to help you get the Stones of Midnight," Isabel blurted out almost the second she was across the threshold. She wasn't usually a blurter, but she couldn't help herself.

"I told her-everyone-how you felt, how you want to go home," Liz said, walking over to stand next to the bed. "Alex and Isabel and I decided that if that's really how you feel, we should… should help." She sounded scared, and Isabel noticed her eyes darting everywhere-everywhere except Max's face.

And why did I notice that? she asked herself. Answer: Because I'm looking at Liz to avoid looking at Max. She took a step closer to the bed, leaned forward, and forced herself to stare unblinkingly into her brother's empty eyes. After a moment her own eyes began to sting, but she didn't allow them to close. She kept staring, hoping for some glint, some flicker, some tiny sign that Max was in there. That he knew she was standing almost close enough to touch.

Nothing. All she saw was the light blue of his irises. The deep black circles of his pupils.

"So, Max, buddy, does that sound good?" Alex asked, lightly punching Max's shoulder. "We'll get our butts in gear and start tracking down the Stones, okay?"

Max pulled a slow, even breath. Let it out.

"We'll take that as a yes," Alex said quickly. He was so jumpy, he was practically coming out of his skin. Isabel could feel it. "We'll get right on it. And we'll report back," he added, turning toward the door.

Isabel hesitated for a second, still wanting something from Max. Then, realizing she wasn't going to get it, she started after Alex. "Aren't you coming, Liz?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I want to stay a little while," Liz answered. She had yet to look at Max. Isabel wondered why she'd want to stay, but she knew better than to ask. Liz would probably make up an answer, anyway. Isabel walked up to Liz and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'll leave the door open so we'll hear you if you… need anything."

"'Kay," Liz whispered.

"Don't get too close, all right?" Isabel said quietly.

"'Kay," Liz repeated. She was almost as catatonic as Max.

Isabel walked out and trailed Alex down the hall and into the kitchen. She could hardly believe she'd just told Liz Ortecho not to get too close to Max because Isabel was afraid Max might hurt Liz. It hadn't even been a year since Isabel was warning Max to stay away from Liz, terrified that Liz would tell their secret and get them shipped off to some alien autopsy lab.

"I was wrong about that," she mumbled.

"Wait. What? Did I just hear you say that you were wrong about something?" Alex exclaimed, back in the hyper zone. "Has the world spun off its axis? Has gravity reversed itself? Has-"

"Your rah-rah-boy act is getting old, Alex," Isabel informed him, immediately starting to rearrange the cereal boxes on the counter. "You don't have to attempt to keep everyone all chipper."

"Attempt," Alex repeated. He slumped down in the closest chair. "Thanks a lot."

Isabel dropped what she was doing and slid into the seat next to him.

"Look," Isabel said, staring at the cracked surface of the table. "It would be impossible for anyone to make us feel better right now."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. He scraped a marshmallow cereal rocket off the kitchen table, turned it over in his fingers, then absentmindedly popped it into his mouth.

Isabel struggled not to look disgusted. "Do you really want to know what I was wrong about?" she asked, leaning back in her chair and letting her hair spill down behind her.

"Definitely." Alex spotted another gummy marshmallow and reached for it. Isabel pressed her hand over his, stopping him. Alex stared at their hands as if they were completely riveting.

"I was wrong about Liz," Isabel said, focused on their hands as well. "After Max healed her, I was sure she'd betray him, betray all of us. But she didn't. Whatever the opposite of betray is, that's what she did," Isabel added. "You and Maria, too. I was so wrong about all of you."

"I, on the other hand, knew you were a goddess the moment I first saw you," Alex said, slowly pulling his hand away. "And I wasn't wrong." He smiled sheepishly at her, then looked away.

Isabel snorted and started picking at her nails. "Have you had some kind of seizure recently?" she asked. "Something that might have caused massive memory loss? How could you possibly still have me on a pedestal after everything I've done to you?"

Like breaking up with him with all the finesse of a meat cleaver. Like pushing him away when he tried to warn her how dangerous Nikolas was. Like so, so many times just not appreciating him enough-acting like anything he did for her was simply what she deserved.

"Who said anything about a pedestal?" Alex asked. "I'm talking goddess like Greek mythology. Goddesses who were more beautiful than any mortal." He gave a grin that was half embarrassed. "But who were also strong and smart and who would do things like turn men into ashes if they felt like it."

"And that's me?" Isabel asked, not totally hating the description.

"That's you, baby," Alex said. His words were teasing, but his tone wasn't. He really meant it. He thought she was a goddess.

Isabel tilted her head and looked at him, really looked at him.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" Alex asked. He started using his finger as a toothbrush.

"No, I was just trying to decide what you are," Isabel admitted. "If I'm a goddess, then you're… you're like one of the guys out of a fairy tale."

"I don't think I'm liking where this is going," Alex said, sitting up straight in his chair. "You're a goddess, and I'm, what? Hansel?"