Chapter Three

As far as Bethie could remember, she could not recall Ethan ever throwing a temper tantrum. Even Alana had thrown tantrums when she had been younger and spoiled within an inch of her life because she was the new baby. Bethie had thrown tantrums when attention was split between herself and her brother, then her sister and she did not get the toys she wanted. But Ethan, for some reason, had almost a saintly amount of patience that even went beyond their father's. She remembered that when he played hockey in the league her father had put together--Keith had always been an ardent hockey fan and brought his love of the sport to Arus--Ethan fought when honor made it necessary for him to do so, but at the end of the game, he did not hold any ill-will towards the player he fought. Even the one who had broken his nose. Alana may have been the peacekeeper of the family, but that was only because Ethan would try to wait out anyone's anger and only succeed in making the offended party even more angry--usually it was Bethie.

But now, he was red in the face, close to blowing his top. He hadn't said a word but to Bethie, it was like watching a cauldron begin to boil over; Ethan's cauldron wasn't boiling over just yet but it was close.

Rathul was resting and he told them to wake him when they needed him but Ethan had not wanted to get up him. He didn't like how the Drule seemed to see right through him and made an already difficult task more difficult. He and Bethie sat across from each other but where his sister was glowing a dim red, he was just there. When she touched him and shared her power with him, he felt his own flare up, but he could not seem to get the same response on his own. And it was making him crazy.

"Snarling won't make it happen, Ethan," Bethie said serenely. "It just has to happen."

Her words only raised the level of his anger.

"I swear to Riaru, if you say that to me one more time, I'm going to..."

Bethie's eyes flew open when she felt the ripple of Ethan's magic wash over hers. Startled, her blue eyes met his and without meaning to, Bethie reached out and took his hand in hers. Their powers mingled and turned into something bigger than both of them. It wasn't like how they were it was in the Lions because this time Ethan had control over himself and he could not find the limit to his magic whereas before, he had been just as strong as Bethie.

"Whoa," she breathed.

They could both sense everyone and everything around them...and then they could see Merla sitting in their father's study. She was alone and seemed to be deep in thought. She seemed to sense them as well and she waved her hand, putting a wall between them and her.

The shock of it made Ethan and Bethie let go of each other's hands and their magic receded of its own accord.

"Didn't know we could do that," Bethie said.

"Rathul must have forgotten to mention it," Ethan said, lurching to his feet.

Bethie frowned at him. His eyes were feverishly bright and two red spots had appeared on his cheeks. He was breathing fast and hard as if he had just finished a race whereas Bethie was just sitting there as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah."

Perhaps it was another manifestation of the difference between their magic, but Bethie was afraid he was going to lose consciousness. She started to reach for him, but he whirled on his heel and fled the room. Bethie started to follow him but her knees felt a little shaky when she tried to stand so she stayed put and hoped he didn't fall on anyone much smaller than he was when he passed out.

Ethan could not understand what was happening to him but he suddenly felt an irrational need for...well...

He found himself outside Olivia's quarters and he pounded on the door, even though he was sure she was passed out. She opened the door, her hair dishevelled and her eyes half-open, but he wanted her so badly that he thought he would take her right there. It wasn't at all like him and they had never gotten further than a few heated kisses, but Ethan immediately thought of her.

"Ethan? What...?"

Her words were cut off when he yanked her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers with so much heat that she could not help responding. She'd spent the day looking over people and had passed out before her head hit the pillow, but Ethan's exuberance was quickly pushing sleep from her mind. She pulled him into her room and away from prying eyes as his hands skimmed over her curves.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he said hurriedly against her lips. "But I really need you right now, Liv. Please...let me..."

Olivia looked up into his eyes, saw the need in them and found an answering need inside her. It had been a long time coming and she decided that enough time had been wasted. She wanted him in her bed as much as he wanted to be there and with a smile, she pulled him closer.

Keith led Archent and Alana through Voltronia. The air was strangely still as they rushed between buildings and ran through empty streets to a hidden entrance in the basement of a pub. It would lead them through a tunnel that would take them straight into the kitchens. They had gotten a message from Bethie only moments before that Merla was in her study. Keith did not have the time to ask how she knew that but he trusted that Bethie's sources were good enough to have her communicating with them.

Alana kept her eyes on the back of her father's head, ignoring her burning lungs and tight muscles. He did not seem to feel any effects from the speed with which they moved and she wasn't going to complain if he didn't. Archent was behind her, covering the rear, and she could not hear him breathing hard either. She decided that space travel made her soft.

Her heart was beating a nervous tattoo in her chest when they went down into the dark and musty tunnel. Keith lit a flashlight and looked behind him to make sure Alana was alright. She gave him a brave smile but he could see through her.

"You're doing good, Alana," he said gently, reaching out and gripping her shoulder. "Just keep close to me."

"I am, Daddy."

Keith noticed that his daughters only called him Daddy at their most vulnerable and he suddenly wished that he hadn't taken Alana along. Romelle was right, she was too young and inexperienced...

"What are we waiting for?" she prodded. "Let's go."

Keith nodded and turned. He had only been in the tunnels once before and it was more out curiosity than a desire for readiness that had him exploring it in the first place. Still, he was glad that he had not decided to seal it up as he was tempted to do, the pessimist in him whispering that it might come into use one day. From what he remembered, it took a good half hour to get from the pub to the castle but it felt like hours when they finally reached the other end of the tunnel. He made sure that there were no life readings on the other side of the door, running a quick scan of the kitchen. When he was satisfied, he opened the door slowly, making sure to stay low to the ground.

Behind him, Alana followed suit, her gun out though she did not really know how good her aim would be since her hand was shaking--and that was already with questionable shooting skill. Archent kept a hand on her shoulder, ready to push her out of the way if necessary but she found his touch a comfort. Her father darted from his position to the side of the door, his scanner working to see if there was anybody coming. He waved them over when he was done checking.

They ran out into the corridor, running at full speed towards their next safe haven, the armory. They had all the weaponry they needed, but the armory was once the weapon's locker that Allura had used years before and it was near the duct they would use to get to the Royal Chambers. Keith lifted himself up into the vent and held out a hand for Alana to take. His grip was strong as he pulled her up and Archent quickly scrambled up, bringing the duct cover with him.

"What are the chances of her sensing you're here if you turn that magic on?" Keith asked.

"There's a good chance she already knows we're here," Archent answered. "If she's as skilled as Rathul says she is, she sensed our presence a long time ago."

"That'll keep things interesting," Keith said tightly.

"Mom's not in the chambers," Alana said, her magic working. "She's in the docking bay."

Keith moved out of the way so that Alana could push by him and lead them to her mother. She moved faster and quieter though the glow that surrounded her body was far from inconspicuous. She unerringly found the docking bay and they could hear from activity even from their height above the floor.

"It's a good hundred foot drop from here to the floor," Keith said to Archent.

"We can crawl to the other side," Archent said.

"She's...she's in some kind of pilot's seat," Alana said, brow furrowing. "I can't really tell what she's piloting but it's bad, Dad."

"Can you tell where we are exactly, Alana?"

"No...I don't know how to do that."

"There should be an access hatch ten feet ahead," Archent said, looking down at a datapad where he'd uploaded the castle blueprints.

"Go straight, Lana," Keith said.

Alana crawled forward and found the access hatch right underneath her palms. She palmed the door controls and they slid open with a quiet hiss. She was about to jump down, but Keith put a hand on her arm.

"We have to blast our way out of this one," he said. "Let me go first."

"No," she said and the light around her pulsed. "I can do it."

She jumped down and there was a bright flash of light. A moment later, there was the sound of clattering metal, the sound of falling bodies.

"Mom!" Alana cried out.

Keith leapt down from the vent and gasped when he saw his wife.

Allura looked towards them, various tubes and restraints keeping her in her seat. And from what they could tell, she was the heart of a very mean looking Voltron.