'Are you okay?' Liz asked. 'We should have let you rest more first.'
'This way it will make it easier for Max to kill me,' she said. She meant it to come out light and teasing. But Max stiffened, Liz turned pale, and a shiver ran through Maria's body.
'If Max and Michael and Ray screw up, don't worry,' Isabel jumped in. 'You've still got me. I'll bring you back.'
'I don't think talking about screwing up is
'No, it's… I appreciate it,' Maria answered. She did, too. It meant a lot that Isabel was willing to heal her even though she'd sworn never to use her powers again. 'Thanks. Thanks, Izzy.'
'I still don't think-' Michael began.
'I'm going to use the Stone again,' Maria announced. She couldn't stand waiting. 'I used it a bunch of times in a row the last time.'
Maria wrapped her fingers around the bracelet she'd borrowed from her mother. 'What's Mom doing?' she whispered.
The dots swirled, then clumped. And Maria found herself standing in her mother's bedroom. Her mom was asleep, a small smile on her lips. What if I never see her again? Maria thought.
The dots started to swirl. 'I love you, Mom,' Maria called. Then the dots clumped and she was back in Ray's living room. The paralysis struck immediately this time. Maria could see and hear everything, just like she had when Michael held her in his arms and told her everything was all right, when he kissed her.
'It's time,' she heard Alex say. 'There are dots on her arms.'
Think of Michael. Keep thinking of Michael, she told herself. That would help get her through the next few minutes.
Max stood up and crossed the room to her. Maria felt her heart flutter in her chest-like it knew what was about to happen. Like it knew it was going to be forced to stop beating. He knelt down next to her.
'Don't touch her,' Michael ordered.
'Michael, there's no other-' Liz began to protest.
'I'll do it,' Michael said. He took a deep breath and pressed his hands against her chest. She knew he was getting ready to make the connection. In a few seconds she'd be dead.
Michael lowered his head so his eyes were only inches from her own. 'Don't think about anything but me,' he told her.
She wished she could tell him that's what she'd
Michael's eyes never left hers as he slid his hands up from her chest to her throat. Was he having trouble making the connection? 'Just think of me,' he murmured.
Maria felt his hand slide through her hair and then-Michael tore the gold chain from around her neck.
'What are you doing?' Alex cried.
Michael shoved the ring onto his finger and sprang to his feet. 'I want to be the one to die,' he announced.
'We have to stick to the plan,' Max said urgently.
'No,' Michael answered. 'End of discussion.' He curled his hand into a fist. 'No one is taking this ring off me. So either you use me instead of Maria or the plan fails.'
No! Maria wanted to scream at them to stop. But she couldn't get out even a word.
'They're connecting with me now,' Michael announced. He held out his arm, showing everyone the red dots. Max rushed over to Michael. He shoved his hands down on Michael's chest.
A shudder ripped through Maria's body as the paralysis broke. She sat up fast. 'Don't do it!' Maria wailed. This wasn't right. She should be the one to die.
But it was too late. Michael crumpled to the floor. His body gave two jerks and then lay still. Maria could see little bubbles of foam on his lips.
'Max, what did you do?' Isabel yelled.
Max stumbled away from Michael's body. 'I didn't do anything. I didn't even get a chance to make the connection.'
'Is he dead?' Maria cried. 'Is Michael dead?'
'I don't know what happened. I didn't even make it
Isabel pushed her way past him and dropped down next to Michael's body. She placed her hands on his chest.
You can do this, she told herself. You have the power. Just relax and focus on Michael. Only on Michael. She took a few deep breaths and waited for the flood of images from Michael's brain. They didn't come.
She wasn't going to let him die. She couldn't save Nikolas. She'd been too terrified to even try. She'd just stood there and watched Valenti shoot him. But she wasn't going to stand around and let Michael die. She was going to save him.
Isabel pulled up his T-shirt and repositioned her hands on his bare skin. Skin-to-skin contact always helped her make the connection. She closed her eyes, willing herself to keep her breathing slow and steady. She knew if she got tense and tried to force things, it would only make the connection harder to achieve.
The images still didn't come. Maybe her power had gotten dulled because she hadn't been using it. She opened her eyes. 'Max, you've got to help me. I can't make the connection,' Isabel told him.
Max crouched down next to Michael and positioned his hands on either side of Isabel's. 'Let's try together,' he said.
They had known Michael their whole lives. They loved him. If anyone could connect with him, they could. So this had to work. It had to.
Isabel listened to Max's deep breathing and matched her breaths to his. She starting running through all the moments with Michael she had stored in her brain.
'Something's happening,' Alex said softly. 'Look at Michael.'
Isabel stared down at him and saw a sickly gray glow forming around his body. That had never happened during a healing before. Was it a good sign or a bad one?
'Let's see what a little more juice can do,' Ray said. He knelt next to Max and put his hands on Michael's forehead. The light around Michael grew a little brighter.
Then it flickered and went out.
'Come on, Max. What are you waiting for?' Michael demanded. 'You've got to do this now. Before it's too late.'
Max didn't answer. No one answered. The room was completely still and silent. Even the clock had stopped ticking.
Michael opened his eyes and sat up. Max, Maria, Isabel, Alex, Liz, and Ray-they had all disappeared. What was going on? He stumbled to his feet, fighting against a wave of dizziness. 'Where are you guys?' Michael shouted.
He rushed to the front door and threw it open. He took the stairs two at a time. Max's Jeep was still parked in the UFO museum lot. He could see it clearly. But… but everything outside the lot was covered in a thick mist.
'Max! Maria! Anyone! Are you out there? Can you hear me?' Michael yelled.
Again he got no answer. But something was moving deep in the mist. Something was coming toward him.
Michael squinted into the mist. Two figures began to form-tall and thin, with incredibly long arms and legs. They moved closer and he got a glimpse of their faces. It was them. The bounty hunters.
'You're just the guys I've been hoping to run into,' Michael yelled. He was going to show them exactly why they shouldn't have messed with someone he cared about.
He locked his eyes on one of the bounty hunters and ran straight at him. He tackled the hunter and knocked him to the ground. He grabbed the hunter's head and smashed it against the asphalt. He lifted it up and smashed it
