Alex wondered where his princess was right now, if it was she who was stroking him so tenderly. Something told him it wasn’t her though, which sort of frightened him because for some reason, he couldn’t recall where he was or what had happened to him.

Alex opened his eyes but couldn’t bear to keep them open. The act sent harsh blows to his head, and all he could do was clutch his head between his hands, and moan in pain.

“You’re awake,” the voice of his best friend said. At least he hadn’t been imagining the presence of another. And at least that presence happened to be his very best friend.

“Liz?” Alex croaked, his voice sticky with ache. It was her fingers that were working their magic on his throbbing scalp. If he could, he would have begged her to never stop. The comforting touch eased his headache just enough to make it bearable.

“Yeah,” she replied, with a tone of sorrow in her voice. Just from her remark, Alex could tell something was very wrong and he needed to find out what. Alex clenched his teeth tightly and endured the inevitable pain.

“Hey!” Liz protested. “Keep your eyes closed if it hurts. I know I’m beautiful, but I don’t want you in pain for trying to look at me.” Liz’s attempt at light humour failed miserably, and all Alex could hear was the fighting despair within her.

“Liz, where are we?” Alex asked, trying to focus his eyes on their surroundings. Everything seemed really fuzzy and completely unfocused, his whole body felt off track. He was unsure whether it was because he was feeling pretty goddamn nauseous, or if this was a side effect of whatever had happened to him.

What had happen to him?

“Liz?” She hadn’t answered him yet, which made it all the more worse.

“We’re, uh… Alex, I-I don’t exactly know where we a-are. But we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Liz responded quietly, tears evident in her voice. Alex sat up from where he was lying, his head rising from Liz’s lap. He automatically went to wrap his arms around her in comfort, but was taken aback when he was met with bare flesh.

“Liz, you’re not wearing any clothes.” Alex felt Liz’s body start to shake beside him, so he put his arms tighter around her, desperate to shield her from her suffering. They were best friends, nothing to be shy about.

Everyone was naked underneath.

“Neither are you,” Liz whispered softly.

What?

Alex ran one hand down his arm and realized she was right. He was just as nude as she was. Goddamn his muddled senses. It baffled him as to why he was not able to perceive things as usual. Something was totally off.

“Liz,” Alex said, more forcedly than desired. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know,” Liz whimpered. “Max- oh god, Max. He was captured when I was. Oh god, please let him be o-”

“What? Captured?” Alex’s ears perked up, thrown off by the change of direction in their exchange.

“Alex, don’t you remember? Anything?” Alex shook his head. He really didn’t like the sound of this conversation. All the facts were pointing in a very wrong direction. He could probably bet on where they were, but he decided that denial was a good choice for the time being. It only lasted all of five seconds.

“Alex, Khivar had control of your mind. He was trying to get to the rest of us through you. He caught up to me and Max- oh god…” Liz’s sentence trailed off as she broke into a fit of silent sobs.

Alex felt like retching, violently retching until his intestines came up through his throat and spewed all over the horrendously stiff, cold floor. He felt like running madly around the room and screaming bloody murder. He had, even though unknowingly, led his best friend to be captured and lured into a place that was probably just as horrible as imagined. If not worse.

Alex pressed his eyes closed again, willing them to concentrate and co-operate with him. Springing them open, objects became a lot less blurry, and by simple willpower, his sight was restored. He quickly cranked his head to look at the figure of his best friend.

Liz sat next to him, appearing completely broken inside. Her body shook with earth shattering cries, her face drowning in a sea of tears. Her thin strips of hair clung to her back, while she pulled her knees up to her chest. Her arms wrapped protectively around her legs, a guarded expression adorning her body.

But all that wasn’t what caught Alex’s immediate attention. Underneath those tears were menacing bruises and a long cut down the length of her face.

“Oh my god,” Alex breathed, taking in her appearance. He fingered the darkest bruise lightly, it’s appearance nothing but apparent even in the weak light. Liz cringed at the touch, obviously still tender from the hurt.

“Who did this?” Alex asked, his voice unable to increase in volume without cracking. Liz looked at him through her tears, shattered and vulnerable.

“One of the guards,” she replied quietly. “I tried to fight one of them when they stripped us. I-I couldn’t shield myself. Khivar raped me of all my powers.” Liz bent her head down and laid it against his shoulder, silent tears streaming down. “I’m so scared, Alex.”

“Liz, did he-did-” Alex couldn’t say it. The thought was much too horrible, and to voice it? Unspeakable.

“No.”

Liz paused.

“Not yet.”