The almost-full moon shone down on the Salisbury plain, brightening the ancient stone circle so that it's towering pillars seemed to be on fire.

All was quiet within the circle. The pillar of light that had been streaming towards the ebony sky was gone.

Yet the circle was alive.

A small girl climbed to her feet, stumbled slightly. Her long blue tunic did not seem out of place in this place, but anywhere else it would have been. Her light brown hair was coming loose from it's plaits, streaming down her back in disarray.

Jennetta blinked, shook her head to clear it.

And then she saw the bodies. They were everywhere she looked.

A tall girl, her long blonde hair covering her face, was lying flat on her back near a stone that lay on it's side. As Jennetta watched with concern, the girl began to moan.

The noise seemed to disturb the man with spiky hair on his stomach near her. His head rose slightly, then fell back to the ground with a thud.

Jennetta looked around the circle, beginning to panic. The Waylandian Ring seemed to have fallen apart. Several of it's sacred stones had fallen over, a few more seemed to have huge chunks of rock hewn from them. She reached out to touch one of the closer stones, felt her stomach clench. Jaxon is going to be furious! She thought to herself. Who would desecrate the Ring?

And then Jennetta saw him. Her brother was sprawled nearby, his arms covering his dark head, as though shielding himself. Nor was he alone. A girl was unconcious beside him, her long dark hair entangled in one of Jaxon's hands. As Jennetta watched anxiously, Jaxon began to move, still not making a sound, but clearly waking up.

The dark-haired girl's eyes fluttered, as though sensing his movement. She rolled onto her stomach, lifted her head and stared down at Jaxon. Her eyes widened, filled with tears. "Max."

Suddenly Jennetta knew who this girl was - it was Liz Parker. Lucianus had told her all about Liz...and about the person her brother had been when he had been with her.

Max Evans.

Liz reached over, stroked her hand down Jaxon's face lovingly. "Max?"

Her brother sighed, shifted slightly but didn't open his eyes.

Jennetta looked over at the two other people still lying unconcious. If this was Liz, then the blonde must be Mirana...her sister. Beside her was her husband, Tristandor.

They looked different then Jennetta had imagined they would. Mirana was even more beautiful than she had expected. Where Jennetta looked nothing like their mother, her older sister was the image of Milena, her face almost identical.

Tristandor was handsome, although Jennetta had imagined him to look older than he did. His straight nose seemed slightly out of place on his face, as though he had not yet quite grown into it. His brown hair was almost the exact shade of Jennetta's own. She was not surprised. They WERE distant cousins.

Liz was still staring at Jaxon, seemingly enthralled at the sight of him. She had not yet noticed Jennetta standing near her. The little girl did not know what to do. Her brother did not seem to have any intention of moving anytime soon. She did not know how Mirana, Tristandor or Liz had ended up in the Waylandian Ring.

For this was where Jennetta assumed they still were. Her mother and father had not told her anything but that she was going to help them help her brother. They had come and taken her from her bed, had brought her to the Ring where the most beautiful light she had ever seen had seemed to be calling her name.

She had answered the call and now Liz, Tristandor and Mirana were there. She was going to have to remember to ask Lucianus to explain what had happened to her when she go home.

Until then though, she was not going to waste the opportunity to talk to her brother's future wife.

Taking a step forward, she tapped Liz on the shoulder.

Liz could not stop touching Max. He had not yet opened his eyes, but there was no question that he was there and he was breathing. His ludicrously long eyelashes had fluttered a few times, but he seemed in no rush to wake up. It was really quite irritating.

When Liz had returned to conciousness she had known instinctively that it had worked. She could feel Max's presence, KNEW that he was nearby. She had not expected him to be quite SO nearby however. Somehow her hair had become entangled in his fingers, anchoring her head against his neck.

She had taken the opportunity to lightly caress his face. He looked older, but not unaturally so...it was clear that he was still nearly the same age he had been when he left, if a few months older. His dark hair was cropped short, but it still curled slightly at his forehead.

He smelled exactly the same. Like Max. It took all of her willpower not to throw herself on top of him, to not kiss him like there was no tomorrow.

And then she had felt the tap on her shoulder. Liz could see Isabel and Michael still unconcious, lying nearby. It was not them.

As far as Liz knew, Mr. Parker was still in the car. The three security guards were tied tightly to the fence.

Turning her head, Liz's eyes met those of a small girl, whose dark head was tilted slightly to the side.

"Hello." The child said, a slight smile on her face. She could not have been more than eight or nine years old, but her eyes were disturbingly mature in her small face.

Max shifted near Liz, groaned. Liz did not look back at him. She continued to stare at the girl, wondered why she looked so familiar...

"I'm Jennetta." The little girl continued. "You're Liz."

Liz blinked, sat up, gently pulled Max's head onto her lap. "Er, yes, I am Liz." Liz took in the girl's dress, realized that it was very similar in style to the one Maria had been wearing when she and Michael had returned from Illyria the winter before.

Jennetta was staring down at Max with concern. "Is he going to wake up soon?" She asked, her tone worried.

"I think so," Liz replied, unsure of what to do about the peculiar predicament in which she found herself. She had no idea who this girl was, but she was beginning to suspect that she wasn't from around here..."Isabel..." Liz said forcefully, willing her friend to wake up. "ISABEL!"

Isabel was moaning again. She seemed to come abruptly to herself, however, as though the lights had suddenly gone on. Max's sister sat up, looked around frantically. "Did it work?"

Liz felt her heart swell as she gazed down at Max's peaceful, beloved face, resting in her lap. "He's back! Isabel, Max is back."

"What do you mean he's BACK?" Jennetta asked Liz, a tremor in her voice. Liz looked at the little girl. Her face was white, as though she had come to some sudden realization.

Isabel had climbed to her feet, appeared torn between running to her brother and waking Michael up. She quickly hurried to her almost-brother's side, shook him.

"Michael! Get up! Max is back! It worked!" With that, Isabel rushed across the stone circle, threw herself down at Liz's side, stared down at Max, her face lit with joy. She frowned slightly when she saw that he was still out of it. "Why isn't he awake?"

Liz looked down at her boyfriend with concern. "Max...it's time to wake up. You're home." She lightly stroked his cheek. His eyes began to open.

"...it's time to wake up. You're home." Jaxon could feel the soft hand touching him, never wanted it to end. He knew it was Liz.

He knew that when he opened his eyes she would be smiling down at him, her eyes alight with love. He had had this dream before.

They had awoken in each other's arms, the early morning sun shining down on them, the chill of night in the desert just beginning to burn off. Her face had been luminous, her hair like a glowing halo around her face with the new sun shining off of it. He had never felt so complete, so much in love, as he had that morning...

It had been the best morning of his life. He had felt like he had finally come home - for his home was in Liz Parker's arms.

He remembered all this on that strange plain somewhere between waking and dreaming.

When he opened his eyes, it was gone.

Jaxon blinked, realized that his head was cradled in someone's lap. He could not quite make out the features of her face, as the full moon seemed to be shining directly behind her head.

"Are you okay Max?" Liz, her sweet voice exactly the same as it had been when he had spoken to her in his dreams, was running her fingers through his hair, clearly feeling for any injuries.

Her touch felt like magic. He could not think with her hands on him. He jerked away.

Liz fell backwards slightly, caught herself on her hands. Jaxon stared at her. "Max?" Her voice was trembling slightly.

This was no dream. Jaxon somehow KNEW that he was on the physical plane.

And then he remembered....

Jennetta.

He twisted his head around, saw his sister staring at him, her expression frightened, although she looked healthy enough. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Where are we Jax?"

"You're back on Earth." Jaxon knew that voice. He swallowed. His gaze swung past Liz, who was gazing at him, dawning understanding on her face. He met his other sister's dark eyes.

Mirana's face was lit with happiness, but her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Beside her, Tristandor had his arm around her. He was staring at Jaxon with an unreadable expression on his face.

For one heartfelt moment Jaxon wanted to smile at his twin - but then he remembered how she had betrayed him...how she had conspired to rob him of his throne, of his planet.

He hardened his heart against her. "Jennetta, come to me." Jaxon ordered curtly. Moments later he felt his little sister place her small hand in his. He turned to Liz. Before he had ripped his gaze from Mirana's, he saw his sister's face fall.

"How did this happen?" He demanded. "Why are we here?"

Liz did not speak for a moment, just looked at him, as though searching for something. Finally she said quietly, "You don't have your memory back, do you?"

"I know who I am." Jaxon told her firmly, although he felt a slight tremor of doubt when she continued to gaze at him steadily, as though she KNEW that he was mistaken about everything. "I am Jaxon Falconer, King of Illyria, and we," He indicated Jennetta, "Do not belong here. I do not know how you brought us here, but I want you to send us back. Immediately."

He saw Liz glance at Mirana. Mirana's expression was stricken. "Mirana, I do not know what foolishness you have dreamed up this time." He told his sister sharply, "But it will not work. You will send us back now."

"Don't talk to her like that!" Tristandor snapped, stepping forward slightly. "I don't know what they told you about us Maxwell, but you need to snap out of it. We're on YOUR side."

Jaxon had taken a quick step back at Tristandor's advance, pulling Jennetta with him. Of the three people there, there was no question that Jaxon's brother-in-law was the most dangerous. He flinched slightly when he remembered the thousands of men that Tristandor could kill with a flick of his wrist. "I have heard you say that before Tristandor. I believed you then, but I learned my lesson."

Jaxon saw Tristandor blink. "Call me Michael." He finally replied, as though he didn't know what else to say.

Liz had moved slightly closer to Jaxon and Jennetta. She was staring at the little girl, a questioning look on her face. "Is this your sister Max...er Jaxon?" She asked him. He saw Mirana's head snap up in astonishment, saw her stare at Jennetta in amazement.

Jaxon remembered that he had told Liz about Jennetta in their last dream conversation. It was the final proof he needed that those dreams had been REAL, that they had not been illusions.

It frightened him more than anything else had to this point. She had access to his private thoughts and dreams. He could not hide from her.

"Yes." He told her. "Why have you brought us here?" He asked her, sure that she would answer him. She had always tried to answer him in his dreams, although he knew that half of what she told him was lies.

"This is your home." Liz told him sadly. "I know you don't remember it...us..."She indicated Tristandor and Mirana. "But I swear that everything I have ever told you is true. You are Max Evans, and you are home."

"I want you to send us back." He told her mechanically, knowing that his words were hurting her, hurting all three of them. He wondered why he cared. They were his enemies.

"WE can't send you back." Liz told him quietly. She sounded like she was leaving something out in that statement, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He looked around the stone circle, saw no escape for him or Jennetta. He was going to have to play along. "What happens now?" He asked Liz, trying to sound cooperative.

Liz and Mirana exchanged a look. Tristandor, who wanted to be called Michael, was staring at him, a slight frown on his face, as though he had swallowed something vile.

"We make you remember." Liz finally said simply.