EMERALD HEART

Melissa Maddock's car sped into the parking lot of the Emerald Heart, nearly hitting a man who was jogging near the building. Pressing the brake pedal as hard as she could, Melissa stopped between two parking spots and turned off her car's ignition. She climbed out of the car as quickly as she could, slamming the door shut and shoving her keys into her denim jacket's pocket.

It had been less than a week since her daughter's death, and she hadn't even got the chance to give her a proper burial due to the police investigation into Erin's murder. She had spent most of her time alone, not even returning calls from her cousin, Aaron.

Melissa had even found herself unable to face Sara Reynolds, Erin's girlfriend, because she knew how much Erin had loved her…she knew how much Sara herself was grieving, and Melissa couldn't handle her own grief, let alone Sara's. Not that Sara wanted to see Melissa anyway — not since she blamed Melissa for the ruination of her aunt and uncle's marriage.

But Melissa's last concern was Felicia's welfare. She was going to confront the man responsible for killing her daughter, and if she had to, she would kill him.

"Hugh!" Melissa shouted, banging on the door to his motel room. "Come outside and look at me, you bastard!"

She continued to bang on the door, waiting for it to open. Once Hugh Rogers opened the door, he was met with a firm slap across his face. Taken aback, Hugh tried to react, but Melissa struck him again. She reached into her pocket and removed her keys, scratching at him with them.

"You murderer!" Melissa shouted. "You killed my daughter!"



HANLEY HOME

Vincent Moore raised his hand, attempting to float a vase across the room. He was distracted by the doorbell ringing and accidentally sent the vase flying into the wall. Vince swore under his breath and hurried to the door to see who it was. He was still used to answering doors, even though there were enough servants at the house to do so for him.

He was sure that his mother would be very pleased.

Vince opened the door and saw that Jessica Reyes had come to visit him. He smiled and invited her in, keeping her out of the damage he had caused in the living room by quickly snapping his fingers to close the doors leading into the room.

"Jessica," Vince said. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Jessica said, pulling Vince into a kiss. "It's been forever since I've seen you. Not since that night you threw the party here."

"Well, someone did die here," Vince said.

"You didn't even know her," Jessica insisted.

"Doesn't change the fact that someone died while I was throwing a party here," Vince said. "I've been fielding police questions all week. The Marquette Cove Police Department is pretty relentless considering they haven't solved a case in…well, ever."

"I still missed you," Jessica said. "You're always busy. Alec used to make time even when he had —"

"I'm not Alec," Vince snapped.

"I know that, Vince," Jessica replied. "I was just saying…never mind. I don't know what I was saying."

"Yeah, neither do I," Vince said. "Look, I'm glad that you dumped Alec. Trust me, I am. But it's not helping matters that you keep bringing him up."

"I don't keep bringing him up," Jessica said. "I was just —"

"Fine, you don't," Vince said. "Look, I've got to get going. I have to get down to the police station."

"Can I come with you?" Jessica asked.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Vince said. "I'll be there for a while."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Vince, are you trying to get rid of me?"



HANLEY HOME

Ryan Phillips opened the front door the third time his doorbell rang. As he did, he found his wife, Vanessa, standing on the front porch. She looked more composed than the last time they were in the same room together at Alexis Lopez's arraignment.

"You have a key," Ryan said.

"I moved out," Vanessa replied.

"I saw," Ryan said, glancing around the living room which was now missing the items Vanessa brought with her when they moved in together. "I come home from jail and find my wife gone. Even though she knows that the reason I was in jail was become of the ravings of a lunatic student."

"Well, that's debatable," Vanessa said. "The jury is still out on that one."

"Alexis was sentenced to beaucoup years in a mental institution," Ryan reminded her.

"But who drove her crazy, Ryan?" Vanessa demanded. "People don't just wake up crazy."

"What are you trying to say?"

Vanessa sighed. "Nothing, Ryan."

"Then why did you come here, if not to blast me?" Ryan demanded.

"I'm leaving."

"Fine," Ryan said, moving to close the door.

"That's not what I meant," Vanessa said. "I'm leaving...Marquette Cove. I'm leaving for France with Nikki and Marcus when they return."

"What? You can't do that," Ryan snapped.

"Yes, I can," Vanessa said. "And I'm taking Eamon with me."

"I won't allow it," Ryan said.

"I think you will," Vanessa said. "I'm not taking your son away from you, I'm not living there indefinitely, but I need some time to myself. Away from this town."

"I'll come with you."

"No, you won't," Vanessa said. "And I'll forget your near admission of guilt during our honeymoon."

Ryan frowned. "This is blackmail. You're blackmailing me to keep me away from my son? That's disgusting, Vanessa."

"Then I learned from the best," Vanessa responded. "Goodbye, Ryan."

Vanessa turned around and walked away, leaving Ryan standing alone in the doorway. He angrily slammed the door shut once she was gone and reached for the phone in the living room. He wasn't going to let Vanessa slip away from him. Not now.



RONARR'S CAVE

Antonio entered the cave he had been to several times, both while working against Zaliphyr and working for Ronarr, the demon that dwelled inside the cave. Not literally, though. Ronarr was a prisoner in an alternate reality, and he could only become present in this one through a vessel.

Antonio became that vessel whenever he conjured Ronarr in the cave, yet Ronarr was still unable to become corporeal. For that to happen, there would need to be tears in the fabrics of several realities to allow Ronarr safe passage into this realm.

That was something that had yet to happen, but once it did, Ronarr would be free to roam Marquette Cove and all the world. As for Antonio, he would be Ronarr's right-hand man.

Antonio knelt in the cave and performed the ritual to bring Ronarr into the cave. As he did, Antonio rose to his feet and smiled as the blood from his slit wrists dripped onto the sandy floor and created a red mist that filled the cave.

The mist soon dissipated and revealed Ronarr.

"My lord," Antonio said.

Ronarr smiled. "I've been waiting for you…Zaliphyr."

"And now I'm here," Antonio replied.

Julia Mitchell rolled over in her bed, trying to take a nap. But she found that she couldn't, because her mind was filled with images that were foreign to her. It was unusual, because those images involved her…she just couldn't remember having lived those moments.

It appeared her memories were continuing to return to her, for some reason still unknown to her. However, Julia could feel something in the air…in the way she had felt for the past few weeks. It was as if something were pulling the memories back into her mind, as if something was dragging her past to her present.

Julia stood in her bedroom at her own home, the portable phone in her hands. She placed the phone back on its stand and turned to the person standing next to her.

"I tried to tell her," Julia said.

"Just make sure it happens the way I said it was supposed to."

"I will," Julia replied. "I'll make sure that Akilah makes Alec Bale her boyfriend. One way or another."

"Good," Zaliphyr grinned.

Julia sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. She cried out, but she quickly covered her own mouth to keep from alerting her mother. She wouldn't be able to explain what was happening to her mother if she couldn't even explain it to herself.

"Oh God," Julia gasped. "I…I remember everything!"

Julia lowered her hand from her mouth and pressed it against her abdomen, as if there were a sharp pain in her stomach. She pressed her back against the headboard and gasped heavily, attempting to catch her breath.

"Zaliphyr? Who…who is that man?" Julia cried. "And what did he do to me?"



EMERALD HEART

Tiring of Melissa's attack on him, Hugh grabbed her arm and flung her onto his bed. Hugh slammed the door shut and approached Melissa, glaring at her. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You killed my daughter," Melissa sobbed. "You told me you would kill her, and you did!"

Hugh sighed, turning on the lamp next to the bed. "I am sorry for your loss, Melissa."

"You're a liar!" Melissa cried.

Hugh grabbed Melissa by her hair and raised her head up to meet him face to face. "I did not kill Erin. If I had, you would know it."

He released Melissa. She fell back onto the bed and curled up into a ball. She continued crying as Hugh sat next to her and stroked her hair.

"Melissa, believe me," Hugh said. "I did not harm your daughter. And if I had, I would have respected you enough to tell you. You know that I still care for you deeply."

Melissa shrunk away from Hugh, stopping him from caressing her hair. She stared at him in disgust. "You're sick."

Hugh frowned. "I'll extend your deadline for another week. That should give you enough time to grieve."

"Bastard," Melissa spat.

"Bitch," Hugh retorted. "Get out before I kill you."



BLOOD HOME

Ricard Branch stormed into Quentin Blood's office, breathing heavily from running up the long flight of stairs that led to the room. Once he opened the door, he found Quentin sipping red wine from a glass at his desk. Quentin set the glass down and stared at Ric.

"You're unannounced," Quentin said.

"I know," Ric snapped. "I want answers."

Quentin sighed. "As usual."

"Did you murder Erin Maddock?" Ric demanded.

Quentin smirked. "Ricard, I'm shocked that you would even consider that."

"Don't treat me like I'm an idiot."

"Do you really want to know the answer to the question you've asked?" Quentin asked.

"Yes," Ric answered.

"No, I didn't personally kill Erin," Quentin replied. "But I did have her killed."

Ric's face fell. "How could you..."

"Do something you requested?"

Quentin reached into his desk off Ric's confused face, and removed a tape recorder. He set the recorder on the desk before him and pressed play.

"Just make sure you do whatever's necessary to make Sara fall in love with me," Ricard Branch said, standing in Quentin Blood's office.

He had returned to visit Quentin after finally coming to a decision about his offer. Ric was in love with Sara, he knew that he couldn't stop thinking about her. And if Quentin knew a way to get her to notice him, then he would take all of the help he could get.

"And you're aware of what that entails?" Quentin asked.

"Yes," Ric said.

Ric knew that by accepting Quentin's offer he would have to go back to work for him. But Ric figured that another couple of drug deals would pale in comparison to dating the girl of his dreams. It wasn't as if he were signing over his life to Quentin anyway.

"Then I believe we have a deal," Quentin said.

Quentin extended his hand for Ric to shake it. Ric shook Quentin's hand, then nervously pulled it back. He felt an odd chill run down his spine. Ric shrugged off the feeling and said goodbye to Quentin before leaving.

"You bastard," Ric snapped. "How could you do that to me?! I didn't order Erin's death!"

"But you did," Quentin explained. "It's right here on tape."

"Give me that tape," Ric said.

"No. You work for me now, you do as I say."

A defeated look formed on Ric's face as he realized that he had trapped himself in a corner, and now he was completely at the mercy of Quentin. "What do…"

"Yes?"

"What do you want me to do?" Ric asked weakly.



HANLEY HOME

"Of course I'm not trying to get rid of you," Vince insisted. "I just…I don't want to get into anything right now. I have a lot to deal with today."

"Get into what?" Jessica demanded. "You're acting as if seeing me is a chore."

"Jessica, I…I love you," Vince said. "You know that. It's why I fought for you for so long."

Jessica turned away from Vince and folded her arms. "Maybe now that you have me, you're not interested anymore."

"That's not true," Vince insisted.

"Isn't it?" Jessica asked. "No one wants me. Even Alec has moved on with his new whore."

"Hey! That's my sister you're talking about," Vince snapped.

"You know what I mean," Jessica said.

"No, I don't," Vince said. "Look, you can't just keep talking about my sister like that. Or bringing up Alec all the damn time."

Vince rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the door. He turned back to Jessica and frowned. "I have to get going."

"Vince!" Jessica cried. "If you leave, then this is not going to work out between us."

Vince stopped moving. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Jessica insisted, through clenched teeth. "Vince, you're going to have to work at this relationship just as hard as —"

"Goodbye, Jessica," Vince said, opening the door. "You can see yourself out."



MADDOCK HOME

Robert Bale lifted another cardboard box and carried it upstairs to place it in the bedroom he now shared with Melissa. It had taken him a while to get everything of his out of his former home, and now he was busy drawing up divorce papers. It was going to be a lengthy process, since Robert didn't want to take everything from Felicia…now that he knew that Felicia was another victim of the Hanleys.

He anticipated less than a month to get deal with everything, and Robert figured the divorce would be final just before Alec started school in the fall. He didn't want to torture his son with the divorce any more than he wanted to Felicia.

It was best that he moved out now, anyway. Alec would get used to Robert not living with them, and Melissa needed Robert now more than ever. After the death of Erin, she was a mess. Her house was empty and it made her feel worse every day. Now that Robert was living with her, he would be able to help her with whatever she needed.

Now the only person he needed to help was Felicia.

Robert sighed. "I have to keep her out of Kevin Hanley's grasp."

But Robert knew it wouldn't be that easy. Michael Hanley, though he was her brother, still had feelings for Felicia. So Robert needed to make sure Michael didn't destroy Felicia in some type of attempt to punish her for not being with him.

"There's only one person who can help me," Robert realized, dropping the box onto the floor. "They have to help me keep Felicia out of harm's way."



RONARR'S CAVE

"I take it the transformation is now complete?" Ronarr questioned.

"Yes," Antonio said, now speaking in Zaliphyr's voice. "Your plan to implant me into the former angel's body was perfect. Now I have full control of Antonio's body at my discretion."

"Good," Ronarr said. "Then we can continue with our plans. Report."

"Ariel Hanley's presence in Marquette Cove was quite fortuitous," Antonio said. "Though, you may know her as Moirasis, princess of the —"

"Alterran realm," Ronarr finished. "Yes."

"Her presence created a tear in her reality and this one," Antonio continued. "A tear that is still present and may be of use to us."

"It appears that we are ahead of schedule," Ronarr said. "Perfect."

"Soon, you will be walking amongst the citizens of Marquette Cove," Antonio said.

"And not soon after that…" Ronarr began.

"…you'll destroy them all."