The Exiled Gem

Embracing the Past

Alexandra's hands went cold.

She was not nervous: not in the very least. Her hands were cold with excitement. In the wildest of dreams, she wouldn't have thought that Ethoris would reappear in her life at this point. At possibly the best part. And if they were helping Losiane, they were a clear foe. For all she knew, Aunt Sabel had outlived her husband and was now the single-handed Queen of Ethoris. Which meant that Alexandra was again at war.

'I didn't know that,' Liam shrugged, but he was only sarcastic.

'Does that mean we are marching to Ethoris and burning it down?' Alexandra asked, expectantly.

'We need spies there,' Daniel continued, ignoring her. 'Any volunteers?'

'But we've all got six months of Supervisory,' Alexandra pointed out, this time far from excited - because she did not want to go to Ethoris. That was one thing she wouldn't survive, and she knew it.

'But that can be overruled,' Liam offered amiably. She shot him a quick you're not helping things look, and flitted her eyes over to Watson. He was slumped against his chair in an unnatural pose. He was smart enough to not make it obvious - but Alexandra realized that he didn't think much of Liam.

That's because Liam made Diana look like a fool - or a misbehaved kid. She thought to herself, Diana did act like a kid - even when she's the eldest of us all.

Suddenly, Watson looked right back at her. 'And, Mabel has been there - to Ethoris - haven't you?' he questioned. Had he not worn that innocent look, Alexandra would have throttled him.

'Has she, now?' Liam raised his brows. He never missed a single chance to bully her. 'What was it like, then?'

'Er,' Alexandra fumbled, 'like twenty years back? Crowded ... uneven ... nothing like anything.'

The way everybody stared at her upon the last line, was funny - except for the tensed bead of perspiration trickling down her temple.

'Crowded, uneven, nothing like anything.' Kane repeated.

'Crowded, uneven, nothing like anything.' Mark nodded.

'I was seven!' Alexandra exclaimed. 'What all do you want me to know?!'

'Let us take crowded, uneven and nothing like anything.' Liam offered again, 'But that isn't helpful. Ma-bel going to Ethoris won't be helpful either,' he pronounced Mabel like it was a foreign language. Alexandra realized that "Alexandra" simply sounded so much better. 'On the other hand, I do know of another country. A close ally of Ethoris, where we need a spy.'

'And which is that?' Diana asked him, for once interested.

'Doveland.'

'Right, it is.' Diana nodded, nonchalantly.

'Say that again!' Alexandra exclaimed at the same time, pushing her chair behind.

They were all looking at her again. And this time nothing was funny. If Doveland was allied with Ethoris, or sold to Ethoris - Alexandra did not care. But she could not go there. Liam was supposed to know that. Liam was the only one who knew that!

'Dove-land,' he repeated calmly. 'Sit down.'

'I won't go to Doveland!' Alexandra exclaimed, with no mind to sit down.

'Why not, Mabel?' Kane asked her, frowning. 'You are Dovish.'

'I know tha-'

'If you killed your brother, Agents, would you let everybody know of it?' Liam interjected, coolly. They turned to him, 'Sit down, Agent Mabel and talk of more pressing matters.' he continued, as Alexandra understood the cryptic warning. But the alternative was to go to Doveland - where she was a criminal. On one side there was a well, on the other - a cliff. She had to choose what to jump off - but of course, Alexandra would have preferred to just stay where she was.