New World

Chapter Twenty-six

"New mission," Lady Gisela announced, sweeping into the dining room with a long magenta cloak behind her and newly dyed maroon hair. It was dinnertime, the food as pitiful as ever. Savi clucked her tongue disapprovingly. The hair didn't suit her grandmother at all.

"Got something to say, Nemesis?" Gisela asked crisply, her head swinging round to look Savi in the eye.

Savi faked a gentle cough, but everyone could see she was smirking even beneath her hood. "The new hairdo is atrocious," she said in Nemesis's low, critical voice.

Gisela didn't respond for a few seconds before whipping around, facing Savi. "Don't question my taste."

"On the contrary, I question it very much," Savi said, smiling wickedly.

Cerulean grabbed her arm, wanting to say something, but she was Nemesis right now and Nemesis did not submit to anyone. She shrugged him away, her hand whacking away his and she shoved him back into his chair.

𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴, she communicated silently, and his eyes flashed with knowing before he faked resentment.

"Well, what is the new mission?" Savi asked.

Gisela gave her a sidelong glance, as if saying she was overstepping herself, but Nemesis didn't bow to anyone. Savi merely gave her grandmother a raised eyebrow which she hoped the older woman could see through her hood.

"I want you and Cerulean working alone. Fox, you will continue tailing Sophie and Keefe," she instructed.

Fox didn't say anything, but her eyes flashed with impatience. Savi understood. If Fox truly was Councilor Clarette, she couldn't afford such a restricting job that forced her to tail someone day and night.

"Might I request an exchange?" Fox asked evenly. "You know I have other duties to account for."

"And your replacement will cover them quite nicely," Gisela responded.

Those who didn't know, like Trix the Guster, frowned, not understanding, but Fox merely smiled.

"She's capable, Gisela, but she isn't me."

Gisela sighed. "Then go. Trix, you will take her place."

"In spying?" Trix asked, a little shrilly.

Savi could see his mistake. He'd questioned a superior's orders. But Gisela only smiled.

"Ask the Technopath for her latest gadget. We'll have you covered, don't worry."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Trix muttered, his eyes locking onto Savi's mint green ones. He knew her eyes were a disguise, possibly the rest of her too. She shouldn't have chosen green. Maybe aquamarine. But there was no going back now.

Her eyes met his, her gaze unwavering. She would've never found this sort of strength and confidence as Savi, but Nemesis was someone else, entirely different.

Savi felt her eyes darken but she didn't know why and she wasn't angry. Her eyelids were turning black as night. No one could see through the cloak, but what was happening?

She stood up abruptly and left for her rooms. Cerulean got up to follow but Gisela stopped him with a raised hand, looking interested.

Savi shut herself in her bedroom. She could hardly see now. Darkness closed in around her vision without her being unconscious. For a few moments, she was blind. 

And then her eyes cleared again, fading back into the regular shade of beige, and she frowned, touching her eyes, but her hands were blue. She fumbled and let her hands drop to her sides. Please, beige, she thought, and her hands faded back.