The Cursed Legacy #1: Ellie Jordan and the Cursed Gem

Prologue: Two Little Girls

2010 CE
Hapsburg Town

Lilian Storm received the first shock of her life when she saw two people she hoped she would never see again.

There, as soon as she opened the door to get the milk and the morning paper, stood the daughters of her estranged sister-two little girls, the eldest seeming to be not more than five years of age.

The older girl was holding her baby sister in her tiny plump arms rather protectively, just as though she had saved her from being obliterated. And from what Lilian had known about her sister, that was most likely the case.

The little girl spoke up bravely, "Are you Aunt Lilian that my mother spoke so highly of?"

Lilian could hardly believe what she was hearing. 'Aunt?' she thought. 'Lauren spoke highly of me?'

Outwardly, she cleared her throat and replied, "Well, I assume you're Olivia Jordan?" She could hardly keep the surprise out of her voice.

The little girl nodded her head, looking rather important.

"And your mother is Lauren Jordan?"

"Indeed."

"Well -" Lilian found her voice breaking then, which was a rather unexpected thing for a strong-willed woman like her. No, she must not break down - not in front of her sister's children. So, she cleared her throat once more and went on: "I mean, what happened to your...mother?"

Lilian realised that she could not even say that Lauren was her sister. Was it because, somewhere deep down, she was disgusted and embarrassed about someone who had once been her family? More importantly, how did there come to be such bitterness among two people who ones could not live without the other? These questions had been bothering her from time-to-time, but she always dismissed it steadily.

But now, here were the children of Lauren at the threshold of her house! Which meant only one thing...

"My parents are dead," the young girl spoke nonchalantly, as though she were discussing the weather. "A year ago, my mother told me that if anything were to happen to her, then I must contact 211 and come to you as soon as I possibly could. So, here I am with my sister."

Lilian hoped that what she was hearing was wrong. How could this be possible? Surely this little girl was lying?

"211?" she blurted out. "She asked you to contact 211?"

The girl nodded. "Indeed."

"That means - that means... my sister is...no more?"

For the first time in many years, Lilian found her eyes filling up with tears. She hurried to wipe them away, telling herself that she had long seen this coming and that her sister had brought it upon herself. She, Lilian, was not at fault. Was she?

"Well, can we stay with you?" asked the young girl, still standing at the threshold, in a serious tone of voice. "I promise that, as soon as I turn sixteen, I'll leave to fend for myself and my sister. But till then, we will need you."

Lilian was shocked beyond words to be able to utter anything coherent. She simply nodded her head, slowly and a little shakily.

And that was how a single woman of thirty found herself saddled with children and nobody else to support her.

It was thus no comfort to her that this was just one of the many surprises that she was to receive...