by Lynette Noni
“Thank you, General,” Jeera said. “Princess, I’ll await you in the receiving room.”
The look in Jeera’s eyes told Alex that she’d better have a good explanation ready.
Once the Warden disconnected the holograph communication, the room was left silent. After a tense moment, the general cleared his throat.
“I’d like to apologise for my behaviour, Your Highness,” General Drock said. “We were on red alert after discovering intruders in our compound, so I was naturally suspicious of your arrival. While that’s no excuse, I hope you can forgive my lack of respect.”
Alex’s demeanour softened at his words. He had every right to be suspicious, especially as she wasn’t who she claimed to be. “Consider it forgotten, General. I’d expect no less from a fine, upstanding military commander such as yourself. Your precautions were necessary, but perhaps you might refrain from using so many expletives in the future.”
She smiled with her last sentence to tell him she wasn’t as offended as she sounded. He chuckled lightly in response, and the gesture transformed his entire face from an unyielding general to an almost friendly father figure.
“Bad habit, I’m afraid, Princess.”
“We all have them,” she allowed. “But it’s something for you to work on, at least when I’m around.”
He chuckled again, before straightening up and turning to the others in the room.
“Major Tyson, you’ll accompany us to the Bubbledoor,” the general said. “Signa, your services are no longer required.”
“General, I believe this is a mistake,” Signa argued. “I don’t like that I can’t read her.”
“Enough, Signa,” Drock said. “You heard Warden Jeera confirm her identity. The matter’s closed. You’re dismissed.”
Signa glared at Alex one last time before he stormed out of the room.
“If you’ll follow me, Princess, we’ll get you back home at once,” the general said, and he began to walk towards the doorway.
Alex had a moment of panic when she realised that she still needed to get her hands on the red envelope. She couldn’t leave without it, that much was true. But how could she retrieve it?
An idea came to her, but she wasn’t all that confident it would work.
“I’m not feeling so good,” she moaned, raising a hand to her head. She staggered a few steps to her right and collapsed onto the edge of the desk before falling off it and landing directly on top of the rubbish bin. A mess of paper fell around her and she managed to get her fingers on the red envelope, hoping all the while that it looked as if she’d just passed out.
“Princess? Princess!”
She had barely a second to slide the package under her clothes before Major Tyson knelt down to shake her shoulder. As soon as she thought it was secure and hidden, she groaned again and opened her eyes.
“What happened?”
“You fainted.” Tyson helped her to stand. “You must be exhausted after everything you’ve been through.”
Alex wondered about the odd tone in his voice as he led her out of the room—it almost sounded as if he was amused. But his face was as serious as ever, so perhaps she’d only imagined the flicker of emotion.
“What’s the hold-up?” the general asked when they caught up to him in the main room of the command centre.
“I’m just a little tired,” Alex said, smiling weakly and not wanting to tell him about her fake dizzy spell. “I needed a moment.”
“Don’t worry, Princess. You’ll be home soon and you can rest then,” Drock said, and he motioned for her and Tyson to follow him to the back of the room.
On the wall there was a rectangular section outlined with a white border, roughly as large as Alex’s head.
“Just place your hand in the centre of the rectangle and the Bubbledoor will activate,” the general told her. “It’ll take you straight to the receiving room in the palace.”
“Thank you for your assistance, General Drock,” Alex said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Princess,” the general said, giving her a short bow.
Major Tyson mirrored the gesture, and never in her life had Alex felt like such a fraud. She would have to ask D.C. to tell the king about these two good military men and get them a medal or something.
“I hope we’ll meet again in the future,” she said genuinely, even if she wasn’t in a rush to replay the role of princess anytime soon. With a smile goodbye, she reached for the panel and the Bubbledoor activated, rushing her to her new destination. She had barely landed before she heard Jeera’s voice.
“There had better be a very good reason why I just lied to a military general, Princess Delucia.”
n on h er.
Sixteen
Alex looked guiltily at the Warden whose face showed definite disapproval.
“I can explain,” she said quickly.
“I sure hope so,” Jeera said. Her dark hair was tied back and her striking blue eyes stared intently at Alex.
Noting the Warden’s impatience, Alex quickly summarised the events leading up to her impersonation of the princess, including Hunter’s crazy task and how Kaiden and Jordan had nearly been caught. At the mention of the two boys, Jeera’s expression flickered with concern until Alex assured her that they’d made it out safely.
“So that’s when you decided to go in on your own,” Jeera guessed, “because you knew your gift would protect you from the mind reader.”
“How do you know—”
“I’m one of the king’s Wardens, Alex,” Jeera interrupted her. “It’s my job to know.”
That was interesting news, but Alex let it go and confirmed Jeera’s assumption, going on to explain how she’d ‘borrowed’ D.C.’s royal identity in order to get into the command tent.
“Everything would’ve turned real nasty if you hadn’t stood up for me,” Alex finished. “So thank you, Jeera. Really.”
The Warden looked at Alex steadily before her expression lightened and she smiled. “You’re welcome, Alex.”
With the smile still on her face, something about her appearance niggled at the back of Alex’s mind. “Have I met you before, Jeera? Other than as a Warden, I mean? You seem… familiar.”
Jeera laughed out loud, which seemed like an odd reaction to Alex.
“No, Alex, we’ve never met before your impersonation as an assassin.”
“Huh,” Alex said, but she let it drop. Déjà vu could be a fickle thing.
“I have to ask, did you retrieve the red envelope?”
To answer, Alex pulled the package from her clothes.
“I’m impressed,” Jeera said. “That can’t have been easy.”
“You have no idea,” Alex muttered.
“That said, you do realise I can’t allow you to keep it, right?”
“What? No, Jeera,” Alex begged. “It has our next instructions inside, and the Bubbledoor we need. Plus, it was in General Drock’s rubbish bin, anyway. He probably won’t even notice it’s missing.”
Jeera looked at Alex as if judging the truth of her words. Finally, the Warden sighed. “This conversation never happened, understood?”
“What conversation?” Alex said, with a sly grin.
“Exactly,” Jeera said, returning the expression. “Now, you need to get out of here before someone sees me talking to you.” She handed over a vial that Alex recognised as a Bubbler. “Go back to your friends, finish your SAS expedition, and get back to the academy safely, okay?”
“That’s the plan,” Alex agreed. Jeera made it sound so easy.
“You might want to have a look at the back of that envelope before you return to your classmates,” Jeera advised. “It was good seeing you again, Alex. Do me a favour and tell Hunter that I’ll be in touch regarding his teaching methods.” With those words, the Warden spun on her heel and left the room.
Curious, Alex flipped over the red envelope and saw there was a small white envelope stuck to its back. Both the envelop
es were sealed, and she wondered if General Drock had known they were in his office, let alone in his bin. Had Hunter snuck it in at some stage without the general’s knowledge? Either way, the white envelope was clearly intended for Alex, since her full name was scrawled across it in Hunter’s handwriting.
Looking around nervously, Alex pulled the envelope off the larger red one, but she didn’t get a chance to open it before the sound of chattering voices filled her ears. She shoved the white envelope into her pocket and the red envelope back under her clothes, throwing the Bubbler to the ground.
Resisting the temptation to go straight back to the academy, she directed the portal to open at the base of the tree where the others waited for her return. They didn’t notice her straight away and they continued to whisper uneasily to each other while they looked out over the military compound.
Alex smiled mischievously and climbed up the tree as silently as she could. When she was right beside them she asked, “What are we all looking at?”
“Skyla, I swear, if you ask one more stupid question…” Pipsqueak muttered irritably.
“Um, hello, I’m over here,” Skyla said, sounding just as annoyed. She turned to Alex and said, “We’re all looking for you, and I found you first, so do I get a prize?”
“Alex!” Jordan exclaimed, seeing her perched in the branch beside them.
His startled words caused everyone else to swing around and gape at her, and she began to feel embarrassed by their attention.
“Enough staring,” she said. “It’s almost dusk. We need to get moving.”
“How—How—?” Pipsqueak asked incoherently.
“What our little Squeaker is trying to ask is, how did you get back here?” Blink said. “We haven’t seen any sign of you since you entered the gate.”
Alex shook her head and said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Did you get the envelope?” Tom asked.
She smiled and pulled it from her clothes.
Her classmates whooped excitedly and Alex had to shush them before they were noticed. The last thing she needed was for General Drock to find her outside the compound when she should be safely back in Tryllin.
“Let’s get down from this tree and see what we have to do next,” Declan said, passing Alex’s backpack to her.
When they were all on the ground, they ripped open the envelope. The first thing they withdrew was a set of identification tags, each printed with their individual photo. Kaiden, Jordan and Blink’s tags were all given the status of ‘Waiter’ while Tom’s tag labelled him a ‘Musician’. Declan, Pipsqueak, Skyla and Alex’s were marked as ‘Invited Guest’. Their photos were correct, but their names were not. Alex raised her eyebrows when she read that she was supposed to be ‘Ally Jones
“What do you suppose this is all about?” Jordan asked.
“Oh, hey, I like this task,” Skyla said, having found their instructions. She handed the little slip of paper around for them all to read.
You are cordially invited to attend
Sir Oswald Graham’s dinner party.
Your identities can be found within this envelope, along
with the roles you will each adopt for the evening.
Costumes are waiting on the other side of the Bubbledoor.
Your task is simple:
Retrieve the performer from his accommodation and
escort him back to his home.
“That’s it?” Tom said, turning the paper over.
“Maybe there’ll be more information with our costumes,” Declan said.
“I sure hope so,” Pipsqueak grumbled, and she upended the envelope to allow the final item to fall out. It was another one of Hunter’s feathered arrows—only a miniature version. At least he was consistent.
“Here goes nothing,” Tom said, and he reached out for the pre-programmed Bubbledoor.
One by one they were transported to the top of a tree-covered hill. Their view looked straight down to a small town at the edge of which stood a huge, brightly lit mansion. People dressed in formal party attire were Bubbling into the landscaped garden near the front door, their clothes glittering in the light of the impressive residence.
“We need to hurry,” Kaiden said. “If we’re supposed to be waiters, we should probably be down there already. And you too, Tom, as the musician.”
“You’re right,” Tom agreed. “We need to find our costumes.”
They shuffled around in the rapidly fading light until Skyla called out that she’d found something. Sure enough, there were eight outfits dangling from a tree, attached by labelled arrows to the branch above them. The boys each had a tuxedo, with the waiters’ suits completely black and Tom’s musician outfit the reverse in white. Declan’s guest attire was a dark jacket with a white shirt and silver bowtie.
The girls’ outfits were just as dressy, with three formal evening gowns hanging from the tree. Skyla’s was pale yellow, Pipsqueak’s was bright teal and Alex’s was deep midnight blue. All three gowns were absolutely stunning, but…
“Those heels are ridiculous,” Alex murmured, pointing to the lethal-looking stilettos on the ground below her dress. “I’m going to break my neck.”
“Everyone, find a place and get changed,” Tom said, ignoring Alex’s comment. “Quickly now, before it’s too dark to see.”
Only when Alex began to undress did she hear the rustling sound of paper and remember the envelope with her name on it. She pulled it out and opened it, frowning as she read the words.
Alex, this task is more dangerous for you
than any of the others.
Stay on your guard.
And don’t forget the backpack items.
PS. Ally’s mother, Larissa, has many friends.
It seemed that Hunter was back to his cryptic warnings, and Alex had no idea how to interpret his words. But although she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to look out for, she would follow his advice and stay vigilant. And as for his comment about the backpack items, there was no way Alex would be able to hide the heavy book under her curve-hugging dress. Hunter’s words had to have meant something else.
She finished changing and stumbled back to her classmates, mentally cursing the inappropriate footwear.
Jordan wolf-whistled when she came into view and Alex was glad it was getting too dark for her blush to be easily seen. The attention her arrival brought—from everyone—made her feel beyond uncomfortable.
“So…” she said awkwardly. “Are we going or what?”
“Wait, I have to fix your makeup,” Skyla insisted, and Alex saw she was just finishing up with Pipsqueak.
Following orders, Alex sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree while Skyla removed her ‘ambushed princess’ look and reapplied the cosmetics. Then Skyla twisted Alex’s hair up and pinned it softly behind her head, letting a few errant wisps dangle free to frame her face.
While undergoing her makeover, Alex was aware of the others whispering amongst themselves, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She was relieved when Skyla said she was done, and Alex left her to pack up while she rejoined the others.
“What is it?” Alex asked, noting the hesitant, guilty and determined looks on their faces.
“We think it’s a good idea if some of us remain behind, just in case we need a backup plan,” Tom said. “Since the waiters are a good cover and I’m the only musician, we’ve decided that we can probably get away with sending just two guests in. We’re thinking Declan and Pipsqueak should go, while you and Skyla remain behind.”
“What?” Alex asked loudly. She indicated to herself and Skyla who had just joined them, “Don’t we get a say in this?”
“Alex, can I speak with you in private?” Jordan asked.
“Jordan—”
“Alex,” he said firmly, motioning for her to follow him.
Once they were out of hearing range, he looked apologetically at her. “It’s not you, it’s Skyla.”
“What do you
mean?”
“You know what she’s like,” Jordan said. “Her head’s in the clouds ninety-eight percent of the time. She’s harmless but she’s also unreliable and we’re worried she’ll be a liability. We need someone to keep an eye on her, and since you’ve already had to do so much over the past two days, we figured you should be allowed to sit this one out.”
“I don’t want to sit it out.”
“Please, Alex,” Jordan begged. “You can see why we don’t want her in there, can’t you?”
Alex glanced over to where the others were standing and could just make out their silhouettes in the dark. Skyla was sitting on the tree trunk, polishing her nails in the limited light, while everyone else stood tense and ready. Her voice carried over to them, and Alex cringed when she heard her ask if they would get to dance at the party.
“I do understand,” Alex admitted. “But I just wish I didn’t have to be the one to babysit her.”
“I know,” Jordan said softly.
She followed him resignedly over to the others and listened while Tom explained to Skyla that she and Alex would be remaining behind.
“But that’s not fair!” Skyla exclaimed loud enough that they had to shush her. “I’m all dressed up and beautiful—I should be allowed to go! Don’t you trust me?”
The girl’s eyes were filling with tears and Alex realised that it was up to her to intervene. “Skyla, don’t you see? You and I have the most important mission tonight. If something goes wrong for these guys, it’ll be up to us to complete the task. They’re only leaving us behind because they trust us so much.”
“Really?” Skyla asked, sniffling quietly.
“Really,” Jordan said, playing along.
“I guess that’s okay, then,” Skyla said, standing taller. “Don’t worry, we’ll look after you if something goes wrong. We’ve got your backs.”
Alex released a breath and reached for Skyla’s sparkly pink ComTCD as Declan handed it over.
“I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening,” he promised.
“Thanks,” she said. “Now, you should all get out of here. And Tom, don’t forget your banjo-thing.”
