“Their thoughts are scattered, General. I can’t hear why they’re here, but I do sense that they’re hiding near the doorway,” the first voice said.
“Run!” came Jordan’s cry.
“After them!” ordered the authoritative voice.
Alex’s heart was thumping in her chest as she imagined the scene playing out in the compound.
“What do we do?” she asked. “We have to help them!”
“If we go in there now, we’ll only cause more problems,” Tom said. “Give them a few minutes. Between both of their gifts, they should be able to escape.”
Alex had no idea what Kaiden’s gift was, but unless he could teleport them both out, she didn’t see how he’d be able to help their situation.
“Kaiden’s been in there before, Alex,” Declan said, squeezing her arm in comfort. “He’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve, don’t worry.”
Despite his words, Alex could see Declan was just as concerned as she was.
They waited ten nail-biting minutes before they heard anything, but finally the update came.
“We got away. We’re coming back out.”
Alex felt like cheering, but she knew it would be stupid to make such a noise. She waited nervously for Kaiden and Jordan to appear, and when they did, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or yell at them. They were panting when they climbed up the tree and it was clear they’d been running for their lives.
“What happened?” Tom asked once they’d caught their breath.
“One of them was gifted,” Kaiden said. “A very strong mind reader.”
“Did you get the package?” Pipsqueak asked.
The frustrated looks on their faces answered for them.
“You’re both safe,” Alex said. “That’s the main thing. It was a reckless task to begin with, something Hunter never should’ve asked us to do.”
“But that envelope holds the next Bubbledoor,” Pipsqueak said miserably. “We need it to get out of here.”
“What do you suggest we do, Pip?” Tom sounded irritated. “The entire compound will be on high alert now. And if there’s a mind reader in there, they’ll all know the moment any of us enter that command centre.”
Alex froze and looked up at Jordan. His eyes begged her to stay silent, but she knew what she had to do.
“I can get in there,” she whispered. The words stuck in her throat, so she made herself repeat them, loud enough for the others to hear.
“Weren’t you listening, Alex?” Tom said. “There’s a mind reader in there. We won’t be able to get within twenty feet of that envelope, not while he’s around.”
“He won’t be able to read me.”
Her classmates looked at her as if she was crazy, all except Jordan, who seemed resigned to accept her decision.
“My gift allows me a certain amount of… um… choice, when it comes to other people using their gifts on me,” she explained vaguely. “The mind reader won’t be able to sense me at all, let alone read my thoughts. I’m the only chance we have at getting that envelope.”
“Prove it,” Pip said.
Alex glanced at her. “What?”
“Prove it,” Pip repeated. “Touch my hand.”
Giving her a searching look, Alex did as ordered.
Pip’s face scrunched in concentration and her grip tightened almost painfully. She was breathing heavily by the time she let go of Alex’s hand, staring at her with incredulous eyes.
“Blink, you try,” the small girl said.
For the first time since Alex had met him, Blink seemed uncomfortable. But Pipsqueak was determined, and she reached for his hand and joined it with Alex’s.
“Do it, Blink. We need to know if she’s telling the truth.”
Blink looked at Alex in apology and slowly closed his eyes. His body began to vibrate and Alex felt the tremors shake all the way up her arm, but after a few seconds he stilled again.
“You don’t look like you’re in any pain,” he observed, appearing awed.
Alex raised her eyebrows in question. “That’s because I’m not.”
Pip was still looking at her in amazement. “I should have been able to manipulate your emotions and Blink should have caused your blood to boil, but you didn’t feel any of that?”
Alex shrugged, trying not to think of her blood boiling. “I told you…” She felt like a scientific experiment from the looks on her classmates’ faces. “Now that your test is over, I’m good to go, right?”
“What’s your plan?” Tom asked, the first to shake off his shock. “Regardless of your gift it’s not like you’ll be able to just waltz in there. And you won’t have Jordan to keep you invisible.”
“I have an idea,” Alex answered, thinking quickly. “But you’re going to have to trust me.”
Her idea wasn’t something she could reveal to any of them, not without compromising one of her best friends.
“We trust you,” Declan said, speaking for everyone.
“Skyla, I need you to do my makeup,” Alex said, her unexpected statement prompting raised eyebrows from her classmates. “I need to look, um, regal,” she continued quickly. “But also like I’ve been dragged through the desert. Can you do that?”
Ten minutes later Alex was descending the tree while her classmates watched anxiously from above. None of them were happy with the arrangement, especially after she refused to take the ComTCD with her, claiming that if she was discovered then she didn’t want the others to end up captured. But really, she just couldn’t allow them to hear what she was planning on saying to the soldiers to get into the command centre.
“I’ll be back soon,” Alex promised, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
Skyla had slathered Alex’s face with makeup to the point where she looked like a wild mess, and she hoped it was convincing enough to pull off the ruse she was about to attempt. Knowing that the success or failure of their task depended on her, she straightened her clothes and took on a staggering walk, acting dazed. She wobbled all the way over to the gated entrance into the compound, where a commanding voice brought her to a halt.
“Identify yourself!”
When Alex didn’t respond, a group of armed soldiers rushed out to meet her. They eyed her suspiciously before one of them stepped forward and repeated the command.
“Thirsty,” Alex whispered, making her voice sound raspy. She collapsed to her knees for added effect and was rewarded when the closest soldier called for one of his companions to bring water.
With their Stabiliser weapons pointed at her, Alex guzzled down the liquid as if she were dying of dehydration. When she lowered the bottle, she looked up at the men with an unfocused expression.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” the closest soldier asked, stepping closer. His black uniform seemed more decorated than the other guards and she presumed that meant he had the higher military ranking.
“I’m Princess Delucia Cavelle,” Alex answered, hoping Dix was right about how few people knew what she looked like these days.
The soldier’s eyes widened at her exclamation and then narrowed again. “I find it hard to believe the royal princess would be discovered half-dead at the edge of the Soori Desert.”
“My travel companions and I were ambushed,” Alex said, still kneeling on the ground. “They abducted me and knocked me out. I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke, it took me a while to figure out where I was. I managed to escape but I had no idea where to go. All I could remember was my father once telling me about a military outpost at the base of the Durungan Ranges and I knew if I made it here, I’d be safe.”
The soldier’s doubtful look remained on his face, but his expression wasn’t as harsh anymore. He seemed to be considering her words.
“Come with me,” he told her. “The general will be able to verify your story.”
Alex pushed herself to her feet with exaggerated exhaustion, swaying for effect. The soldier was considerate enough to hol
d her elbow until she was steady again, which would have been kind of him had she truly been in need of the support.
He led her past the other soldiers and through the gate into the compound. Instead of having to traverse the entire settlement like Jordan and Kaiden had done, the guard pointed for her to step onto a circle carved into the ground near the gated entrance. Once they were both standing in the circle, he raised his wrist and tapped away at a watch-like screen that was clamped to his arm. Immediately the circle filled with light and Alex felt a rush of wind before she was sucked through the air as if by a vacuum. When the light disappeared, she saw she was no longer outside the gate but standing at the top of the wall, just outside the command outpost.
How convenient.
“Short-range teleportation circle,” the soldier told her, seeing the surprised look on her face. “Military-grade. We’re still working out the kinks, but it works just fine over small distances.”
He motioned for her to enter the tower and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust as she stepped into the building. When they did, she wished she could retreat again.
The atmosphere inside the command centre was thick with tension. There were dozens of armed soldiers stationed around the room, and in the centre stood a man who was clearly in charge. He had close-cropped, salt and pepper hair and wore a black military uniform with weapons strapped everywhere. Alex had to force herself not to take a step back when his piercing eyes turned to stare intently at her. His gaze stayed on her for what felt like forever before it flickered over to her guard.
“Major Tyson, I trust you have a good reason for leaving your post?”
“Yes, General Drock,” the soldier said. “This girl came staggering in from the desert and claims to be Princess Delucia Cavelle. She says she was abducted while travelling but managed to escape her captors.”
The general’s gaze swung back to Alex and, despite her intimidation, she stood up a little straighter, determined to stay in character.
“Does she now?” the general said thoughtfully, turning back to the major. “What of the intruders, Tyson?”
“No sign of them, sir. We have to presume they managed to escape since Signa can’t sense them in the compound any longer.”
The general swore and Alex narrowed her eyes at him.
“I would prefer that you refrained from using such colourful language in my presence, General Drock,” she said, attempting to sound imperious.
The military leader crossed his arms. “Looks like the little princess has quite the tongue on her.”
“I’m the heir to the throne of Medora, General,” Alex warned, lying through her teeth. “You would do well to treat me with the respect I deserve.”
“We’ll see about that,” Drock said. He turned to one of the soldiers stationed across the room and ordered, “Bring me Signa.”
“No need, General, I’m already here,” said a man who’d just entered the room. He wasn’t dressed like a soldier, but he nevertheless exuded a dangerous aura. And yet, despite her mental warning bells, Alex had difficulty hiding her amused reaction when she realised just how much he looked like the animated villain Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin. The similarities were uncanny, right down to the large eyes, long face and thin goatee.
“This girl claims to be our royal princess,” the general informed the new arrival. “Can you verify?”
Signa turned to look at Alex and tilted his head, his gaze unfocused. After a tense moment, his eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to her. His expression darkened further and he grasped her shoulder firmly.
“Hey!” she exclaimed, trying to shrug off his hand. “Let me go!”
“Signa?” the general pressed. “Is she lying?”
Signa’s face remained irritated but he released Alex’s shoulder and walked over to the general’s side. “I’m unable to hear her thoughts. Any of them.”
A few of the soldiers around the room looked astonished, including the general and Major Tyson. Alex rolled her eyes.
“Do you really think my father would allow me to remain untrained in the art of protecting my mind? With all I hear around the palace? Of course not,” she said, injecting a hint of scorn into her voice.
“You’re too young to have such strengthened resistance,” Signa argued.
“I’m a fast learner,” Alex rebutted him arrogantly.
The general’s gaze was calculating, while Signa looked enraged.
“I don’t trust her, General,” the mind reader said. “She could be a spy. She’s probably in league with the intruders from earlier. I say we torture her for information.”
Alex somehow managed to keep her face blank despite her rising fear, but wondered just how much sway Signa had over the general. She had to think quickly before her situation took a turn for the worse.
“There’s a simple enough solution,” Alex said, following a hunch. “Contact my father. He’ll confirm my identity.”
“We can’t contact the king directly from here,” Drock informed her. “We communicate with him through the Warden headquarters unless there’s an emergency.”
Alex folded her arms. “You don’t consider my abduction an emergency?”
“Not if you’re lying,” he said. “I won’t waste the king’s time.”
“Contact the Wardens, then,” Alex said, desperately hoping he wouldn’t call her bluff.
“As you wish,” the general said, almost mockingly. “But if it turns out you’ve tried to deceive me, I’ll personally see to it that you discover new meanings of the word ‘pain’.”
Alex raised her chin and tried to appear confident, despite the fact that she was now mentally hyperventilating. “Lead the way, General Drock.”
At her words, he spun on his heel and headed over to the far side of the outpost tower and into an adjoining room. Tyson motioned for Alex to follow.
Alex trailed after the general into the smaller office-like room, where her steps faltered. There, sitting in the rubbish bin at the base of a large desk, was a bright red envelope. The good news was that she’d found what she needed without having to actually search for it. The bad news was that she had no idea how to retrieve it, let alone how she would get both it and herself safely out of the compound.
She could have used Jordan’s gift right about then, that was for sure.
General Drock moved to the wall of the office and pressed on a touch-screen panel. Immediately a voice echoed out of the Device and asked for identification.
“General Alan Drock, Soori Outpost. Authorisation code one-one-six-four-two-eight. Requesting visual contact.”
Within seconds, a projected life-size holograph appeared in front of them. It was a Warden, that much was clear from the uniform, but the person—a woman—had her back to Alex so she couldn’t see her face.
“General Drock,” the Warden greeted him. There seemed to be something wrong with the audio transference, since the voice was distorted, almost robotic-sounding, while the picture was of good quality. “You’re not due to check in until tomorrow evening. Is there a problem?”
“Nothing more than we can handle, Warden,” Drock said. “But we’ve had some intruders in the compound today who we failed to apprehend.”
“Intruders?” the Warden asked sharply. “What were they after?”
“We’ve yet to discover that,” the general said. “There’s nothing of value here. We didn’t get a look at them, but it was probably just some kids looking for a thrill.”
“Keep us updated,” the Warden said.
“Will do,” he agreed. “But that wasn’t why I called.”
“Go ahead, General.”
“After the intruders escaped, a girl stumbled in from the desert. She claims to be Princess Delucia. Can you confirm?”
Alex’s heart raced realising that she was about to be discovered, but her feet were frozen to the floor. Maybe they wouldn’t torture her if she told them it was all just a joke? Maybe they’d accept her excuse that she was one of
those kids ‘looking for a thrill’?
For some reason, she doubted that.
The general walked around the room until he was standing next to Alex, and the hologram turned to follow his progress. When the Warden’s eyes came to rest on Alex, she wasn’t sure who was more shocked. She only just managed to bite her tongue to hold back her gasp of astonishment.
“Good afternoon, Warden Jeera,” Alex said, trying to keep her tone calm despite the incredulous look the Warden was giving her. The malfunctioning sound hadn’t allowed her to identify Jeera from her voice, but with them both now staring directly at each other, there was no denying their familiarity. “Can you please confirm that I’m the princess so these men won’t throw me in a cell and torture me for information?”
Alex added the last part in the hope that Jeera would understand the dangerous situation she would face if the Warden refused to play along.
Jeera’s expression continued to show surprise, but she managed to pull herself together enough to speak. “Where have you been, Princess?” she said, to Alex’s immense relief. “Your parents have been worried sick.”
Alex could see that the men in the room were shocked by the Warden’s confirmation of her fake identity.
“My travelling companions and I were ambushed,” Alex said, continuing the subterfuge. “I was abducted but managed to escape. Have the others made it back safely?”
The Warden’s lips quirked slightly, almost as if she was impressed with Alex’s deceit even though she had no idea why it was necessary.
“They arrived just this morning,” Jeera said. “But we’re all anxious to have you back home at the palace. General Drock?”
He stepped forward. “Yes, Warden?”
“Please provide the princess with the means to return home immediately,” Jeera ordered.
She sounded so authoritative that Alex wondered about the chain of command between the Wardens and the military. She would have to remember to ask someone one day—preferably when she wasn’t in the middle of the firing line.
“I’ll personally lead the princess to our linking Bubbledoor,” the general said.