A Daughter's Duty

Chapter 17

The only thing that was actually getting me through was the determination I had found in Gran's eyes. She hadn't lost hope. And she didn't want me to lose hope either. They were going to get through this. In the very end, they would be the winners. She was sure of it. I just had to believe her. I had to be strong.

So, a couple of days before school started, I found myself walking down the streets of Hampstead Village to get some fresh air, no destination really in mind, just an urge to get out of the house. I observed the others who were spending their day outside as well - a young couple walking hand in hand, a father with his young daughter, a mother gazing fondly at her twins in the stroller, and two old men sitting on a bench, laughing. And even though the sight of the calmness and happiness in their lives did get me down a little, it made me smile a little too.

A sad smile. Of hope.

Which was immediately diminished when I heard a voice call me.

"Eve!"

I turned around to face my best friend again. The blonde hair that had grown back quickly ruffled slightly in the wind. If it weren't for the worried look adorning his features, he actually looked rather good-looking.

"Hi," I said. My voice sounded sore after all the crying. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet you." He said. A blush spread on my cheeks for no reason.

What's with you?, I thought. It's just Mike!

"I - I wanted to get some fresh air. Would you like to join me?"

His brows furrowed and he took a step forward. "How are you, Eve? Really? You haven't talked to anyone in so long -"

"- and I have a good reason to not do so." I finished. Please. Please don't bring it up.

"Do you?" He asked. "Or do you just want to avoid the topic?"

"I see you're not interested. No worries. I'll go myself. See you." I began to turn around, but he grabbed my arm. I was about to retort when his tone changed to something more abrupt.

"Where's your necklace?"

Fear froze my limbs. Oh, no.

"I - what?"

"Where is the necklace, Evangeline?" His voice was dangerously low, a stark difference from just a few seconds ago.

"I tucked it in my shirt?" Ugh. Even my excuse was a question.

"It's at home, right?" He asked. "It's safe, right?"

I gulped. I had no answer to that question yet. I didn't know whether Her Highness had gotten it or not.

Seeing that I didn't have an answer, Mike's grip on my arm tightened. "Where is the necklace, Evangeline?"

I saw the shock and suppressed anger in the green tint of his eyes, and it sent painful reminder down my spine of the green tint of my Gran's eyes. A sudden confidence emerged in me, and I leveled his gaze as I said, "I will not tell you."

Silence followed, both of us glaring at each other.

"What the hell are you doing?" Michael suddenly seethed. "Do you have any idea how important that it?! It belongs to the Queen, Eve! The Queen! Of all of Great Britain and fifteen Commonwealth countries! Do you have any idea what danger you're putting yourself in?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Michael." I said plainly. "I doubt there is any other way I could be hurt. And yes, I did do the selfish thing this time. And I don't care."

With that statement, I pulled my hand out of his grasp and walked away, leaving a stunned Michael behind.

I didn't know where I landed up in. I had just been walking. To nowhere. I just wanted to get away from him. I had taken a risk. But I knew I did the right thing by sending the key back to the Queen. I was a broken person now. Why could Mike not understand that I was done with dealing with the responsibility?

I would still be a part of Ministerio Iustitia. I would still go on missions to expose Dunaway's part in the Iran-Iraq wars. Mr. I had told me on several occasions that it was now up to the police to find him, but I doubted they were going to help. There wouldn't be the need for a ministry of justice if the police took care of it all.

It was getting dark, and I was walking down an abandoned road with a few shops and stores around me, all serving their last customers of the day. Normally, I would be a little wary of places like these, but there was too much on my mind to care about dark places.

Mike was shocked - no, he was furious. In all honesty, I couldn't blame him, but he needed to understand that he couldn't blame me either. And I knew that even Her Majesty wouldn't say anything. I was too weak to be responsible for something like this - both mentally and physically.

Mr. I and Delilah would be furious too - specifically Delilah. She had been very proud to be related (albeit indirectly) to the family that bore such a huge responsibility. She would be absolutely crushed that I hadn't given it to her, especially after the strange bond had formed between us that night in the car. It wasn't love or care, but a renewal of a sort of kinship that we shared. And I knew she wouldn't forgive me after breaking that too.

But if Michael didn't understand, I'd be disappointed. He knew me the best, and he was the only one could ever predict what I would do. I just hoped he would forgive me if I disappointed him.

It was during this debate that I heard a noise to my right. I immediately stopped and surveyed my surroundings. I was a few yards away from the range of stores I was walking near and was currently in a barren area, with dirt and slight moss around me, and a few bushes and shrubs farther out. I looked to where I heard the noise, but there was no one there. The stores that were the nearest to me were already closed, and not a single soul was present. I wanted to pass it off as a figment of my imagination, but my instincts told me I needed to be on guard. I started walking back the way I came, my hand reaching for me gun which I had the good sense to have with me. My steps were quick and light, yet casual and not noticeable. My heart rate increased again and I walked even faster to finally get back onto the street from which I came so I could breathe normally.

Unfortunately, it was obvious the whichever higher beings were up there absolutely hated me.

At least, that's what my last thought was when the kerchief blocked my nasal passages and a slightly sweet smell made me lose conscious.