Adversity Makes Strange Bedfellows

Elyce Dubois, her very name conjures up the visions of ice shards cutting into you for my cousin gave evil its beautiful face and I feared she had come to shower me in whatever malevolent joy she was nurturing. She deftly got rid of Simon, leaving me to enjoy our solitude and I had to remind myself that Maritka was only a shout away when she gave me a glacial smile in an attempt to be cordial.

As we sat in the drawing room I could see my entire life summed up in one sweep of her artic green eyes and I met those eyes with the same gaze I used on every Dubois. If she thought she was going to intimidate me in my own home she was grossly deluded for I had taken on Gervais in this very room and she was only small fissure of evil compared to him. Elyce appeared unconcerned with my glare and made herself comfortable while Maritka came bustling in at that moment with the coffee. If she was surprised to see Simon had turned into Elyce during her absence she did not reveal any of her thoughts and left the room with her usual scowl of disapproval. Elyce then did something strange, she got up and closed the door to the drawing room. Again I was uneasy as I was going to rely upon Maritka’s eavesdropping abilities to rescue me if Elyce lapsed into some sort of psychotic break. However this was not to be, Elyce appeared to be almost cheerful, if a snake can appear happy and welcomed me into the family in a hearty manner that was far more frightening than if she had produced a gun.

I realised that my new familial association was going to change my life but I never thought being menaced daily in my own drawing room was part of my new future. I stayed apprehensive and waited for Elyce to stop being weird and tell me what she wanted. Elyce finally ran out of chitchat and crossed her perfect legs while giving me the benefit of her aloof gaze. Her voice dropped down into a confidential murmur and I knew by the family trait of appearing off hand that we were finally getting down to business. Elyce then surprised me for a second time by telling me the truth-- she said she had been sent by Gervais to discover what I am up to. I feigned stupidity and tried doing a Coco but me suddenly becoming vacant did nothing to stop her.

Elyce smiled like a crocodile waiting for dinner and explained that my life was an open book to Gervais as he was well aware I was plotting something with my friends. I stayed as detached as I could while trying to match her cool gaze with one of my own. The only way to deal with a Dubois was to become as cold blooded as they are so I shrugged and said plotting was being a trifle dramatic. Perhaps my friends and I were discussing our situations but Gervais is becoming paranoid if he thinks all I have to do every day is to plot against him. That fact he was right, plotting was all I had been doing lately, but she was not to know and neither was he, so I feigned indifference doing what used to be my best Liselle impersonation which unfortunately was now my reality

Elyce leaned back with the self assurance that only a lifetime of being a Dubois can give smiling a smile that actually touched her eyes and I was beginning to wonder if I should be far more concerned for my safety. I had known her all my life and this was the first time she had looked remotely human for Elyce wanted something from me as I was about to discover the purpose of her visit. She re-crossed her legs as I could see her comfort level rise, she was enjoying every minute of this—as if it had been a moment long in coming and when she told me what she wanted I could see it had been.

Elyce stopped the toying and her voice became crisp as she told me Gervais had sent her over to find out what I was up to, he intended to punish me for not moving into the compound by stopping the wedding between Jazz and Braith. I said “Tell me something I don’t know” and then she did!

She said she was going ensure he did not get anything from her that could stop the wedding and whatever my friends and I were up to she wanted in. My heart froze for a second for I knew it was just like my dear cousin to send in a mole and I explained to Elyce that we had never been friends and this was just how I liked to keep it. Her face lost it’s icy pallor as a flood of colour filled it, since I had never her angry before this was new ground for me. As she looked straight at me, I could see the green depths of her eyes become clear and for a minute the person Elyce could have been shone through. She said he had tortured her for her entire life and whatever we were going to do to get rid of him we could count her in. Before I could deny or respond Elyce rose in one graceful motion and had taken herself to the door, turning to give me one last word of warning. “Whatever you think you know you are wrong, however safe you think you are, you are not and if you plan to outsmart him, you will not. He has been doing this for years and he never loses. Even if you do not want me, you will need me with you.”

I stood up giving her the same smile I gave Gervais when he was lost in threats as I replied “He has never had a cousin like me before.” Elyce smiled at my reply and was gone before I could call for Maritka. Again my life was in turmoil with the usual source being a Dubois and I wished she wasn’t right, but she was, so that was how we got Elyce.

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