The Exiles (Book 1 of the Exiles Series)

Six

"As you know, my father sent me here," Magnus began. "He is a politician in the capital city of my home country, the president, actually. He banished me here because he thought that when I was grown up I would become a politician, too, and take his place. Which is true." I knew all of this. Magnus had told me all of this stuff before. The familiarity of it was meant for him, I could tell, more than me.

"So I want to get rid of him," Magnus hissed, surprising me with his tone. He slammed his fists on the table. Surprisingly, his face was calm, placid, the anger that I had expected nonexistent, or at least hidden.

"I'd show him that, yeah, I am a better politician than him, or at least, I hoped I would be, and kick him out of office. I would create something so powerful that it would make him look like a fool." The force of this dream was so powerful that it lifted Magnus from his seat, sending him pacing around the room. An unnatural smile lit up his face. I was starting to get frightened. I shrank back in my seat, willing him to work out his conflicting emotions.

"I would create an empire that would throw everything else out the book: Egypt, Rome, and Greece," Magnus continued, his voice taking on a light tone like he was flying. He spread his hands out like he was addressing a crowd.

"All I need is your cooperation." I stood up slowly. I felt like I was trapped inside a dream.

"What are you talking about?" I asked Magnus. His eyes went smaller and he looked less, well...crazy.

"I'm talking about you," Magnus explained, "and everyone here. We could form a rebellion that would put all others to shame. We fell when the government sent us here. Now they will fall. It's only fair, don't you agree?" I had to admit I agreed with this last statement. If what Magnus said about the government sending us here was correct, then I agreed: they needed to pay. Was Nicole right? Was Magnus manipulating me? A headache throbbed above my eye just thinking about that possibility

"That's...fascinating," I managed. I wasn't sure whether I meant it or not.

"I thought you'd agree," he told me, satisfied. Something struck me as odd. Magnus had been here for nearly four years, he said. If he had been here for so long, then why had this plan not gone into action sooner? The government had no control over what we did here. Magnus's plan couldn't have been thwarted by them, could it? Someone here had to have done it, I concluded. Someone who was cunning and intelligent, someone who had been here almost as long as he had...

"Magnus," I asked him, "why hasn't this plan gone into action yet?" Magnus shrugged. "Certain...problems," he muttered. I leaned towards him in my chair.

"Like what?" I pressed. Magnus sighed. I could tell he was starting to grow impatient.

"Nicole," he said simply, his face betraying little emotion. So my suspicions were correct. Nicole was the only person on this island who had been here as long as Magnus had. I wasn't sure whether to feel angry at Nicole or relieved.

"What happened?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Nicole just doesn't have the same philosophies I have," Magnus explained. "Her philosophy is every man for himself. Mine is that we should work together. If we do, our time here will be lessened, or at least be improved. Nicole just...doesn't see it the way I do."

His idea did sound enticing. I couldn't say I hated being on the island, but I longed for the home and people that I couldn't remember. My family was probably waiting for me there, worried sick.

"I thought you liked it here," I told Magnus, remembering him saying something along those lines.

"I do," he confirmed, "but the world outside is better than here. Not much better, but better. There are houses and families and civilization. We don't have any of that here. Well, houses, I guess." He did have a point.

Just then, the door flew open with a bang. Magnus and I looked over, surprised, just as Nicole sauntered in, drawing her bow at the ready.

"Talia," she said, her voice hard, "you have a lot of explaining to do."

I stood up and trotted over towards Magnus. "Come on." She beckoned me with her hands. I had a feeling that if I didn't go with her something bad was going to happen. Reluctantly, I stepped away from Magnus and followed her to the door. Nicole never shifted her gaze from my face. For just a split second I looked back. Magnus stayed where he was, his face cast with a longing look. I noticed he became introverted and shy when Nicole entered the room. She was clearly the leader here...I could see how his plan hadn't gone into motion.

Silently, I followed her outside. I wanted to turn around and run back inside to the Center, but I could not. A crowd of islanders were standing outside, all looking very worried.

"It's alright," reassured Nicole. "You can go in. There is no danger anymore." I wondered what Nicole meant when she said, "danger."

The crowd began to chatter lightheartedly again and went in a clump to the door. Nicole kept walking right past them all, and still I followed. We took our time down the gravel trail until we reached the beach. Once we got there, Nicole slowed and then halted. She crept to the very edge of the beach and sat down, inches away from where the waves were lapping. I copied her movements and sat down beside her.

"Hey," she muttered, not bothering to look up, her face cast with a swirl of motions that I couldn't decipher. I twirled my fingers in the sand, watching as it slid across my palm and back on to the ground.

"Now you see why I don't trust you, Talia," stated Nicole. I nodded regretfully. "I'm sorry," I told her. She smiled ever so slightly. "Did you find out what you needed to know?" Nicole asked. I nodded again. "I suppose I was stupid, not telling you what you wanted to. I knew what you wanted to do. I made a mistake."

My ears perked up at this. Nicole didn't seem like the type to admit her mistakes. She was a leader. Leaders were supposed to be perfect, role models for all, having everything under control, but Nicole wasn't, and I was okay with that.

"I'm sorry, too," I told her. "I should have accepted your response."

She clapped me on the shoulder. "You got dirty and did what you needed to do," said Nicole. "It's what anyone would've done. Now you know why I kept you away from Magnus." I nodded, but I didn't agree. Magnus did seem a little strange, but the good kind. I think he wanted to be a leader, but he didn't know how. He had a fire roaring inside, but no kindling to keep it going.

"He is a bit...odd," I admitted, feeling the truth resonating, "but I'm not sure I'd call him dangerous." Nicole shrugged indifferently.

"We should get back," Nicole said, changing the subject. She stood up and started walking away.

I just sat there a few seconds, stunned. I had crossed the line again. Nicole refused to talk about Magnus. It was infuriating. No wonder Magnus and her had butted heads.

I stood up and started following her back. "Nicole," I called. "Magnus said all the new kids on the island start with you. Am I no exception?"

Nicole stopped in her tracks and spun around to face me. "I guess not," Nicole said simply. "You know this place well, Talia. Just know that you can move out whenever you'd like."

I could tell she was buying time. "I can tell you're hiding something, Nicole," I told her. "But I'm not going to pry you open again. I'll just move out." She didn't seem surprised.

"All right," she told me, starting to walk again. "You can move out tomorrow. We need a whole day's worth of daylight to do so, and you already wasted a good chunk of that." Already the sun was starting to get higher in the sky, beginning its descent from morning to noon.

"Alright," I confirmed, following her back towards the house on what would be my last day there. "That makes sense." She shot me a sly smile over her shoulder. I could tell she liked me, and it wasn't something that could be destroyed. I liked her, as well. I realized how scared I was of this place already. Now living alone--that was suicide. But I wouldn't give Nicole the satisfaction of knowing this. She would use it against me later, I knew.

We reached the house in a few minutes' time. "Are you starving?" Nicole asked me when we arrived. I nodded, my mouth beginning to water. "Good," Nicole said. "So am I."