Zarin

by Sarah J. Stone

  What had Alexander been thinking when he killed her? Had he been thinking? Had he been aware?

  A bleep came on her phone, and she grabbed it. It wasn't a text message, though, but an email from her dance company.

  Benefits, said the subject line.

  She scrolled through it, her lip quivering. It was stupid, because it was an email about medical benefits. But there was a section about spousal benefits. And at the top, it listed her as married.

  She had put that on her employment forms only because her medical benefits were cheaper if she was married. It was easy enough to find a marriage certificate, and she got a huge discount. And then she had forgotten about it because she didn't get sick often. She probably could leave it, even if she never saw Alexander again. But it would be a lie, and it would pain her every time she saw the forms.

  She hadn't realized that her status affected her emotional state. She didn't tell anyone else, and she thought she didn't care. But she did identify as married.

  She couldn't have blood on her hands, though. Blood that Alexander chose to cause was one thing, but blood that she could stop was different.

  To distract herself, she pulled out her laptop, searching various dances and pageants. She was looking for some other clues about her mother's life, but she realized she didn't even know her name.

  She could have texted her father, but it was late. And the truth was, she didn't need to know right that moment. Her father was in her life now; he could tell her what she wanted to know. She wasn't alone anymore; she didn't have to do everything by herself.

  She went to the window before she went to bed, staring out over the city skyline. Her view was mostly of the parking lot below, and despite the late hour, she saw movement in the lot.

  It was her husband, clinging to a lamp post like his life depended on it.

  She didn't move. She didn't tap on the glass or open the window and call out to him. Whatever was plaguing Alexander was clearly not getting better. He shouldn't be on Earth. He should be back in the Kingdom where the medical technology was much more advanced.

  Dragon or human form didn't matter to them, but humans were weaker and more subject to illness. If he knew what was good for him, she thought, he would go. But he wouldn't go, because Alexander had always put family before himself. He rarely thought about what he was going through, even, apparently, if it was killing him. He threw up once in the parking lot and then seemed to recover enough to head inside. Just before he did, however, he cast his eyes upwards.

  She met his gaze, but didn't move. Something silent passed between them, and she was struck by a feeling of grief. This was going to be the end.

  She told herself somewhere deep down that he'd approve. She was putting her family first for the very first time in her life.

  Chapter 13

  “How do we do this?” Ariel asked when they got to the hotspot the next night. She was tired and still in theater makeup. She had thrown on sweatpants and a hoodie, feeling overwhelmed by the night already. There were so many carapaces around, forming a circle on a spot of pavement that didn't look that special. She did recognize it as a place that she and Alexander had landed in more than once.

  “Do you know how to push your magic?” Alvin asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “Although, if you need anything more complicated, you're going to have to explain it to me.”

  “That's all,” he said. “Once you pause, you'll feel the magic in the ground. I need you to push your magic back in sync with the rest of us. Once we push that much carapace magic into the ground, it should neutralize it for good.”

  “Right,” she said, and then looked around. “Do we have to hold hands?”

  Alvin laughed.

  “It helps to sync our power.”

  “Feels culty,” Ariel said, but she complied. However, when everyone starting humming, it made her raise an eyebrow. She assumed it was something about the magic, but it felt like she was about to enter a Disney movie about a witch’s coven. Alvin nudged her and indicated that she should close her eyes.

  She did, and it was then that she felt the vortex. She knew how to push her magic, but she felt almost knocked over by the carapaces around her. They were sucking magic out of the ground faster than she was even capable of.

  In her head, she could see the path from the dragon kingdom – the dizzy feeling, the shining light. She could almost see landing here, the ground rushing up towards her. She remembered the first time that Alexander took her up. It was from this very spot. She felt like a princess from the moment he took her hand, and it wasn't due to the crown she would eventually get. It was the way he spoke to her. The way he listened. The way he held doors and bowed to her out of respect.

  She felt her head swirl, and then suddenly, she felt something she had almost never felt before. A lack of magic.

  “That's it,” her father said. “It's closed. It's done.”

  “That seems so…simple,” she replied. “If it was this easy, why didn't you do it before?”

  “Because we couldn't do it without you,” he answered. “You are the strongest – the link and the key. Now that we have you, we can do anything. And you know what that's like, don't you, achieving your dreams?”

  She said nothing to that, feeling like her soul was too bare. So instead, she turned the topic to a question that had been blazing in her mind since last night.

  “You said that my mother danced mostly in community theater,” she said. “Did she go on tour?”

  “Oh, yes,” he replied. “She toured with the community theater, just like you.”

  “What?” Ariel asked, her face contorted. “Community theaters don't tour.”

  “Uh...” Alvin paused. “Why not?”

  “Because community theaters are unpaid,” Ariel replied. “They don't have connections generally, outside the town that they are in.”

  “Oh,” he shrugged. “I must have used the wrong word. She got paid sometimes. She was never famous like you.”

  “So, a regional theater?” Ariel asked, and he nodded.

  “That's it. My apologies. It's been a while since I had to understand the world you live in.”

  “What was her name?” Ariel asked.

  “Marina,” he answered. “My beautiful Marina.”

  “Marina,” she repeated. “That's not what I expected. But then, none of this is what I expected.”

  “How was your show today?” he asked, and she shrugged.

  “It was alright. I'm feeling a bit distracted.”

  “That's understandable,” he said. “You must be tired. I'll walk you back to your hotel.”

  “Oh,” she paused. “That would be nice. I never had my father walk me home.”

  “Do you have a home, Ariel?”

  “The palace,” she answered, before she realized what she said. “That's the only place where I am consistently. Other than that, it's usually just wherever we tour. Permanent hotels. I used to have an apartment, but I gave it up a while ago.”

  “It must be hard,” he said, “to have no home.”

  “I never...” She thought it over. “It never bothered me.”

  But now that he was talking about it, she realized it did bother her. She didn't miss the apartment that she gave up, but she had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she would probably never see the palace again. It was basically the only home she had known, and she loved how grand it was. It was far grander than she would ever be able to afford on Earth.

  “Perhaps you can visit my home someday,” he said. “It's only three hours from here, in the country side.”

  “The country side?” she said. “I would have expected you to have a condo in the city.”

  He chuckled. “But then–”

  “Nothing is what I expected,” she finished. “I guess I'm getting predictable with what I say.”

  “I'm happy for you to be predictable,” he said. “To learn anything about you. I spent so long, Ariel, wondering abou
t you.”

  Once she was back in her hotel room, she found her mind too restless to sleep. She felt the dragon magic below her, but it was weaker than normal. She paused in her texting, listening with her body. She could almost feel Alexander moving around.

  There were no deaths today, and she wondered if Peter simply wasn't hungry or whether he was getting better. It concerned her, though, that the magic felt weaker. She could feel both of them, but not as strong as the day before.

  Shaking her head, she went back to her phone. They weren't going to be her concern too much longer.

  ‘Marina Campbell,’ she typed into the phone. She expected to find other photos, or maybe some news articles. Her father had not told her much, even though he said he would.

  To her surprise, there was nothing that came up that matched what she was looking for. The pictures that came up in Google were not the pictures of her mother, and none of the articles were about a dancer or a pageant.

  She deleted Campbell, and typed in ‘Regina,’ which she thought was her father's last name. But it was completely possible that she got them mixed up.

  There was nothing for Marina Regina either.

  Confused, she went back to the photographs, thumbing through them until she found the one she was looking for.

  There was her mother, looking gourgeous with a pagent queen’s sash on. If Ariel squinted, she could see that it said ‘Miss Victory.’

  "What pagent is this?" she asked herself, turning on her phone to see if she could find a magnifier app. The light in the hotel room wasn't the best, but she hunched over, trying to angle it under the hotel lamp.

  ‘1992,’ she found at last.

  It was enough for Google, and she put in the details that she could, looking for a ‘Miss Victory 1992.’ It turned up a thousand different things, but none of them were relevant.

  She suddenly felt a surge of magic and sat up straight. Her heart started pounding, and she closed her eyes, trying to focus.

  Cole, she identified at last. Cole was here.

  Cole was like a little brother to her – mischievous but sweet. His human wife, Ariel realized, probably needed to be here this week. She had lost track of the days through this whole adventure. Enya would have no idea about what was happening. In addition, Ariel knew that Enya had no other choice. Being married to a dragon was pretty much the only way that she could survive. Ariel running downstairs and telling Enya everything about her history would only result in the girl being ridden with guilt.

  Still, she didn't want to stay away. This may be the last time that she ever saw Cole, and she wanted to at least lay eyes on him.

  She grabbed her purse out of habit and took the stairs one floor down. She had planned to linger in the stairway, to see if they were out in the hall.

  Cole's voice echoed as soon as she opened the door.

  "The friggin Bloor Street vortex was closed," Cole said. "Closed! Do you know how long it's been since a vortex was closed? God forbid I need to get Enya somewhere fast. That is the closest one to a hospital."

  Ariel put her hand over her mouth, leaning against the wall. She hadn't thought of that, even when she was looking up and staring at the bright hospital lights as she had waited for the rest of the shields to arrive.

  There was a low mummer of voices, and she strained to hear what was being said. It was harder when they were speaking dragon lore, her brain worked over time.

  "Of course he's getting better," Cole said, his voice angry. "His magic is so supressed here. He could get over anything if he has enough time. But you look like road kill. You need to get back."

  "I will," Alexander said, and she could hear the hoareness in her voice. "When he is mentally ready to take the throne."

  "Where is she?" Cole asked, and she was tempted to burst through the door.

  But then her phone buzzed. She dug it out of her purse, turning on the screen.

  We can close another two vortexes at dawn. The sun and the moon align, said the text. Will you meet us?

  Her hands trembled as she answered it.

  Yes, she said, drifting away from the door. She cast one last gaze into the hallway, looking at Cole. She wished she could give him a hug and say goodbye to him. But if she did that, it would re-establish contact, and it would be difficult all over again. How long before all of them are closed?

  Not long, her father said. This city has the most. There are only one or two on other continents. That is perhaps why you keep landing back here.

  The dragons need to get out safely, she texted back. They should have the option to leave peacefully.

  Promise me you won't contract the dragons, he texted back. You must stay away, or they will posion your mind again. You must make a clean break.

  He had been saying this in some form, and she didn't want to lie. She was done lying. Done hiding from people. Done pretneding.

  I won't, she texted back. She listened one last time to their voices and then closed the door behind her.

  But then her phone beeped, and she had to switch screens.

  Ariel? said Enya's text. It confirmed that she was back. What's going on?

  Ariel bit her lip. She promised that she wouldn't talk to the dragons. But Enya was not a dragon, even if she was dragon princess.

  Enya, you have to get out of here, Ariel texted back, trying not to cry. You have to get them all to leave.

  What? Enya replied right away. Why?

  Just trust me, Ariel said. One last time.

  Are you upstairs? Hold on. I'm coming.

  No. Ariel knew this was it. She had her purse. She didn't need anything else. Goodbye, Enya.

  She didn't go back to her room. She thumped down the stairs, half panting from the exertion. She couldn't see her; she couldn't say goodbye.

  Father? she texted. Come and get me. Let's do this now.

  No more goodbyes. No more lies. No more deception. She was ready to close them all.

  Chapter 14

  She stopped dancing, stopped turning up for work, and stopped thinking about anything but closing the vortexes. She didn't care that she was put on probation and then eventually fired. Every time they closed a vortex, she learned more about her family – more about the history that she had missed. It was chaotic and sort of like being on tour with her dance team. But instead of performers, she was on tour with carapaces who were making the world safe from dragons. They had such a rigorous schedule that she didn't have much time to think or talk. She listened to the stories, she nodded, and she tried to come to terms with the person she was becoming.

  She only missed Alexander when she woke up in the morning and reached for him. She spent so many months out of the year without him, and yet, now she longed for him at her side.

  She hadn't realized how much he made up her identity and her confidence. Knowing that she secretly had a husband on the side who was king and could bring her a life of luxury whenever she asked for it was something that fueled her daily. She held her head high. She didn't have to listen to what anyone said about her. She didn't care if the cliques giggled by themselves, and she didn't care if the boys paid attention to someone else. She was free to do what she wanted, knowing there was always someone who cared for her.

  She had been acting like a wife despite fighting against it.

  It was one lonely morning before dawn when the thoughts got the best of her. She sat up in her bed, reaching for her phone. She wanted a distraction – anything to show her mind another path.

  While scrolling through her recent searches, she found her mother's name. She had never finished that search to find more about her mother online. The carapaces had told her endless stories, but stories weren't as good as the digital trail she might be able to find. Maybe her mother would have an interview – a video somewhere – where she could hear her voice.

  Ariel researched both names, but nothing came up. Frustrated, she pulled the pictures from her suitcase and put her phone over the pageant one. She wasn't very good at
a Google image search, but it might be a better shot than what she was doing. There were so many Marina Campbells and Marina Reginas; she needed a better answer.

  Eventually after playing around with it, she found copies of the image that matched the picture.

  Except, it wasn't her mother's face on the image. There was someone else who won Miss Victory in 1992, with the exact same dress, sash, and background.

  Ariel froze, feeling chills go down her spine. This couldn't be right.

  She found another picture, the one with tap shoes, and Google image searched that as well. It was the same thing. An image that almost matched, except for the face. They had doctored them.

  She didn't move for a solid moment, her mind whirling. Why would they have doctored them? Why would they have lied to her?

  Eventually, her fingers spoke for her. She found herself texting Cole, praying that he was still on Earth. Cole had always been her ally, even when he was detained for war crimes in the kingdom. She had never judged him or his actions. She now prayed that he wouldn't judge her as well.

  Have you gone back?

  She waited for what felt like an eternity. The fact that there was no answer as the minutes ticked by made her hope that maybe, just maybe, they had gone back. Maybe this nightmare was over, and she could move on with her life. They knew she was closing vortexes; they wouldn't linger.

  Call me, came the simple response.

  She knew that she shouldn't. She knew she was risking it all if she did – her future with the carapaces, her family. Except for the fact that she didn't know what was real right now.

  He answered on the first ring.

  “Where are you?” he asked, urgency in his voice.

  “Does it matter?” she said, curling her legs up underneath her. “You know we're closing the vortexes. Why are you lingering?”

  “Ariel, where are you?” he said, urgently. “Are you still in the city?”

  “No,” she said. “We moved a lot. We're closing the vortexes in some strange ass order. First Berlin, and then Hong Kong, and then we went to–”

  “Dublin,” he replied.