Zarin

by Sarah J. Stone

  “Who are you texting?” Ariel slid over to him, a teasing smile on her face. “First, lipstick on your collar, and now secret messages? Nicholas, I'm starting to think that you do have a secret girlfriend.”

  “No,” he said as he pulled his phone away, but she took that as an invitation to play on. She reached for it, dodging his arms. To his horror, she managed to pry it out of his hands. “Ariel, NO!”

  She stopped, in shock.

  Nicholas had a temper. Everyone knew that. He was out of control, his anger enough to kill an entire room if it manifested into physical actions. But never, in his life, had he yelled at his favorite sister-in-law.

  Alexander rose, throwing his napkin down on his plate and holding out his hand.

  “Ariel, give me the phone,” he said, looking right into Nicholas' eyes. “Now.”

  She handed it over without protest. For Nicholas to yell like that, something had to be terribly wrong. Alexander's authority bore into his brother who stood stock still.

  Alexander's eyes flashed over the screen, reading quickly. He was silent for a moment, and then looked to his younger brother.

  “Explain,” he said.

  Nicholas' brain frantically tried to come with an explanation. “I was trying to look into the theory about magic fading,” he said. “So, I asked some witches–”

  “No,” Alexander said. “You are lying. Explain, now.”

  “Alexander, I can't,” Nicholas begged him. “Please, don't make me. Please.”

  Alexander had never seen such emotion in his brother's eyes. He recognized the look. He had seen it in Peter and in Cole when their lovers were threatened. This was the same glassy stare, the same lost eyes, pleading for help.

  “Nicholas,” Alexander chose his words carefully, “is this something that will put us in danger?”

  “No, I swear,” Nicholas cried. “I would never do that. How could you even think that of me, brother?”

  “I don't,” Alexander said. “But you are not normally so secretive.”

  “Please, just leave it be. Please do not make me explain.”

  Alexander held his gaze for a long time and then handed over the phone. Nicholas took it with a sigh of relief, putting it back in his pocket.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I promise this will make sense someday.”

  “Do what you need to do,” Alexander said, dismissing him. Nicholas bowed and left, his hands shaking.

  Alexander sank back in his seat, raising an eyebrow at Ariel.

  “Who is she?” Ariel asked.

  Alexander sighed, picking at his plate again. He thought he might have the strength to make it through the evening if he could find a way to get another mouthful or two in.

  “Her name is Rosa Halloway,” he said. “She's a witch, and the last of the Halloway line. I had thought she was long dead, but it appears Nicholas has found her. And from the look in his eyes, it's more than just a business relationship. They knew each other as children, but it appears it has blossomed.”

  “Halloway?” Ariel replied, in surprised “There are no more Halloway witches.”

  “Didn't they say that about carapaces as well?” Alexander raised an eyebrow at her. “The Halloway are odd witches. They are very powerful, but they use ancestral magic, so they need four. Rosa is all that is left. The rest have died out early, overcome by their magic. It eats at them and eventually destroys their human body.”

  “My God, that is not a good evolution,” she said. “So he's being all secretive. Why?”

  “He's trying to protect her, I imagine,” Alexander shrugged. “The Halloway, like carapaces, were hunted for their power. Killing them off, stealing their power by a transfer, all those things were common. All of those things were things King Richard did.

  “I never met your father and I hate him. Have I mentioned that?” Ariel put in. Alexander quirked an eyebrow.

  “You wouldn't be alone. In any case, my dear, I know Nicholas has no evil attentions in mind. If he wants to keep Rosa to himself, it doesn't matter. Without three others, she is useless. She will burn out like the rest, and his heart will break, but that is all.”

  “Mm,” she put her hand over his. “Except grief. Which can kill you.”

  “He'll be all right,” Alexander sighed. “He's strong like the rest of us. Shall we retire for the evening?”

  “Speaking of strong,” she pointed out. “You look like you could do with an infusion of magic yourself.”

  “A good night's sleep, that's all,” he slipped an arm around her waist. “A night where I don't have to wear the crown.”

  “I can think of ways where you can wear nothing at all.” She nuzzled into his neck, and he chuckled. No matter how dire the situation, Ariel always had a way of making him smile.

  Chapter 7

  Rosa had called in sick for work. She didn't want to, but she didn't know what else to do. They would expect her to after the accident. But she would have gone if she felt like she had the strength.

  She felt so strange, as if her body was fighting a passive war. She needed the magic, but she hated the magic.

  She was staring at the wall, trying to get her strength up when she saw her front door open.

  She jumped about four feet in the air, afraid. If someone was coming to rob her, they were going to discover quite quickly that there was nothing to rob. Perhaps they would get angry and hurt her. She couldn't defend herself, and she didn't want to die this way.

  But to her surprise, the person coming through the door meant no harm.

  “My Lord,” she said, trying to look dignified. Cole stood there, a grin on face. He came and went as he pleased, asking for magical advice whenever it suited him.

  “I caught you at a bad time?” he said. “I was in the area, so I thought I'd pop in.”

  “You thought you'd pop in?” she raised an eyebrow. “Right.”

  “Okay, I need something,” he grinned. “How are you?”

  “I'm uh…” she remembered who she was talking to. “Having problems with magic.”

  “So, I figured,” he said. “There was an interesting topic brought up at dinner last night, so I thought I'd come and see you. After all, who is the oldest witch clan in history?”

  “Me,” she said. “But I'm currently a singular force, so…”

  “And you're experiencing a magical drain. Do you think it has to with the Other dropping?” He leaned against her wall.

  “Uh…” she paused. “I don't know. I don't know what's going on, to be honest.”

  Cole's brow furrowed. “Rosa?” he asked, moving forward.

  Her reaction was to get up, to pretend everything was normal. It was such a strong reaction that she forgot her legs didn't work. She fell back onto the bed.

  He was beside her an instant, his moves lightning fast.

  “Damn. You are in bad shape,” he said.

  She couldn't hold in her emotion any more. “I'm a Halloway,” she said. “We already have such problems living with our magic. If the world is taking it from me sooner, it's just cruel!”

  He was taken aback by this sudden emotion.

  “Rosa,” he said as he touched her. He was alarmed at how little magic was under her skin. “Oh, my God.”

  “I don't know what to do,” she said. “I don't know what to do. I don't want to die.”

  The tears flowed down her face, and he felt pity for this poor girl. He was about to say something comforting when the door opened again.

  Rosa's head snapped toward it, her eyes wide.

  There stood Nicholas, equally shocked. “Brother?” he asked Cole. Rosa looked between the two of them in a panic.

  “Nicholas,” Cole said. “Do you know Rosa Halloway?”

  “I–” Nicholas said. This was it, they were caught. Rosa dropped her head. “Yes.”

  Rosa was dying anyway, he figured. This was their last chance.

  “We know each other quite well.”

  “Cool,” Cole said. “We h
ave to get her to Umora.”

  “Sorry?” Nicholas said. “What?”

  “You know that Earth has more trouble supporting magic,” Cole said. “Her magic is fading. She'll have a little longer if we could get to Umora.”

  “But…” Nicholas sputtered. “Rosa is protected by witch covens who–”

  “Who I am in charge of,” Cole pointed out. “If they have a problem with it, they can answer to me. Do you want to help me?”

  Nicholas looked to Rosa, trying to stay calm. It was hard not to swoop her up in his arms and just run away. He didn't want her to feel an iota sadness, let alone these tears. “Rosa, you know what this means.”

  “I don't know what else to do,” she cried. “I can't take this anymore.”

  “I will take care of you,” he assured her, looking her straight in the eyes. “I promise you, my love. I will take care of you no matter what.”

  Silently, she nodded, holding out her hands.

  “Please,” she whispered, meeting his eyes. “If these are my last moments, then let them be with you.”

  Nicholas reached out to her, the magic swirling already. He was prepared to take her as far away from this hell as he could. He could transport her in an instant.

  What he didn't expect was his magic to be blocked.

  “Ah,” he cried, almost in pain. His head whipped around, and his heart dropped. To his horror, there was a dark shadow in the doorway. As it advanced, he gritted his teeth. Rosa groaned, and he knew she was being drained.

  Standing in the doorway in human form stood King Richard. The limp body of a carapace, with shocking red hair that reminded him of Ariel, dropped to the ground. Killing a carapace released their magic like a flower with pollen, and Nicholas felt himself start to go weak.

  “Boy,” Richard looked to Cole. “If you know what is good for you, you'll step away from that witch and hand her over.”

  “Ha,” Cole said. “Like I'm that easily convinced. I owe you nothing.”

  “I will kill you both,” Richard said. “As a human, here and I now. I have no issues with that, I'm stronger than you.”

  “You will not lay a hand on her,” Nicholas growled. The carapace’s energy was still in the room, and he couldn't transform. He didn't care, though. He would kill his father with his bare hands if he even thought about hurting Rosa.

  “Don't you want to live forever, Nicholas?” Richard said, and then he launched forward.

  Rosa screamed and dove backward as fast as she could. She put her hands over her head because she didn't know what else to do. It wasn't as if she could fight or protect either of them.

  She felt air whoosh over them, and she heard crashes and grunts. Her heart beat rose ridiculously high, and her breathing became ragged.

  “Please,” she whispered, to a god she wasn't sure she believed in. “Please, help me. Help us.”

  Suddenly, she felt magic flood her. She screamed, unsure whose it was. And then she was on a cold marble floor, trembling and bruised.

  “Rosa! Rosa!” Nicholas scrambled over to put his hand on her back. “Are you hurt, my love?”

  She rolled over, blinking.

  His face was bleeding, and his cheeks were filled with color, but he was all right. His eyes were bright, and his hands were gripping hers.

  A quick look to her right saw Cole also sitting on the floor, looking rather proud of himself. There was no trace of Richard.

  “No,” she said, shell-shocked. “What happened?”

  “As soon as the carapace magic faded enough, I got us out of there,” Cole said. “He didn't follow. Although, it wouldn't take a genius to know we would come here.”

  “Where are we?” she asked, as Nicholas helped her sit up.

  “We're in my palace, my love,” he said softly. “You're safe. At least for now.”

  “In the palace?” She looked into his eyes. “But, Nicholas–”

  “I know,” he said. “But we have no choice. We are no longer safe apart, my love. We made that choice.”

  She leaned her head into his chest, trying to calm her breathing. She felt weak, although that wasn't a surprise with a carapace suddenly spewing every bit of magic they had. What surprised her, though, was how she didn't feel completely incapacitated. She was feeling better every moment she sat here.

  “Magic works better here,” Cole said, reading her mind as he stood up. Despite looking a bit rough, he didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that his father had just threatened his life. “You should be able to stand.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I'm a witch. I know all things.” He winked at her. “Go on, try,” he said.

  She looked at Nicholas who gently helped her up. Although her legs were shaky, she found more strength than she had in days. She leaned into him.

  “Should we hide me?”

  “No, love,” he said. “You're here now. I'm going to make sure to you are taken care of.”

  “Why are you–” Suddenly, the door to the antechamber opened. Rosa felt it before she knew what was happening.

  She recognized Nicholas’ sister-in-law, Ariel, standing in the doorway. With high heels and a green dress that brought out her eyes, Rosa immediately felt inadequate at her beauty. She also realized that she felt dizzy at her very presence.

  She stumbled against Nicholas who put his arm around her.

  “Ariel, get out!” he screamed. “To the other side of the palace. OUT!”

  “What the?” She obeyed him, although she was clearly confused and annoyed by it. Rosa panted, trying to regain what she had only moments ago.

  “Oh, my God,” she gasped, as Nicholas held her tight. “That's–”

  “That's why she is their queen,” Nicholas said softly.

  “Well, she's going to be mad,” Cole put in. “I'm going to talk to her before she breaths fire.”

  “She can't,” Nicholas said, and Cole grinned.

  “Can't she? Go settle your lady love in,” Cole said. “I'll just fix the world, per usual.”

  Cole left them alone, and Nicholas looked down at Rosa, who rose her head from his chest.

  “Are you all right now?” he asked. “I'm going to take you to my room, where you can settle in.”

  “We can share your room?” she asked hopefully.

  “Of course, my love,” he said, as they began to walk. He was cautious, on guard, in case Ariel was anywhere nearby.

  Rosa tried to smile.

  “Like a princess,” she said, and he chuckled.

  “You've always been a princess.”

  “Nicholas,” she said softly as their footsteps echoed in the hallway. “What did your father mean? About living forever?”

  “I…” he was about to say he didn't know, but then he remembered the book and the conversation he had with Cole. “I think he was trying to steal your power.”

  “My power?” she said, surprised.

  “Did you know the Halloways were just as hunted as carapaces once?” he asked. “They are the most powerful of all witches, and I think that your power can give him immortality. If not immortality, a very long life.”

  “But dragons already have a ridiculously long life,” she said. “Why does he need mine?”

  “It may be easier to take since you are the only one,” he replied. “I don't know. We still don't fully understand what is happening with the supernaturals who returned from the Other, but what we do know is that magic in this universe is changing, and possibly fading.”

  “That would make sense,” she said, as he let her into his room. She gasped at the vastness and the beauty. “Oh, my goodness, you really are a prince.”

  He laughed, helping her on the bed.

  “Did you not believe me?”

  “I didn't dare to dream,” she whispered, as he leaned in to kiss her.

  Chapter 8

  “Princess,” Cole strolled through the palace, using his magic to trace Ariel. He kept sending out pings and waiting to see where they fade
d. “Ariel. Come scream at me.”

  Wherever she was, she felt his magical shocks and strolled out from the library. It connected to so many rooms, and he was reminded of her power by the fact that he couldn't quite locate her. She didn't look particularly angry, but she did look annoyed.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “You want an explanation of what just happened?” he said. “Don't be mad at me. I didn't tell you to go away.”

  “Sure,” she replied. “Everything else that goes on in this palace confuses me, so why not?”

  “That was Rosa,” he said. He expected to give her more of explanation, but she quirked an eyebrow.

  “Rosa Halloway?”

  “How did you know?” he asked, and she shrugged.

  “Alexander and I snooped in Nicholas' phone last night, accidentally, but on purpose. Is he having a love affair with her?”

  “He is, I think,” Cole replied. “But he freaked because she's only alive because of magic. You take it away, and she's done for.”

  “Isn't her magic also killing her?” Ariel asked, remembering the conversation she had with Alexander.

  “Indeed,” Cole replied. “Halloway need four, so she is carrying the magic of three other witches, and that's too much. If she could just carry her own, there would be room for an actual life force in her, and it wouldn't be such a problem.”

  “I don't get it,” Ariel said. “They need four, and yet she has the other three?”

  “Because…there is just her?” Now it was his turn to be confused.

  “But there's you,” she said.

  That stopped Cole in his tracks.

  “What?” he asked, increasingly confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your magic is the same as hers,” she said. “When I absorb yours and hers, it feels the same. Aren't you of the same line?”

  The words confused Cole. He realized that nothing he said would make sense. He was half-witch, yes, but he never thought of what his witch origins were. He knew how to use his magic, and it worked, so there was no reason to question it. Despite a brief straying from the palace of his royal home, he knew who his family was. At least, it was the family that mattered. He didn't have any need or want to chase after his birth parents.