Book 2: Alexander

Chapter 1

“And look at your life. Look at your life through heaven's eyes.”

She extended her long leg, her body a perfect silhouette, and then launched into the lively dance routine the choreography called for. She didn't even have to think about what she was doing, her muscle memory taking over. Sometimes, Ariel was stunned as to how she did anything at all. She had been dancing for so long that it appeared she absorbed choreography by osmosis, and wasn’t even aware of that she was doing half the time, until the music started.

Normally, she danced as a strict ballerina, usually prima donna, leading the pack with her rebellious moves. Ariel had been a ballerina since she was nine years old. On stage, she was the uniform ballerina, with her fiery red hair pulled into a bun, her tutu always in perfect condition, and her face serene. She had even taken more gigs in musicals lately, enjoying the difference between the musical world and the strict world of ballet. Off stage, she was rebellious, her cleavage exposed, her green eyes sparkling, and her long fingers tracing flirtatious lines on men's chests. Ariel could have been a model, a high-end escort, an executive–basically, anything that she wanted. She loved dancing, but she also knew that she couldn't do it forever. Luckily, she already had another plan for her life.

When the production of Prince of Egypt took its final bow, Ariel was quick to head backstage to her dressing room. She didn't mind leaving in her makeup, but she certainly didn't want to leave on the conservative costumes that they made her wear. She was much happier to change into a high-low skirt and tube top. She let down her hair, curls falling around her shoulders, and glanced in the mirror. Her milky white shoulders were well toned, and her long legs now had shoes that laced up to her knees. She was a goddess, on or off stage.

“You're in a rush,” her dressing-room mate, Tara, said to her as she sauntered back in. “Hot date?”

“Sure,” Ariel replied. “You could look at it like that. Two days off, I'm going to use it well.”

Tara wiggled her eyebrows.

“Who is it?”

“None of your business,” Ariel replied, although she smiled.

“Is it that Alexander bloke?” Tara asked.

“Maybe,” Ariel replied casually, as she slipped her jewelry back on.

“You better be careful,” Tara said. “People might think you're serious about him, the way things have been going.”

“We're not serious,” Ariel replied. “We just have an understanding.”

“Right,” Tara said. “An understanding.”

“See you on Wednesday,” Ariel picked up her bag that cost more than a week's salary, and sauntered out the door into the lobby.

The man in question was waiting for her in the lobby with a well-tailored suit on his back, and a smile on his face.

The first time she had laid eyes on Alexander, she had been stunned. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Lean muscles and a handsome face, with well-defined features–he had caught her eye from the moment he walked into a room. But what really attracted her was the flash of yellow she saw in his eyes, especially when he was angry. She loved it when he was angry, his head held high and his face regal. He looked like a king, and that was because he was one. Alexander was King of the Dragon Lords, far away on the planet of Umora.

It wasn't long into their torrid, steamy affair that she had figured it out. But Ariel herself wasn't an ordinary human either. She was a carapace, the reverse of a supernatural creature. With her mere presence alone, Ariel could suck the supernatural powers from the world around her. Everyone was reduced to human while Ariel was around. Some of them didn't like it; some of them thought that she and her kind were too dangerous to live. But Alexander loved the burden of being a dragon shifter taken away from him. He loved kissing her and feeling the supernatural senses melt to nothing–feeling nothing but her hands and her lips. She didn't believe in love, and he didn't either. However, they were of mutual benefit to each other. He was addicted to the feeling she gave him, and they got along well.

But when she was 18 years old, almost 19, he had repaid the favor she paid him nightly. Ariel's British work visa had run out where she was dancing. He had British citizenship by way of magic and had married her in a civil ceremony. It had been nothing but functional, and they didn't talk about it with anyone. Their marriage was of no consequence; he was sure that he'd enjoy her company either way. On Earth, he escorted her to fancy events, took her home from shows, and reveled in her arms. On Umora, she served as his queen when she pleased, sitting beside him on the throne, enjoying a life of luxury.

She had no family, left in foster care as a toddler, but she loved his family. He had two younger brothers, Nicholas and Cole. Her secret brothers-in-law were mischievous princes, but they were each finding their way in life since their father had died. Cole had married a human, and Nicholas was happy with his position as regent. Ariel loved her life as queen as much as her life as a dancer. She didn't judge anyone; she came and went as she pleased, and she took no sides in any conflict. Ariel had always looked out for herself.

Late at night, however, she also knew that the weight of the crown was driving into Alexander's very soul. He hadn't ever anticipated the throne. There had been an older brother, Peter, who had always hated what he was. Peter, at least the story that Ariel heard, walked around with a dark cloud over him. One day, he disappeared in the blink of magic, into the darkness that dragons go when their souls cannot go on. No one had ever returned from there, and so the throne went to Alexander.

“Hi,” she said, standing up on her tip toes to kiss him. She was tall, but he was taller. “How was that?”

“You were ravishing, as always,” he replied, enjoying the kiss. “I'm glad I got to see it. A bit different from your usual programming.”

“Not sure I'll stick with it,” she said. “But it was something different. Did I look hot?”

“You looked beautiful,” he was always classy, always thinking about his words before he spoke. English did not come easily to him, although Ariel was completely fluent in the dragon tongue by now.

“Oh, wasn't trying for that,” she teased him. “Are we going right away?”

“We can, if you want,” he said. “Although, if you want dinner, I won't object to another hour or two away.”

“Mm,” she said, as they headed towards the door. The plan was to return to Umora tonight and to stay with him for the next two days while the theater was closed. Alexander looked tired today, and she could see that he could use a break. She hated to bring up the topic she wanted to discuss, but it had been weighing on her mind all night. “Or we could stay tonight and head to City Hall in the morning.”

“City Hall?” he said, his mind turning. He sighed. “Ariel, we are not getting a divorce. I don't know why you keep asking. It's not as if I keep you under lock and key. Is there someone else you're desperate to marry?”

“No,” she insisted. “But being married, even in secret, does not vibe with my style.”

“Your style,” he rolled his eyes. “I just…it’s of no consequence to you, aside from some paperwork. If you don't want to come back with me, it's nothing.”

“I do,” she said. “But that's not the point.”

“Ariel,” he sighed, running a hand over his face. “Can we talk about this later?”

She saw his eyes flash, and she stopped walking.

“What is it?”

“It's nothing,” he answered, but she knew him better than that. They had been together for 15 years, on and off, and she could read him better than a book.

“Obviously, it is,” she said, and bumped gently against him.

“That's the thing, it's not,” he said. “Someone, before I left, told me there was a rumor circulating in town that Peter had returned.”

She stopped.

“What? But you said that's not possible.”

“Of course it's not possible,” he said. “But, it got to me. The feeling I had when someone said that–”

“Would you want him to come back?” she asked. “Even now? It's been years, hasn't it? And you've got the Kingdom set up to your rule.”

“I…” he shook his head. “I don't know. It just stunned me. That's all.”

Ariel squeezed his hand.

“So, let's go out,” she said. “Paint the town red. Just don't get so plastered that you forget how to magic us back. We don't have to think about any of this now.”

“That's your solution to everything,” he said, although he looked slightly less pale. “You are serious, though? About the divorce?”

Alexander came from a place where there was no divorce, not even suggestion of such a thing. Dragons married for life, even if they didn't mate for life. He couldn't even fathom the very idea of having a second or third wife. He had known what it meant when he married her, and while their marriage was open, he had no intention of signing papers, even if it was just on Earth.

“I am,” she said. “And it's not the first time we've talked about it. Don't act so surprised.”

“We can talk about it,” he said, at last. “But I don't–”

“I know,” Ariel said. “We come from very different worlds. I've long since accepted this.”

“Well, at least there's that,” he loved being on Earth. The busy streets, especially in the dark, were memorizing. The cars whizzed by, people spoke on their phones, and the world seemed simpler and easier. “We can go out for a few drinks if you want. We should celebrate your success, in any case. You stole the show.”

“I was in the chorus!” she protested. “That's the problem with musical theater. It doesn't matter if you were a prima donna in the ballet company; you are in the chorus of the theater unless you can dance and act.”

“You can't dance ballet forever,” he said, and she shrugged.

“I know,” she replied. “And I know I'm already older than most of the dancers out there. Musical theater is a last-ditch effort. Maybe I should learn to act; it can't be that hard.”

“I could waive my hand,” he said, indicating his magic. “One director will lead to another, and they will all be convinced you're a rising star in that regard.”

“No,” she said. “I was a prima ballerina on my own, and if this is my path, I'll figure it out.”

“My independent queen,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “So many people would take that offer and never look back.”

“So many of them are weak,” Ariel answered. “Are you actually hungry?”

“No,” he said, as he scoured the landscape.

“Right, it's not Wednesday, is it?” she said it off hand, but Alexander caught it anyway, squeezing her hand. It was the other thing he hid – his issues with food. He was almost afraid of his dragon form and of the impulses that came with it. Dragons ate other creatures relentlessly, gorging sometimes. Cole was particularly bad for it, as he was never satisfied. But Alexander liked to be in control of everything: his words, his clothes, his situation, and his food. He ate once a week on Wednesdays. Wednesdays were the days Ariel returned to the theater, and Tuesday nights were when he pulled her closest, pushing the dragon hunger away. “Drinks it is then,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on. For one night, you're not the king. You're just mine.”

Chapter 2

When Ariel awoke, she knew it was barely dawn. She was surprised it was dawn, frankly. Sometimes, Alexander didn't even wait for the sunrise to get up, showering and dressing and looking like he hadn't just done unspeakable things to her until it was nearly morning. The few times she had gotten him drunk enough to throw up, unused to how humans tolerated alcohol, he even threw up neatly and cleanly, returning to bed without a spot of noise.

He had been drunk last night, she knew that. He had touched her more, reaching for her in the middle of the night like she was a teddy bear. Their father hadn't been kind to them, lashing out physically when they weren't in compliance with what he wanted. None of the princes were easy to trust, to hug, or to touch, unless their inhibitions were lowered. Cole, the youngest brother, had received the lesser of the troubles, and Ariel supposed that's why he had a happy marriage right now.

This morning, though, Alexander showed no signs of trauma, his suit back on, his hair perfectly styled.

“Are you awake?” he asked. “We should go.”

“Ugh,” she swung her arm out. “Go ahead and do it.”

“Ariel,” he smirked. “Do you really want to arrive in the throne room without any clothes on?”

“Do you want me to?” she rolled over, a grin on her face. “Why are you going straight to the throne room? You don't need to work this early.”

“I do,” he said. “So, as adorable as you look, can you get dressed?”

“Bah,” she groaned, crawling out of bed. But she had the night go her way, so she supposed she should let him set the schedule this morning. She made sure he got an eyeful as she found her clothes, struggling to put them on and make herself presentable. “Are you doing throne duty or something?”

“No,” he answered. “Not that I know of.”

“Oh, my God,” she shook her head. “If we weren't married, could I turn up in the throne room whenever I want?”

“If we weren't married,” he was quick to answer. “You would not be in the throne room.”

“What?” that answer stopped her. “At all?”

“You aren't a dragon, Ariel,” he responded.

“But no one knows we are married now!” she protested. It scared her, because that was her back up plan. She knew she couldn't dance forever, and she didn't know how to do anything else. Sitting beside Alexander and living a life of luxury suited her; she knew he was addicted to her. But this was the first time she realized she might lose everything she had come to know.

“I know,” he said calmly. She sank on the bed, trying to reconcile.

“So, do you not want to go?” she said. He held out his hand.

“I gave my word. And you know that I don't go back on my word.”

She took it wordlessly, putting her other hand on her purse.

“Go on then,” she said, having made this trip half a hundred times.

It took a huge amount of magic to bring her back to his world. Each time it got harder. He had to constantly fight to overturn her carapace abilities, and even as the dragon king, he could only do it about once a week. She knew one day, as she got stronger and older, she would be stuck in one destination or the other.

She hadn't thought about which one that would be yet. But whichever it was, she hadn't considered that a divorce would cut him out of her life. She wondered if a normal marriage was easier or harder.

Alexander grunted as he forced the magic through her. He was one of the only ones who could do it. She felt the hard marble floor rush up under her, and she landed with a grunt.

“I'm sorry,” he said, as soon as his head was clear. “That was more difficult than I imagined.”

“No kidding,” she looked around at her surroundings. They were in one of the private rooms off the throne room, an entrance chamber that had a history of hundreds of years. It always felt so odd to her, to be here in a place where Alexander's blood had run a thousand years, if not more. She belonged to nowhere–she had no home, no place where she could see her family or walk in their footsteps. But he knew nothing but memories and family life. “Let's just stay here. It's quiet.”

“In another life, perhaps,” he said, getting up and then pulling her along. “I’m going to make sure my brothers haven't burned the place down while I was gone. I assume you'd like to go to your room and freshen up?”

“I can do that,” she said. “But Alexander, I do want to talk about...you know, what I mentioned, while I'm here.”

He sighed. “It is a big deal for you, isn't it?”

“It is,” she said, although she didn't want to push the topic. “I feel like a fraud, Alexander.”

He understood that, as he understood everything about her. It was an odd position to be in, and not one he could speak to anyone about. She thought that their relationship would sustain if their marriage did not, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

“We will find some time to speak about it. I promise,” he said before walking away.

Ariel checked her reflection in the mirror on the wall and decided that she looked presentable enough to wander through the palace. All she needed when she came here was her purse; everything else was kept for her. It was the closest thing to having a home that she could ever imagine.

The palace was bustling with activity as it always was. The dragon lords were the top of the hierarchy here, controlling an entire planet of various types of shifters. It had been surprisingly easy to swallow when she first found out about their existence and her place in it all.

Being a wife didn't suit her though, even if Alexander claimed freedom. She liked being a queen, and she wouldn't trade that for anything, but she still felt an obligation to him that weighed heavily on her soul. She wasn't in love with him; they didn't believe in love. So, what was she doing?

“Precious!” she heard Nicholas' voice and turned around with a smile. He had always loved her, from the moment they first met. Nicholas had been in a rage, and Ariel had simply shrugged and smiled. Her lack of judgment in a world full of it had made him her loyal servant. The middle brother had always been emotional and difficult to control. But Ariel had never found him to be anything but charming. She was kind to him, giving him her undivided attention and complimenting his bad boy ways. In return, he made sure his sister-in-law was never wronged or so much as unhappy. “You're here!”

“Of course,” she said. “It's Monday morning, isn't it? I'm always here then.” Even saying that made her clench her jaw. Not only was she at Alexander's side, she had a routine with him.

“Yes,” he wrapped her up in a hug. “But sometimes, you come on Sunday nights. You didn't come last night.”

She switched to the dragon tongue so that his words wouldn't be so stilted.

“No, your brother and I had a bit of a party,” she replied, with a smile. “What's new and exciting?”

“Same old, same old,” he answered with a shrug. As they walked through the palace, people bowed to him and possibly to her. He took no notice, for it had been happening all his life. She smiled, however, enjoying the attention. “Cole and Enya are on Earth until tonight, I think.”

Cole's human wife, Enya, was his perfect match. Innocent to his mischief, weak to his strong, he had devoted his whole life to loving her, protecting her, and fueling her otherwise dying body with healing magic a few times a week. He couldn't cure her. The magic couldn't change the defects in the cells, but he could heal the damage it did whenever she felt ill. They were happy being married, devoted to each other, and living a double life between here and Earth. She was in school, studying to be a translator, and he happily took her down whenever she had class.

“So, no little brother to watch over? I have you all to myself?” she teased.

“You do,” he grinned. “What trouble do you want to get up to?”

“Hmm. I'll have to think on that,” she replied. “To be honest, I was actually hoping for a relaxing few days off.”

“Boring,” he answered, and she shrugged.

“Or we could burn the palace down. I think that's what Alexander was going to investigate”

“You are queen, my dear,” he said. “You can do whatever you wish, and I, as a loyal prince, will have to follow.”

“Yes,” she said, surveying the ballroom. It was her favorite place, especially when it was empty. She loved to take over the marble floors, dancing through routines she only dreamed of trying. The fact that it was currently empty was tempting.

Nicholas picked up on it, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“I'll be back,” he said, wanting to take care of some business.

She hardly noticed he was gone, the music already playing in her head. Ariel bent down to take off her shoes, imagining her first few choreographed steps all the way to a grand finale.

She spun, she leapt, and she threw her arms out and pushed her body through the motions. She knew that she shouldn't be dancing without stretching first, but she couldn't help it in such a beautiful room.

She was so wrapped up in the music in her head that she didn't notice when a man suddenly stepped in front of her. They collided full on, and Ariel went flying backwards.

She rolled as she had been taught to do, but it wasn't without a few swear words.

“What the fuck?” she said, as she sat up. “What is wrong with you?”

She said it in English, but the man standing in front of her looking equally startled was clearly a dragon. He had the same tall build and the same yellow eyes that flashed with emotion.

“Hello?” she repeated, in dragon lore. “Who are you? You're not supposed to be in here.”

He raised his chin.

“Are you authorized to be in the hall of the royals?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, standing up. She didn't like being talked down to. “I don't know what rock you've been living under, but I am Ariel, and I sit on the dragon queen's throne.”

The man's face changed.

“Beside who?”

“Beside Alexander, dragon king? Who do you think?”

“Alexander is king?” he asked, in shock. “Father is dead?”

Chills went down her spine as he spoke.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice losing emotion. Her stomach knew the answer before he even responded. She could see the resemblance now, although she wanted to deny it.

“I am Peter,” he replied. “And if Father is dead, then I am king of the dragons.”

Chapter 3

“You're dead,” Ariel said, staring right at him. She didn't know what else to say, aside from the fact that it was clearly a lie. He was standing right in front of her, and she could feel her carapace effects sucking the magic out of him. He didn't seem to notice though as he looked around.

“Where are my brothers?” he asked, and she quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

“You used to live here. I'm sure you can find them,” she said.

“Find my brothers,” he repeated.

“Um, no, you don't give orders to me,” she answered. He glared at her, and she tensed. He may be a dragon lord, but she had control over his magic. Either one of them could do significant damage to the other if they wanted. Ariel didn't let people hurt her; she didn't let people take control of her. It was a wall she had built from a young age, and it wasn't about to fall just because someone had startled her. “Find them yourself.”

She was still trying to figure out how it was possible that he was standing there. Peter had disappeared into the Other–the black magic that dragon souls were absorbed into when they died. The key word there was died, as in didn't come back into their bodies. Their bodies were wrapped in magic as their souls fluttered onwards. Reforming was not something that she had heard of. Given the way Alexander talked about it, she was sure reforming was not something that he expected either.

They could have stood there forever, facing off. But she was saved by the fact that Nicholas marched back into the room. He was about to say something casual to her, his mind elsewhere. However, when he saw who she was with, his jaw dropped.

“Peter?” he asked, verifying that he was the man, who he said he was. “What…how…why–”

“Nicholas,” Peter’s face was only half an ounce softer as he regarded his middle brother. “You are well.”

“I am stunned,” Nicholas replied, turning to Ariel. “Get Alexander.”

“No problem,” she said, and Peter scoffed.

“You take orders from a prince, but not a king?”

“I take requests from a friend,” she said, “who did not abandon the world because it was too much to handle.”

And with that, she turned on her heel, moving quickly through the palace.

She was right to assume that Alexander was in the throne room. Even the night away had caused work to build up. The second she stepped in, she could see the change in his face. He could sense her better than the others, because he was always reaching out, always hoping for the feeling of numbness she could give him.

In this moment, though, the numbness came with the lingering hangover he had acquired the night before. He winced slightly as she burst in, and everyone turned to her.

She didn't care what he was in the middle of, though.

“Alexander, you have to come with me right now,” she said it in English so that the entire throne room wouldn't know she was barking orders at him. She didn't bow to him, something that always annoyed him. For as much as this girl was a wonderful addition to his life, she was also infuriating at times. She had no cares about ceremony, protocol, or respect. Ariel did as she wanted when she wanted it, and he could never get her to do otherwise.

Today, however, he recognized the urgency, and his brow furrowed.

“I'm sorry?” he asked.

“I said now,” there was no uncertainty in her voice, and he rose.

“What is it?”

“Just come,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it, leaving everyone whispering in shock.

“Ariel, the palace better actually be on fire–”

“What would you prefer?” she asked, as they hustled down the hall. “A fire, or your oldest brother suddenly reappearing in the ballroom?”

He almost tripped over his own feet.

“What?” he asked, his eyes widening. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I would say yes, but Nicholas verified that he was actually there, so,” she shrugged, “he's probably got a better explanation as to what happened.”

“Oh, God.” Alexander said, and picked up the pace.

Sure enough, standing in the ballroom, looking just as shocked as everyone else, was Peter.

Alexander dropped to his knees, grabbing Nicholas's wrist and pulling him down as well.

“My king,” he said.

Ariel's jaw fell open.

“No,” she said. “You are king, Alexander. Peter abandoned you.”

“Ariel,” Alexander turned and his tone was harsh. “Peter is king. He has always been king, and I have always been holding his place.”

His eyes were ablaze at her disrespect.

“Excuse me?” she said. “He abandoned you! He disappeared because the world hurt his feelings. He ran when things got hard. Because I'm totally sure he's the first generation to ever find things hard around here,” she glared at Peter. “You were the one who–”

“Ariel, you will bow or you will leave this room,” Alexander said.

The choice to her was easy. She spun on her heel and stalked out, heading to the rooms that were designated as hers.

Normally, they were a beautiful, happy place where she could relax. Today, she was seething in anger.

If Peter was king, then she was unseated as queen. Princesses here had no power. That was clear from her sister-in-law's life. Enya had luxury, but no one listened if she had something to say. A princess’ life would not suit her.

Unseated, unloved, and unhappy in her marriage. Ariel felt like her very world was falling apart before her eyes. And the worst part, there was nothing she could do about it. Alexander had made it clear whose side he was taking.

She threw herself on the large bed, tucking her knees up under her chin as she tried to think through the situation.

As far as she understood, it was impossible for dragons to return from the Other. When they went there, it was because they were dead. So, either he hadn't been truly dead, or he lied.

But going to the Other wasn't an option for the half-dead, or wanted-to-be-dead, was it?

Eventually, she dropped her knees, curiosity getting the better of her. Pouting like a child was not going to answer her questions. And in addition, Alexander relied on her, perhaps more often than he should, in order to be responsible and level headed around the palace. She didn't get caught up in emotion like this often. But then, it often didn't feel like her whole world was falling apart.

She slunk out of her room, only to run smack into Cole.

“Oh, my God,” she said. “If I run into one more of you boys, I'm going to lose it.”

“What are you going on about?” Cole asked, the mischievous grin on his face. “My big brother giving you trouble?”

“Technically true,” she replied. “Although not the brother you expect. If you haven't heard yet, you’d better come with me. Where's your wife?”

“She's lying down,” Cole replied. “If I haven't heard what?”

“If you've been diagnosed with a heart condition or something, you better let me know now.”

“What?” he asked, confused. Ariel shook her head, dragging him through the hallways. Cole was the troublemaker of the bunch, and a year ago, he had almost destroyed everything. He was actually half dragon, half witch–a fact his father had kept secret until he was of the age of majority. Cole had lashed out, nearly destroying Earth. It was only Enya's kindness that had saved him. Ariel knew he was dangerous; she knew all of them were, but she saw Cole more as a mischievous child than a dangerous, war criminal. And luckily for him, his brothers eventually saw the same thing. “Did you buy me a present?”

“Well,” she said, as she rounded the corner to the ballroom. They were still there, which didn't surprise her. It was a shock, after all. “That depends on whether you like Peter or not.”

“My king!”

“Not you too,” Ariel rolled her eyes as she leaned against the door. Alexander looked less annoyed at her presence and lack of bowing. As she assumed, it was because he needed her to do things.

“Ariel, this palace needs to be on lock down. No one in or out until we work through this. Can you shut down the throne room and alert the guards?”

“I guess,” she replied. She wasn't thrilled about it, but she didn't see any other options before abandoning them, which isn't what she was prepared to do. They were still the closest thing she had to family.

“I will see you tonight,” he said, and she shrugged, trying to pretend it didn't matter.

There wasn't anyone who questioned her authority as she shut down the various rooms and departments. They respected her word as second only to the king. She didn't reveal to them that the fact had possibly changed.

When Alexander came into the room, they shared, that night, he looked pale and drawn. Collapsing on the bed beside her where she was reading, he turned towards her.

“What a day,” he said.

“No kidding,” she rolled over to face him. “Are you going to fill me in? Or just leave me in the dark?”

“I did not mean to,” he sighed. “I did not mean to snap at you, nor did I mean to disrespect you. You have to understand, Ariel, I didn't know what to do.” He grasped her hand and she let him. He looked so disheartened and exhausted, she couldn't help but offer him comfort. “I spent my whole rule...most of my life, if I admit it, hoping for him to return. I convinced myself it was impossible, illogical, and yet I wanted it. I wanted it more than I wanted my own life.”

“How is it possible?” she asked. “You told me that the Other was a mystical place, where dragons go to die. So, wasn't he dead?”

“There is…” Alexander took a breath, looking up to the ceiling

“You can do it in the dragon lore if it's easier,” she said. “I can take it. I'm smart.”

It may have been easier for him to say the words, but the explanation itself did not come any easier.

“Dragons have such control of their life force, and the life force of others. It is possible in very rare circumstances to close your eyes and simply slip away. Most of the time, they do die. The subconscious is very powerful. But it appears there is a part of Peter–a small part of Peter–that did want to live. And so, he has returned. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what part of that it is, because he is still as depressed as he ever was. He hates what we are, and he can't see through that black haze. In addition, he's missed a lot of what's happened. Bringing him up to speed will be a task upon itself.”

“But is that the intention?” she asked. “To bring him up to speed and then have him take over the throne?”

“I don't know,” Alexander replied. “I don't know. But for the moment, it's business as normal.”

“It still makes me a princess, not a queen,” she said, and he sighed.

“Can we put all discussions on hold for a few weeks? Until I sort things out?”

She sat up, watching him. “No,” she said. “But I won't push so hard for the next few days, at least.”

He looked up at her, his eyes half lidded. “Are you so unhappy, my dear?”

“I'm just not being true to myself, she said. “And don't you know what that is like? Lying to yourself? Being something you're not?”

“Yes,” he said, at last. “Yes, I do know what that is like.”

Chapter 4

“Something is wrong.” Ariel's head shot up sometime around dawn. She was upset, first and foremost, that she was awake for a second day at dawn. But she was more upset by the sudden blast of magic that she absorbed, enough to wake her from a deep sleep. “Alexander!”

“Mmm?” he grunted, rolling over. Sleeping shirtless, his smooth, muscular frame would be likened to a Greek god if they were in a story book. Ariel had thought he was gorgeous when they first met, and he hadn't aged a day. It wasn't a lack of physical attraction that had her changing her mind. “Darling?”

“There's magic.” She closed her eyes, trying to focus. “Someone is being super careless, it's dark magic.”

He sat up right away, shifting back so that she wouldn't be so distracted by his own magic.

“How dark? What kind?”

“I don't know?” she asked, turning back to him. “It makes me feel bad though.”

“Is it Other magic?” he asked her.

“Maybe?” she had only been around one dragon who had died, and that was his father. When Cole had lost his temper after finding out he was adopted, his killings had been far from the palace. He had spared them the horrors which might have caused her to feel Other magic so close. She tried to remember the feeling that she had when the old king had finally passed. “I think so.”

Alexander swore, throwing off the covers and grabbed her wrist.

“Ariel, come with me, now.”

“What? Why?” she asked. She hadn't been sleeping naked, but it was only because the palace was cold. She wasn't exactly decent as he tried to yank her out of the room. “What are you doing?”

“You need to stop Peter,” he said, as they headed down the hall. Peter had never moved into the king's chambers, so they didn't lose their room when he arrived. She had only been in the king's chamber twice, both times when he was dying. It was grand, grander than any of the princes' rooms.

In the center of the large canopy bed, dark magic swirled around Peter. His eyes were closed, his breathing regular, and to Ariel, it didn't even look like he was awake.

Alexander threw her forward, and she read his mind, mostly by habit. She placed her hand on his bicep, and Peter's eyes flew open.

“No!” he managed to yell as Alexander grabbed his other side, and Ariel gritted her teeth.

“Could you not?” she said. “Two princes in one go is a bit hard.”

“Peter, you have to stay with me,” Alexander begged his brother, lifting his hands. “Please, please stay. Don't go again.”

Peter's eyes rolled towards his brother, and they were locked in a silent war. Ariel pushed harder, trying to force the black magic out of him.

“Please,” Alexander said. “Please. Don't leave me here to do this. I can't do this.”

Ariel pushed again, and it was enough. Peter grunted, rolling over and he half barked at her.

“Stop, you devil woman!” he bellowed at her. She raised her hands in the air as Cole and Nicholas rushed in.

“Hey, look, I don't care if you vanish forever,” she said. “It would benefit me if you just headed back where you came from. But Alexander has problems with that, so–”

“And you do his bidding, because you are his obedient wife.”

Ariel paled.

“I'm not–”

“Don't lie to me,” he said, with a sneer. “One of the benefits of the Other is that you can see the world you left behind, watch over your loved ones. And I saw my brother marry you, for reasons I cannot comprehend.”

Ariel was now stunned into silence. She looked up to Alexander, who looked equally shocked at the admission.

“I'm sorry?” Nicholas asked, taking a step forward. “Did I hear that right?”

“Oh, my apologies,” Peter said, although it was clear that he wasn't. “Did you want to keep that a secret? Why, exactly? Are you embarrassed by her? Or you didn't want her to know that by law, she would own half this kingdom if I didn't return?”

“What?” This was a shock to Ariel.

“That's the rights of the queen,” Peter replied. “Most queens are compliant and pass the whole kingdom to their children. But a carapace queen? She might want to take it over.”

“You're married?” Cole was quick to speak up. “We're siblings?”

“I own half the kingdom?” She turned to Alexander, shocked.

“As the highest-ranking female, you do, yes,” he admitted.

“Oh,” she said. They held each other’s gaze in silence. Her hands were off Peter, but she was quick enough to feel the magic swirl around him again. “Oh, no you don't.”

“Why don't you mind your own business?” Peter snarled at her, but she was not easily frightened.

“Apparently, it is my business, since I own half the kingdom, along with you,” she said, staring him down. “Quit it, or I'll remove your magic forever.”

“You can't do that!” he spat at her.

“Can’t I?” she raised an eyebrow. “I'm the most powerful carapace you've ever met, and I know that. Want to take your chances? You'll never even attempt to make it to the Other again.”

Peter eventually fell quiet, and Alexander removed her hands.

“He'll try again,” she said. “I've seen suicidal before. If he's determined, he'll find a way.”

Alexander sighed, turning to Nicholas. Nicholas was normally his muscle, his body guard, and the one that would wrestle out someone who wasn’t compliant. But this was their brother, and their king.

“The prison walls will block it out,” Nicholas said, softly. “Will you go willingly, Peter?”

Peter looked up, and he looked absolutely defeated.

“Alexander….”

“Please,” Alexander replied. “Please, do not leave me so soon.”

The two brothers spent a moment facing off. But eventually, Peter sighed.

“Fine,” he replied. Nicholas moved forward to escort him, but Peter shook him off.

“Cole,” Alexander said, “go with him.”

“But,” Cole grinned, “I want to know all about my new sister-in-law.”

“Go,” Alexander repeated, and Cole slunk off.

Once they were alone in the room, Ariel sighed.

“Why wouldn't you tell me?”

“Honestly?” he said. “Because I didn't think that you would care. I know you, Ariel, and you put on such a tough front. But inside, you're a good person. You aren't with me because you care about your share of this kingdom.”

“What happens if we divorce?” she asked.

“I would not be allowed to marry again, nor shift that power elsewhere. Any power of a queen would have to wait until I died.”

“Even in Peter got married? Or if Cole and Enya took the throne?”

“Correct” he said and she sighed, rubbing her face.

“God damn it, Alexander, why did you marry me then? Was it just your addiction to feeling human?”

“To not feeling alone,” he said, and she sank onto the bed. “There are no ramifications to you. You can still go.”

“I'm not feeling wronged,” she answered. “It just changes things. Especially if your brother is king, not you. He's about to go off the deep end, so technically, I am the sane voice of this kingdom, aren't I?”

“Yes,” he answered. “We have always recognized our female monarchs.”

“I wish you didn't,” she said. “It just makes the whole world a thousand times worse. Why can't you be a patriarchal society like everyone else?”

He smirked.

“You don't like our...what do they call it on Earth?”

“Feminism,” she said. “Which normally, I subscribe to. But in this case, I really wish that you were more archaic.”

“This is a mess,” he said, covering his face. “I spent so long wishing he was back. But now that I see how unhappy he is, I'm not sure that my needs outweigh his.”

“Also not the way you deal with it on Earth,” Ariel said. “If someone is suicidal, you get them proper help. I mean, throwing them in lock down, that's temporary but–”

“Wait,” he said. “What do you do on Earth?”

“For depression?” She asked. “Proper drugs, therapy, and getting them away from the thing that bothers them.”

“The thing that causes the depression?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“Sure, you could put it that way.”

“Such as this palace. The magic. These memories. Being a dragon.”

“Sure,” she said hesitantly, not liking where he was going with this.

“You have to be back on Wednesday, right?” he asked.

“Oh, my God, Alexander,” she buried her face in her hands. “We are not bringing Peter with us to Earth. No. No way.”

“What if I went with you?” he asked.

“How would that make it better?” she asked. “We certainly wouldn't live the wild life we normally do if he was with us.”

“But we would get to live a normal life,” he said. “Which you talk about from time to time. How can we know if this marriage works? We're never together to just be.”

“I can't believe you,” she said. “What do you mean, ‘works?’ We weren't married for love, Alexander!”

“Please,” he said. “If for no other reason than to save my brother.”

He looked so dejected, so exhausted, and her heart went out to him. He was right. She wasn't a bad person, and she did care about him. They had been together most of her adult life; she didn't know a life without him in the background, and she didn't have any reason to want him to suffer.

“What's your plan?” she asked. “I don't even have an apartment, Alexander. I've been living out of hotels when we're on tour.”

“I assume said hotel has more than one room to be rented?” he said. “Or perhaps a suite where Peter will not be alone?”

“He'll stick out like a sore thumb,” she said “He doesn't speak any English.”

“We can work around that,” Alexander said, and she sighed.

“Fine. He can't access much magic on Earth, and I can take care of the rest. But he's not to interfere with my performance. I'm not going to lose my job on top of the kingdom.”

“Why would you lose the…right,” he said, standing up. “Thank you, Ariel. You must think me a weak-hearted fool.”

“I don't think you're weak,” she said, giving him a hug. She was surprised to find that he was trembling under her grasp. “I don't judge you. Remember that,” she said, looking into his eyes. “It’s time to get some food soon, hmm?”

“When this is over,” he said, leaning his head against her shoulder for a moment. “I'm going to go talk to him.”

“I'll be in our room,” she said. “It's not as if I can leave on my own.”

“No,” he said. “But you might want to explain to your brothers-in-law that you'll love them all the same, no matter what happens.”

“Them,” Ariel gave him a grin. “I will always love. They're my family. You're my family, too, Alexander. Even if–”

“I know,” he squeezed her hand once more before leaving. His head was spinning, and his heart felt heavy. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, his thoughts screamed at him. The person who wrote that quote had no idea how hard it really was.

Chapter 5

“Go where?” Peter looked up at his brother in confusion. They were still standing outside of the cells. It turned out that Alexander could not take the sight of Peter standing there, looking at him as if he was a criminal.

“We're going with Ariel to Earth for a while. This is not the environment you need to ease your way back into the world.”

“Am I your prisoner, then?” Peter asked, with a raised eyebrow.

“No, of course not,” Alexander said. “Give us two weeks. If you are still unhappy with the world, then I will let you do as you wish.”

“You'll let me return to the Other?” Peter asked.

“If that's what you want,” Alexander replied. “But, Brother, you returned. It couldn't have been because you didn't want to. Something in you kept you alive enough to return.”

Peter had no answer to that, but he didn't disagree.

“Good,” Alexander said. “Ariel needs to return soon anyways, so we were thinking of leaving as soon as you were ready.”

“No time like the present,” Peter said, although he said it without enthusiasm. “What about the issues here at the palace that should be dealt with?”

“Nicholas has been in charge before while I've been away. It will be nothing new. Earth will be calm, relaxing, and you can focus on yourself.”

“Exciting,” Peter said, without much enthusiasm “I also know I won't be able to use magic there.”

“No,” Alexander admitted, “you won't. But I will be there for you, Brother, until you make a choice.”

“If this is what it takes,” Peter replied, “for you to let me be free, then so be it.”

“Thank you,” Alexander said. “Earth will be relaxing and boring. You'll have plenty of time to regain what was lost.”

Ariel leaned on the doorway, watching them. Frankly, she wasn't one for emotional family reunions. But she had also never seen Alexander so emotional, so torn down. She didn't realize this would affect him so much.

“Let's hurry up before I'm late,” she said, clearing her throat. “You know I hate rushing into the theater.”

“How do we do this?” Peter asked. Alexander led them just outside of the prison where the magic wasn't blocked. “I've never taken the magic to Earth. Not even when we were boys.”

“I can do it,” Alexander reached his hand out. Ariel took one, and Peter the other.

“Can you do this with all three of us?” Ariel raised an eyebrow at him, and he met her eyes.

“Are you challenging me?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Look, if you could convince them not to dock me for not showing up, the two of you can go by yourselves,” she teased. She said it in English, not because she was afraid of Peter's opinion, but because she didn't want him to worry about anything else. She felt sorry for him, even if she was angry about him for abandoning Alexander.

“Perhaps a show would do him good,” Alexander said, as the magic began to swirl.

Transporting himself and Ariel was hard enough, but pulling his brother along was a little more difficult. Still, as crown prince, he should have been able to do it, even if he used up his store of magic for the week.

When they got to Earth, however, Alexander dropped to his knees, panting as the color left his face. Before Ariel could get to him, Peter placed a hand on his shoulder, crouching down. He said a few words, low enough that Ariel couldn't understand. What she did see, though, was an older brother comforting a younger brother.

She was used to Alexander being drained, and it was only a few moments before he rose. She recognized that he had taken her to the back alley beside the hotel they were staying at, so nobody noticed. His distressed brother, however, distracted him from the roar of the city.

She gave them a moment, and eventually, he recovered his strength, rising. He brushed past Ariel without saying a word. Peter was behind her, and she turned to him, keeping her voice low.

“That's normal,” she said to him quietly. “Especially if he hasn't eaten.”

“Still?” Peter asked, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Has he always had problems with control?”

“Since we were children,” Peter answered curtly.

“Oh,” Ariel said, as they caught up to Alexander. “Just goes to show you that you never really know who you married.”

The check-in to the hotel was easy. Her colleagues that were out and about greeted her like she had been on a weekend trip and not on another planet. She held her head high as they checked into their suite where her bags had been transferred to.

“So, this is it?” Ariel said to Alexander. “Your brother works through his depression, and you and I figure out whether we can take being married?”

He gave her a soft smile, closing the door behind him as he took her in his arms. Kissing her delicately, he sent the familiar shivers down her spine.

“And relax,” he said. “Recover.”

“Recover,” she said, giving him another quick kiss. “Means eating something. It's Wednesday, so you need to find something to feed on. Getting away from me is a start so that your dragon hunger can take over.”

“I'll take Peter with me then,” Alexander said. “You can get ready for the show.”

“And everything will be fine,” Ariel assured him. “You want comp tickets for the show?”

“Ah, leave them at the desk,” he said. “I don't know if we'll use them, but–”

“The best kind of audience,” she smirked at him. “The kind that doesn't show up.”

He kissed her again, and then left her to get ready. Ariel always enjoyed the downtime before a show. She was rarely quiet and alone, but this was her time to shift her mind into the proper state. She stretched, arching her hips and reaching her leg up to the ceiling. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror with red hair and green eyes, she wondered if her parents had a sense of humor in naming her Ariel.

She rarely wondered about them, but occasionally a thought popped into her mind. She hated them for abandoning her, for dropping her on the doorstep of a foster agency like she was a sack of bread. Why did they do it? Did she do something so terrible in her childhood? Were they just irresponsible people?

Eventually, she shook the thoughts out of her head, showered, and then headed to the theater next door.

She paused in the lobby to check on whether she could have room service delivered by the time she got back. She thought Alexander would need some relaxing, and strawberries and champagne seemed like a good idea.

While she was waiting for the ridiculously slow clerk, she took a glance around the lobby. It was a beautiful place–high class, with crown molding and gilded leaves on the wall. It was nice, and it was a nice place for Peter to relax.

There was an attractive man standing near the restaurant, and her eyes drifted over to him. Tall and lean, he reminded her a bit of Alexander with his well-sculpted cheekbones and dark colored hair. They had an open marriage; she wasn't above looking at or even approaching other men.

The closer she looked though, the more she thought he looked like a dragon. There was just something about the way he was standing; the way his eyes were downcast, and the way his arms were folded. Even when they were in their human form, dragons just looked a certain way. She had been around them long enough to know when they were simply standing there.

“It's all set, Miss,” said the clerk, and Ariel turned back for a moment, smiling.

“Thank you,” she said, and turned to the dragon. But the man was gone.

Her brow furrowed as she searched the lobby. But there was no sign of him anywhere. Dragons couldn't vanish into a puff of smoke; they had to go somewhere. But the spot where he was standing was empty, and the lobby wasn't crowded. Wherever he went, it had to have been fast.

She shook her head, wondering if she had been imagining things. After all, it was just hours ago that she had been in the palace, surrounded by dragons. They hadn't exactly had a relaxing time since she had left. Perhaps her eyes were just playing tricks on her.

As she walked to the theater though, she realized that it was more than just her eyes that were playing tricks on her. She could feel magic everywhere, only it felt odd. It was tainted by the Other. She was sure of it. After all, she had spent so much time absorbing it from Peter, she couldn't miss it.

Normally, when Ariel was on Earth, she didn't feel magic too often. Occasionally, here or there, she would absorb something normally left over. Dragons and other shifters didn't come too often. There was magic everywhere though–in the air, in the trees, and from the sky. It wasn't enough to turn her head or even make her raise an eyebrow.

Something was certainty going on.

The show wasn't something that she had to put a lot of brain power into. Frankly, she was thinking that musical theater wasn't for her. It wasn't as artistic or as beautiful as the ballet she normally performed, and she was used to being the star of the show. Today, however, she was glad that she wasn't in charge of leading the show. She kept thinking that she saw a flash of yellow eyes in the audience, in the lobby, in the dressing room.

By the time the show was over, her heart was pounding, and her head was spinning.

She picked up her cell phone from her dressing room counter, dialing Alexander.

“Hello?” his voice sounded muffled, and she crossed her arms.

“Are you eating?” she said. She didn't really care if he was ripping the head off one of her colleagues, as long as he was eating.

“Not at the moment,” he replied. “But I have. What's the problem?”

She sighed.

“I think I'm going crazy,” she said. “Everywhere I go, I think I'm seeing dragons, feeling dragons.”

“What?” he said. “Everywhere where?”

“In the hotel lobby. In the theater. At least six or seven times.”

“Well...” he paused. “You may be just used to the palace.”

“That's what I thought, too,” she said. “But I feel the magic. I can't be imagining that, too, can I?”

“No,” he said. “What can I do?”

“I feel like a stupid, clingy girlfriend,” she said. “And I know the hotel is right next door. But can you come and walk me back?”

He had never heard her ask for this kind of help for her. Ariel was brave and strong. She didn't like holding his hand. She didn't even express that she had missed him when they were apart. If she was asking for help, then he wasn't going to turn her down.

“I'll be right there,” he said. “Where are you?”

“In my dressing room,” she said, which alerted him even more. She would normally wait for him in the lobby, but she clearly didn't feel safe.

“See you soon,” he said, hanging up. She leaned against the mirror, closing her eyes.

Chapter 6

“I would have thought better of you than to marry a dancer,” Peter said as they entered the theater.

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

“But you know she's a carapace,” he said. “And possibly the most powerful one we've ever met. A carapace-dragon alliance is something that has long been sought after.”

“Was that before or after our father ordered the slaughter of them because of how dangerous they were?”

Alexander evaded the question. “They aren't dangerous,” he said. “As long as they are on your side.”

“I hear they can be addicting,” Peter said, giving him a sideways glance. “Have you ever heard that?”

Alexander evaded the question as well, leading him through the maze of underground hallways that took them to her dressing room.

He was surprised when Ariel saw him in the hallway and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back. “Darling?” he asked.

“I'm going crazy. I need to sleep,” she said. “Sorry, I thought I was tougher than this. You dragons mess with my head.”

“It's alright,” he chuckled, running a hand through her hair. “It's fine. Grab your bag and we’ll walk back.”

“Thanks,” she said, locking her dressing room door behind her as they began to walk. She was still in her stage makeup, and he could see the weariness in her face. Alexander was looking forward to a nice, relaxing night. Peter seemed at least quieter and less self-destructive than he was twenty-four hours ago. Alexander even had plans for a romantic evening, and he was about to ask Ariel what she thought when she suddenly she stopped dead on the sidewalk.

“Darling?” he asked. She was staring straight ahead across the sidewalk. In front of their hotel was the very man she had seen in the lobby earlier today.

“There,” she said, trying not to be obvious. “Is that not a dragon?”

Both of the boys looked across the street, and Peter turned pale.

“You're not crazy,” Alexander said, looking closer.

“If I'm not crazy, why do you two look so stunned?”

“Because that is a dragon,” Alexander finally managed. “His name is Otto.”

“Good?” Ariel replied, but Alexander wasn't done speaking.

“He's dead,” Alexander finished. “Otto has been dead for two years. I personally saw him vanish into the Other. He worked in the palace as my father's aide-de-camp.”

“He was with me,” Peter said. “In the Other.”

“Didn't you just get finished telling me that Peter coming back was some sort of miracle?” Ariel asked. “How are there two of them now?”

“Three,” Peter said, and both their heads swiveled towards his pointing hand.

Wandering down the street looking confused was what Ariel recognized as a female dragon. Her neck was longer, her eyes the telltale yellow, and she looked recently changed.

“Do you recognize that one, too?” she asked her husband, who slipped an arm around her.

“No,” he said. “But I'll hazard a guess to say that you can feel the Other magic off her, too.”

Ariel closed her eyes for a moment. “I think so. It's not an exact science, you know.”

“We have to get inside the hotel,” Alexander said. “Did you see a back entrance?”

“Probably that way,” Ariel pointed along a side street. “Why are there so many here?”

Alexander glanced to Peter who raised his head a bit.

“Because they are gravitating towards their king,” he said. “It's built into them. It's how we control our subjects a bit easier than human monarchs. It's built into their magic to rely on us, to seek us out when lost.”

“So much for free will,” Ariel said. “Come with me.”

“I'm not going to ask how you know how to get into a hotel the back way,” Peter said, speaking up as she snuck them around the worker's entrance. “No doubt questionable motives.”

She glared at him. “People recognize me for my work, jerk,” she said. His brow only furrowed because the word didn't translate. “Why are we running, by the way?”

“Less questions, more hiding,” Alexander said, and her heart skipped a beat.

“I've never known you to be afraid.”

“I'm not afraid,” he answered. “I'm confused, and we need to figure this out before they get to Peter.”

Peter snorted.

“Are you afraid they will drag me back to the Other?” he asked, as the elevator door opened, and they were able to let themselves into their suite.

“That would be difficult here on Earth with a carapace,” Alexander answered. “So, good luck to you, brother. What I want to know is why are there dragons–dragons whom I know died–suddenly wandering the streets?”

“Maybe the Other failed,” Ariel sank onto the bed. “Maybe it needs to be rebooted.”

She said it in English, and it drove Alexander crazy that she could switch languages so fast. He translated as best he could, looking to his brother.

“You have no idea why you are back, do you?” he asked.

Peter remained silent, and Alexander repeated the question.

“Peter. Were you pulled back?” he asked. “Did you want to be there?”

“You know that I wanted to be there,” Peter replied. “You know that I'd prefer to be there rather than anywhere else.”

“So you didn't have a choice,” Alexander said. “You didn't possibly have a part of yourself that wanted to be back, with us? With me?”

Peter remained silent, and Alexander ran a hand over his face.

“What are the reasons that the Other could fail?” he asked.

Peter shifted, glaring at Ariel. “Isn't that obvious?”

“One carapace cannot pull down the magic of the Other,” he scoffed.

“What makes you think she's the only one?” Peter said.

“Because Father took care of the rest.”

“Sorry, your Father did what?” Ariel asked, raising an eyebrow. Peter smirked.

“For being married as long as you two have, you'd think you know everything about each other. Our father ordered the slaughter of all carapaces because he was afraid.”

“It's not like that,” Alexander quickly turned to her. “There were a few who were dangerous, who were using their power for the wrong reasons.”

“And slaughtering them wasn't using your power for the wrong reasons?” she said. “Look, Alexander, you know I don't judge you, and I certainly don't judge what your family does. That's not your fault. You've been good to me. But is it possible that's why I'm a screwed up foster kid?”

“It's possible,” he admitted, and she got up, shaking her head.

“Whatever,” she was clearly not alright with the history that was being presented to her. He could see the emotion brewing under her skin. “So, if you're blaming carapaces, Peter,” she said, “are you thinking they missed a few? Because I’m still here?”

“I'm thinking,” he answered, “that unless my memory serves me incorrectly, it's been thirty years since the slaughter of the carapaces was ordered. An anniversary is a perfect time to get revenge. If you were missed, how many others were missed?”

“What is the big deal, anyway?” she asked. “So the wall between living and dead falls? Shouldn't you rejoice that all your dead friends are back? Your father would be back, wouldn't he? That should delight you.”

“Except that means everyone is,” Alexander said. “Including the ones who were executed for their evil intentions. Every magical creature when they die goes to the Other. Hundreds of years of history.”

“Why would they be here?” she asked.

“They can be anywhere,” Alexander shrugged. “If Peter got his magic back, then anyone could have.”

“This is ridiculously dramatic,” she buried her head in her hands. “I'm going to get some air.”

“Ariel,” Alexander reached out for her. “Now is not the best–”

“Do not give me orders,” she snapped at him, with more anger than he expected. She charged out of the room, leaving the boys in silence.

“Thank you,” Alexander said angrily to Peter, who simply raised an eyebrow.

“How have you kept all of that from her?”

“Because Ariel doesn't care,” Alexander replied. “She has never judged my history, my quirks, or my position in life. The marriage that we have is not based on love.”

“But it is based on trust,” Peter replied. “And even if you did not marry for love, you cannot be married so long and not come to care about each other. We see it all the time in nobly arranged marriages. Our parents were married out of an arrangement, and look how father wept when mother died.”

“And because of that, you must make sure she knows everything?” Alexander snapped at him. “She already wants to divorce me, Peter. I don't need any help.”

“Why does she want to divorce you? A very human notion, by the way.”

“Because marriage doesn't fit her style?” Alexander asked. He laughed.

“A wonderful queen you've damned us to,” he said. “You're addicted to her.”

“I'm not,” he said, and Peter shook his head.

“You don't eat, Alexander. You don't like being a dragon any more than I do. I chose to give up my life, but you've found other coping methods. Tell me the truth. Without her at your side to help you through your rule, your life, what would you do? Would you do exactly the same as I did?”

“I don't know,” Alexander sighed, his shoulders sinking. “I don't know.”

“Well, that's good,” Peter answered. “I'm glad I left you in charge then.”

“You didn't leave me in charge,” Alexander answered. “I had no choice, I had to take up the throne.”

“You could have dodged,” Peter said. “Started a new life with your human lady love here. The husband of a dancer sounds significantly less stressful than a king.”

“Just stop talking,” Alexander said. “Every time you talk, you cause more trouble.”

“So, what would you like me to do?” Peter asked. “I'm your prisoner here. You are blocking the majority of my magic.”

“You have enough magic to call Nicholas,” Alexander replied. “So perhaps you can call and tell him the world is ending?”

“I'll use those exact words,” Peter replied. “But we should get back, don't you think?”

“We get back and you'll kill yourself,” Alexander said. “It's not that easy.”

“So, I am your prisoner,” Peter grinned, knowing he was driving Alexander crazy.

“Is it a crime that I want to keep my older brother alive?” his voice was practically broken. “Is it?”

Peter fell silent, and Alexander turned to the window, wanting to get away from Peter at that moment. Looking out onto the street, he watched the people go by.

Everyone seemed so calm, walking by, talking on their cell phones, laughing. It was a simpler life and a simpler world. They only had one form and one state of mind to worry about. They didn't have to transform; they didn't have to eat like carnivorous animals. They didn't have to deal with yellow eyes, changing shapes, or ruling an entire planet.

Peter was right, although he could barely bring himself to admit it. If it weren't for Ariel, he wasn't sure that he would have made it through. It had been a hard few years that was for sure. Her calming touch. Her relaxing gaze. If she wanted to be out of his life, he wasn't sure what he would do. He needed her; he wanted her. It sure sounded like being in love when he thought about it. But love was for the stupid; love was for fools, for those who were weak. Nobles married for status, for advantage, and she was his social climb, at least in his head.

But perhaps, it was more than that.

Chapter 7

Ariel had chosen to go for a walk. She didn't know the area well, but she had been here before, so she knew it well enough to head towards downtown. They were only a few streets away, and she wanted to at least find a Starbucks. Although she liked to party, she didn't usually do it on show nights. She wasn't old by the world's standards, but her age was coming into question among other dancers. Dancers had a very short career lifespan, and she had no doubt that she would eventually have to find another career.

She had thought that the other part of her life was going to end in luxury, being queen. But now, she had no idea.

Ordering the largest, most complicated drink that she could, she handed over an obscene amount of money for it. She didn't really care if they charged her a thousand dollars at this point. She just wanted caffeine and sugar and her world to stop spinning. She was looking forward to sitting at the table and losing herself in mindless phone reading for awhile.

So, she wasn't too happy when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, Miss?”

“I'm not signing autographs right now,” she didn't even look up. This sometimes happened when she wasn't far from the theater. People who had just seen the show often thought that they could interrupt what she was doing.

“Not even for very special friends?”

“Not for anyone,” she was one step away from yelling. She desperately wanted to watch some mindless YouTube videos, perhaps something about people running into tables or chairs–something to make her laugh.

“Not even for family?”

“What the actual fuck,” she looked up and her heart nearly stopped. Standing across from her was a boy about her age, with strikingly similar features to her. There was the flaming red hair and piercing green eyes that she saw strain back at her in the mirror every day. Even the build was the same: tall and slim, with a few freckles across the nose.

“Are you sure?” the boy quirked a smile, and she saw the same twist of the smile that she had.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked, tensing.

“I'm your cousin,” he replied.

She grabbed her stuff, jumping up.

“Get the hell away from me,” she said. Her hand was clenched her coffee tightly, and she grabbed her purse, heading back to the sidewalk. To her dismay, the boy followed her. “Are you deaf or something? Get away from me.”

“So quick to distrust,” he said. “Your eyes don't deceive you, though.”

“So, we look similar. That doesn't mean anything,” she said.

He smirked. “You want to go find a dragon, and I'll show you that we can do the same thing?”

“All the carapaces are dead,” Ariel replied, “as I just found out.”

“That part is true,” the boy said. “Officially, most of them are dead. But there are a few, like you, who survived for various reasons.”

“I survived because I'm strong,” Ariel said. “The carapaces abandoned me. I don't know why the hell they did, but they did. And I'm alive now because it was the dragons–not the carapaces–who looked out for me.”

“Is that what you think?” the boy said. “You didn't stop to consider that the carapaces saved you by hiding you away?”

“Hiding me? Abandoning me on a door step, you mean?”

“Oh, no,” the boy said. “You, Ariel, you were special. You were hidden away because you were our last and best hope. The rest of us ran. We hid. Some of us survived. But we had to make sure the dragons didn't know anything about your survival, because you would be the greatest threat in the world to them.”

“News flash: the dragons know about me,” she said. “And they are reasonably fond of me. Most days.”

“But they don't know who you are,” he said. Ariel growled, stepping towards the boy.

“Talk fast,” she said. “Otherwise, don't think the dragons haven't taught me to break your neck.”

“Whoa,” he put up his hands. “You really don't know how to deal with family, do you?”

“I don't like liars,” she said. “And I don't like people who ambush me. So, you better have an amazing reason for interrupting me. I don't care that my family ditched me, and I don't care whether they lived or died,” she said. “What is this secret that you can't help but tell me? And how do you know I won't run right back and tell Alexander?”

“You mean your husband?” he asked. “The man who basically handed you the keys to the kingdom? I can't wait for you to tell him.”

This boy knew everything, and it was scaring her. There were things that she had kept secret from his own brothers, like their marriage, and yet suddenly, this boy who looked like her knew things that he shouldn't.

“Tell him what?” she asked. “Talk fast, because I promise you he will come looking for me if I'm gone too long.”

“Protective much?” he asked.

“With everything going on, there's nothing weird about it,” she said. “He's here, and we're together, Talk fast or you'll probably get your face broken in.”

“Feisty,” he grinned. “It must be the red hair. You're a very special carapace. One would say you’re a crossbreed.”

“Of what?”

“Of two of the most powerful carapace families,” he replied. “The Campbells and the Reignas.”

“Carapaces don't intermarry between family lines,” she said. “I may not know much about them, but I know that. The families hate each other. It's why they never got anything done, even though they had the great power to do so.”

“Well, they can now,” the boy said. “You were hidden because you were a love child of the heirs to the Campbell and Regina lines. They knew that it would make you incredibly powerful, and that the dragons would want you dead. But they didn't know that the dragons would want them all dead. And there's something odd about a slaughter like that that brings people together.”

“It's been thirty years!” Ariel protested.

“The numbers were few,” he said. “But now they are many. And so, it's time.”

“Time for what?”

“We've brought down the Other,” he said. “And so now we have back carapaces who had been gone quite a while. Imagine what we can do next. We can bring down the whole kingdom. We can bring down the dragons.”

“You can't get up there without a dragon!” she said. “We don't have magic of our own.”

“But you have a dragon.” He raised his eyebrows. “You have a dragon who will do your bidding anytime. In fact, I do believe the word addicted is used to describe his relationship with you.”

Ariel moved forward, slamming her hand into his nose. She was fast, and he wasn't expecting it. He hollered out, his hands going to cover his face.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked. “We're family.”

“You're not my family,” she said. “Don't you dare come near me again!”

“Really?” he said. “You don't want to know your parents? Your parents who gave up everything to take care of you? You want to have no idea?”

She didn't answer, turning on her heel and storming away. Her mind was spinning. She couldn't think; she could barely breathe.

This was too much. In one evening, she had gone from not caring about her family to finding out they were dead, and then finding out they were alive and cared about her.

She couldn't even begin to think about what all of this meant. It felt like everyone in her life the past week had been lying to her. No one had been telling her the truth, for various reasons. She didn't know who to trust. She didn't know herself; she didn't know where she stood in the world right now.

Her cell phone rang, and she saw that it was Alexander, but she didn't answer it. She didn't know what to say to him. She didn't even know if she could go back and face him tonight.

She circled around the block and stopped short of standing in front of the Starbucks. To her surprise, the boy was still there. She had broken his nose, and he had gone in to get some napkins. He was standing outside of Starbucks, finishing a phone call. She ducked behind the wall, waiting until he hung up the phone. He began walking down the sidewalk with a sense of purpose, heading somewhere.

She only took half a moment to decide to follow him. Whether he was telling the truth or not was a question in her mind; although he did seem to know an awful lot.

He went down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from there, and she was careful to hide in doorways and be absorbed in her phone, so he didn't look back and see her.

She wasn't sure how far they walked. It wasn't too far, but she was wearing impractical high heels and her feet soon ached as they made their way into a park.

Her high heels sunk into the grass, and she hissed in annoyance, thinking about how much they had cost.

Eventually, he stopped. It almost appeared like he stopped in a clearing in the middle of nowhere, randomly, because he seemed to wander around for a bit before standing in between two trees. She ducked behind a bigger cluster of trees as he looked up at the moon.

And then she heard a crunch of leaves, and a voice addressed him.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Ariel has an arm on her,” he said, his voice sounding slightly nasally. She couldn't help but smirk a little bit in pride. Alexander had taught her how to defend herself early on, and his skills had paid off. “She seemed a little shocked, to say the least.”

“She would be,” the voice said. “The dragons lied to her for years to keep her all to themselves. If they had their way, she would probably never know the truth.”

“But now she knows,” he said. “And she's made it clear it was only a marriage of convenience, so who knows whether she's willing to take that convenience a little bit further?”

“Maybe,” said the voice. Ariel recognized it as male now that it was a bit louder. “Give her time. No Regina makes decisions quickly.”

“She's half Campbell, too,” the boy said, proudly. Ariel wondered how old he was. 18 or 19, maybe, too young to be tied up in all this. If he hadn't said the words to her that he did, she would think him just some schoolboy, wandering through town. “Don't forget.”

“I have never forgotten what she is,” the male voice said proudly. “She's my daughter.”

Ariel gasped, covering her mouth quickly. But it was inefficient, for at the same moment, her cell phone went off. She cursed, trying to silence it. But it was far too late.

Both of them approached her, and she decided it would be an idiot move to run. They could probably grab her faster than she could pull her heels out of the mud.

A tiny part of her, though, wanted to see her father's face–a face she had wondered about her whole life.

Chapter 8

Perhaps it was because he looked exactly how she had imagined him to look. Perhaps it was because she was so curious or so confused. Either way, she stayed grounded while he looked upon her.

“Hello, daughter,” he said. “We meet at last.”

He was tall and strong, with hair that might once have been red. Now, it was a silvery grey. He had lines around his eyes, and she saw the same sparkle in his eyes that she sometimes got when she was incredibly happy. He had probably been imagining this moment for years.

“How do I know you're telling the truth?” Ariel asked. She was already planning her escape, although it wasn't a very good one. She planned to dart past them in the dark and assumed that the forest would cover her. She just needed to get her shoes off, which she was trying to do subtly. “How do I know that any of you are telling the truth?”

“Alright, you have a right to doubt,” he said. “After all, we weren't sure it was you for many years. Here,” he put his hand on a tree, “there's magic in trees, right? Nature has magic?”

“A little bit,” she said. “But not enough to do any damage to anything.”

“I don't want to do any damage,” the man said. “I just want to prove my point. Here, put your hand on the tree, but don't suck anything out.”

“Mmm,” she winced. “It's not easy to contain.”

“You can do it,” he smiled. “I believe in you. Place your hand on the tree.”

She obliged only because it put her in a better position to take off her shoes. She leaned forward, subtly slipping off her left heel. She felt the magic in her palms, and then she felt it slink away. She looked up to him, in shock.

“That's how fast you can do it when you are trained,” he said. “We can teach you how to hone your skills.”

“I know how to use my skills,” she said, but he raised an eyebrow.

“But you are three times more powerful than I am, and you cannot do that as fast,” he said. “And I'm sure it would be of your benefit to learn how to work faster, wouldn't it?”

“No,” she said dully.

“Really? When your brother-in-law was cursed last year, you wouldn't have given anything to suck that painful magic out of him a bit faster?”

Ariel's eyes darted upwards. “How did you know about that?”

“I have my ways,” he said. “And my spies.”

“But you couldn't have gotten into the kingdom.”

“No,” he nodded. “You're right. But you and Alexander are quite free with your speech when you are here.”

“Argh,” she growled. Her hands trembled, and she wanted to smash both their faces against the tree. “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing right now,” he said. “Just think about it, Ariel. Nothing more.”

“Think about what?”

“Joining us,” he said. “Joining your family. Specifically, in going against those, who did us wrong.”

“I will never abandon…” she started but he raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure?” he answered. “Because I know you've been wanting to make a break from them for a long time. You don't like being married, is that true?” she didn't answer, and he continued to look down upon her. “Although I wish I could have been there at your wedding, under different circumstances, of course. Perhaps not to a dragon lord.”

“My wedding?” she asked, in shock.

“To give you away,” he said. “A privilege I've been denied.”

“You were denied everything when you abandoned me!” she cried.

“For your own safety,” he said. “I assure you.”

“Safety?” She laughed. “Do you think it was safe that I grew up in foster homes with nine other kids in two bed rooms? With foster parents, who only wanted the money the agency gave? With foster mothers who kicked me out for the simple reason that I was beautiful? You don't know what safety is. I was left to starve, to freeze, and to die. I lived on the streets. I lived in hostels until I found dance. And when the dance world threatened to abandon me, too, it was dragons who saved me.”

“And yet they control you,” he said. “They keep you in a cage, and you do not like cages, do you? No, your mother didn't like cages either.”

She froze.

“Where's my mother?”

Even though she never knew her mother, she had always wondered who she was and what she was like. She wished that the wondering had gone away as a teenager or as an adult, but a girl never stops wanting her mother.

His face softened.

“She has not returned to us yet.”

“From the Other?” Ariel asked.

“Yes. But we have faith that she will. She will find a different world–a united world. One where she and I will not be apart.”

“I want to leave,” Ariel said, and to her surprise, he stepped aside, waving his arms.

“By all means. We will never keep you prisoner nor tie you down. You are free to come and go; there are no conditions on our offer, Ariel. Or our love.”

She turned and ran as fast as she could. The forest was dark, and she wasn't sure which direction she had come from. They weren't following her, however, and her phone's GPS eventually got her back onto the sidewalk. Bending over, she tried to catch her breath.

It would have been better if she knew he was lying. If he had been nasty or hurtful, she could have dismissed this experience and never thought about it again.

But he had been kind and caring, with a smile on his face. That was what made it worse. And he was speaking with grief over her mother, which was something she had never expected.

But then again, she wasn't quite sure what to expect because she hadn't exactly pictured this moment. Any time she had pictured her parents, she had seen them in a normal situation–a Christmas morning, or a birthday party, or a big breakfast.

This was life changing, and she didn't do well with total chaos. Her life had been the same in a lot of ways since she was a child: alone, fending for herself, no one looking out for her needs except her. The fact that this kind man was telling her these things made her brain flip on edge. She didn't really know what to make of it.

She eventually found her way back to the hotel, her lips firmly shut as she got into the elevator. Her mind was spinning too fast to speak, and she was grateful to find the hotel room mostly empty as she walked in.

She thought that perhaps Alexander had gone out with Peter to eat or to clear their heads. If Peter was anything like the others, it wouldn't be out of character for them to get a drink in the bar.

She was ready to sink on the bed, hoping to lose herself in mindless TV. But then she heard a noise of distress from the bathroom and remained on her feet, her legs stopping her mid fall.

“Alexander?” she asked, taking a cautious step towards the bathroom. All her senses were on high alert, especially after this evening. She felt the familiar magic of her husband flood the room, getting sucked into her veins as she pushed open the bathroom door.

Alexander had both hands on the porcelain white sink, his jacket discarded on the ground as he heaved. His taut stomach contracted, and sweat poured down his face as he took a deep breath, waiving his hand.

“Ariel. No!”

“Sweet Jesus, will you never get over your pride?” she said as she went to him, wrapping her hands around his waist. “I've seen you throw up before.”

It alarmed her that he was practically trembling, his eyes fighting for consciousness. She knew better than to ask questions when someone was in this state. She held him close until he was still, his body simply reacting to the rejection. She felt nothing but his own magic in him, but she wondered if he had been cursed just the same. Dragons were strong, even on Earth beside carapaces. They shouldn't be catching stomach bugs and throwing up in hotel sinks.

“Alright?” she said after a moment, and he managed to nod. She guided him back to the bed, handing him a chilled, over-priced bottle of water from the mini bar. “Just sit quietly for a moment.”

He smirked softly, even as he half gagged on the water.

“I'm not a child, Ariel.”

“Really? Because I leave for two seconds and come back to you making messes in the bathroom,” she said, trying to make him smile. “That's better. What's happening?”

“I don't know,” he said. “It came on suddenly. I've never had anything like that before.”

“Lovely,” she said. “Where's Peter?”

“He's safe,” Alexander said. “In his room, and I told him I'd know in an instant if he tried something ridiculous. He's fine for now. I came back here and it struck me like a thunder bolt.”

“Is it possible...?” Her brain whirled. “I mean, you're not quite human if I'm not around, but you have a lot less magic. And if I am around, you're basically locked in human form, save for a bit of magic. Could you have picked up something?”

“A human virus?” he asked. “I don't think so. I...maybe? God,” he closed his eyes, leaning forward. “Ariel?”

He looked so pitiful that she forgot their earlier scrap and what had taken place in the woods. She crawled up on the bed beside him. He was never one for being touched unless he wasn't quite in his right mind. But now, he wanted nothing but her hands on him.

“You're not cursed,” she said. “I feel nothing in you except for your own magic.”

“This would happen just now,” he said, trying to breathe as another wave of nausea hit him. “What did you get up to?”

“Oh,” she paused. She had never lied to him before, and had never kept a secret. Between them, there was no judgment or secrets. They had always known each other inside and out. But it appeared that he had changed that policy by not telling her that half the kingdom was hers. Until she knew exactly what these people who claimed to be her family wanted, she decided silence was the best policy. “I just went for a walk to clear my head.”

“I am sorry, Ariel,” he said. “I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry if you felt like I deceived you.”

“Alexander, it's your kingdom,” she said, softly. “You have no need to tell me anything if you didn't want to.”

“Those weren't our vows,” he said, sinking into the pillows. She had so much to protest in that sentence. Where did their vows come into this, exactly? Neither of them had taken them seriously; they were just a means to an end. Or so she had thought.

He closed his eyes, and she said nothing, laying her head beside him. What had transpired tonight was a conversation for a different time–the morning perhaps. Tonight, she needed him to feel better, because she certainly didn't know how to handle any of this by herself.

Chapter 9

Ariel had her alarm set as a default on her phone, because she was one of those people who could sleep forever if she didn't. Even though she was far out of her teenage years, she felt like she hadn't gotten a good night sleep in years. But usually, when her alarm went off, Alexander was already out of bed and off to start his day. The fact that he was still shirtless beside her startled her.

She only had to take one look at him to see that he wasn't well. His color was poor, and his jaw was clenched, his eyes screwed shut against the light that was coming in.

She rolled over, laying a head on his shoulder.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“I vomited in the shower,” he said as a greeting. “It's clean now, but I apologize.”

“You know nothing of romance, husband,” she said, sitting up. “I was thinking last night, it isn't because you went too long without eating, is it? I know we had a rough week.”

“No,” he rolled over, not even looking at her. “If anything, it's the opposite. Peter's appetite was hesitant, and I thought if I pushed through the wall....”

“I see,” she said. “So you gorged.”

“No,” he said. “But I didn't feel in top form after it.”

“Mmm,” she felt pity for him, and she was surprised to realize how worried she was. “It's alright, you know, to be down once in a while.”

“Not when you are king,” he grunted.

“But you're not king,” she pointed out, and they fell into silence.

They had never had a moment like this before, when they were in bed and not asleep or locked in throes of passion. They didn't cuddle; they didn't simply enjoy time touching and being lost in each other’s eyes. She lay half on top of him, feeling the heat coming off his body and feeling him wince in pain a few times. His body had tensed and then untensed, and she knew he was suffering in stubborn silence.

“Can you...?” He eventually rolled over to face her. “Can you go and see Peter? Make sure that he's alright?”

“You think he might be ill, too?”

“No, but there's always a chance he might be hanging himself by the curtain cord,” Alexander said, and she sighed.

“Sure,” she said, pulling herself off him. “Do you want anything in the mean time?”

“Death,” he replied, and she rolled her eyes.

“I think I've heard of this disease before. It's called the flu,” she said. He had heard the term before and was able to give her a look that told her he was not impressed.

She pulled her hair into a pony tail and found fresh clothes in her suitcase, although she noted that she would have to take her clothes down to the front desk to get them laundered.

Peter had a connecting door, but she went through the hallway, knocking on his outer door.

It took a moment or two, but Peter pulled it open. Shirtless with tousled hair, he looked a lot like his brother, the sleep still in his eyes. Apparently, even the dragon king needed a day to sleep in.

“Just checking whether or not you're dead” she said, switching to dragon lore.

He raised an eyebrow, looking down at himself.

“Clearly not,” he replied.

“Okay,” she turned to go, but he grabbed her shoulder.

“Where is my brother?”

“Alexander doesn't feel well,” she said. “So, I'm checking.”

Peter stepped into the hallway just as a maid came out of the room. She gasped at the sight of the tall, well-muscled man, looking like a male model in the morning light.

“Woah,” Ariel said. “Peter, you're in human form. Clothes are required. I know no one walks around the palace like that.”

“Take me to my brother.”

Ariel simply raised an eyebrow at the command. She would have left him standing there, but she didn't want to scandalize the maid any further. So instead, she pushed past him, going through the connecting door.

She noted that Peter's room was spotless, not that he had any things. But he didn't appear to have even slept in the bed or touched the room at all.

She pulled open the bolted door. Alexander sat up with a start, having fallen back asleep.

“Alexander?” Peter barreled through. “Is it Earth? Is it this carapace? What happened?”

“Excuse me,” Ariel leaned against the door, mildly annoyed. “I've been with your brother for fifteen years; I highly doubt I'm just making him sick now.”

“Fifteen years?” Peter raised an eyebrow. “You put up with this for fifteen years?”

“Peter,” Alexander ran a hand over his face. “Can I help you with something? Because if not, I'd prefer you just leave me to wallow in my misery.” He gagged then, leaning over. Ariel made a small noise of sympathy, but Peter lurched forward, grabbing his hand.

For a moment, Ariel saw more than two feuding brothers. She saw the boys as they must have been as children–the older taking care of the younger.

Once, they had been nothing but young children, not worrying about the throne or anything but each other.

“You need jackoroot,” Peter said, and Ariel's face screwed up in confusion. She had never heard that word before, and she had been speaking dragon lore for years. “It'll stop the pain.”

“I doubt...on Earth...,” Alexander said.

Peter scrambled up. “I can find someone. Your carapace can help me.”

“My wife?” Alexander raised an eyebrow. “It's fine, Peter, really.”

“No,” he said, looking his younger brother up and down. “It's always helped before.”

“Before?” Ariel stepped forward. “This has happened to you before?”

Alexander gripped the covers.

“When I was younger. I wasn't the strongest child. It was before my dragon transformation. It's not uncommon for a dragon body to cure childhood illnesses.”

“You weren't a strong child?” she said in shock. “You're the strongest person I know.”

That made a smile flit across his face. He glanced to her, but it was interrupted by another dry heave.

“Jackoroot,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I'm sure we can figure this out. Here,” she went to the TV remote, flipping it on. “Whenever I'm sick, staring mindlessly at the TV always helps.”

She was prepared to find him some stupid house hunting show when the TV powered on. She was not prepared for ‘Breaking News’ to be splashed across the screen.

“What the hell?” she said, as the news clips played.

“Late last night, this video surfaced in the downtown area. When digitally enhanced, it appears to be a strange creature landing in the middle of the park. Some seem to speculate that it's a dragon....”

“PETER!” Ariel didn't even need to squint at it. “That's why your bed is made.”

Alexander buried his face in his hands. “Tell me this is not you,” he said, without looking.

“What is the problem?” Peter asked. “Last night, I was restless, and instead of jumping out the window, I went for a flight.”

“Peter, Earth people do not KNOW about Dragons,” Alexander said. “We agreed to keep it a secret.”

“I thought you would have fixed that,” Peter said, “seeing as you were so progressive about everything else.”

“I–” Alexander scrambled for the bathroom again, and Ariel sighed.

“Alright. Peter, you and I are going to look for this mysterious Jackoroot, while Alexander throws up everything he's eaten in the past three years. Go get some clothes.”

“You do not give me orders,” he snapped at her.

“I'm sorry, I thought 50% of the kingdom was mine?” she said. He had nothing to say to that and stormed back into the other room.

Left alone by the TV stand, she saw that her phone was flashing. She picked it up, wondering whether there was a new tabloid article about her.

Instead, she found a text from an unknown number.

Would you like to see where you spent the first 2 years of your life? Meet me in the park at 4.

Her hand froze over the message, reading it again and again. She didn't know who it was from, but she assumed it was from her father. She had no idea how he got her number, but that was the least of her concerns.

She was concerned about how much she did want to see what he was talking about. What was it like? Where did they live?

She was always told that she was bounced through the foster care system her whole life. But maybe there was more to the story. She knew that she needed to know, even if she didn't want to. There was no ignoring this text message.

Maybe. What do you want from me?

Her hands were shaking as she typed away. Her entire world suddenly existed within the cell phone screen.

Your dragon is wreaking havoc on this planet. Last night was just a taste. Control it.

She bit her lip, shoving her phone into her pocket as Peter came back into the room. What did that even mean? Peter had simply gone for a walk around. Irresponsible as it was, he hadn't exactly burned the city down. He had simply stretched his wings and wandered the park. In addition, she didn't control the dragons, even if she liked to think she did.

But if the carapaces didn't want them walking around, maybe they knew something she didn't? She wasn't going to make any harsh judgments, at least not until she found out more.

“Where do we find Jackoroot?” Peter asked. “I'll send you and–”

“Queen,” Ariel fixed him with a stare. “I'm not your minion.”

“There was a body found in the park near where the alleged Dragon sighting was....”

Both of their heads whipped up to the TV to watch as the story continued to unfold. Ariel couldn't believe her eyes as they changed to a shot of police tape.

“Peter!” she said in horror. “What else did you do besides walking about last night?”

“I...,” he seemed confused as he watched the television. They had screens in the palace, but this was different. His eyes flicked back and forth between the screen and Alexander, who had stumbled out of the bathroom. “I don't remember.”

“Argh,” Ariel put her hands to her face. “You have to remember killing someone.”

“No,” Alexander spoke up. “You know that things are blurry when we are dragons.”

“Blurry, not forgotten,” she cried. “Why would you kill?”

“Ariel, we don't know that he killed–”

“Right, it's just a conveniently located body,” she said. “You just fed, didn't you?”

“No,” Peter said. “We did not go out last night.”

“What?” she said, and Alexander looked like a guilty child. “You told me you fed.”

“I couldn't.”

“Because you felt sick?” she asked, but he shook his head.

“No. Because I couldn't.”

“Alexander!” she knew what issues were plaguing him. Finding animals, ripping their throats out, the hunt, the chase, it wasn't easy on him. But his lack of appetite was dangerous, because it could lead to blood lust. In Alexander's case, it usually just led to a weakening of his body. In other dragons, it could lead to a feeding frenzy. Alexander had trained himself to be in control of his appetite at all times. But Peter was not used to such conditions. “I can't deal with you two.”

She slipped on her shoes, trying not to throw them at his head.

“Peter?” she asked, at last. “Are you coming?”

“Yes,” he replied. “But only to keep you in line. You do not yell–”

“Just stop talking,” she snapped. “Just stop. I'll find this herb or whatever it is. I'll make Alexander stop puking, and then if the two of you can stop wreaking havoc, I have a show tonight.”

She couldn't wait to get to the park at four o'clock. Her curiosity was getting the best of her, it was true. But more than that, she wanted to get away from the dragons.

Chapter 10

“If I just Google pictures of herbs, will you recognize it?” she asked as they got onto the street. Peter looked at her like she had grown a third head.

“I would appreciate it if you spoke dragon to me,” he said, looking her right in the eye.

“I am speaking. There isn't a word that translates to that!” She fumed.

“I would have expected Alexander's queen to have a better grasp of the dragon tongue,” he replied. She wanted to smack him across his angular face.

“I do have a perfect grasp of dragon lore,” she replied. “But even if I didn't, I have no obligation to you or your people to learn it.”

“You are the queen!” he roared at her. They weren't three feet from the hotel, and they were already fighting.

“Why? Because my husband knew that marrying me was mutually convenient? That was all it was, Peter, a mutual convenience. I didn't marry him to become queen, and he certainly didn't marry me to make me one. And perhaps if you hadn’t run away, this wouldn't be so hard in the first place.”

He practically breathed fire out of his ears, which would have been a sight to see. Instead, he glared at her so hard, she took a step backwards.

“I did not run away,” he said, “as you are from your obligations now. You choose to leave your husband instead of dealing with his body, which is sick!”

“I have no obligations to you or your people,” she repeated. She hurled her phone at him, not caring. “Figure it out yourself, or let Alexander throw up until his stomach falls out. I don't care!”

Ariel stormed off, seeing red. How dare he act like this was her responsibility or her job? She didn't ask for any of it, and she certainly wasn't made aware of any the day they had said their vows.

Although if she looked back over the years, she did see more and more that Alexander had been laying responsibility on her. She had dealt with Enya when Cole brought her back from Earth. She had sat on the throne beside Alexander, and she had occasionally even held throne duty on her own, while he was busy. They bowed to her wherever she walked, and she had taken advantage of the fact that they would do whatever she said on more than one occasion.

For all intents and purposes, she was the queen. He had been treating her like the queen, slowly but surely luring her into the role. She didn't want that for her life. She was a dancer, a carefree spirit, and she didn't believe in such rigid systems of government. Yet, here she was, wearing a crown on her head and letting herself be lured in.

She knew that without her phone, she would get anxious and lose track of time. Since she travelled so much when she was on Earth, her phone was her life line to her friends. But she didn't care as she wandered the city. Peter could keep her phone; Alexander could keep her crown. How did she manage to get lured into this? How had she not noticed when he said these things and let her react this way?

It was as if he had tricked her. He had shown her a life she thought she wanted, and she hadn't noticed because of all the shiny distractions. The worse part of it now was that she wasn't even queen to a king. He was merely a Prince, second best. And Ariel didn't do second best.

She was angry at Peter for all of this. How dare he be so cowardly and so weak as to disappear and leave this all up to his brother?

She was angry at Cole for bringing Enya into all of this. Unlike Ariel, Enya was small and weak, and she would need Cole the rest of her life. There was no escape, not if she wanted to live.

She was angry at Nicholas for being a prince in a position that could never be questioned. He was often light and carefree, coming and going as he chose. He had no weight on his shoulders, nor a crown to dictate his moves. That was the position she wanted to be in.

By the time 4 p.m. rolled in, she was more than ready to go to the park. Her phone wasn't in her hand, so she couldn't tell if they had cancelled, or if plans had changed.

Whatever police investigation had been going on with Peter's slaughter had cleared up. The tape was gone, but no one was venturing into the park. No one save her father, standing in the middle of it.

Ariel lingered at the entrance, watching him. He was looking up at the sky as if it had all the answers to life's problems. Where had he been all these years? What had he been doing aside from abandoning her? She knew that she wouldn't be able to speak a polite word, not after this morning. So instead, she didn't say anything, choosing instead to stand beside him.

“Have you ever looked at the clouds and been jealous of them?” he asked her after a quiet moment. Ariel raised an eyebrow.

“That's an odd thing to say,” she replied.

“Well, if you think about it, clouds can be anything that they want. One moment they could be fluffy, and the next, sleek. There's no one to tell them what to do or what to be like. No one who says they can't be one thing or another. It's an odd thought, but I've always had it.”

She could have had so many biting remarks to that comment. She was used to being sarcastic and feeling nothing. But what he said struck a chord with her.

“Oh,” she said, looking up. “I never realized. I guess you're right.”

“You must have thought it, flying through the sky on your dragons,” he said, and then turned to her. “Or did they never allow you to even think for yourself?”

Ariel said nothing, biting her lip. He smiled, gently.

“Come with me. I promised you something, didn't I?”

“You promised me something in return for controlling Peter,” she replied. “Instead, I threw my phone at him and stormed off.”

“Ah,” his eyes twinkled. “And did you speak to him about the killing? About his presence?”

“Of course, I…” she paused. “I did, actually, when I saw it on the news. It wasn't intentional; I just couldn't believe how stupid he was being.”

“You accidentally matched our intentions?” His eyes sparkled. “I believe that you and I, Ariel, have more in common than you think.”

“Argh,” she shook her head, not wanting to realize any of this. “Just take me. Show me what you mean.”

“Very well,” he replied. “But only if you promise to have an open mind.”

“My mind is wide open,” she answered. “At least, until 6 p.m., and then I have work.”

“Yes, my glorious ballerina,” he said. “And what do your dragons think of that?”

“That's how Alexander and I met, so I doubt he minds.”

“Really?” he said. “He doesn't ever stop you from your craft?”

“He...,” she bit her tongue as they walked. “He wishes I'd spend more time in the kingdom. But that is because he's addicted to me and the way I make him feel.”

“Is it?” her father asked. “Or does he just wish to control Your Grace?”

“What do you have to show me?” she asked again, not having patience for such heavy thoughts.

They didn't have to walk far to get to a nondescript, brown apartment building. There were hundreds like it in the city. Ariel had even lived in one in her early days as a dancer. She didn't think that it was anything to comment on. But her father clearly had other ideas as he led her inside.

“Not to be rude,” she said, looking around at the peeling paint and the hallway that could have used a cleaning months ago. “But if you are trying to impress me or make me feel closer to a carapace family of some kind, this isn't working.”

“You were young,” he said. “I don't think you would remember.”

“You don't think I would remember what?” she asked as he put a key in a lock on the first floor and pushed open the door.

Inside was a one bedroom apartment. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for years. There was over-turned furniture and debris everywhere. Ariel was sure that she saw a rat scuttling across the floor.

She was about to say something biting when she noticed a faded picture still hanging on the wall.

She recognized the shock of red hair the same as hers, even though the photo was of a child. There was her father, looking impossibly young, holding her. And beside him, a woman with the same eyes as she stood smiling at the camera. This woman could only be her mother.

She reached up to touch the photo, her finger streaking through a layer of dust as she did.

“This is where your mother and I spent the first two years of your life,” he said. “We were in hiding.”

“In hiding?” she asked, sounding almost robotic.

“You are the descendant of two clans, mixed carapace blood. And that is not allowed.”

“Why?” she asked. “Are they racist?”

“No. The clans know that mixed carapace blood would result in a carapace much more powerful than either clan’s leader. And when the mixed-blood child is the child of the heirs to both clans, things get much more complicated.”

She processed the words quickly. “You and my mother?”

“Were each the equal heirs to our clans. We weren't supposed to fall in love, but we spent so much time together with our parents in negotiations to keep the peace. She was my soul mate; it was inevitable. When we found out she was pregnant, we ran away from that life, afraid that they would kill you.” He paused, seemingly lost in his own memory for a brief moment. “For two years, this was our sanctuary; this was our paradise. We raised you as best we could, acting like we were like any other family and any other parents.”

“But…” Ariel's stomach dropped. She felt like this story had a terrible end.

“But we weren't,” her father said. “Eventually, they caught us. It was us who were stupid, staying in one place. But we were so content in our happiness; we had set up a little home. We tried to run, but the clans were wild. They were determined to destroy what threatened them.”

“Me,” Ariel said. “I threatened them.”

“Yes. So, we put you in hiding and put you in care where no one would know your name or what you were. We thought that you'd be safe, and you'd come back to us some day, but then the slaughter of carapaces began, thanks to the dragons. Your mother was a victim of that slaughter.” He smiled, tears in his eyes. “But it taught us a lesson we would never forget. It taught us that we are stronger united than divided. Those that were left banded together, and we went in search of you.”

“And you found me,” she said. “Under a dragon's paw.”

Chapter 11

“We feared for you for so long,” her father said. “I thought that he was hurting you, that you were his prisoner. I was relieved to see that you had at least a little bit of freedom.”

“You think I don't have freedom?” Ariel raised an eyebrow. “I have all the freedom. I come and go as I please. There is no issue with that.”

“Ariel, please,” he smiled. “It's my job to be worried about you. And dragons are dangerous.”

“They aren't dangerous.”

“Today, somebody walked through the park without realizing this would be their last sunrise,” he pointed out to her. “But because of a dragon, it was.”

She sucked in a breath, having nothing to say to that. She stared at the picture of her mother a bit longer, her heart hammering. She wasn't sure how to feel. She also wasn't sure whether she believed him or not. There had been so many people in her life who had misguided her and broken her trust.

But it honestly seemed like she had no reason not to trust him. The photographic evidence was in her face. She had no reason to believe he was lying.

“What was she like?” she asked, at last.

“Your mother?” He smiled. “Feisty. Strong. A believer in a better future. I see her so much in you. She held her chin high like you do. And she laughed like you do.”

“How do you know how I laugh?” she asked.

“We have been watching you, just to make sure you are safe,” he said. “Just to make sure the dragons don't overcome you.”

“Look,” she said, at last, “I don't know what you want me to do.”

“I want revenge,” he replied. “Revenge for your mother. Revenge for our kind. Peter has killed before on a whim, just hours ago. He will do it again. The dragon world must be stopped. They must not return to Earth. They should lose their kingdom, as we did ours.”

“That's a tall order,” Ariel replied, sternly.

“There are enough of us in numbers to crush the dragon lords if we could get into their kingdom. With the princes dead, the rule would fall ultimately to you. You are their queen, as you are ours.”

Ariel stopped even breathing at those words.

“You have the same rule as the dragons,” she realized. “A 50-50 monarchy. My mother is dead–”

“So, the kingdom is yours,” he said. “To share with me. And when I am gone, you will inherit my part as well. Two kingdoms–two separate rules–under your control.”

She said nothing to that, again reaching to the photograph. The clock was ticking; she had to get to the theater. At that moment, all she wanted to do was dance. Dance was her solace–her comfort. She needed to let the music guide her.

“Can I take this?” she asked. It embodied her every dream. A family photograph was the simplest thing to most people, and yet it was something she always dreamed of.

“Of course,” he said. “I will meet with you tomorrow to discuss this further. You would have had 100 family photographs, an album full, had it not been for the dragon lords. Including the one you are married to.”

She could hear no more of this. It felt like her ears were bleeding. Her heart certainly was. She took the photograph from the frame, tucking it in her pocket.

“Yes,” she heard herself saying, as she backed away from the room. “I'll meet you.”

She didn't establish a meeting place, because she knew he would get in touch with her.

The theater was always her job, but today it was her solace. When she arrived, she threw herself into her work, her heart beating in time with the music that pumped onto the stage. She cried real tears during the sad scenes, and laughed until her chest hurt during the happy ones. She was desperate to feel something that wasn't the confusing emptiness she had felt today.

Her family. Her dreams. Her hopes. They couldn't all be dead because of this mass slaughter? It couldn't have been taken away just because the dragons felt threatened?

She had known about the slaughter, but she didn't care about the facts back then. It hadn't occurred to her that her family had wanted her.

“Did you see this?” one of the girls said to her at intermission. She was waiving a phone at Ariel, a news article pulled up. “At the park, just across the street?”

“The strange creature and the body?” Ariel asked. “Yeah, that's old news.”

“No, not that,” the girl replied. “That was this morning. There were three more bodies found in the park just an hour ago. And another video of the same creature. What the hell is going on? This place is scary.”

“What?” asked another girl, coming over to them. Soon, the entire stage-right area was filled with babbling, frightened ballerinas. Ariel backed away, pale against the wall. They were afraid of the unknown, of what lurked outside the gates.

But she knew what creatures swarmed in the blackness and what killed in the dark of night.

She could barely make it through the second half of the show, her mind whirling. What was she going to do? Who was she going to choose?

She supposed she could have stayed in a different hotel, or perhaps chosen a different room. But her purse was back in the hotel room, and hopefully her phone as well. If she was going to get some space to think, she at least wanted her things.

Her head was swirling as she rode the elevator to the top floor where they were staying. She had always known dragons were dangerous, and she didn't care. They had a reasonable moral compass, and she always thought it was comforting to be protected by the most dangerous creatures that walked both planets.

Except they weren't protecting her. They were the reason she was in the foster system; they were the reason her life had been harsh. The school of hard knocks didn't offer a degree that could match the heartache she had gone through.

She was hoping that the room was going to be empty when she came in. It would save her the awkwardness of explaining why she was storming out. But as soon as she put the key in the lock, Alexander pulled it open.

They had fought before. One of them storming out was nothing new. They were such different people that it was just something they had come to accept over the years. However, this time was different. She froze when he pulled open the door, and she took a half step back.

His face was clouded in confusion.

“What's the matter?” he asked. He looked a bit better, but certainly not top form. At another time, she could had expressed concern. But this time, all she wanted was her things.

“You killed my mother,” she fixed him with a harsh stare. “And you knew about it, too.”

From the way his shoulders deflated, she knew she was right. He went three shades of pale as she brushed past him.

“Where's my phone?” she demanded, picking up the things she had left on the bedside table. “Alexander?”

“Here. Peter had no idea what to do with it, although he did advise me to leave you,” Alexander handed it over gently.

“That's it? You have nothing to say about the fact that you knew?”

“I did know,” he said, softly. “But not right away. Not for years.”

“That makes it better?” she spat at him.

“No,” he admitted. “But by the time I found out that it was one of us, you and I were already deep into our relationship. And you looked me in the eye and said that you didn't care.”

“Because I didn't know the truth!” she said. “I thought they abandoned me. I thought they left me! But it was you and your dragons! You've been lying to me this whole time! And now it's come crashing down, Alexander, and haven't you made the mistake? Because I am your queen now, you can't undo that.”

“I had no intention of lying to you,” he gritted his teeth, and she half wondered if he was going to throw up again. She found that she didn't really care. “I didn't. It just happened.”

“Well, me leaving can just happen, too,” she said, making sure she had the last of her things. “Don't call me, don't come looking for me, and don't just appear out of nowhere. Do you understand me?”

“Ariel!” He caught her arm tightly. Their eyes locked, and she saw what she recognized as desperation. The hunger was setting in again, the lust for blood that ruled him. For fifteen years, he didn't have to exhibit as much control as he normally did, because he had her. She could dull his pain; she could make his lust disappear. She was his addiction. “I need you.”

“Deal with it.” She ripped away from him, making sure the door slammed behind her.

Once she was out in the hallway, she realized that she had no idea where she wanted to go. The theater was across the street, and it would be wildly inconvenient to stay anywhere else.

Anger filled her again. Why should she be inconvenienced by him? Staying across the street from the theater was a rare occurrence, and she certainly didn't want to be taking taxis simply because her husband and brother-in-law were murderers?

She shook herself as she thought that. What kind of world was she living in?

She got herself a new room, checking in right above Alexander, which did not impress her. She splurged, going over and above her per diem to get herself the biggest suite possible. She didn't need him to feel like a princess.

Her phone was blowing up with the news alerts of Peter's victims He clearly couldn't control himself, and despite the fact that he hated being a dragon, he was shifting at every opportunity. She knew Alexander was going to have trouble with his own lust with Peter constantly eating, but she didn't care.

This was unforgivable and unfixable. They had made a broken relationship work for too long, and she couldn't do it any longer. She was done with dragons.

As soon as she got upstairs, she pulled out her phone again, texting the number her father had texted from.

I want to hear more.

She was sick of the burden, sick of the responsibilities, and sick of Alexander's addiction and his needs. She was even sick of her phone beeping with alerts about Peter's victims.

Tell me where to meet you, her father texted back, and she sent her room number.

Bring them all. I want to know anyone who knew her. I want to know what I missed.

There was only a millisecond before the reply came.

You are truly a carapace. You are truly my daughter.

She put down her phone, staring out of the window into the dark night. She wasn't sure how she felt about that statement. But she supposed she had time to find out. Alexander could deal with his brother's drama by himself. She was going to find out about her family, and he could deal with his own.

Chapter 12

When she had asked her father to bring the people who knew her mother, she didn't expect it to be a crowd, especially at midnight. But it wasn't long before there were twelve people in her huge hotel room, sipping wine, and spreading out pictures while telling stories.

Most of them had red hair and green eyes–features that had always made her feel like a black sheep. They were carapaces from both sides of the family, and they couldn't stop talking to her, smiling, and enjoying her presence.

“Here,” said one that she didn't know quite yet. He handed over a bundle of photos that were held together with an elastic band. “Your mother and I grew up together. I'm her second cousin, but we were neighbors. She liked to perform, just like you.”

“She liked to dance?” Ariel asked, shocked as she flipped through the pictures. She found pictures of her mother looking much younger than in the first picture she had seen, in a tap dance outfit. She recognized the shoes as tap shoes, and she smiled. “Oh my, those are old leggings.”

“She performed mostly in community circuits, but she did a pageant. She was pretty like you.”

“Yes,” Ariel was almost speechless, looking at a photo that she could have sworn was her. “What else did she like?”

“Oh, she was a pretty calm, easy going person. But she knew what she stood for and what she wanted.” He glanced up at her father. “And I wish we could have all respected her for that.”

“I'm sorry.” Ariel sat on the couch, feeling shaky. “It's just so odd. I never imagined her...any of you like this. I tried to not think about it, because that made it worse.”

“We thought about you,” her father said. “Frequently. We made sure that you were hidden, but it turned out you were so well hidden that we couldn't even find you.”

“When did you find me?” she asked.

“Your fame,” he smiled. “Your dance fame was helpful. But when we saw that you were walking with a dragon, we pulled back until we thought it was safe.”

“Was it safe when you finally did?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “But a second dragon surrounding you made it necessary. The situation changed with the fact that it was Peter.”

“Who is killing half the city because he's hungry,” Ariel sighed. “He just doesn't know what he's doing again. He was basically dead.”

“Does that make it better?” her father asked, and she sighed.

“No,” she said. “But the dragons...they aren't always in control when there is blood lust involved.”

“Or when they are threatened,” he said, and she put her head in her hands. She never got a wedding ring, but she felt like she was wearing one. It was like a phantom on her left hand, something that had bound her for years.

And these people surrounding her were so much like her–the same eyes, the same hair, the same body type.

“What is that you want me to do?” she asked.

“The kingdom is half yours. If the king is gone, the kingdom is all yours.”

“It's not that easy,” she said. “Even if something happened to Peter, there's Alexander and Nicholas to be king, and then Cole is married. It's a strong line, and I'm not going to kill them.”

“You do not have to kill them,” her father said. “But you do have to stop them.”

“How?” she said. “When they want something, they take it. When they decide that something is going to be done, it will be done.”

“And that doesn't bother you?” he asked. “Think about the behavior you just described. Those are not rulers. They are tyrants. Every time they come to Earth, someone dies. Sometimes it's one of us. Sometimes it's innocent people. But if there's enough of us, including your extreme power, we can start to close vortexes where they cannot enter this world.”

“Can't enter?” she said. “How?”

“A ring of carapaces this powerful in one place at the right time can suck so much magic from the Earth that they could never land there when they try to transport. There are only certain places that they can transport to. Have you noticed?”

“Now that I've think about it, yes,” she realized. “He's never said anything to me, but we do only land in certain places.”

“Because the dragons are restricted. We can make sure that those places are taken away from them, one by one.”

“Oh,” she said. “I... maybe would be alright with that. Maybe. But the kingdom...that is not mine to take.”

“They took ours,” her father said.

“Alvin,” someone said, and her father turned. She realized that she didn't even know his name until this moment. What else didn't she know about him? How much had she missed?

“The other dragon is back,” he said, and Ariel felt Peter's magic from above. “Should we turn on the news and see who he's killed this time?”

“I don't think every time he goes he...,” Ariel said as they turned on the TV. Sure enough, before she said another word, there was another news story, and another body. “Jesus, Peter.”

All eyes turned to Ariel.

“Do you still think that they are worthy of redemption?”

She bit her lip. She knew what Peter was going through; she had watched Alexander go through it for years. Alexander was good at control now, but Peter barely knew his own mind at this point. He was out of control.

“Ariel, if we don't stop them, if we don't let them know that what they did was not okay, they will try again. We may be able to shut down their transport spots, but they have friends in high places who are always ready to answer their call. They took our kingdom, but you can exert your power over their decisions, even here. You can manipulate the throne for our advantage, make the Council a council that makes decisions for our benefit. And if you don't, how many more people will die?”

She said nothing, feeling the photographs in her hands. She also felt the dragon magic below, bouncing off and reaching for her.

The news blared on about another person who had died and her head spun with the lies Alexander told her.

“I'll do it,” she said. “I will close their vortexes.”

“Let's arrange then,” Alvin said, unfolding a map from his pocket. “There are a few around this city that are well used: here, here, and here.”

Her eyes glazed as she listed to the plan, feeling like her world was falling out from under her. But she was with her family–her family that she had always dreamed of. And no more innocent blood would be on her hands.

The carapaces agreed to meet the next day immediately after her show. The best time to close the vortexes was when the moon was full, at midnight, high in the sky. She wasn't sure what it entailed, but she figured that it couldn't be that complicated. From how they had made it sound, it was just a bunch of carapaces pushing their power into the ground.

When they left, they left the photographs for her scattered in the room. She sat on the bed, going through each one of them. The still images held so many clues, so many memories to why she was the way she was. Was her mother rigorous in dancing, or was she more of a hobbyist? Did she dream of the big stages, or was she happy the way she was?

Did she also dread and love the moment right before the curtain went up? Did her parents want her as a child, or were they virtuous and accepted the responsibility that was put on them? There were so many questions and so few answers.

She picked up her phone in the middle of the night, staring at the blank screen. She half expected Alexander to text her–to beg her–but it was silent.

She wished for Cole right now more than ever. Her youngest brother-in-law knew everything about magic, and he could be impartial. He could verify for her what they were saying. Except, of course, he probably wouldn't if he knew what they were going to use it for.

She had never been around other carapaces before, though, so she had no idea what they were capable of, especially when they were together.

She went through the pictures again, mesmerized by them. It was like someone had documented her mother's last fifteen years, picture after picture.

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 countryside.”

“The countryside?” 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 about 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 gorgeous with a pageant 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 hoarseness in his 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 contact the dragons, he texted back. You must stay away, or they will poison 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 pretending.

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.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“Didn't you know?” he asked. “You're tracking us.”

“What?” she asked. “No, there's an order that we're supposed to do it in. A mystic order, they said.”

“The only order that you're doing it in is getting a mass of carapaces as close to Alexander as possible,” Cole answered. “You're killing him, and he won't leave until Peter can take command.”

“Killing him?” she choked. She hadn't expected that answer.

“Alexander has been with you for so long, you've slowly been depleting him of power. A normal carapace wouldn't be able to do that, but you are special. And the combination of you and your carapace family–if that's what they want to call themselves–it will kill him. He's stubborn. He won't leave without Peter's mind intact. We keep moving, but you keep tracking us.”

“No,” she said. “I didn't know.”

Cole was silent on the other end.

“What else didn't you know, Ariel? You're my sister, you've been my sister before he even married you. I knew from the minute I saw you that you were special. And now you're going to kill my brother.”

She put a hand to her mouth, tears falling down her face.

“Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you stop us?”

“For any one of us to get that close to a ring of carapaces is dangerous. I wouldn't risk losing my power for the sake of Enya. Peter is king, and Alexander is his regent. We can't get near enough to you, or they will take us out. I had no idea if your phone was being monitored.”

“I've never heard you afraid before, Cole,” her voice trembled. “Tell me you aren't afraid.”

“Everyone is afraid of something,” he answered.

“They gave me pictures,” she said. “But the pictures don't match the story. The pictures don't match the name. I don't know what to do or what to believe anymore.”

“So, come back to us,” Cole said, softly. “We're in the Grand Hotel in the center of town. I'll text you the room number.”

“I don't know what is real anymore,” she was surprised to find herself blubbering like a child. “Cole, I can't.”

“They won't cast you out for seeing your husband one last time,” Cole said. “Because either you come and save his life, and their opinion does not matter, or you come to say goodbye to him. If you can't get the carapaces out of the city so we can take the vortex, we will be trapped here.”

“But we aren't even done closing the–”

“They are lying to you, Ariel,” Cole said. “You are done. There is one more in this city, and then we will be trapped here forever.”

“Cole,” she hollowed, losing control. “I can't lose everything again.”

“You won't,” he promised her. “But you should come soon.”

Tears flooded her vision as he hung up. Her head pounded with tears she needed to shed, her body wracked with sobs.

There had to be an explanation for why the pictures were faked. Was Cole telling the truth, or was he luring her in? Was her father trying to save her from a more horrible truth? Was he even her father? What was happening?

She sat on the bed for an hour, unable to breathe for her tears. She wanted to be held, to lay her head on a shoulder and be protected.

Only one person had ever made her feel safe, and that was Alexander.

If this was her last chance to see him, she couldn't waste it. She couldn't let him die knowing they were at odds. They had been so different their whole relationship, but they had never meant to hurt each other.

Finding her way to the Grand Hotel wasn't hard. It was the tallest hotel, gleaming in the center of the city. Its golden color reminded her of a dragon's eyes, glinting in the sunlight.

She looked like a mess in the elevator mirror, her eyes red and her hair pulled every which way. Her posture was slumped, her body tired. She felt like she was walking underwater, as if every movement was difficult.

Cole opened the door, wrapping his arms around her.

“Hello, darling,” he said, as if she wasn't responsible for the mass destruction and chaos in their lives.

“Hi, Cole,” she said, softly. “Just take me to him.”

“No song and dance required,” Cole said, pulling on her arm.

Nothing prepared her for the sight of Alexander on the bed. He had lost at least twenty pounds and now resembled a skeleton. His eyes were closed, his face covered in a thin layer of sweat. His hands were gripped in pain, and his chest was barely moving.

Enya was at his bedside, a cold cloth on his head. Peter stood by the window and looked like he wanted to bite her when she walked in the room. Cole held his arm out as if to calm Peter.

“She's waving a white flag, brother. She gets to see her husband one last time. After all, family is everything.”

“She is not–”

“She is his wife and your queen,” Cole's eyes bore into his brother. “And so it shall be, as the old ways dictate.”

Ariel's heart almost broke at Cole's words. Even now, they were loyal to their family. And she was family now, just as she had been family for years.

She squeezed Alexander's hand and his eyes opened. They were yellow, but it wasn't the healthy dragon yellow. She knew that he was dying.

“I'm sorry,” she said. “I'm sorry. I don't know what to believe.”

“My darling,” he managed. “You have no reason to be sorry. You were loyal to your family.”

“I don't even know if they are my family,” she said. “I don't know what is real. My mother wasn't a dancer, or a pageant queen.”

Alexander's brow furrowed at that. He coughed, but struggled up onto his elbows, resisting his brother's help.

“No,” he said. “Your mother was a nurse.”

Ariel froze. “A nurse?” she said.

“Yes.” Alexander looked at Cole, who found the voice to continue.

“Your mother was a first responder, tending to the injuries of the Regina carapaces who attempted to close a vortex when we were transporting. Your father was in the mess, just outside the apartment that they lived in. She ran out. Her death wasn’t intentional, but Alexander did kill her, if that's what you're after.”

“It was an accident?” Ariel asked, in shock.

“As much as an accident as defending yourself can be,” Cole said. “The Regina carapaces did not want peace. They were murdering dragons who came to Earth. We retaliated, and because we are dragons, it turned into a slaughter. Our father thought they were better off dead. He ordered us to continue the slaughter, and we did. It was war, Ariel. There was no attempt at negotiation.”

“That's not what they told me,” Ariel said, looking back to her dying husband.

“They knew they were killing Alexander,” Cole said. “That's why they kept wanting to meet in your hotel room. In the beginning they wanted to concentrate their energy onto him.”

“How do I know this is real?” she asked, her hands shaking.

“Here,” Cole said, handing over his phone.

‘Marina Campball only victim of fiery explosion,’ said the article.

She had been spelling the name wrong in her searches. And there, on the front of the article, was the face she had come to know so well.

Other news articles showed the same thing: various wordings of the same story with different pictures of the same woman.

“It's almost sundown,” Cole said. “I don't know if they can close that vortex without you. But if they can, we will be trapped here forever.”

Ariel looked between them and the phone again and again. But within moments, she knew what was right. Her mother had saved lives. She wasn't a dancer; she wasn't a pageant queen, but she had a good heart. And Ariel was going to make her proud.

“You won't be,” she said, rising up. “I never wanted to be queen, but I am their queen. They cannot deny it any more than you can. Pack your things. We're all going home tonight.”

Chapter 15

She chose to use every bit of her acting training to approach the vortex site. Her heart was pounding, but she was trying to keep her poker face. Cole had made it clear to her that they needed to get back home, away from the carapaces and soon. She didn't want to know what the consequences of waiting too long were.

“Are you ready, Ariel?” Alvin appeared ahead of the rest of the pack. “We are excited to close this one. This is a big one.”

“It's also the last one,” Ariel said, and Alvin froze. “Which you neglected to tell me. You didn't tell me that you were trapping them.”

Alvin went pale.

“You said that they would know,” she continued. “When would they know? When it was too late?”

Alvin said nothing, and she pulled out the photographs.

“This isn't my mother,” she said.

“That is your mother. Do you not see her face? It's–”

“That is her face,” Ariel said. “This is not her body or her job. I'm not an idiot, Alvin. It started with the touring community theater, which is not a thing. “

“I can explain,” Alvin said.

“My husband explained to me already,” Ariel said, “that she was a nurse, and that she was killed in an accident. Google confirms this, which is the same thing I used for an image search. You lied to me.”

“We had to,” he said at last. “We had very little time to close the vortexes, and your brother-in-law was moving fast in his murders. We needed you to understand and relate.”

“My brother-in-law has been in a hazy hell for the past few years,” she replied. “And I'm sure that you would be, too, given what he's been through. You wanted to kill them. They wanted to kill you. I’m sick of it.”

“Carapaces have always been enemies of the dragons.”

“What are we, robots programmed that way?” Ariel snapped. “We can make our own choices. This age-old feud is ridiculous”

“They killed your mother!” Alvin cried.

“Yes, they did,” she said. “Two wrongs don't make a right. When Alexander took the throne, he stopped the carapace slaughter. The sins of the father are not to be revisited on the son.”

“Ariel, we are your family!” Alvin said. “You are my daughter.”

“And you gave me up,” she said. “You didn't have to. You didn't. This is a newsflash to you, but mixed-race relationships are frowned on in many places in the world. People find ways to make it work. And if the carapaces are all united now, it wouldn't have been that hard for you two to figure out. But you chose another path in life. You chose to sit on your thrones, and then, dear God, you give me shit for choosing to sit on another throne.”

“That is not your throne! They are not your family!”

“They were there for me,” she said. “They did not judge me for what I was. They did not leave me on my own. They knew it was a difficult relationship–a mixed relationship–and they didn't run for the hills.”

“Because your husband is addicted to you.”

“Because my husband saved me!” she screamed. “And I will do the same for him. You may be my blood family, but I've had enough of this.”

She was surprised to find tears running down her face. Her body was reacting to the loss, the grief of what could have been overtaking her. It would have been better if she never met them and never saw what she could have had.

But it had taught her a valuable lesson at least. She had thought she was indifferent to her marriage–indifferent to her husband and her in-laws.

She wasn't. She loved him. She wasn't sure that they would ever be a fairy tale couple, but she didn't want to be without him. She didn't want to divorce him. She didn't want to be apart from him anymore.

“We can't do this without you,” Alvin said. “We aren't strong enough. You, Ariel, you are strong enough. You are the missing link.”

“I'm also your queen,” she said, raising her chin. “You and the dragons aren't so different. You have to listen to your queen, and when you die, Alvin, all the carapaces will be mine. What makes you think I won't side with the dragons and get rid of them all?”

“You wouldn't dare,” he said. “You're no better than they are!”

“Wouldn't I?” she raised an eyebrow. “Queens have done worse to end wars, and this war ends here, do you understand?”

“Your mother wouldn't have wanted this,” Alvin said in a last-ditch attempt. But Ariel knew exactly what her mother would have wanted, and she didn't need to be a nurse to understand her.

“She wanted no more slaughter, and no more death. She wanted everyone to stop killing each other. She risked her own life to save people. That's what she wanted.”

Alvin said nothing to that, and Ariel knew she had won. She looked around at the redheads around her, staring at her with stunned faces.

Two days ago, she thought she'd never see her dragon family again. But it was her blood family she would now break ties with.

“This vortex will stay open forever,” she said. “And if I can find a way to open the rest of them again, I will.”

“If you bring your husband back here, he won't survive,” Alvin said. “Not around us. In his kingdom around you, your powers are suppressed enough. But his time on Earth is done. And I understand there are very few who will bring you back here.”

“So be it,” Ariel said, raising her chin high. “I couldn't dance forever. I've known that for a long time. And if I never have to dance Prince of Egypt again, that's fine. I'm not a princess anyways. I'm a queen twice over.”

Alvin softened slightly. “Good for you, Ariel. Many of us wander through life not really knowing who we are. You're one of the rare few.”

Her heart broke, and she lowered her head. “Just leave it open,” she said, turning away. It was time to go home. No one moved, and she didn't turn back. “Just go.”

“Goodbye, daughter,” Alvin said, and she sighed.

“Goodbye, father.”

She waited half an hour after they had cleared out to make sure that the carapace magic was gone. Finally, she sent the text indicating the all clear. When the dragons arrived, she knew they were against the wire.

“You can't come back,” she said to Alexander as she slipped an arm around his waist. “I'm sorry. It's as simple as them being too powerful when they hang out together.”

“I know,” he said, weakly. “Fifteen years, Ariel, and I never thought it would end like this.”

“End?” she replied. “Why would it end?”

His face reflected surprise.

“I can no longer transport you,” he replied. “And I cannot ask my brothers to take the risk.”

“Cole,” Ariel spun around. “Do you love me?”

Cole smirked. “Of course, I love you. I have to come back anyway, all the time. Enya and I won't mind the company, would we?”

“Cole, you can't,” Alexander said. “She is my wife. My responsibility.”

“If you feel so strongly,” Ariel said. “Then we'll stay in the kingdom.”

“What?” Alexander asked, in shock. “You'll give up your life here?”

“If you would have asked me six months ago, I would have told you that you were nuts and pushed the divorce papers on you. But having you away from me and seeing you like that made me realize that I've been taking you for granted. I don't want to be apart from you, Alexander. I don't want our marriage to end.”

He grasped her hand, leaning slightly into her.

“I never wanted that, my dear. I knew what I was saying all those years ago.”

“I think I did, too,” she said. “But it scared me. All I wanted was a home and a family, and it's been staring me in the face this whole time.”

“Shall we go home then?” he said, and she nodded.

“Yes,” she replied. “Now, sit before you fall.”

It took Cole and Peter concentrating and Ariel trying to suppress her magic to get them home. She never thought she'd have been so relieved to land in the ante chamber of the throne room. Nicholas happened to enter just as they emerged.

“Where the hell have you been?” he asked, looking frustrated. “Building a new kingdom?”

“You could say that,” Ariel said as she snaked an arm around Alexander's waist. Back home, he was already regaining color. “We're back now, anyway.”

“Good,” Nicholas said. “Because I've been holding down the fort, and there's so much to do. Alexander–”

“I will take it,” Peter said, grabbing the scrolls Nicholas gave him. “I am king. You will report to me.”

“About bloody time,” Nicholas said. “Cole, I need your help. Let's go.”

“All’s well that ends well,” Ariel said to Alexander in English, as the rest of them left the room. He smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

“You might forget English if you spend enough time here,” he said.

“Dragon lore sounds prettier anyway,” she replied. “I'm content, Alexander. What I spent my whole life searching for is right here. I just needed to realize it.”

“I will do anything I can to keep you happy,” he said, and she shrugged.

“You do make me happy,” she said. “Hell, if I was getting all sappy, I'd say I love you.”

“Oh, my dear,” he said. “I have loved you since the moment I first saw you dance. I knew you were strong; I knew you were different. That’s why I had no hesitation marrying you. I knew that whatever happened, you would find a way, because you've had to find a way your whole life.”

She leaned into him, taking comfort in his arms.

It wouldn't be an easy future ahead of them. But she was determined that, whatever happened, they would get through it together as husband and wife.

***THE END***