Dreamslinger, page 3
“As you may or may not be aware, no electronics are permitted within kingdom borders. But appropriate communication channels will be provided to every trialeer upon arrival. Does anyone have any questions?”
The unexpected call for questions jolted Aria back to her senses. She looked around, and it dawned on her that the situation was even worse than it looked. This entire encounter was being live-streamed on national television. All her dad’s hard work was being sabotaged by the Royal League for their own dangerous interests. She could not let this go on.
She bolted to her feet. But her dad beat her to Tae.
“This is not the place, young man.” He pointed his cane at the royal slinger, the colorful cozy she’d crocheted for the stick on full display. “Please, leave now. We have heard enough.”
It was a peaceful request, but the bloom dragon took offense at the cane being pointed in Tae’s direction. It hissed protectively before swiping its long muscular tail toward the professor. It whacked her dad’s legs with full force, and he collapsed with a painful thud on the ground.
“DAD!”
White-hot fury flared in Aria’s gut like the sparkler she was. How dare they touch him!
Before she knew what was happening, a torrent of fire was shooting out of her hands, raw and potent and full of rage. A nearby cameraman’s legs caught alight, and he shrieked and flailed about, toppling his tripod and spreading the flames to the rest of the camera crew.
Aria gasped and hid her hands behind her back. No, no, no! That wasn’t supposed to happen. Not today! A thick silence spread through the auditorium as all eyes landed on Aria. And as she took in their horrified expressions, the blood drained from her face. What had she done?!
As she stood there frozen, one opportunistic cameraperson swiveled their lens toward Aria, eager to capture the culprit on film. Immediately, Aria’s dad leapt in front of her, blocking the camera’s view with his body.
“Turn that thing off. NOW.”
Aria dared to glance at her dad, who’d turned to check on her. Their eyes met, and Aria’s heart shattered. His disappointment was spelled so clearly in his red-rimmed eyes, she knew she’d crossed a line that could never be uncrossed. Against all her best intentions, she’d somehow, with one fell swoop, made her dad’s legacy and reputation go up, literally, in smoke.
By the time the ambulances and fire trucks left, the real fire at Resthaven was just beginning to burn.
“How dare you let this happen, Professor Loveridge!” the governor shouted, his round face red and blotchy. His voice reverberated around the walls of her dad’s office. “I have never, do you hear me, never, in my career experienced such a PR disaster. Were you aware the royal slinger would make an appearance?”
From Aria’s hiding spot behind the filing cabinet, she could see her dad carefully arrange his face so his emotions couldn’t be read. It was one of the Outburst suppression techniques taught at Resthaven.
“Absolutely not, Governor,” her dad responded, a forced calm in his tone. “It was news to me that they were even in the country, let alone in Almiro.”
Aria wanted to scream. She’d tried to tell him! If only he’d listened!
“And what of that offensive child who had the Outburst?” the commissioner demanded, his nasal voice as thin as his physique. “I hope she’ll be dealt with accordingly.” It was clear he had no idea Aria was the same person who’d tripped him over earlier.
“That was my daughter,” her dad snapped, his body visibly tensing. “And I would warn you in future to mind your choice of words, Commissioner.”
“You do understand you’ve put us in a rather difficult situation,” the commissioner remarked, unaffected by her dad’s warning. “After the abject humiliation we just experienced on national television, surely you don’t expect us to support the rollout now?”
Her dad swallowed thickly. “I would, in fact, argue this incites even greater urgency for the rollout. If the Royal League is suddenly opening their borders again, we need to be prepared. The last time they emerged, it resulted in the Great Outburst. We need to ensure our gene-compromised don’t get indoctrinated into their extremist ways.”
The governor sighed heavily. “It’s a valid point. We wouldn’t be able to survive another Great Outburst. Not after what they did to us last time.”
The commissioner scowled as he fingered the vase of flowers on her dad’s desk.
“The problem is that we have no idea what they’re up to,” the governor continued in a huff. “It’s like trying to provide an answer when you don’t know what the question is!”
As the governor waffled on with his stream of consciousness, the commissioner stared at the flowers with an eerie intensity. And then, out of nowhere, he ripped an entire dahlia head off its stalk, crushing it inside his fist. He mumbled something about bleeding flowers.
“What was that?” the governor asked.
“I said we’ll send someone to find out,” the commissioner replied.
“Why in the world would we do that?” The governor looked confused.
The commissioner spoke slowly as if explaining something to a small child. “You said it yourself—we don’t know what they’re plotting. And if this is the first time they’re opening the Trials to any dreamslinger in the world, we need someone on the inside. Someone who can infiltrate the system, find out what they’re up to, and prove the League is up to no good. Someone who can find evidence. Undercover.”
The governor mulled it over before his eyes lit up. “And if we can show proof that they’re planning anything akin to another Great Outburst, our skins will be saved. It’s the perfect scapegoat. I can see the headlines now—Governor of Texas saves world from Great Outburst Two!” He chuckled heartily and slapped the commissioner on the shoulder, who bristled at the gesture. “You’re a genius, Reid! My only criticism is that I didn’t think of it myself!”
Aria’s dad shook his head fervently. “There’s no way we’re sending anyone into that lion’s den. They create child soldiers. They teach vulnerable youth to wield their emotions as weapons. We have a duty to protect our young people.”
The look on the commissioner’s face could’ve chilled the sun. “Send someone and get the proof we need,” he said icily. “Or else say goodbye to your national rollout. In fact, you might as well say goodbye to Resthaven while you’re at it, too.”
Her dad’s face crumpled. “But—”
“I’ll do it!” Aria cried, revealing herself from behind the filing cabinet. “I’ll go to the Trials. I’ll be your spy and find the proof you need.”
Her dad’s eyes flared, exposing a fury she’d never seen in him before. “Like hell you will!” he growled. “That hermit kingdom doesn’t recognize international laws. The US doesn’t even have official diplomatic relations with them! If something terrible happened to you there, we’d have no legal recourse to bring you back. Do you see what I’m trying to say? This would be a suicide mission!”
“I beg to differ,” the commissioner replied, his tone steely. “I would argue this is rather a beautiful solution to our little predicament.”
The governor nodded a little too eagerly. “It’s the least she could do after today.”
It was clear by the look on her dad’s face that he knew her fate had been sealed. Still, he didn’t let up.
“But this is not how we do things in America,” he argued hotly. “We protect our own. How can you support sending a minor into what is essentially enemy territory?” He wrung his hands. “Please, I implore you to have mercy. She’s my daughter!”
The commissioner cleared his throat. “You forget legislation stipulates that any gene-compromised minor is ultimately the responsibility of the state, not their parent.”
“Oh, precisely,” the governor quickly agreed. “So I’m afraid, Professor, it’s not your decision as to whether this child enters the Trials or not. As governor of Texas, it’s mine.”
Her dad stared into Aria’s eyes with a supreme look of fear that chilled her to the bone. What have you done?! it demanded. Aria knew he’d never forgive her for this. And yet she felt her chest fill with a dark sort of satisfaction.
This was going to be her penance for ruining her dad’s career, his legacy, and his reputation. This was the only way she could salvage what was left of it.
Her dad couldn’t see it yet. But Aria was going to compete in the Annual Royal Slinger Trials in the Kingdom of Royal Hanguk. And by proving they were guilty, she was going to fix everything she’d burned.
FOR THE NEXT WEEK, ARIA was an anxious pinball pinging off the walls. She didn’t know if it was the guilt of the botched signing or the fear of what was to come. But whatever the reason, she’d spent more and more time at the Nightmare Circle. Every night, it became increasingly hard to resist the pull of the four cardinal seas. And despite the lengthy extractions in the chambers each morning, her Outbursts were reaching a whole new intensity.
She was almost relieved when departure day finally arrived a week later, and she wheeled her green suitcase toward the doors of Resthaven.
“Please don’t let them shut Resthaven down,” Pablo, who had organized a small farewell party at the atrium, pleaded. “We’re counting on you.”
“And for what it’s worth, I think what you’re doing is really brave,” Levi added. “Crazy. But brave.”
She received a round of hugs from everyone, although Dr. Dixon was notably absent. And Basima the cleaner didn’t bother hiding her tears as she kissed Aria on every available surface of her face. “Please be safe, habibi. We will miss you.”
The weight of Aria’s burden was already buckling her knees. If she didn’t succeed in her mission, what would become of her friends here? The thought was too much to bear.
“We better get moving,” Aria’s dad murmured as he straightened the four-petaled flower on her armband. “It’s a long drive to the airport. And an even longer flight to Seoul.”
Her dad had been painfully quiet the entire way to the airport, and now, Aria fiddled with the fake passport as her dad argued with the check-in counter. Apparently, someone in the line had complained that having a dreamslinger on board was a public safety issue and had demanded Aria be moved to a different flight.
Aria opened the passport that the US Commissioner of Dreamslinger Relations had arranged for her, to match the name they’d put on the scroll registration. There on the bio data page, under her face, was her new name: Aria Love.
Since Royal Hanguk didn’t use technology, they’d assumed the live footage of the signing fiasco hadn’t made it to the League. But with a dad as prominent as Professor Loveridge, they’d wanted to make sure Aria’s surname wouldn’t be linked back to him. So Love it was.
She knew a few letters shaved off her surname wasn’t going to help her if she ran into Tae in the kingdom. But she’d deal with that if and when it happened. In the meantime, she was grateful her dad had been such a stickler when it came to keeping her public profile hidden. He’d always made it a point to keep her out of the limelight. Hopefully, that meant no other competing dreamslingers from the rest of the world would recognize her, either.
“I’m sorry, Sparkler, but it looks like you’re going to have to wear your gloves the entire flight,” her dad said, finally having reached an agreement with the check-in officer. “On the upside, they’ve bumped you up to first class.”
Aria slipped on the metal-fiber restraints and fist-pumped the air. “Niiice! Nothing like being a complete social reject. You get the best flight perks!”
Her dad winced at the comment.
“It was just a joke, Dad. Sorry.” She lowered her head. “I’m—I’m sorry for everything.”
They headed toward the airport café to order their usual iced coffee and iced hazelnut oat milk. And as they waited for their drinks, her dad sighed with the weight of the world.
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. If only I hadn’t pushed the no guard thing, then everything wouldn’t have snowballed the way it did at the signing.” He pulled his hands down his face and sighed again. “How could I have let this happen?”
“Come on, Dad. Stop torturing yourself. You’re making this all about you. But you’re not the one who lit your big day on fire. That was me. And you’re not the one forcing me to be a spy. That would, again, be me.”
“You and the good state of Texas,” he muttered darkly before glaring at her. “I’ll never forgive you for putting yourself in this situation.”
“I hope someday you will. But for now, I’m grateful you’re letting me do this.”
He grunted. “It’s not like I had a choice.”
Aria twiddled her mom’s lucky number eight pendant in her fingers. “What do you think Mom would say if she were here?”
He paused thoughtfully. “I think she would’ve told you to… spread your wings.”
The comment made her think of the lullaby her mom used to sing to her.
Fly, free bird, fly
Fly, free bird, fly
Don’t let them clip your wings
When you were born to soar…
In some ways, this mission was as much for her mom as it was for her dad. After all, the Royal League created the Great Outburst, and the Great Outburst killed her mom. So really, holding the League responsible for their crimes felt like a way of avenging her mother’s death. The thought gave her strength.
“Listen, about your mom…” her dad started. “The thing is, your mom, she was—” His voice cracked. “She, uh, she was—”
Aria touched his arm. “It’s okay, Dad. I know it’s hard for you to talk about her.”
He nodded and took her hand, his eyes watery. “You’re just so much like her.” He opened her palm and placed a small rectangular object on it. “Here, this is for you.”
It was a single domino tile. One black pip was painted on either side of the center line.
She groaned. “You and your old-man dominoes. I told you no one my age plays with those. I’m fourteen!”
“I don’t care if you’re four or forty, you’re still my kid, so give your old man a chance to explain himself.”
Aria harrumphed.
“This is the starter piece—the one that kicks the game off. No matter how small you might feel, or how impossible a task may seem, I want you to remember to be like this starter piece. Just lay out that first tile, and like in every good domino wall, know that everything else will come tumbling after.”
He closed Aria’s fist around the tile. “I hate that you’re doing this. I hate myself even more that I can’t stop you. But I also have complete and utter faith in you.” His breath hitched. “God, I’m going to miss you so much, Sparkler.”
She buried her face into his side and her insides wobbled uncontrollably. “I’m going to miss you too, Dad.” She clutched the domino tile tight. “And I promise to be the starter piece.”
First class was huge and fancy and absolutely deserted. Even the flight attendants gave Aria a wide berth as they asked if she preferred the fish meal or the chicken. Aria was tired and wouldn’t have minded a nap, but she didn’t dare try. The metal restraints were only effective to a point, and she wasn’t going to risk needing extraction thirty thousand feet in the air.
Instead, she opened her mom’s journal—the one with the collection of highly specific emotions—and asked how her mom was feeling.
Her finger landed on the entry:
RESFEBER (Noun) (Swedish origin): The restless race of the traveler’s heart before the journey begins, when anxiety and anticipation are tangled together.
“Me too, Mom,” Aria whispered. “Me too.”
Fifteen long hours later, the plane touched down on South Korean soil. Aria disembarked the aircraft and followed the crowd through immigration and to the baggage claim to find her suitcase. Then, steeling herself, she walked through the doors into the arrivals area.
Immediately, an attack of bright flashes assaulted her senses. Aria yelped and shielded her eyes.
“Trialeer Love! Trialeer Aria Love! Just one minute of your time, please!”
“How are you feeling in advance of the Annual Royal Slinger Trials?”
“Is this your first time abroad? How does it feel to leave your home country for the first time?”
Aria peeked through the gap between her fingers. In between the white spots in her vision, she saw a sizable camera crew pointing all manner of fuzzy and long microphones her way. She shuddered. She’d had enough of camera crews for a lifetime and then some.
There was a second explosion of flashes as the media mob started shouting another name.
“Trialeer Walker! Trialeer Tui Walker! A minute of your time, please!”
Aria glanced behind her to see a girl her age, tall with light brown skin, an unruly head of hair, and the coolest rainbow combat boots she’d ever seen. Unlike Aria, she didn’t seem fussed by the crowds. She coolly walked up to one of the reporters and answered their questions.
A hand tapped Aria on her shoulder.
“Trialeer Aria Love, please come with me.”
The British-accented voice belonged to a large potbellied man with ruddy cheeks who bowed deeply when she turned toward him. He was dressed in a traditional Korean outfit with roomy pants and a crossed-collar top that had billowing sleeves. A four-petaled flower was embroidered on the chest.
Instinctively, she reached out to touch her armband. Her flower symbol was just an empty outline, a functional reminder of her genetic condition. But his was vivid and vibrant, with symbols etched inside each petal. The north-pointing one had a snowflake, the east-facing one a daisy. The one pointing south had a sun, and the petal to the west had a sweetgum leaf. They were the same symbols she’d seen on the royal slingers’ cloaks at the Almiro Sunflower Fields.
“I am your designated driver. We must leave with haste.”
Aria narrowed her eyes and gave him the most intimidating look she could muster. “I’d like to see proof that you’ve been sent to fetch me. How do I know you’re not some anti-slinger psychopath? I’ll have you know I’m stronger than I look.”
