- A D A R A - K O N S D O T T I R -

     "So, what are you gonna do?" I ask Suri as he takes a bite of his street food. Our SUV sits on the edge of the road, near the markets of Erbil. Sunlight pours in the open windows as the bustling streets move outside. The buildings, made of sandstone bricks and clay, shine bright in the desert heat. The evening sky casts shadows over parts of the streets that market-goers flock to.

     "Hmm?" He murmurs, chowing down as I laugh at the timing. I always seemed to ask people questions while they were eating, and Lucas thought it was the worst. "What do you mean?"

     "In Al Kamara," I continue, watching him take a napkin to pat his mouth with. I chuckle, noticing that even with a hardened, street-focused life in Tripoli, some royal instincts never quite go away. "When we arrive."

     He nods, setting down his food and taking a sip of water. "I'm not sure," he ponders, leaning back in the seat. I watch him flip down the sunvisor, blocking the rays from his eyes. "Talk to Kali first, I think."

     "Oh yeah?" I respond quietly, surveying the street as a thousand conversations happen at once. "That's right. You wanted to set the record straight."

     "That's part of it," he states, setting his bottle back in the cupholder. "There's more, though."

     "Like what?" I ask casually, my accent slipping slightly as I look his way.

     "I can't imagine she's doing too well right now," Suri mutters, shaking his head. "I remember how bad it was when I was quietly exiled. She's been put on a worldwide pedestal of ridicule. It can't be good being her right now."

     I nod, following along. If my biggest failure had been a global spectacle, I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to deal with it. Mine was very private, and it nearly ended me. If not for Raleigh showing up that night... I shudder at the thought. 

     "Can I ask you the million-dollar question?" I propose, and he looks at me with a single brow raised.

     He laughs slightly. "Depends, Miss Adara. What is the million-dollar question?"

     "You, very clearly..." I begin, trying to be as tactful as possible. "Didn't do anything they accused you of when they exiled you."

     "Of course not," he scoffs, tightening his posture a bit, like he wanted to return to being Saleh.

     "So why?" I ask, tilting my head a bit. "Why did they kick you out?"

     His eyes widen slightly as he sits up in his seat. "Why do you think?"

     "I have no idea," I quickly answer, shrugging my shoulders. "It just doesn't add up, you know? The stories about you."

     He cracks a smile, chuckling silently. "Thank you."

     I nod, resting my head against the headrest. "So what happened?"

     "Honestly," Suri says, looking like he's mulling it over in his head. He raises a hand, running it through his black hair as he thinks. "I'm not sure."

     My face tightens, looking at him, confused. "You don't know?"

     "That night," he starts, staring at the dashboard as he recalls events one by one. "I heard my mother say my name one night. I'm not sure what she was talking about on the phone. She said something like, 'He's asking too many questions. He needs to go. Quietly.'"

     I tilt my head as he continues. "It sounded like it was about me. I figured if I was in danger, Kali was too. I found her, and the two of us tried to escape the palace."

     "You couldn't have made it that far," I comment, imagining the scenario as he describes it.

     "You'd be surprised," he counters, before returning quickly to thought. "But no. She caught us, and the next thing I knew, Klen was giving me a backpack on my way out."

     "Klen?" I ask, confused again.

     "Neither of my parents would see me," Suri murmurs, clearly upset at that detail.

     I exhale, laying my arm on the windowsill. Part of me wants to be angry at the obvious deception on his behalf - but I'm also confused. That doesn't make sense. None of it. Why-

     "Maybe we can change the topic," he suggests, snapping me from my thoughts. I look over to see him shift in his seat, trying to relax as he grabs his food. "What about you? I don't think I ever got your story."

     Normally, I wouldn't tell, but this feels different. "What do you want to know about me?"

     "I don't know," he shrugs, taking a bite. "How'd you end up here? Doing this?"

     I exhale, smiling a bit. "Long story, Suri."

     "Can you give me anything?" He asks, a bit frustrated at my evasiveness. 

     "Alright," I chuckle, taking a sip of water before looking out the window. "I was born in Iceland. My parents moved to the US when I was a kid, and I joined the military. Used to be a Delta Force soldier before I landed with Maelstrom."

     Suri nods, taking a final bite as he looks out the window. "That explains the accent."

    "Don't worry," I laugh lightly. "You're not the first one to notice."

     "What are they like?" He inquires, stretching. "Your squad, I mean?"

     I smile faintly, glancing at one of the merchants outside. "Lucas thinks he's the funniest bastard alive, but don't tell him it's kinda true. Mena never stops talking, but I love listening to her. Dom can be a bit impulsive, but he's someone you can always count on. And, well... don't piss off Natalia."

     "How do you even, like..." Suri trails off, trying to put his thoughts together. "How do you even join Maelstrom?"

     "Good question," I reply simply, and Suri shakes his head in half disappointment, half amusement. "Kinda finds you, I guess."

     "You're infuriating," he snickers, taking another sip of water.

     "We're still talking, though," I point out, and Suri nods in agreement. "No, it's kind of weird. It's so elite that you're kind of selec-"

     My thoughts run into a brick wall as I look into the crowd. One of the men walking through the markets is... not like the others. His muscular build grabs my attention, but his face grabs it even more. His mid-length black goatee frames his chin as he walks through the market, scanning with hardened, dark eyes. Even in the shadows and shawl, it's unmistakable. 

     General Barr.

     "Adara?" Suri stammers, looking towards the crowd, confused. "You in there?"

     "We need to go," I state simply, my mind racing as I roll up the windows and fire up the car. Suri looks at me, worried, as my hand reaches for the wheel. They tremble violently as I put the car in drive, pulling out of the street and driving away from the market center. Alley walls pass. Shadows loom, as if they're trying to lock us in the streets. People chatter. Cars drive-

     "What happened?" Suri asks, his voice the only thing piercing the fear in my chest.

     "We need to leave," I repeat, trying to sound as calm as possible as I roll through the city streets towards the ridgeline. Did he see us? I sure hope he didn't fucking see us. "Put on your glasses and hat."

     "Adara, what's-"

     "Suri, do as I fucking say!" I snap, making his eyes go wide. He immediately begins fishing around in his backpack as I enter the city outskirts, eyeing the GPS. My hands shake, only steadied by the steering wheel and my quick, staccato breaths. Thoughts roll through my mind like waves as I consider what just happened. Why is CJ Barr in Erbil? Why is he here right now? Did he see me? Is he... looking for me?

     I turn left, entering a highway to head northeast as my pedal inches closer to the floor. The vehicle hums, guiding me away from hell and towards the mountains ahead.