Page 25 of Ulfar

“Miss Khan?” The nurse’s voice catches my attention and I look up, startled.

“Yes?”

She’s beaming at me and holding a tablet in her hand, which can only mean one thing...

“Congratulations, my dear. You’re pregnant.”

And there it is. The finishing blow to my happily ever after. I try to give her a smile, but inside, my heart and my hope are melting.

I should be happy. As a child I always liked the idea of becoming a mother, but I never thought it would be...like this. Can I really go through with this, knowing that the baby will be Syndicate property? Can I really turn over my own flesh and blood to those scoundrels?

It doesn’t matter. They never gave me a choice. I suck back a sob and hope it looks like tears of happiness.

“I know, isn’t it exciting?” The nurse chitters on, and I’m only half listening. She pushes the tablet into my hands where it has a variety of forms and disclosures. It’s probably better if I don’t read the fine print in this case, so I gulp and swipe my finger dutifully across every dotted line.

“You’ve done the people of Aesirheim a great service. I’ve beamed information on next steps to your device, where you’ll be able to track your baby’s progress and growth. You’ll also receive reminders on follow-up appointments as well as your standing with the ISA. You will receive your stipend through the instructions in the app. Do you have any questions?”

I have a million of them, but none I can ask. Especially not to her. She’s just doing her job. So I choke out a “no,” and she leaves me to get dressed to leave.

* * *

I return hometo an empty cottage. Ulfar must still be at his meeting, but all the better. That gives me some time to myself to strategize what to do next.

And to soak in the emotional impact of the news. I knew I was pregnant. Like Vi said, there was hardly any way I couldn’t be.

But seeing it verified by the doctors reminds me that yes, this is all too real. This isn’t a game or a fairy tale. This isn’t one of my favorite stories where the good guys win and the couple finds a happily ever after. No. This is life. My life. And like it or not, I’ve been called to deal with it.

All of a sudden, the lights dim and then go out completely. I freeze, listening for any sounds, but all I hear is the eerie quietness. Maybe it was just a power failure. But these cottages are reinforced with multiple backup systems.

So what could it—

Just as soon as it started, the interruption disappears, the lights flickering back on like nothing ever happened. But on the viewing screen we use for movies, there’s something else now. A notification that fills my veins with ice.

‘One incoming call from Areo Khan. Do you accept?’

“Y-yes,” I stammer, eyes wide. My father. What is my father doing calling me here? And how did he bypass the network?

‘Call connecting... please stand by. For your privacy, this is a secure and encrypted feed. This call will end automatically in five minutes. Connecting now.’

The screen flashes to life, but I don’t see my dad’s face. I see just the bouncing lines of the audio levels staring back at me. A brief moment of static, and then—

“Sarah?”

I nearly burst into tears right then and there. That’s his voice all right. I didn’t realize how much I missed him, and that one single word dredges up every precious memory we have together. I know we don’t have long to talk, though. The intimidating countdown clock in the corner of the screen reminds me of that.

“Dad.” My voice comes out as little more than a whimper.

“Sarah, it's me. We don’t have long, but I need you to know some things. Are you listening?”

“Yes,” I breathe.

“The...The dragon has flown the nest.”

To an outsider, it sounds like we’re simply discussing my favorite book series, Hidden Kingdom, but we agreed on this beforehand. It’s a code.

That means he’s not at home anymore. They’ve taken him somewhere. And that can’t be a good sign.

“Did Tanis ever find that treasure map?”

---