Once Upon A Lie

Sixty-two: Several Months Later

Sixty-two:

Several months later

Alina stared at herself in the mirror. It had been a while since she had convinced Petyr Lantsov to sell his company, and get herself out of the second arranged marriage that she'd been in. She now had her graduation cap and robes on. And enough money for a future that she wanted. Her parents, really her mother, had agreed that she should get half of the money from the Lantsov sale.

The Morozova's had agreed too.

After all, The Fold was going to stay afloat because of what she'd done. It was no skin off of their backs if she got a little something for the trouble that she had gone through to get it for them.

"I got you something." Her mother said this from behind, and Alina turned to smile at her.

"Mama," she said, "you didn't have to get me anything."

"Yes," Makhi said, "I absolutely did. You're my daughter. You made it through school with full honors, a year before you were supposed to. And you saved our company from being run into the ground, meaning you saved our family."

Alina blushed. "Not bad for the girl that everyone thought was so flighty that she would lose her fortune to some upstart that was trying to seduce her for it."

Makhi smiled at her. "Yes, not bad at all. I'm very sorry that we didn't see your potential sooner, Alina. Our world, for as much opportunity as it has, is built on some very outdated traditions. Your father never even considered the idea that you could run the company."

"I don't want to run the company," Alina said, "I don't know what I want, but I know it isn't that."

"Have you heard from Aleksander at all?" Makhi asked.

Alina sighed. "Not since Zoya was kind enough to text me pictures of them on the flight to their honeymoon."

"And Nikolai?"

"Has disappeared from the face of the earth," Alina replied, "but I'm okay with him being gone."

"What about Malyen?" Makhi asked.

Alina turned bright red. "Um, we've seen a little of each other. But he's been out from school because of his arm. He's missing graduation because of it. It doesn't matter though. He's going to be traveling once his arm heals. His moms run out of money again, and Genya's got one more year left in school. So, he's looking for more money to help them out."

"Right," said Makhi, "I had a little talk with him about that."

She raised an eyebrow. "You talked with Mal?"

Her mother nodded. "It was our trellis that he fell off of. I covered his hospital bills, and I made certain that they had some money for their hotel. And I've gotten his mother a job at our foundation. It turns out Mrs. Oretsev knows quite a number of people in society and is good at wheedling them out of money, so I thought I'd give her a job where she could put her skills to good use."

"That was a good idea," said Alina, "what-----what was it you got me though?"

"Oh." Her mother grabbed a box that Alina hadn't realized was on her desk. "It's two things really. And it's not really from me."

"Who's it from?" Alina asked.

"Mal," she said, "We made a trade when I went to visit him. He took the tesla we bought you, and he thought you might need something to drive for your travels. But he won't be up for driving a motorcycle for a while. So...."

Alina stared at the box, then opened it. It was a black helmet with Mal's tattoo done in gold. The sword, the sun, and the words I AM BECOME BLADE down the center of the sword. There was a note taped to the front.

Linnie----for seeing the world instead of letting people save you from it. Happy graduation! ---Mal

Makhi took something out from her purse and handed it to her. "That's the key."

It was on a golden necklace with the key hanging off of it.

Alina smiled. "Are you really okay with me having a motorcycle?"

Makhi sighed. "No, I'm not okay with you having a motorcycle. But we have controlled you long enough. And none of our choices have helped make you better. In fact, I think the way that we controlled you so much held you back. It's time for you to make your way in the world the way that you want to."

"I want to see the world," she said.

Makhi smiled at her. "Then, go see the world, Alina."