The Secret of Zormna Clendar by Julie Steimle (best ereader for pdf TXT) 📕

But our government is really corrupt. The point is—long story short—most of us escaped to the U.S. and are in hiding from our government. Understand?”

Blinking first, Kevin then nodded. So did Jennifer. Jeff was nixing the alien thing entirely. Good.

With a slower nod to Zormna, Jeff added, “The reason why Zormna and I did not get on at first is that Zormna is—no—was part of the military that kept the borders of the country. We called it the Patrol. And the Patrol can be pretty nasty when trying to apprehend someone. Not only that—besides helping people leave our country, we are also part of the effort that is trying to change the political situation to make it a free country like your United States.”

Kevin exchanged looks with Jennifer, or tried to. Jennifer had been gazing at Jeff with gratitude.

“So, you’re not part of a gang in Chicago?” Kevin murmured.

“I’ve been to Chicago.” Jeff chuckled, shaking his head. “But no. My scars are from being beaten in prison—which I had barely escaped. My father is actually dead.”

Kevin drew in a breath. Then he looked to Zormna. “Ok. I see. Then…what about the FBI? What is their involvement in all this?”

“The FBI…” Jeff exhaled hard, thinking on that. Jennifer wondered what story he would spin. Jeff was better liar than Zormna, hands down. He naturally made things sound credible. “The FBI’s job is national security. As I said, our people have migrated here secretly for a while. But honestly, I think—and this is all theory of course—they got freaked out like Darren-the-dimwit here, and actually think Zormna is an alien.”

Kevin rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

Jennifer closed her eyes, cringing.

“Look. I didn’t say it was logical. But there it is.”

Jennifer hoped Kevin was finally convinced.

Her boyfriend closed his eyes, breathing in and out while thinking it all over. “Ok. I understand why she is paranoid, and why you all reacted the way you did. But, I still want to know why a fourteen-year-old girl, who obviously loved being in their military, would be targeted by the government.”

“It is not historically unprecedented,” Zormna muttered.

Jeff nodded. “Ever hear of Helmuth Hubner?”

Kevin shook his head.

“Fifteen-year-old boy who had been a Hitler youth, yet later spoke out against the Nazi regime in Germany—guillotined,” Jeff said. He looked to Zormna. “Brian Henderson told me about him.”

“But Zormna wasn’t speaking out against the government, was she?” Kevin asked.

Zormna cringed. “I complained in earshot of the wrong people—”

“Korad?” Jeff raised his eyebrows.

Zormna nodded. “—But mostly I just endured it.”

Jeff choked as if complaining to this Korad was incredibly dangerous behavior.

“Before, you compared your situation to Anastasia,” Alex spoke up. “Maybe we should explain that to him.”

Zormna vigorously shook her head. “No!!!”

But Jennifer perked up. “Why Anastasia?”

Kevin looked confused. So did Darren.

Looking towards Jennifer, Jeff met her gaze. Yet he said to Darren, “Did the crazy lady ever tell you why she left her homeland?”

Darren huffed, finally glad they addressed him. “A family feud, I think. Her family was being systematically annihilated by the High Class, if they could find them.”

Jennifer cringed. The phrase systematically annihilated resounded in her head. Her parents never mentioned anything about that. Just that they believed that Tarrns would bring about the end of the world.

“Why are you taking his word for it?” Kevin protested. “He’s nuts.”

“Because,” Jeff explained with a mild shrug, “the crazy lady told some truths. And this part is the truth.”

Those of Jeff’s family glared again at Jennifer as if it were all her fault.

Kevin noticed. “Why are you looking at her like that?”

“No reason,” the blonde said, scowling like he wanted to hurt Jennifer.

But Jeff, with an apologetic look to Jennifer, said, “Because her family comes from the class of people who have a vendetta against Zormna’s family.”

Jennifer’s mouth popped open. She went white. Her eyes went back to the front door, looking for escape.

“Enough!” Zormna stepped to Jennifer’s side, taking her hand. “She doesn’t need this. It is not her fault.”

Jeff nodded as if to say I know. Unfortunately the others still did not look as satisfied, excluding Alex of course.

“Did you know?” Kevin stared at her.

Cringing, Jennifer pulled back from him. “I…I only just barely found out. Ok? I honestly thought I was Irish.”

“You are American, and it is NOT your fault.” Zormna glared at every person who scowled at Jennifer. So much, that Jeff’s household took a decided step back.

But Darren folded his arms, huffing. He looked at both Zormna and Jennifer with complete disgust that neither of them had told him about this.  

“Here’s the thing,” Jeff said. “Jennifer, do you know why your class hates her family so much?”

Jennifer shook her head, shrugging. She didn’t want to mention the thing about Tarrns bringing about the end of the world with all those murderous stares present. Finally she understood what Zormna had meant when she had said that these people had an entirely different point of view of life back Home. Jennifer looked at Jeff, begging with her eyes for him not to drag this out. But he only smiled apologetically at her.

“Well, the thing is, Zormna is a lot like Anastasia.”

“Stop it!” Zormna shouted. In three steps she grabbed the back of Jeff’s neck.

But Jeff ducked out of her grip and dodged to the redhead’s side. He shook his head at Zormna. “No. Jennifer needs to know the truth, so there is no more confusion.”

Zormna cringed, covering her face with her hand.

“Her secret is actually crucial to our rebellion,” he explained. “You see, her family line—the one the government is hunting—is in fact the remnant of the old royal family. Zormna here is of royal blood.”

Jennifer’s jaw dropped. She stared at the tiny blonde more. Royalty? Really? Little miss super-ninja?

Kevin looked bowled over. Even Darren was speechless.

Zormna looked mortified. But she did not deny it.

“Is it true?” Jennifer inched near her, watching Zormna carefully. Those others around them observed Jennifer like they were making sure she would not hurt the little blonde.

Cringing, Zormna closed her eyes and nodded. “I didn’t know until today. I came here looking for allies, as I knew he and Al were in the rebellion. And years ago I had wanted to join. But…that’s not the point. The point is, I had no clue.”

“How can you not know you were royalty?” Kevin demanded.

Alex chuckled. “You’d be surprised.”

Zormna shared a thankful look with him then said, “I was five when my parents were killed, ok? How much do you comprehend at age five?”

“But people would have noticed,” Kevin murmured.

“Did you know?” Jeff asked, off-hand. “Because I sure didn’t. Not until I saw the mark on her shoulder—which she always keeps covered.”

Kevin looked sheepish.

Jennifer shook her head. “I never would have guessed it. You don’t act like a princess.”

“How does a princess act?” Zormna muttered.

Jennifer thought about it then shrugged back. How did princesses act?

Only Darren looked put out. He murmured, “She didn’t tell me. Why didn’t Asiah tell me about that?”

“Because you are a moron,” Alex cracked.

Jeff snickered. And so did the two college men.

Zormna just ignored him.

“The point is,” Jeff nodded seriously to the threesome, “It is a big secret, so big that we would do anything, and I mean anything, to keep you quiet.”

He looked most particularly at Darren.

Darren shrank into the couch cushions.

“And we need you to help us protect her,” Jeff added, looking to Jennifer and Kevin.

Zormna groaned.

“The FBI thinks she is an alien,” Jeff said with a huff and another disdainful look to Darren. “So we need your help to convince them that Zormna really is just an Irish girl stuck in America, living with an American family. And, we need you to be her eyes and ears so nothing bad happens to her again.”

Kevin nodded, this time entirely convinced.

“Because we don’t need them tangled in our little country’s affairs,” Jeff said. “Because that would be bad.”

“Bad, like in how?” Kevin asked, too curious to let it drop.

Shrugging, the redhead said, “As in international incident bad. Ours is a small nation, but highly industrialized with high-end tech. We’ve got the bomb.”

“The Mouse that Roared?” Kevin murmured, a little dazed.

They all blinked at him.

“It’s just an old movie with Peter Sellers. Look—” Kevin glanced to Zormna. “How do I digest all this? How do I know you aren’t all lying to me?”

“Would you prefer that we say we are Martians who have come to Earth and are searching for some kind of Messiah instead?” Jeff asked.

The redhead college boy choked. The blonde shook his head and rolled his eyes while the aunt and uncle shook their heads. Jennifer wondered briefly if that were not in fact the complete truth. It hit a scary cord with her. Maybe Jeff even wanted her to know.

“No.” Kevin shook his head. “Please.”

Darren shot Jeff a dirty look, aware that he was being made fun of.

“So, we make a vow,” Alex said while getting up, pushing Darren with one arm back to the couch before he could rise also. “All of us swear upon pain of death that none of us tells anyone about Zormna being a princess.”

“A princess,” Jennifer murmured out loud.

“Not even joking,” Jeff added, looking to Jennifer then most especially Darren.

“But a princess, in my home,” Jennifer repeated. The past replayed in her mind again with a different interpretation—including how her parents mockingly called Zormna ‘Your Highness’. They had known.

“And you shouldn’t let on to your parents who we are or that you know what Zormna is,” Jeff added with a nod to her. “I told you, it is better to be ignorant in this situation. You’ve got to understand they have strong feelings about this—not unlike racism, if you get my meaning.”

Jennifer nodded heartily at him. She knew exactly what he meant. She had seen it firsthand.

“Like racism?” Kevin murmured, glancing at her.

“Yes.” Jeff nodded again. “They were raised with hate towards people of Zormna’s lineage. So imagine it like racism. It is a mindset, one that is hard to change.”

Kevin nodded to himself, breathing deeper and calmer. This fit more into his paradigm.

But then all of those in Jeff’s household rounded on Darren. The blonde and the redhead cracked their knuckles as they towered over the space nut.

“This is very simple,” Jeff said, almost nose to nose with Darren Asher. “No more Mars talk. That means you get a different hobby, such as stamp collecting, bird watching, or card collecting. Because if you don’t quit it, we will tie you up and leave you in the Pennington Forest for the animals to devour. Got it?”

“Why does it matter if it is not real?” Darren replied with a mocking smirk. His tone said he knew they were just messing with Kevin to keep their secret.

“Because,” Jeff bit out. “It makes Zormna’s life hell, and the FBI are actually listening to you. And we don’t need that alien paranoia here.”

But Darren gazed dryly at him, unconvinced.

Zormna tapped Jeff on the shoulder. “Let me.”

Immediately Darren stiffened. His body tensed as the tiny blonde approached him. She leaned one leg on the couch and one arm on the back. “You promised me. Remember? And did I not say for you to not annoy Jeff?”

Darren cringed, shrinking into the couch.

“If you break that promise to me,” she said, “I will help Eric and Aaron take you on that long trip into the Pennington Forest where you will never be heard from again.”

“Hey!” Kevin protested.

Zormna shot him a look. “No, Kevin. He still thinks this is a game. But my life is on the line, and there is no reset.”

Kevin pulled back.

“So, not a word to anyone,” Jeff said to all three. “Not to the FBI, not to Jennifer’s parents, and certainly not to classmates. Got it?”

Jennifer nodded first. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Jeff looked to Kevin. “And you?”

Kevin peered at Jeff with one eye closed and shook his head. “I’m still coping with you guys being foreign rebels. But I won’t say a word. But I swear, you guys had better