Chapter 200: The Fall Trip, Part Four

The four of them reached the marine mammal exhibit just as a seal-feeding show was getting underway.

Several seals shot through the pool, then hauled themselves onto a platform whenever the trainer signaled. One flapped its front flippers for an audience full of laughing children before accepting a fish as its reward.

Cyrus sat beside Audra in the stands, his new white cap pulled low. The stud in his ear caught the light whenever he turned his head, and a few visitors still glanced twice at his face. At least the hat had reduced the attention to something manageable.

Audra wore her matching cap over straight black hair, the brim shading much of her face. With her academy uniform and composed expression, she looked rather difficult to approach. Cyrus, meanwhile, had lost much of his usual reserve. He was leaning forward, absorbed in the pool.

He had never seen marine animals like these up close. Pictures and descriptions had told him what seals were supposed to do, but watching them fling themselves out of the water was another experience entirely.

The seals moved beautifully in the water and rather awkwardly on land. They rolled, balanced, and scrambled after the little fish the trainer offered. One missed its catch and pursued it with such determination that Cyrus laughed under his breath.

A little boy two rows away kept trying to predict which seal would get the next fish, only to change his mind every time the trainer moved. Children cheered all around Cyrus. He couldn't blame them. Watching animals perform ridiculous tricks for lunch was more entertaining than he'd expected.

At the end, the trainer invited visitors down to help feed the seals. Cyrus considered joining in, but parents were already shepherding excited children toward the front. He decided to leave the opportunity to them and followed his friends upstairs instead.

On the third floor, penguins waddled around their enclosure with a clumsy charm that kept Owen entertained. Coming back down, they passed a viewing area where those same awkward birds could be seen swimming overhead. Cyrus watched one streak past the glass and wondered how it could be so much better at moving in water. It turned on its side and vanished behind a divider, while he was still trying to follow its path. Owen had to call him before he realized everyone else was leaving.

The park had plenty more surprises. They watched sea lions and dolphins perform, then saw an orca surge through a huge pool. At the Arctic exhibit, polar bears swam beneath the surface, their heavy white bodies moving with unexpected ease.

Cyrus found himself lingering at every display. Before coming here, he hadn't imagined spending an afternoon watching all these creatures for the sheer pleasure of it.

Audra's expression barely changed, but she kept glancing at him. She also took in the crowds around them, apparently finding the busy exhibits unsuitable for whatever was on her mind.

Iris stood farther back, partly obscured by the dim exhibit lighting. She had her own reasons to be distracted, though she gave no sign of them to Owen.

Farther inside the park, the animal exhibits gave way to rides.

Cyrus stopped to watch a roller coaster climb high above the walkway. It plunged down the other side, trailing screams all the way around the bend. He had seen rides like this in videos. Watching from the ground only made him more curious about how it would feel.

When their turn came, he and Audra took seats in the front row, with Owen and Iris close behind. Cyrus and Audra had left their caps in the ride's storage area, along with everyone's loose belongings. Cyrus secured the restraint and studied the track rising ahead of him.

His heartbeat had already picked up. That was unexpected, considering nothing had actually happened yet. An attendant checked the restraints one by one while the train sat motionless. Cyrus tested the bar and settled back, listening to the riders ahead of them shouting as another train completed its run.

The signal sounded, and he turned toward Audra.

She gripped the safety bar with both hands, so tightly that her knuckles had gone pale. Losing the ground beneath her was one of the few sensations she handled badly. She knew that before climbing aboard, but she'd wanted to try the ride with Cyrus anyway.

Cyrus noticed her nervousness, and some of the excitement in his expression gave way to concern. Audra caught him watching her and reached out to take hold of the edge of his shirt.

The train suddenly accelerated, and she shut her eyes.

Cyrus closed his too, startled by the immediate drop in his stomach. Then curiosity got the better of him, and he forced them open.

The track rushed upward before pitching away beneath the front car. Wind tore past his ears, while passengers behind them screamed over the rattle of the wheels. The silver rails curved high against the sky, then sent them hurtling toward the ground again.

Cyrus wanted to shout along with everyone else. He held back, though he couldn't stop smiling. Each sharp turn shoved him sideways against the seat, and every downward rush sent that weightless feeling through him again. He forgot to worry about how he appeared to the people around him. There was too much happening to spare them any attention.

Humans really did know how to have fun.

When the train finally returned to the platform, his head felt pleasantly light. He stepped out already wondering when he'd have another chance to ride.

Audra was considerably worse off. Pale and unsteady, she leaned against him on the way out. Owen and Iris followed looking relatively unharmed, apart from their thoroughly mussed hair.

At the storage area, Cyrus collected his belongings and picked up Audra's cap. He placed it on her head without thinking much of the gesture, then accompanied her to a bench beside the walkway.

"Are you all right? Would you like me to get you a drink?"

"I'll be fine once I've rested a little."

Audra shook her head and lowered herself onto the bench. Her attention drifted to the corner of Cyrus's shirt, where her fingers had left the fabric badly wrinkled. The brim of her cap hid her expression as she looked away.

All day he'd been distracted by the attractions, showing an almost childlike excitement about each new experience. Yet he'd noticed her fear, let her lean on him, and taken care of her without being asked. That pleased her far more than she wanted to admit. She didn't need him to make a grand display in front of Owen and Iris. His small, unthinking gestures were enough to keep her replaying the ride while she waited for her stomach to settle.

Cyrus hadn't noticed his crumpled shirt. Another roller coaster train sped overhead, accompanied by a fresh round of screams. Once Audra was feeling better, he hoped they could find time for another ride.

Instead, the four of them tried some attractions that were easier on the stomach.

The afternoon passed quickly. By four o'clock, orange and pink had begun gathering along the clouds, and they arrived at an indoor aquarium gallery.

Crossing the entrance felt like stepping beneath a sky made of water.

The broad room was dim, with tall cylindrical tanks rising from the floor like illuminated columns. Jellyfish drifted inside them beneath blue lights, their translucent bodies opening and closing as fine tendrils trailed behind. Each tank held a different variety, and the changing shapes kept Cyrus moving from one display to the next. One jellyfish drifted toward the glass, its bell folding inward before opening again. He stood watching the motion until a family moved past him and he stepped aside to let them through.

Deeper inside, wide glass walls surrounded the walkway. Schools of fish circled submerged sculptures, scattering and gathering again in slow-moving currents. Beyond another wall, a performer wearing a mermaid tail swam alongside a dolphin. The two turned and dove together in a practiced routine.

When they noticed the students watching, the performer formed half a heart with her arms while the dolphin curved alongside her to complete it.

Cyrus stopped in front of the glass.

The spectacle had brought a different question to mind. Land covered only about thirty percent of the world. What might exist in all the ocean that remained?

Were there people living down there?

Merfolk seemed possible. There might even be other rare-blood species that nobody on land had properly documented. The idea was exciting, but he struggled to imagine their lives. What would a home deep underwater look like? How would people manage the pressure, the darkness, and everything else the sea imposed on them?

The rare-blood field guide he'd borrowed hadn't explained any of that. Most of what he'd read concerned creatures living on land, where conditions were far easier to understand. Even the practical questions seemed endless. A creature adapted to deep water might find a visit to the surface as troublesome as he would find a trip to the ocean floor.

He remained there, considering the possibilities, until he finally became aware that the others had moved on.

Cyrus turned around. Neither Audra nor Owen nor Iris was anywhere in sight.

Audra had been distracted by the aquarium herself. When she realized Cyrus was missing, she stopped and searched the crowd.

Owen noticed her hesitation. "Did something happen?"

"I don't see Cyrus. I'm going back to find him."

She started back along the walkway.

"I should probably come too," Owen offered, taking a step after her.

Iris caught his shirt and pulled him back.

"Are you seriously that clueless?"

Owen turned toward her in confusion. She merely watched him, waiting for him to figure it out.

Then he understood what she meant. Audra had been spending the day with Cyrus, and now she had an excuse to go looking for him alone. He'd nearly followed along and ruined the opportunity. He'd actually been worried Cyrus might have gotten lost.

"Right, I see what you're saying. Should we wait here for them?"

"That sounds like a better idea."

Iris watched Audra leave, then guided Owen toward a bench nearby. They sat down together while visitors continued past them.

"Where's your phone? Let me borrow it for a minute."

"Yeah, here you go."

Owen pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her without a second thought.