Sisters of the Shadows

Today, we’re celebrating Zarina Attar’s birthday! They’re far more than the gender-fluid homewrecker Pixie likes to think they are, so read on and learn something new~

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Basic Info:

Age in Aquarius: 23
Height: 5’7 | Weight: 140 lbs.
Hair: wavy shoulder-length chocolate brown
Eyes: moss green
Human Race: Half-Algerian, Half-French | Species: Demon
Hailing Planet: Zulwini (Uranus)
Ability: elemental sorcery; geomancy/chloromancy
Rank: none
Specialties: vine creation, active listener, unbiased, observant, sword-fighting
Best friends: Gray Osborne, Summer & Winter Wolfe
Soul mate: Amira Cruz

Three facts about Zarina:

1. They are genderfluid and answer to both “Rin,” and “Rina.” They prefer he/him over she/her and accept they/them pronouns.
2. Rina is half-Algerian and half-French. They learned sword-fighting from their father.
3. Despite what Pixie thinks, Rin sympathizes with her affection for Amira and is doing everything within their power to help the porter. They do not hate her, and consider her a good friend.

My thoughts on Rina:

I always intended for the “animosity” or “rivalry” between Zarina and Pixie to be one-sided. Pixie is inexperienced when it comes to relationships; Amira was her first love, and having to watch the first person with which she ever felt a strong emotional attachment find their soul mate in another person is world-shattering. Raine and the tribe’s elder members–particularly Ravyn and Markeisha–helped the porter to understand that neither Zarina or Amira are at fault for this, and that she shouldn’t blame them. Even so, Pixie can’t help but let her hurt feelings come between her and the couple. Her friendship with Amira suffered, and whatever friendship she could have had with Zarina was abandoned.

Zarina is, like Pixie, very strong-willed and a wonderful fighter. They’re both protective of their tribe, and they’re willing to do anything to get results. They both love Amira and want what is best for her.

Unlike Pixie, however, Rin is patient and mature. Between their travels with the Wolfe twins and their scouting missions for the group, Zarina is comparably more experienced in life and in love. They even discussed the possibility of an open relationship with Amira so as to salvage whatever she had with Pixie, but it was Amira who decided to remain monogamous with their newly-found soul mate. This is a conversation that Pixie is unaware of, and Zarina is keeping it that way since they’re certain the porter wouldn’t believe it.

As another of the elemental sorcerers of the Zulwini Tribe, Rina can manipulate plants and earth to an extent. They can move existing earth and flora, and they can will certain species of plants to grow. They have kept a few potted vegetables–and Gray’s special “herbs”–alive on the camper since their recruitment. They are especially skilled at summoning vines and thorns.

Like Gray, Zarina speaks multiple languages: their native tongues are Arabic and French; they learned some English and BSL at the Paris Colony before meeting the Wolfe twins, and they learned more of both languages from the nomadic sisters; they’re learning Spanish from Amira; and Shouta began teaching the tribe some Japanese during their stay in Martian territory, and now Ravyn and Zarina are trying to learn Japanese and Korean from watching anime and K-dramas. (It’s only kind-of working.)

There’s going to be some major drama happening in Book Two: Taurus involving the Caelian demons, especially Zarina and Pixie. Not just the “I hope their friendship survives” kind, but also the “I hope they survive” kind. Spoiler Alert: not everyone does.

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For those of you who don’t know, Zarina is a supporting character in my trilogy Saturn Rising, which is the first installment of The Chronicles of Life & Death. The first book, Aquarius, is available now on Amazon as an e-book and paperback. You can even read it all for free with Kindle Unlimited! Learn more here.

Photo by Apekshit Gurukhudde on Unsplash

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