by Elin Peer
“This way,” she called out and took a left turn leading us to the large lawn in front of the greenhouse where the security staff had set camp.
I slowed down, taking in the sight of at least two handfuls of police officers and Doomsmen fighting. Five or six of them were pounding on each other in a big pile and Laura must have feared that her son might be on the bottom, because she shouted for them to stop and pulled at the first person she reached. I recognized Zasquash from the back and saw him jerking his elbow backward with a growl to shake her off him. His elbow hit Laura right in the face and she fell back with both hands covering her nose and an ear-shattering scream of pain. It was as if someone pushed a pause button and the fighting men stopped to locate the female outcry. All of them turned their heads in her direction including Zasquash, who paled when he realized what he’d done.
“Laura?” I squatted down in front of her. “Let me see.”
When she lowered her hands, they were full of blood and her lip was large and puffy. Loud angry outbursts echoed all around me as the men understood the magnitude of what had just happened.
“Who did that?” I recognized Leo’s voice but kept looking at Laura.
“I think it was me, but I didn’t mean to. I was on top of that fucker.” Zasquash pointed to Cameron, the police officer whom Willow had asked to massage her thigh.
Laura’s face was dripping with blood, so I pulled off my uniform shirt and offered it to her. “Do you have all your teeth?”
Her tongue raked over her front teeth but the second she opened her mouth it was evident that one of her lower front teeth was missing.
“That one.” I pointed to my own front tooth to show her.
“Don’t tell Magni,” she muttered. “He’ll shit a sheet and he’s already stressed out enough as it is.”
“He’s going to find out.” I had only just said the words when Magni, Boulder, and Khan arrived on three of the large white hover bikes I’d seen guards use when patrolling the park.
“What the fuck is going on?” Khan thundered and jumped off the machine. “We heard your fighting all the way from inside my office. The Motlanders are traumatized enough after today! Has every man in my country lost his fucking mind?”
My body was shielding Laura but as soon as I stood up and turned to face the three men, they saw her sitting on the grass with her hands and face smeared in blood. Khan and Boulder stopped cold while Magni hurried to Laura’s side. He didn’t shout as expected. He just tensed up and kept his eyes locked with hers as he kneeled down in front of her. “Tell me who did this to you.” His hands lifted her face as he looked over her cracked lip and missing tooth while his own lips were pressed into fine lines.
Laura shook her head. “It was no one’s fault. I tried to stop a fight and got hit. It happens.”
“You tried to stop a fight? Why?”
“I thought Mason was involved.”
Magni’s eyes narrowed and then he rose up to his full height, offering Laura a hand to pull her up, and stepped in front of all us men speaking in a tone dripping with cyanide. “Who. Hurt. My. Wife?”
There were around fourteen Nmen present and every man was looking down, including Hunter, who stood in the back.
“Who hurt…” Magni had only begun to repeat his question when Zasquash stepped forward.
“I did. By accident,” my brave friend said and kept his gaze to the ground.
I closed my eyes and wished there was something I could do for him. But our laws were black and white, and my hands were tied.
Next to me, Laura moved forward while drying off the blood on her face with my shirt. “Can I say something?” She was looking at Khan, not Magni.
He too was stiff with anger on his face, but he nodded.
“I know our laws and I know it looks bad, but can we just think about this for a second. Zasquash never meant to hurt me, and a broken lip isn’t the worst I’ve suffered during sparring with you men.” She used her chin to point at Boulder and Magni.
“I’m a warrior and I was the one who threw myself into a fight. You can’t punish Zasquash for something that was an accident.”
Laura’s words were met by silence and she moved over to whisper something to Magni. The two of them seemed to have a private argument while Khan shifted his balance and addressed the men with a deep frown on his face. “Why were you men fighting in the first place?”
A few mutters were heard.
“Zasquash, speak up,” Khan ordered.
Zasquash placed his hands on his back and stood straight like the soldier he was. “Some people made comments about the women that we Doomsmen didn’t appreciate.”
“What kind of comments?” Khan pointed to Leo. “Did you hear it?”
Leo scratched his shoulder and looked to the side. It was clear he didn’t want to answer.
“What comments?” Khan’s tone became deeper and he took a threatening step forward.
Leo wet his dry lips. “Many of us were upset about a woman joining the police force, and there might have been some inappropriate jokes.”
“About Raven?” Boulder’s gaze narrowed into daggers and he looked ready to attack any man who had been disrespectful of his daughter.
“No. It was more general and then one or two names were mentioned.”
“Who?”
Leo looked down. “I didn’t hear it, but it set off Zasquash. When he and Cameron began fighting it escalated to include the rest of us pretty fast. I was trying to break things up but when you get punched at, you punch back, you know.”
Khan zoomed in on Zasquash. “What names did you hear?”
This time Zasquash lifted his head to look straight at Khan. “Salma Rose, Willow Darlington, and Darlene Long.”
“I see. And what was said about these women?”
Zasquash squared his chest. “It was comments about their looks. They were crude and don’t deserve to be repeated.”
I looked back to see that a crowd had gathered. Pearl stood a few steps behind Khan now and further back were Mila, Raven, Christina, some of the children, and a handful of Motlander performers. I didn’t see Willow or Salma, but Darlene was there, looking on with her eyes wide open.
“All right, you can tell me later.” Khan pointed to Zasquash and Cameron. “Sounds like you two initiated the fight. You’ll come with me. The rest of you will talk to Boulder and explain what you saw. He’ll give me details.”
Zasquash and I exchanged a long look as he walked past me, our hands landing on each other’s shoulders, squeezing tight. I wanted to plead his case or challenge Khan and Magni to a fight for Zasquash’s life. I think he saw it in my eyes – the silent question if he wanted my help – because Zasquash mumbled a low, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Laura and Pearl walked after Khan, Magni, Cameron, and Zasquash, but I doubted there was much they could do to stop the inevitable.
Standing stiff as a stone gargoyle, I watched their backs until I couldn’t see them anymore.
“Solo, please, I don’t understand what happened.” A female voice penetrated my dark thoughts and I looked down to see Darlene, the woman from the orchestra who had been kind to Zasquash on several occasions.
“Ehhm…” I tried to gather my thoughts. “Laura was hit in the face by Zasquash.”
“But it was an accident.”
“Yes.”
“Will they punish him for it?”
“Yes.”
Darlene looked in the direction he’d left. “Can’t he just apologize?”
“No. I know it’s hard to understand for Motlanders but we have harsh punishments for touching women, and to hurt them is a sure death sentence.”
Darlene gave a small shriek and grabbed my arm. “NO!”
I stepped back, wanting to break the physical contact with her, and looked around fearful that someone might mistake her outburst for something I’d done to her. “Let go.” I shook my hand.
“Are you saying even this can get you
in trouble?”
“Yes.” I used my other hand to loosen her grip and moved back. “It’s better if you don’t touch me.”
“There is no way we’re letting Zasquash get killed for that accident.” Darlene had a look of defiance and determination on her face. “I’m going to fight this.”
“Fight?” I looked at her small frame with confusion. “You can’t fight Khan or Magni. You’re not strong enough.”
Darlene lifted her chin. “You just watch me!” Turning around, Darlene marched toward her friends and like a swarm of bees their group was buzzing with outrage. I looked in awe as Darlene sent the five women out in different directions. They were running and aiming straight for other Motlanders, talking, nodding, gesturing their arms.
Darlene came back to me. “Where’s Salma?”
“I’m not sure.”
“We need to find her.”
Leo was close and I asked him if he knew where Salma was.
“She’s with Tristan and Ben. They went to row a boat down by the pond. I think some of the children went with them too.”
When we found Salma she was braiding Aubri’s hair and smiled at us. Darlene sat down next to Salma and spoke fast and with great passion about Zasquash’s situation. The more she spoke the more Salma looked like crying.
“That’s horrible. How can I help?”
“We started a petition and we need you to use your influence and help us have as many sign it as possible. We need to work fast. It’s life and death.”
Salma got up from the grass and brushed off her dress. “I’m on it. I’ll spread it to all my fans, and Ben and I will call every celebrity we know and enroll them too. Trust me, this petition will have millions of signatures in no time.”
“Good, we’re meeting at the scene; I’ll see you there.” Darlene couldn’t be more than five foot three, but for a pacifistic Motlander, she worked like a general – ordering her troops around and setting up headquarters by the amphitheater where all the Motlanders gathered. When Willow arrived and heard what had happened, she immediately joined in and took it a step further.
“You there.” Willow pointed to a group of police officers and Doomsmen who were watching with amazement how the Motlanders were buzzing around.
One of the men pointed to his chest. “Who, me?”
“Yes, and the rest of you too. We need your signatures.”
“What for?”
“Because it’s time to modify the outdated laws you have. Do you think Zasquash should die for what he did?”
“It’s the law.”
Darlene and some of her friends protested. “You can’t have laws that make women afraid of getting good men killed by accident. You have thousands of women here now, not just a few.”
“But those laws are our way of protecting women from harm.”
Willow addressed all the men. “Don’t you see how wrong it is for your ruler to execute a good man because of an outdated law? Especially on the same day your country has taken a great step toward equality by allowing Raven to join the police. She won’t be able to do her job if every time a man touches her he’s committing a crime. With this new opportunity for women comes the need to change your strict laws.”
“But what if a man hurts a woman on purpose?”
“Then he should be dealt with the same way as if a woman hurts a man.”
Mutters broke out among the men. “Are you saying we should kill women too?”
“No.” Willow planted her hands on her hips. “I’m saying you shouldn’t kill anyone.”
“She’s trying to make the Northlands into the Motherlands.” One of my colleagues wrinkled his nose up.
Willow stared at him. “That would be impossible. Use your brains. What happened to Zasquash could have happened to any of you.”
“I agree on modifying the laws,” I said and stepped forward. “Where do I sign?”
“Of course you would say that,” Hunter, who had been silent until now, called out loud. “But those laws are in place for a reason.”
“I’ll sign too.” Leo stood up and raised his hands. “This law is too rigid. I don’t think Zasquash deserves to die.”
“Hunter, we need your help.” Willow walked down from the stage and toward her brother, who sat up high in the back of the theater. “Zasquash isn’t a bad person and you know it.”
“I never said he was.”
“You have millions of fans. If you ask them to sign the petition we can gather even more signatures.”
He looked down.
“Please, Hunter. Nmen signatures are going to matter more to Khan than Motlander signatures. Your fans will listen to you.”
When Hunter didn’t answer Willow, she pressed him. “Imagine if it was you.”
“I’m all for saving Zasquash’s life, but we need strict laws or no woman can be safe here. If men are allowed to touch women it’ll be like the mob who attacked you at the hotel the other day.”
Willow pleaded with him. “We didn’t say they should be allowed to touch us, just that the default reaction shouldn’t be to kill the man. Maybe it was an accident like today, maybe the woman and man were in love and wanted to be together without permission from her protector. Every woman should have a right to choose for herself and to be heard when it comes to the fate of the man who touched her.”
Hunter sat up straight and his glance traveled from Willow to me and back again. I moved closer.
“What the fuck are you talking about? Willow, are you doing this for him?” He pointed to me.
I was close enough to hear Hunter, but the other Nmen had gone down to the stage where they were being sweet-talked into signing the petition by the female performers.
“If I hadn’t intervened back then, Solo would have been killed,” Willow argued and kept her eyes on Hunter. “That would have been wrong.”
Hunter stood up, his body seething and his green eyes darker than usual. “You’ll stay away from him.”
I straightened up too. “This isn’t about me and Willow. It’s about Zasquash, who’s been nothing but nice to you. You haven’t known him as long as I have, but he’s the most loyal friend you can have. That man would take a bullet for any woman, and hurting Laura was the last thing on his mind. If you have any decency, you’ll help him avoid getting executed for an accident he had no control over.”
Hunter got up and walked a few steps down to stand in front of me. “I’ll sign the petition and I’ll encourage all my millions of fans to do the same, if…”
My eyebrow rose up as he stared at me.
“You’ll give me your word that after this tour, you’ll stay away from my sister forever.”
I swallowed hard. “You can’t ask me to do that.”
“Yes, I can!”
He was asking me to choose between the love of my life and my best friend, who was like family to me. Both Zasquash and Willow had saved my life in the past and I loved them both.
Giving up Willow was like giving up breathing. I just couldn’t!
But Zasquash’s life was on the line and Hunter had the power to help save it. My eyes found Willow’s, my heart breaking as I was torn between loyalty for my best friend and the deep love I felt for her. Willow didn’t believe in the death penalty. Would she forgive me if I chose her and Zasquash was executed? Would I forgive myself?
“So, what is it going to be?” Hunter asked impatiently.
My hand rubbed my chest as if I could hold together my heart to keep it from breaking in two, and with deep sadness I opened my mouth to answer.
CHAPTER 25
The Verdict
Willow
“I’ll sign the petition and encourage all my millions of fans to do the same, if…” Hunter’s words made my spine stiffen and I kept my eyes fixed on him as he looked straight at Solomon and finished his sentence: “You’ll give me your word that after this tour, you’ll stay away from my sister forever.”
I closed my eyes, a scream of frustration formin
g in my throat.
“You can’t ask me to do that.” Solo sounded outraged.
“Yes, I can!”
I knew Hunter was trying to protect me, but he didn’t understand how things had changed for me. The thought of never seeing Solomon again made hysteria bubble up like burning acid in my stomach. My feet felt like ants were crawling up my ankles, and my head was hurting from reliving the trauma from my past. Ever since Solo and I first met ten years ago, laws, rules, and worried people had tried to keep us apart and for the last seven years they had succeeded.
Solomon and I exchanged a look and it was as if he was asking for my forgiveness. He was going to choose Zasquash, and how could he not? What kind of man would let his best friend die if he could prevent it?
Hunter crossed his arms. “So, what is it going to be?”
I was done letting others make decisions for me. The anger from all those years ago flared up like a heaven-sent fuel for me to choose my own destiny. Stepping forward, I spoke up. “Solo can’t promise you that.”
“Sis, stay out of this,” Hunter warned me and groaned.
But I couldn’t stay out of it. I couldn’t bear to hear Solo promise never to see me again when being with him today had been the happiest I’d been in these past seven years. With my face serious and my shoulders tensed up, I stood my ground against Hunter.
His ultimatum to Solomon had been turned on me. I had to make the choice between my brother and Solo, and it tore me apart.
“Hunter, please don’t hate me, because I love you so much,” I whispered.
Solo took a small step toward me, but I signaled for him to stay back.
“Willow, what are you saying?” Hunter’s face had lowered and so had his voice, and when I didn’t answer, he closed his eyes almost like a shield against whatever horrible thing I was trying to tell him.
“Solo can’t promise you to stay away from me because I won’t stay away from him.”
“But you hate him.”
I shook my head. “No, Hunter. I don’t hate him.”
Hunter’s face scrunched up. “Yes, you do. You’re just confused.”
“No, Hunter. It’s the other way around. I’m remembering things clearly again and my feelings have come back.” Tears were forming in my eyes. “Solo and I made promises to each other. We had a ceremony.”