The Deadly Nightshade

by Justine Ashford

  “Hey, Nightshade!” he exclaims with a full mouth, grinning a toothy, childlike grin. “Have you tried the food here? It’s incredible!”

  Enjoy it while you can, I want to say. We won’t be eating it much longer.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask, taking a seat against the wall.

  “A lot better, actually. Dr. Lam gave me some more medicine to help with the pain and she’s been here twice today to bring me food and make sure I’m doing alright. She’s the nicest woman. I’ll introduce you when she comes back later tonight—that is, if you’re done with all your hunting stuff.”

  Mention it now, Nightshade. Do it. This is the perfect opportunity.

  But I can’t.

  “I see she gave you crutches. How well can you move on them?”

  “Not very . . . I’m ridiculously slow, and it gets to be super painful after a few minutes of using them, but Dr. Lam says it’ll get easier as my leg heals. For now they’re just for practice.” Then, with a sheepish look, he says, “I’m sorry. I keep talking about myself and I haven’t even asked how your morning was. How did the hunt go? How do you like the others? Are they friendly?”

  With a sigh, I lock eyes with him, reach into my pocket, pull out the clump of blonde strands and drop it on the floor. Connor’s smile evaporates.

  “Is that— is that someone’s hair? Jesus, Nightshade, whose hair is that?”

  “Her name’s Claire.”

  His eyes widen in horror and he covers his mouth as if he is about to be sick. “My god, is she part of your hunting group? Nightshade, what the hell were you thinking?”

  “Look, she came at me, alright? Would you prefer if I hadn’t defended myself? Would that have made you happy, Connor?”

  He sighs, rubbing his forehead between his thumb and index finger. “What are we supposed to do now? Reina isn’t going to just look past this, you know. Where are we supposed to go?”

  “Look, no one said Reina is telling us to leave just yet—not that I’d mind if she did. I told you already, I don’t like this place. It’s all very Shangri-La-esque if you ask me. It’s too perfect. There’s got to be some trouble in paradise, you know?”

  “Yeah,” he mutters, low enough so I can barely hear him. “I’m looking at her.”

  “Excuse me?”

  His face reddens. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean . . . Look, just try not to sabotage our stay here, alright? Please, just try to make this work for the time being—at least until I can walk on my own again. You may not like it, but we need this place. Please, Nightshade.”

  Before I can say anything in reply, a hard knock sounds at the door. This is it. Reina has sent for us to be removed. We are at our end. All there is left to do is open the door and hear the words for ourselves.

  The knock sounds again, louder this time, and with more authority. I look at Connor, who nods curtly. With a deep breath, I get up and turn the knob, bracing myself for the chaos that is about to erupt.

  Nathan stands before me for the second time today, appearing just as flustered and awkward as he did this morning. For a moment he is silent, as if unsure of how to deliver the news, but I quickly become impatient.

  “Well?” I hiss.

  “Reina is calling the weekly town meeting,” he says. “I have a feeling you two are going to want to be there.”

  Chapter 29

  Connor and I lag behind Nathan as he guides us down Main Street toward the assembly hall, Connor stopping to adjust his crutches or catch his breath every few feet. As he hobbles along beside me, I watch the swarm of Sweetbriar folk abandon their homes and merge into the road. A few, hearing the click-clack of the crutches on the cobblestone walk, turn their heads and stare at our party, and I am able to catch their faint whisperings over the sound of Connor’s strained breathing. I can tell by the flush of his face that Connor notices them too, but Nathan doesn’t appear to pay them much attention.

  Connor’s huffing grows louder the farther we walk, and it is not long before tiny beads of sweat begin to form on his face. Our escort, however, does not slow his pace or even look behind him once to see if we are keeping up. While Connor stops again to catch his breath, I take one of his crutches from him and wrap his arm around my neck, allowing him to place his weight on me for support while still walking on his own. We hobble the entire way to the assembly hall in this fashion, finally managing to close the gap between ourselves and the lieutenant.

  Dozens have already congregated inside by the time we arrive. They stand in front of a raised platform with an empty lectern, waiting for the meeting to commence. At the sound of the crutches on the tile floor, a few of them turn, casting uneasy glances toward us and nudging their peers with minimal discretion. Connor and I take our place in the back while Nathan leaves us to join Reina, who has made her way to the lectern. She never once asks the Sweetbriarans to quiet down. Instead, she stares at the crowd until a hushed silence falls over them.

  “Thank you all for coming,” she says in her satiny voice, the words echoing through the auditorium. “As I am sure most of you are aware by now, we have two guests who I have invited to stay in Sweetbriar for the time being—Nightshade, Connor, if you two could make your way up to the front, please.”

  Dozens of bodies shift as the crowd turns to face the two of us. Connor and I exchange a glance, and then, placing a hand on his arm, I lead the way through the mass of people. They part for us like the Red Sea, repelling with the force of two magnets of the same charge. The heat of their disapproving glares is almost tangible as we walk, but I keep my eyes raised to the lectern and locked on Reina, who gives me a slight nod of reassurance. When we reach the front, we position ourselves beside Nathan and turn to face the crowd. I don’t think I have ever felt this many pairs of eyes on me in my lifetime. The sensation is almost maddening.

  “Connor’s leg was injured when the two of them were escaping from one of the many gangs that terrorize these parts,” she continues. “Dr. Lam has been tending to his wound and she estimates that he will not be able to travel again for a few more weeks. During this time, we will extend our hospitality to them, which means treating them like our own, not like outsiders.”

  Heated murmurs fill the room with an excited buzz. I look to Reina, whose hardened expression has not changed.

  “Quiet.” She does not raise her voice; she doesn’t have to. Upon hearing her speak, the excited hum of the Sweetbriarans instantly fades to silence. “Now I know we have not come across strangers in many years, and I am aware that many of you have concerns about our new residents. I have heard whispers that some among you feel unsafe and afraid for your wellbeing. Some of you have even begun to question my choice and my authority for allowing them to stay. Well, to those of you who doubt me, I tell you this: I would never compromise this community or the lives of anyone in it by bringing in outsiders I do not trust. Nightshade and Connor came to us in a state of desperation—” Desperation my ass. “—and I did what any compassionate human being would do. Besides, I believe the two of them will be assets to Sweetbriar while they are here—as many of you know, we are shorthanded on hunters, so I have placed Nightshade on hunting and patrol duty as payment for our hospitality. All of that being said, if any of you have remaining grievances that you would like me to address publicly, please, do not be shy.”

  She stares down at the crowd with her piercing brown gaze in a manner that is almost threatening. At first, no one makes a sound, but then a woman clears her throat somewhere in the back of the room. People move aside to let her pass as she advances toward the front, and as she breaks through the crowd I recognize Claire. The bald spot I left when I tore her hair out is very visible despite her obvious attempt to hide it, and it is still raw. I feel Connor staring at me, but I casually avoid his gaze and take a sudden interest in my boots.

  “Yeah, I’ve got a grievance I’d like to be addressed,” Claire shouts. “I’d like to know what makes you think we can trust these people. We don’t know them. We
don’t know anything about them. We don’t know who they are or what they’re doing here or where they came from. For all we know they could be a part of one of those gangs, sent here to scout us out so they can take Sweetbriar for themselves.”

  Incited by the fire of her words, the others begin to find their voices, and soon the room is filled with a chorus of agitated shouts and cries. Reina maintains her composure despite the chaos, appearing completely unaffected by the uproar, but as I catch Nathan’s eye I can see the apprehensiveness in his expression. Connor and I are about ten seconds away from inciting an uprising.

  “We can’t trust outsiders!” one man yells.

  “They should be dumped back where they came from!” cries a woman.

  “You’re putting all our lives in danger by letting them stay!” another shouts.

  “And not to mention what she did to me!” Claire screams over the commotion, jabbing her finger toward me. “She attacked me in front of our entire hunting group, and you’ve done nothing about it, Reina! Are you really going to let an outsider commit an act of violence against one of your own and have it go unpunished?”

  Upon hearing this new information, the townspeople frenzy. Curses ring out at us and spit flies across the room like bullets. If fury were water, Connor and I would be drowning in it.

  Before Reina has time to address Claire, Nathan jumps to my defense. “Actually, Claire, I remember it differently. What I saw was you provoke Nightshade, not the other way around. You instigated the fight, not her, which is why Reina hasn’t taken any disciplinary measures—yet. And if anyone doubts my word, you can ask anyone else in our hunting group. They’ll tell you the truth.”

  “Nate is right,” calls a voice in the crowd. It belongs to Elijah Sheppard. “Claire was the one who started the fight, not the girl. She shoved her—my hand to God, I saw it clear as day—and Nightshade defended herself. If anyone should be punished, Claire, it’s you. These are good people here, and we can’t just shut them out because we’re scared. Remember, you all were once outsiders too, and where would you be if you hadn’t been taken in? We are supposed to help our fellow man, not abandon him during his time of need. We’ve got to do the right thing here, and that’s letting Nightshade and Connor stay.”

  Miraculously, the preacher’s words seem to quell the crowd, and after a moment the shouting fades back to murmurs. As the townspeople quiet down, I make a point of catching Sheppard’s eye. He shoots me a smile followed by a curt nod, and I nod back to show my gratitude.

  “Once again, I understand your concerns,” says Reina, “but I have made my decision and I stand by it. As Sheppard said, it is our duty as a community and as people to lend a hand to those in need. Nightshade and Connor will remain with us until they feel fit to leave, and that is nonnegotiable. If anyone has a problem with that—” she glowers at Claire “—you may speak with me personally. I will warn you all now: if I find out that any Sweetbriar residents are mistreating our guests, there will be severe consequences. I will not allow these two to feel unwelcome here.”

  It’s a little too late for that. They didn’t exactly roll out the welcome wagon for us, and this town meeting only solidified my suspicion that we are unwanted here by practically everyone. Still, what Connor said was true—we have no choice but to stay and deal with it until he can travel again.

  Reina says a few more words in conclusion and dismisses the Sweetbriarans. As they file out of the room, I signal to Connor that we should leave, but Reina stops us. She, Connor, Nathan, and I form a circle far out of the earshot of the departing townsfolk.

  “I would like to apologize for everything that occurred tonight,” she says. “I placed you both in front of a firing squad without any warning whatsoever.”

  “Yeah, well, I assumed it would happen,” I say.

  The leader sighs. “I suppose I would be lying if I said I had not expected it, but I had no other choice but to call the meeting and allow everyone to voice their concerns. My hope is that some of the tension has been released and they have come to a better understanding of why my position is what it is. As for Claire, I must also apologize for her attitude and actions toward you, Nightshade. What she did was unacceptable and I will not tolerate that kind of behavior from anyone in this town. I want you to know there will be repercussions. She will not bother you again.”

  “I’d like to apologize too, Nightshade,” says Nathan, bowing his head slightly and folding his hands behind his back. “As the leader of our hunting group, it’s my job to prevent conflict between members, and I failed to do that today. She attacked you on my watch and I did nothing to stop her. I’m sorry.”

  I almost laugh. Nathan couldn’t have stopped Claire from getting to me even if he had wedged himself between us. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t warned her to back off—he had told her several times not to antagonize me, but she didn’t listen.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” I assure him. “And I want to thank you for standing up for me—for both of us, really—in front of everyone.” I would like to thank Elijah Sheppard too, but it appears he has already left. I suppose it can wait; it’s not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon.

  After Connor and I are dismissed, we exit the assembly hall and emerge into the street. Daylight has already begun to wane, and the setting sun paints the sky a mix of rich pink and blue hues, the sight of which has the peculiar effect of instilling a craving for cotton candy within me. I can’t even remember the last time I tasted cotton candy. I wonder if I would have savored it more if I had known it was the last time I would ever eat it.

  We walk slowly on our way back to “our house,” not just for Connor’s sake, but just because. By now most of the Sweetbriarans have retired to their own homes, and the few who remain on the street avoid looking at us. Part of me wishes the walk back could be longer; the thought of sitting in that apartment all alone with Connor after what just happened is distasteful to me. He has not spoken a single word since the meeting, and I can tell by his expression that it affected him. I consider saying something to comfort him, but I’m not exactly the sentimental type.

  “Wow,” he says after a while. “They really hate us.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, Conn, they really do.”

  “But they don’t even know us, you know? They can’t just be that quick to make judgments.”

  “Let them pass their judgments. We’ll be out of this place soon enough. Who cares what they think?”

  “Hey, I hope you two aren’t taking what went on back there to heart,” calls a man’s voice. I turn around to see Elijah Sheppard jogging to catch up to us. He places himself between Connor and me and wraps a chiseled arm around each of us, tiny grooves forming around his hazel eyes as his mouth spreads into a wide grin. Although I know it is a friendly gesture, I can’t help but jerk away from his touch out of instinct.

  The preacher’s grin shrinks a bit as I draw away, and he releases his playful hold on Connor and takes a step back. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s alright,” says Connor. “We’re just a little on edge.”

  “Hey, listen, don’t worry about them, alright? They’re just scared—it’s been a long time since we’ve let anybody into Sweetbriar. They’ll get used to you after a bit. Just give them some time to lighten up.”

  I cannot help but smile at him. It’s a nice change to talk to someone who doesn’t seem to mind our presence here. “Thank you,” I say. “For everything. You helped stop the fight and you stood up for us even though we’re not your people. We’re very grateful.”

  Connor nods enthusiastically in agreement.

  “Not my people?” Elijah Sheppard laughs. “As far as I’m concerned, you two are my people. Heck, people are my people. Just because you’re new here doesn’t mean you deserve to be treated like any less of human beings. I know the others have got this cult mentality, like we’re some kind of exclusive club and outsiders aren’t to be trusted, but in my
opinion that’s bullshit. If people treated people the way they’re supposed to, the world would be a vastly different place, don’t you think?” He pauses for a moment and points a finger at me, smirking. “You. I like you. You don’t take shit from anybody, and you don’t tiptoe around trying to please people. You demand respect. You know exactly who you are and how you deserve to be treated, and you won’t settle for anything less. There should be more people like you in this world.”

  “Oh, um, thank you,” I manage, caught completely off guard by the compliment and having absolutely no idea what inspired it.

  “You got it, sweetheart. Listen, I should be getting back to the church. Have a nice night, you two.” With that, the preacher hurries off down the cobblestone street. I smile as he goes. Elijah Sheppard might be the sole person in Sweetbriar I can actually tolerate.

  After a moment, Connor snickers. “Did he just call you sweetheart?”

  “Is there something funny about that?”

  “I’m sorry, but you just don’t seem like the ‘sweetheart’ type to me.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I say. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll learn to fear me eventually.”

  “And then the world will be restored to balance.”

  I roll my eyes, and without another word I loop my arm into his and escort my friend back to our temporary dwelling.

  Chapter 30

  “Nightshade, don’t drag behind! This is the third time I’ve told you today. Stay with the group!”

  Stay with the group, Nightshade. Don’t wander off, Nightshade. Be a team player, Nightshade. “Bite me, Nathan,” I mutter under my breath.

  The five of us have been tracking a deer Sophia spotted for the past hour with no success, and tensions are running high. This blows. I miss the days when I could wake up at dawn and leave my resting place behind forever, when I could raid abandoned stores and eat fruit preserves out of a can, when I could set up snares and sit and wait for my dinner to catch itself. I miss the days when I had no one to order me around, when I had no responsibilities other than taking care of my own needs. I miss the days when I was on my own.