by K C Otenti
To his credit, Jonathan attempted it. After three good kicks, though, the sash was still firmly in place, albeit three glass panes short.
There was a deafening groan. Two villagers grabbed the ladder and carried it away.
Can’t have that burning too, Aideen thought as her legs gave out. Arms caught her. Sterling’s, she imagined. Not Jonathan’s. Jonathan is—
There was a scream from the second floor of the house, then a crash. The roof disappeared. The screaming stopped.
Chapter Fourteen
No!” Aideen shrieked as Sterling dragged her away from the collapsing house. They couldn’t just leave Jonathan. Somewhere, the baby cried.
Aideen couldn’t say for sure how long she sat alone as Sterling helped the villagers. Shouting people, creaking lumber, and roaring fires surrounded her. Sometimes they sounded far away. She thought some of the screams were her own. Sometimes Aideen thought she was in the fire. It crisped her skin.
Sterling entered the fire with her. She looked at him and saw he wasn’t burning. He touched her hand, and it was cool. She was safe. Sterling would keep her safe.
Her head cleared and she looked around. Half of the houses had been spared. Villagers were already picking through wreckage to see what they could salvage. Others were comforting each other. Jonathan wasn’t there. Aideen felt her internal f-stop closing and she focused on Sterling.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m okay enough.”
Sterling helped Aideen to her feet and led her to his house.
“It’s too late to do anything else,” he said as he settled her in his spare room and handed her a gojoos. “Eat that, get some rest, and we’ll head to the Brown Ostrich in the morning. Folks will be glad to see you.”
Sterling shut the door behind him and Aideen greedily dug into the fruit. Immediately, the pounding subsided to a faint pressure and the nausea ebbed to mild queasiness.
Grateful for the relief, Aideen fell into a restless sleep.
APPROACHING THE BROWN Ostrich the next morning, Aideen was speechless: her drawing of the Bo had come to life.
The elegant building sat back in a grove of trees, which seemed to enhance its appearance of being from another time. It was constructed of warm, cream-colored stone. The grand staircase led to a portico lined with ionic columns, much like the freestanding portico in the atrium.
This pediment displayed an ornate bas relief of a Turkey battling the Ostrich. She hadn’t guessed that detail, but the rest was spot on.
A giant dome of red brick, ribbed with cream stripes, crowned the main roof. The stripes met at the base of a simple cupola painted brown.
Beyond the portico was a pair of wooden doors, carved in Gothic patterns. These were framed by two pilasters and a pediment which echoed the portico’s facade. One door swung open and a clean-cut, smartly dressed Rag Man stepped out.
“Aideen! Sterling told us you were coming back. We didn’t know it would be so long, though.”
“Neither did I. I couldn’t get back through.”
“What happened?”
“I hadn’t realized I needed the emerald to open the portal. It’s okay, though. I have another one now.” She showed the men her new necklace.
Rag Man gasped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where did you get that?”
“It was my dad’s. Why?”
“My family had one like it, a long time ago.”
“Speaking of family, my dad had some interesting things in a box. A baby blanket with my name in D’Nalese.” She pulled out her phone and opened the gallery. “And this storybook.”
She held it so they both could see, and she swiped through the photos she’d taken.
“By the Ostrich.” Rag Man stared at Aideen as if they were long-lost siblings or something.
“This book is about your father, Aideen,” Sterling said. “And you.”
“That’s impossible.”
“How else do you think you ended up with the book and the blanket?”
Aideen considered it again, no closer to believing it. Had I really been born seven hundred years ago?
“There’s something else you should know,” Rag Man said. “The Immortal One—your father—was my ancestor.”
“What?” Aideen’s unreliable legs shook again, now threatening to give out under the weight of the news.
“It’s not true that when your father returned, his entire family was dead. One of his sons—your oldest brother—escaped with friends of the family and was in hiding. He didn’t know until later that your father had come back. He grew up and had a family of his own. Twenty-three generations later, I came along.”
“So I’m, like, your aunt?”
“Great aunt.” He smiled.
“The greatest.” Aideen murmured. Her legs shook. “I had brothers . . . And a mom. A real mom.”
She looked at Rag Man, into the eyes she had thought looked familiar but had dismissed. They were the same color as her father’s, now that she thought about it. “The mother I grew up with knew about this. At least some of it. But she never told me. I only found out about the stuff my dad had yesterday . . . Earth time.”
“You’ve already been through a lot, and you’ve only been back a couple of hours.” Sterling put one hand on Aideen’s back. “You must be hungry. Let’s go inside and have a nice meal. We can continue to catch up. The others will be thrilled you’re here.”
The trio headed for the door when shouts rose from behind them. They turned as a troop of Trappers rushed toward the Bo.
“Inside!” Sterling pushed Aideen.
Rag Man slammed the door shut behind them and leaned against it as if his slight weight would keep the Trappers out. Aideen scanned the fresco-lined foyer for something to barricade the door, but the long space held no furniture. A woman entered through a set of doors to the left.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she joined them.
“Sound the alarm,” Sterling said. “We need everyone. Trappers are here.”
The woman nodded and ran out of the room. Three short blasts of an air-raid siren sounded. Refuse came running almost immediately. Rag Man relinquished his post at the door as willing warriors arrived to face the Trappers. He joined Sterling and Aideen.
“We need to get you someplace safe,” Rag Man said.
“They’re not here for me, though, are they? How could Jimmy know I made it through after him?”
Sterling blanched. “Jimmy’s back?”
Aideen nodded.
“I tried to follow him, but he crossed through at Jay Ridge. He had guards pointing guns at me. If he didn’t realize he’d dropped the nip bottle, he would think I had no way through.”
“Nip bottle?” Sterling asked. “Never mind. If they don’t know, we don’t want them finding out. Move.”
Sterling led Aideen by the arm deeper into the building. Rag Man hurried behind them. The clangs and cries outside got fainter.
Sterling threw open an interior door and motioned for Aideen to enter. There were no windows, so there was no way of knowing what was happening outside. Rag Man followed her in, and Sterling came last, closing the door and putting an ear to it.
Aideen paced between the stack of classroom furniture in one far corner of the room to the empty corner across from it. She had no idea what was going on. All she could do was hope Refuse weren’t hurt or killed.
“I came back to help, not to hide.”
“And we appreciate that.” Sterling didn’t move. “But you’re not ready. You’re not even armed.”
“Then arm me.”
“Shh.” Sterling put up a hand. “I hear something.”
Rag Man moved to a large desk toward the front of the room. He grabbed a long pointer stick and a paperweight shaped like the Ostrich. He handed Sterling the pointer. Sterling motioned to Rag Man, who stood back and raised the paperweight. Sterling stepped back from the door, raising the stick.
The do
or eased open. Rag Man shouted and swung the paperweight before Aideen processed the two Trappers. The one Rag Man attacked stumbled, but the Trapper behind him shouted and pushed to the front. Sterling cracked him over the head with the stick, and the Trapper flinched.
The first Trapper collected himself and ran for Rag Man, plowing into him and shoving him against the wall. Rag Man fell, dropping the paperweight.
“No!” Aideen cried.
The first Trapper turned to her as the second Trapper faced off against Sterling. Aideen backed away from the Trapper, but there was nowhere to go. He had trapped her in a corner with no weapon.
Rag Man growled and the Trapper cornering Aideen fell forward. She ducked out of the way as he and Rag Man fell to the ground. They struggled, but before Aideen decided how to help, the Trapper had taken Rag Man’s head in both his hands and twisted.
Aideen’s stomach lurched at the snap.
“Sterling!” Aideen cried and stepped back as the Trapper stood.
There was a crack behind her and Sterling flew by her, brandishing the pointer stick. He drove it into the Trapper’s chest and the Trapper fell.
Aideen kneeled next to Rag Man and wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes.
“He was the last family I had left. I had so many questions for him.”
Sterling put a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”
They observed a moment of silence until a voice behind them called out. “Sterling! What happened?”
Aideen turned. Gideon stood in the doorway.
“Aideen? I thought you left.” He strode toward her, then stopped, rubbing his palms on his pants.
“I came back late last night. I arrived here at the Bo just before the attack.”
“It looks like these two got in from the back,” Sterling said. “Who was supposed to cover the rear?”
“I don’t know,” Gideon didn’t take his eyes off Aideen. “But I’ll tell Ash what happened.”
“How did you and the others fair?”
Gideon looked at him. “We lost eight men but got a dozen of theirs. We drove the others off.”
“They weren’t really trying if we got off that easy. They’ll be back.”
Gideon nodded, then glanced at Aideen before leaving.
Aideen turned back to Rag Man. “He never even told me his name.”
She stroked his hair, trying not to notice his head was facing the wrong way.
“His name was Shay,” Sterling said.
“That was Daddy’s name.” Aideen burst into tears.
STERLING AND AIDEEN brought Shay behind the Brown Ostrich to bury him. Several Refuse had been digging graves for the others lost. Sterling and Aideen placed Shay’s body in front of one vacant hole.
“May we?” Sterling asked a Refuse with bright blue eyes resting on a shovel.
“That’s what it’s there for.”
Sterling glowered at him.
Aideen helped Sterling lower Shay into the hole, and Blue Eyes handed the shovel to Sterling. Aideen grabbed the shovel and took some displaced soil.
“I’m not sure what to say, but as far as I know, you were my only true family left.”
“Gee, I didn’t know,” Blue Eyes said.
“Give us a minute,” Sterling said.
Blue Eyes backed away, and Sterling put his arm around Aideen’s shoulders.
“Thank you for helping me, Shay,” Aideen continued. “And I’m sorry I got you killed.”
“This wasn’t your fault,” Sterling said.
“Wasn’t it? He was trying to protect me.”
“He chose to do so.”
Aideen shook her head and sprinkled the dirt from the shovel over Shay’s body. Sterling took the shovel and did the same. He held the shovel out, and Blue Eyes took it and filled in the grave.
Other Refuse carried bodies around the building. Sterling and Aideen walked to the front to see if they needed help, but a pair of Refuse picked up the last body and carried it past them. Aideen looked at Sterling. He put his arm around her shoulder, and they started up the front steps.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” a voice called.
Sterling and Aideen turned as Matt, the nurse Aideen had left for dead, approached from the west. As he neared them, he crossed his arms and frowned.
“I’m not?” Aideen asked. “What are you doing at the Brown Ostrich?”
“I led this attack. It was a warning, to dissuade you from trying to attack us. Our army is much larger than what you saw today. You’d never stand a chance.”
“If you think that scares us, you’re wrong.”
“What are you going to do, then?” Matt pulled out a knife and stepped toward her.
“If they have guns,” Aideen murmured to Sterling. “Why do they keep using knives?”
“I think it’s an ego thing. You’re not complaining, are you?”
“No. Do you have a weapon?”
“No.”
“Suggestions?” Aideen looked around as Matt got closer.
“Avoid the knife.”
“Thanks.” Aideen walked down the steps, trying to put as much space between her and Matt as possible. Sterling descended the steps in the opposite direction.
“Now, now. You two aren’t going to gang up on me now, are you? That wouldn’t be fair.”
“I regret not killing you when I had the chance.”
“Do you? You don’t seem the cold-blooded killer type.”
“Watch me.”
Aideen leaped at him. Matt jumped back, but Sterling grabbed him, swung him around so they were facing each other, and punched him. Matt broke free and laughed.
“Well, well, Mr. Falcon knows how to throw a punch. You hit like a girl,” he looked at Aideen. “I take that back. It could use some work, at any rate.”
“With pleasure.” Sterling moved toward Matt.
Matt ducked under Sterling’s cross and elbowed him in the ribs as he passed. Sterling wheezed, doubled over, and scurried out of Matt’s reach.
Aideen ran in close and kicked Matt in the stomach.
“Are you okay, Sterling?” Aideen called as she backed into a defensive stance.
“I’m fine,” he gasped.
Matt stood. He and Aideen circled, eyeing each other.
“Hey, take this!” Blue Eyes stood on the other side of Matt from Aideen. Sterling was near the foot of the stairs. When Blue Eyes tossed the shovel, Sterling caught it and swung at Matt’s legs.
Matt was slow in turning to see who had spoken, and the shovel knocked his legs out from under him.
Aideen ran to him and kneeled on his chest.
“My only family was killed in this attack. One of your Trappers broke his neck. Do you know how that feels?”
“No, I’m pleased to say I don’t.” Matt strained to speak.
Aideen imagined he was in a lot of pain. Not enough.
“Let me show you.” She grabbed his head in both hands and twisted hard.
Chapter Fifteen
The crack of Matt’s neck made Aideen’s stomach lurch, but she twisted it further, to be sure he was dead. She dropped his head and stood. The anger flooded out of her and left her legs weak as all that remained was regret and disgust. Her stomach lurched again, and she stumbled away to throw up what little was in her stomach.
She wiped her mouth and staggered to the steps where Sterling helped her sit.
“What did I do?”
The last time Aideen and Matt had crossed paths, she had left him lying face up in the road in Sterling’s village. He had been alive, but Aideen had chosen to leave him.
Would helping him then have changed anything?
If she had helped Matt, he could have attacked the Bo even sooner. And Aideen might never have learned that Shay was family.
But if she had struck him with the stone again, killing him, Shay may still be alive.
“What are you thinking?” Sterling asked.
“What will happ
en to the bodies?” She nodded not just to Matt, but to the other fallen Trappers.
“There’s a spot near the edge of the grounds where the Refuse dispose of them.”
“Dispose of? Like trash?”
“You feel they deserve better?”
Did they? Whose hate was fueling this war? The problem with blind fury—and blind faith—was that no one could see what was really happening.
Aideen knew something about that. “Blind drunk” had the same effect. Whose hate fueled the cruelty she had doled out to her own friends and family? They deserved better.
“Yes.”
Maybe the Trappers didn’t. But Aideen couldn’t make up for what she’d done to her family. Not from here. She had chosen to return to D’Nal Harrim to help Sterling and the Refuse. She had to live with her decision.
I always have a choice.
She had chosen. But as soon as Sterling was safe, she’d choose to go home. She had a lot more new choices to make there.
“We can talk about this later,” Sterling said. “Right now, we should find Ash and the others and figure out what to do before the Trappers attack again.”
STERLING LED AIDEEN to a conference room, where Ash, Gideon, Julie, and Jesse were already in discussion. They stopped talking when Sterling walked in, and Ash stood when Aideen entered behind him. Gideon looked at Aideen, then stared at his hands, clasped on the table in front of him.
“Aideen! Gideon said you had returned. I’m glad to see you.” He stood to hug her, then motioned for her to take a seat. “We’re discussing our next move. Please, join us.”
Sterling and Aideen sat.
“You remember everyone, Aideen?” Ash asked. “You can properly meet Jesse now.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jesse said. “If it’s true, I’m glad to have you with us.”
“‘If it’s true’?” Ash asked. “How often have I lied to you?”
“All I’m saying is that I need see her in action to trust a Refuse from Away with no training could do everything you claim she has.”
Aideen looked at Sterling and broadcast. What is he telling people I did?
Sterling shook his head.