If It Kills Me

by Jason D. Morrow

  Evelyn pulls back the hammer on her pistol and looks back at me. “Go!” she yells.

  I take off in a sprint, feeling guilty that I’m not staying behind to fight with the others. Several of the greyskins charge after me as I run. Heather cuts three of them down as they run in my path. Aaron blasts one with a bolt and then fries it right behind me. I run as fast as my legs will carry me until I’m temporarily out of reach of the greyskin herd.

  I shut my eyes, searching for Green. He’s on the radio.

  “…you to repeat what you said,” Green demands.

  “I said the Greyskins are too thick here. We can’t get the vehicle out there without leading them to you.”

  Green swears loudly. He looks up at the tree house and tells a guard to get Christopher and bring him down. A guard points a gun at him and he does as he’s told.

  “The girl, the old lady, and boy too,” Green says.

  My heart sinks. He’s got Grandma, Jake, Sadie, and Christopher out of the tree house at gunpoint. Anger boils within me. Opening my eyes, I begin another sprint for the tree houses. It doesn’t take me long to get there and I stop in my tracks when I see guards on all sides of the group. Two of them take aim at me while the others train their sights on Grandma, Jake, and Sadie.

  Commander Green stands to the side with a grin on his face. “You can’t win here, so don’t even try.”

  “Let them go,” I tell him.

  “I know how dear to you your family is,” Green says. “Sweet nights of sleeping in the same bed, cooking lunches together. It’s all so touching.”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing, though it makes too much sense.

  “I feared that I might have given myself away with my footprints of blood in the back of your truck, but I don’t think anyone ever noticed,” he says. “Doesn’t seem anything is going your way. Jeremiah told me your friend, Connor, joined with our side. Telling all kinds of secrets.”

  The sound of Connor’s name causes me to pause. “What?”

  Green smiles. “That’s right. Connor isn’t so loyal to you anymore. I’m sure Jeremiah will get what he needs from him, then kill him.”

  So Green didn’t hear the part about Connor faking it. It lets me know that he’s at least all right for now.

  “I’m warning you to let them all go,” I say.

  With a thought, I force the guards to hold the guns at their own necks. Instantly, Green disappears.

  “Get to the house!” I scream to the others. In the same moment, I rip the guns from the soldier’s hands and smash them into their heads, dropping them to the ground. Maybe I should have made them shoot themselves because they will be greyskin food anyway. I look in every direction for a sign of Green as Grandma, Jake, and Sadie run toward my house. Christopher runs up to me.

  “I can help you,” he says. “I can fight.”

  “Get out of here!” I yell. “This is about you, go!”

  Something invisible smashes into Christopher and knocks him to the ground. I try to push Green away from us, but I see nothing. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my arm. When I look down, I find a gaping knife wound. I duck down quickly, hoping that whatever might be coming my way misses me. I flail my arms until I feel fabric on my palms. I grab hold of the invisible guard uniform, turn toward it and shove with everything my mental ability will allow.

  Green crashes into the tree and in a break of concentration, falls to the ground completely exposed. I run up to him and plant my foot into his stomach. He reaches out and grabs my arm, yanking me to the ground. He pulls his arms around my neck, his fingers in front of my face. I reach out my jaw and bite him as hard as I can. The taste of blood fills my mouth as he lets out a scream and releases his grip. I spit out a large chunk of his skin and see that he’s dropped his knife to the ground. Both of us dive for it, but I grab it first and he lands on top of me. With a thought, I fling him off of me and to the ground.

  I look back at Christopher. “Get to the house!”

  He doesn’t hesitate this time as he turns and runs. Greyskins are getting closer to us now, but I can see ahead that villagers are coming down from the tree houses. Most take the downed soldiers’ guns and head straight for the greyskins as some stay behind in the safety of the trees.

  All of this feels too familiar. All of this feels too much like the day I lost my parents. Only this day, I am determined to be on the winning side, and so will my family.

  Green stares at me from the ground, breathing hard. “Why do you think you can beat Jeremiah?” he asks. “He is so much more powerful than you. Others have tried in the past. All have failed.”

  I grip the knife tighter in my hand. I have no desire to talk to Commander Green. “You’re on the losing side, Commander.”

  He looks at the knife in my hands and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.” With that, he disappears. Fear grips me. Fighting while unable to see my enemy is something I’ve never had to face before today. I can hear him shuffling all around me, but I can’t get a fix on where he is.

  I think of Evelyn and what she told me in the Tower. If you can’t see him, look through his eyes.

  If I can’t see him, then I don’t need my eyes at all. The moment the thought enters my mind, I shut my eyes, focusing everything on Green. I instantly see myself, standing directly in front of him.

  A sharp pain cuts through my lips and I know it’s his fist. I’m knocked backward. Another hit, this time in my ribs. It’s so hard to keep my eyes closed. I swing the knife in every direction, trying to cut him, to kill him.

  Another punch to my kidney sends me to my knees. Next, his knee lands directly in the middle of my chest. The knife flies out of my hand and I go to the ground hard. The wind is knocked out of me and I can barely move. The rain splashes my face as I look to the sky. Is this it? Am I about to be killed? I’ve felt like this before. Completely helpless. Last time, I had Connor to bail me out. Last time I wasn’t completely alone.

  I can hear shots and thunder in the distance. I almost smile thinking about how amazing the other Starborn fighters must be doing. If I’ve ever needed their help, it’s now. I close my eyes again. From the view I can tell that Green is standing directly to my right and he isn’t moving.

  This is it.

  My eyes open wide but I don’t move. With a fleeting thought, the knife on the ground to my left is floating in the air. Then, with the speed of a bullet, I send it sailing to my right.

  Green appears right before my eyes with a look of shock on his face. The knife is protruding from his chest and he falls to the ground. I know this is my chance, so I jump up with whatever strength I have left and grab the handle of the knife. I pull it from his chest and he reaches up to grab my wrist. He twists it around and punches me again in the face another time. Again I fall back, but I’m fully aware of Green as he’s running away from me and toward the Tower.

  At least he’s running away from my family and Christopher. I shut my eyes and seek out Jake. I’m shocked to see that the house is already being attacked on all sides by the greyskins. They must have followed my family there.

  When I open my eyes I can see Green flicker in and out of visibility, his concentration wrecked by the knife wound I gave him. I’ve got no time to run after him now. I pick up the bloodied knife from the ground. I’ve got to stop the greyskins from eating my family.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  THE GREYSKINS ARE still clawing in through gaps in the village wall. Even though there are Starborns here to help fight, it doesn’t change the fact that people still die in these attacks. I’m forced to ignore the death of people that I’ve known since I was a small child. I had sent my family to the house, but if I don’t get to them now, there’s no telling what might happen.

  Three of the undead run toward me, so I send two flying and my knife into the forehead of the other. Calling the knife back to my hand, I run toward the house. Guns blast all around me. Greyskins fall and villagers cry out with fresh bites and scratc
hes, which will end their lives within a day. I try not to think about them. I try to stay focused, but it’s impossible when death is all around me.

  A small boy to my left tries to fight off a greyskin with nothing more than a sharp stick. He stabs it once in the side, but the greyskin is relentless. The boy drops the stick and falls into a puddle of mud. I throw my knife as hard as I can, guiding its trajectory with my mind. It sails directly into the back of the greyskin’s head and it falls to the ground.

  “Get to the tree houses,” I yell at the boy, running towards him. Through tears he nods at me and takes off in a run.

  I wipe the rain from my eyes and bend over to rip out the knife. When I look up, across the way, I see the house. My stomach lurches at the sight of twenty or more greyskins trying to claw their way in. Nearly all of the windows are shattered. I see Bill point the barrel of a shotgun out the window and fire, but it only takes out one of them. The others must be inside pushing against the door.

  In a rage, I run through the muddy, blood-filled street toward my house. I can’t help but scream as I bowl them over like wind through a giant pile of leaves. The door crashes open in the assault and several of the greyskins tear into the house only to be met by a wave of shotgun shells. But that doesn’t stop another group from piling in on top of the others.

  Hearing the screams from Grandma and Jake, I turn back and reach out into the air like I’m grabbing someone by the collar and pull. The few greyskins fly backward towards me and I make sure my knife lands in each of their skulls before they hit the mud. I run into the house, hoping no one has been bitten.

  “Is everyone okay?” I ask, standing in the doorway. I see Austin spread on the table, still breathing but looking bad. Bill and Linda nod at me.

  Christopher reaches out and grabs my arm. Within a few seconds, the knife wound that Green had given me is gone.

  “Thanks,” I tell him, truly grateful.

  “No one was bitten,” Christopher says, wincing at the new pain in his arm. “But we are not safe here.”

  “I know,” I say. “You’ve got to get to the tree houses. They are safe for now. I want all of you to follow me befo…” I’m stopped short by a pair of hands that grab me by the hair and pull me backward and to the rain-drenched ground. Before I even know what’s happening, at least three greyskins are on top of me. My brain feels jostled and it’s hard to determine where my enemies are. I feel a pain in my side, and hope that I haven’t been bitten or scratched. With a scream, I throw the greyskins off me.

  They fly to the side and Bill takes two of them out with his shotgun while I slice through the third’s brain. I grab my side in pain, but I refuse to look at it. I quickly turn so no one else will notice. I hope they haven’t. Maybe I just rolled over onto something sharp. Could be nothing.

  I pull myself up and fling the mud from my fingertips.

  I look at Bill and Christopher. “You two need to help carry Austin and follow the rest of us to the tree houses.” The two of them nod as Linda, Sadie, Grandma, and Jake walk up next to me.

  Jake meets my gaze and I can’t help but let my eyes fill with tears. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I say.

  He reaches out and hugs me tightly. I welcome it, but I grit my teeth when a sharp pain runs up and down my side. I tousle his hair and begin marching toward the tree houses when Bill and Christopher come up, holding an unconscious Austin.

  The group follows close behind me as we make our way to safety. I’m forced to use my abilities to fling objects at greyskins, throw my knife, and clear paths as we jog. When we finally get to the tree houses, Bill is the first one up as Christopher helps him get Austin inside. Most of the fighting is near the Tower. I wonder how the others are doing, but I don’t have time to close my eyes and watch. I hope Green hasn’t killed any of them.

  A group of greyskins has spotted us as Sadie makes her way up the ladder. I stand in front of the others as Jake starts to climb next. Once Linda and Grandma are to the top, the greyskins are nearly on me. With a thought, two of them bash their heads together with a force strong enough to crack their skulls. I throw my knife through the eye of one, and as it falls to the ground I pick the other one up and launch it headfirst into a tree.

  I look up at the others.

  “You’re staying with us, Mora,” Grandma says. “You’ve got to.”

  Flashbacks pound in my mind of the time when my mother had begged me to stay in the tree house instead of trying to help my father. I had said no to them before. I had gone out anyway. It had been the worst decision of my life.

  Jake reaches up a hand to Grandma’s cheek. “It’s okay,” he says. “They need her more than we do. She will be safe.”

  Grandma shakes her head.

  “No!” Jake shouts. “It’s different this time.”

  Grandma just stares at him and then looks at me. A single tear streaks down her face as she nods. “Go. Get these greyskins out of here for good.”

  A feeling of relief spreads across my shoulders from her words. Having the approval this time seems to make it different. I give them each a look and turn to leave.

  “Mora, wait,” says Christopher. “Your side is bleeding. Let me help you before you go.”

  I hold up a hand. “It’s all right. It’s nothing. You can help me when I get back.”

  “Well, you’re not going alone,” Bill says as he starts to climb down the tree. Christopher follows him.

  “Christopher, Bill, no,” I say.

  “What?” Bill says with a look of anger on his face. “I’m not going to sit here while my village falls to ruin.”

  “We can’t risk Christopher being captured,” I tell him. “Commander Green is still out there. Christopher is still his priority.” I shake my head. “It’s a long story that I’m sure you’ll learn about soon enough. You two just need to stay behind and make sure the others are safe.”

  Bill sets his jaw firmly, but he doesn’t argue with me. Christopher opens his mouth to say something but I stop him with a shake of my head. “Just listen to me.”

  Neither of them says anything as I turn. Calling the knife back to my hand, I start running toward the Tower.

  Mayhem. That’s all I can see when I near the Tower. Body parts lie in every direction, blood fills the puddles mixed with rain. Guns blaze as greyskins keep ripping their way into the village. I would do what I could to close the gaps that let the greyskins in, but there are so many it would be impossible.

  Heather moves at blinding speeds trying to kill as many greyskins as she can. Evelyn has resorted to standing near Danny with a gun drawn as he swings large objects at anything coming toward them. A blast of light illuminates the entire area as Aaron sends electric bolts through a group of greyskins.

  I’m happy to see them all alive, but it’s a happiness that can’t last for long. Closing my eyes, I seek out Commander Green. He’s not invisible right now, and he’s limping heavily. He’s past the Tower, making his way to a group of Screven vehicles. He’s alone and leaving a watered down trail of blood behind him. He’s going to try and escape, leaving the greyskins for us to deal with.

  But when I open my eyes, I know this can’t be the case. From what I’ve seen of Jeremiah over the past few days, Green knows he can’t go back to Screven without Christopher. He knows Jeremiah will kill him. Failure isn’t an option. Green isn’t getting to a vehicle to leave. He’s going back to get Christopher.

  Greyskins rush toward me before I realize they are so close. My knife sails through the air, and so do some of the greyskins. As they close in on me, I suddenly wish I had a gun.

  I move forward and reach down to pull out the knife from one of the greyskins and hear a loud boom behind me. A greyskin slumps to the ground, head gaping. Behind it stands Evelyn with her gun in the air.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve done this!” she says with a smile, but her face turns suddenly stern when she sees my side. “Your shirt is soaked in blood, are
you okay?”

  I nod, assuring her that I’m fine, though I refuse to look at it right now. I can’t look at it.

  “Where’s Green?” she asks me.

  “I’m going after him,” I say. “He’s trying to get a car.” Evelyn shoots two greyskins in the head as they approach. “You were right,” I tell her.

  “About what?”

  “About everything,” I say. “If you would have told me everything about Jeremiah two weeks ago, I would have thought you were crazy. I see now why you want him dead so much.”

  She nods at me. “Go get Commander Green,” she says. “We’ll figure out what to do with Jeremiah another time.”

  I move my legs away from the action. Again I feel like I should stay here with the others, but I don’t have a choice. Letting Green capture Christopher and take him to Jeremiah is a bigger threat than the Greyskins are right now. At least for the long run it is.

  I keep running until the gunfire and lightening bolts are just distant sounds. I suddenly find myself in the exact spot where my mother and father had been scratched up by greyskins. They had been trying to save me. A pang of guilt unsettles my stomach, but I’ve got to keep moving. The Screven vehicles are not far.

  Reaching near the top of the hill, I can see Green rummaging through the first vehicle on the side away from me. He looks up and around for any greyskins and instantly spots me standing about fifty feet away.

  “I’m not going to let you take him to Jeremiah,” I say.

  He clenches his teeth and walks slowly toward this side of the vehicle. He’s got a rifle in his hands, though it looks like he can barely hold it up. “I just need him to heal me. That’s all.”

  “But that’s not all,” I say. “You’re going to take him to Jeremiah.”

  “I’m finished with Jeremiah,” he says, much to my surprise. “I know his secret. I know why he needs a healer. But now I need it worse than him.” He lifts up his shirt to reveal a row of teeth marks near his ribs. “There’s no doubt it’s lethal. I also know Christopher’s probably only good for healing a greyskin victim once.”