The Dancer (Men of the North Book 7)

by Elin Peer

  I lifted my head. “Ever?”

  She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Not for a long time, Willow. Maybe when you’re older and we trust that you’ll make better decisions for yourself.”

  “But what about my brother? When will I see Hunter again?”

  “Have you spoken to him?”

  I shook my head. The shame of leaving my twin without a goodbye weighed heavily on me.

  “Would you like to?”

  My eyes closed and tears ran down my cheeks. “He’s going to be so mad and disappointed with me.”

  “Can you blame him?”

  My head drooped down, my shoulders high as if I could retract my body like a tortoise hiding from the world.

  “Willow.” Her hand was on my knee, her tone soft and patient. “We all love you and that includes your brother. If he’s disappointed then that’s okay. Think of the alternative.”

  “What do you mean?” My voice was hoarse from five days of screaming and crying.

  “How would you feel if Hunter wasn’t disappointed? If he didn’t care?”

  I dried my eyes and looked at her with confusion.

  “If you had run away and no one had even noticed – how would that feel?”

  Blinking my eyes, I thought about it.

  “When you left, everyone panicked, and I heard that they sent out the army to fetch you back. Do you realize what that means?”

  I didn’t answer.

  “It means that you truly matter, Willow. Your brother, the teachers, the Council, your friends, and family. Everyone was worried because they care about you. Don’t you see that you’re loved?”

  I looked down, my bedcover twisted tight in my hands.

  “We know that you were seduced to run away and no one is angry at you. Solomon was the older one and he lured you, didn’t he?”

  “No.” I shook my head, confused from days of questions, lack of sleep, and hunger.

  “Don’t worry. You’re safe now and all we ask is that you use that smart brain of yours to think for yourself. I’m sure you’re intelligent enough to see that two kids couldn’t have survived in the wild for long. It’s too dangerous. Solomon isn’t your friend, Willow. What he did was reckless and wrong. You were lucky to survive.”

  “You don’t know him.”

  “You’re right. I don’t know him. I look only at his actions and what he did to you. He came close to killing you. I hope you understand that.” She lifted my chin. “Look in the mirror and see what we see.”

  My eyes found my reflection in the mirror across the room. I looked malnourished, pale, and sad.

  “When was the last time you showered? You have a broken arm, three infected wounds, you’re underweight, and you’ll have a scar from the cut to your neck. And that’s not even mentioning the concussion you got from the fall. You could have broken your skull.”

  I looked away, not liking the sight of the sickly-looking girl in the mirror or the doctor’s accusations against Solo.

  “How about you take a shower and eat something? After that I would like you to come outside and get some fresh air. It’ll make you feel better and stronger.”

  “No.” I looked away.

  “Willow.” She said my name like it was an argument for me to do as I was told.

  My face remained demonstratively turned away.

  “All right. Maybe just get some sleep then.” She got up and left the room with a last comment. “Think, Willow. Just think about it. You were saved by the soldiers. No one is punishing you. We’re your friends.”

  I did think, but my loyalty to Solo was stronger and although some of what the doctors and caregivers kept telling me was starting to resonate, I still refused to eat or shower. It was my silent protest and my way of showing solidarity with Solo, whom I worried about.

  On the ninth day, I was hospitalized and force-fed through tubes. They urged me to start living again, but how could I when I didn’t know what had happened to Solomon?

  Hunter came to see me. I was weak and tired but managed a small smile.

  “Willow.” He took my hand and sat down next to me; our green eyes met and I cried when I saw my strong brother tearing up. “Willow,” he repeated as if he had no words. “What did he do to you?” His hands ran over my face and hair. “You’re so thin.”

  “I’m sorry.” I meant it, because out of all the people who had been to see me, Hunter meant the most.

  “They say you’ve given up on life.” He squeezed my right hand with both of his and placed his forehead against our hands.

  I lifted my left hand and placed it on top of his head, my body weak and my broken heart falling further apart at the sound of Hunter crying.

  Finally, he looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. “You’re my only family, Willow. I love you. Don’t I mean anything to you?” His voice broke as he breathed the last sentence.

  “Of course you do.” I sniffled. “I love you too. You’re my twin brother.”

  “Then how can you choose Solo over me? He would have taken everything from you. Can’t you see how selfish he is? Solo doesn’t care about you. He only cares about himself.”

  I licked my lips and chewed on them, my eyebrows drawn together. “I never meant to hurt anyone. Least of all you. You know that, right?”

  Hunter’s head fell forward again. “I can’t lose you.”

  Shame over hurting my brother filled me. “I’m sorry, Hunter.”

  “Why can’t you see that running away with him was wrong?”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” I repeated.

  “But you did, Willow. You hurt me and you hurt yourself. They told me you have post-traumatic stress disorder, did you know that?”

  “No.”

  “That’s why you’re so confused about what happened. That and your feelings for Solo. You’re not seeing him for what he is. No honorable Nman would put you in danger like that.”

  “Solo didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  “Don’t mention his name. I hate him and you should too. It’s because of him you’re here, in a hospital bed hooked up to feeding tubes.” He pointed. “What happened to the happy gorgeous girl I used to know? I’ll tell you what happened. He did!”

  I sighed and closed my eyes.

  “After what he did to you, he doesn’t have a single friend left in the Northlands and I doubt he has much of a future. We don’t tolerate men who kidnap women.”

  “Stop saying that he kidnapped me. And even if he did, Hunter, then what about Magni? You know he kidnapped Athena, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why wasn’t he killed for it? As far as I know he still has plenty of friends left in the Northlands.”

  “That’s different. Magni was trying to get Laura back.”

  “Are you saying that his desperate act of love can be forgiven, but Solo’s can’t?”

  Hunter moved to the edge of his seat. “Magni never hurt a hair on Athena’s head. He may have frightened her but he kept her safe. You came close to dying.” He lowered his voice and pleaded, “Why won’t you admit that he hurt you? Are you so traumatized that you have no grasp on reality? Look at you…” he pointed to my broken arm.

  I knew he was right. “But he never meant to hurt me.”

  “I don’t care. You’re lucky to be alive. Admit it.”

  I gave a small nod that felt like a huge betrayal. “I know.”

  Hunter squeezed my hand more firmly, his worried gaze locked on me. “They told me you’re not eating and I begged them to let me come and see you. I promised that I could get you to eat again. Please let me prove I’m right. If you do, they might let me stay longer.”

  “But you’ll miss out on school.”

  Hunter’s eyes were moist from all the crying. “I don’t care about school. I want to be here with you and make sure you get back to being healthy and strong. You’re my twin.”

  I whispered a soft “Thank you.”

  He wiped his face and took a steady
ing breath before picking his backpack up from the floor. “So, tell me, what would you like to eat first?” Out of his bag came a box with chocolate cake and another with a sandwich.

  “What’s in the sandwich?”

  “Not sure, but it’s vegetarian.”

  I pointed to the chocolate cake. “Let me try some of that.”

  Hunter lit up and fumbled with eagerness to open the box. “Here you go.”

  I used my fingers to break off a piece and brought it to my mouth. “Mmm… it’s good,” I lied to make him happy. In reality it didn’t taste like much, and I wasn’t sure if it was the cake or because my taste buds had stopped working.

  “Yeah? You like it?”

  “Uh-huh.” I took some more, wanting to make up for some of the pain I had caused Hunter. “Do you know what happened to Solo?”

  He frowned and looked down at the sandwich. “I beat him up is what happened.”

  My hand stalled mid-air and a small gasp escaped me.

  “He came to explain himself but I’m not listening to anything he has to say. If Magni and Boulder hadn’t pulled us apart I would have killed him.”

  My eyes were wide with shock. “You tried to kill Solo?”

  “Yes. I attacked the moment I saw him.”

  “But you were best friends.”

  Hunter narrowed his eyes. “Solomon is dead to me and he’d better be dead to you too.”

  I turned my head away.

  “Willow. I’m sorry if that’s too harsh for you, but he deserves to die for what he did to you.”

  Turning my head back, I looked straight at my brother. “If you kill Solo, you’re dead to me.”

  Hunter’s head jerked back and for seconds he collected himself.

  “I would tell Solo the same thing,” I said. “If he killed you, I wouldn’t speak to him ever again.”

  Looking down and clearing his throat, Hunter spoke low. “Fair enough. I know you don’t like violence, but just so we’re clear: if he comes near you, I’ll do what I have to do to protect you from him, including killing him.”

  “What if I don’t want to be protected from him?”

  “Willow.” A deep sigh escaped my brother. “What will it take to make you see that Solo isn’t a good person? You’ve got to give him up. You already came close to dying when you were with him.”

  I couldn’t deny that.

  “Eat some more.” Hunter pushed the chocolate cake higher up on the bed. “For me.”

  “Only if you promise that you won’t go after Solo.”

  “I’ll give you my word, but only if you start eating and living again.”

  “It’s hard.”

  “I know. But the stronger you get the more you’ll realize that you were lucky to get away from him. Solo never loved you or he wouldn’t have put you in danger like that.” He held up the chocolate cake to me and with a heavy sigh I broke off another piece.

  “That’s what everybody keeps saying.”

  “Because we’re right and it’s time for you to accept it, Willow. If Solo really loved you, he would have protected and cared for you. Not put you in a dangerous situation that almost killed you.”

  I swallowed hard, the chocolate cake feeling like a sandbox in my mouth.

  “I love you, Willow, and I don’t want anything bad happening to you.”

  “I love you too, Hunter.”

  He watched me chew every small bite.

  I pointed to the sandwich in his hand. “Maybe you should eat that. You look thinner too.”

  “It’s because I’ve been so worried about you. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to hear that your twin has given up on life?”

  I closed my eyes, the pain of his words touching my soul. I’d been unwanted by our mother and until I came to the school, I’d been the only child I knew who wasn’t living with her biological mom or with adopted parents. The psychologist here had speculated that it was the reason for my loyalty to Solo. According to her, it wasn’t love between us but the fact that he’d been the first to make me feel a hundred percent wanted and accepted.

  “Did you hear me? How would you feel if someone told you I didn’t want to live anymore?”

  The thought of losing Hunter made every part of my body hurt and I began crying again.

  “I’m so sorry,” I sniffled. For my twin to think that I didn’t think he was worth living for made me ashamed of myself.

  Hunter leaned in, using his thumb to brush tears from my cheeks. “I hate it when you cry.”

  I leaned my cheek against his hand. “I don’t want to die.” It was the truth.

  “But you’re not living either,” he argued in a voice raw from emotions and with tears in his own eyes.

  “I know.” My head dipped forward, tears dripping on my hands.

  Hunter got up on my bed to hug me. “Please live, sis. I need you to live.”

  I held on to him and we cried together. “I will… for you.”

  “No, Willow. It has to be for you,” he pleaded.

  I nodded and sniffled. “For me then.”

  “Yes.” After planting a kiss on my forehead, Hunter got back in his chair and watched me. “I’ll help you, sis. Let’s start with you eating that cake and me eating this sandwich.”

  “It’s vegetarian.”

  He opened the wrapping and sniffed at it. “I’ll just pretend it’s a roast beef sandwich.”

  “Then I’ll pretend this is…” I tilted my head. “Chocolate cake.”

  It was a lame joke but Hunter gave me a small smile and kept his eyes on me as I forced myself to eat the cake.

  He ate the sandwich in three bites and waited for me to finish. When I finally did, he gave me a smile of gratefulness and satisfaction.

  CHAPTER 20

  Cultural Breakdown

  Year 2447

  Solomon

  “Do you need bone accelerator?” I looked at Zasquash, who was rubbing his wrist.

  “Nah, I don’t think it’s broken. Just strained.” He scowled and looked out the window, where a large group of men were being contained by the police and slowly led onto a transport. “Way to fucking ruin it for everyone. Morons!”

  “At least all the Motlanders are safe.” My tone was flat and didn’t reveal the anger and worry still left in my body. I twisted my head from side to side and rolled my shoulders to work out the kinks and get rid of the tension.

  Zasquash snorted. “The Momsies are fucking traumatized. It must have looked worse to them than it really was. How would they know the difference between angry Nmen and excited Nmen?”

  Hunter stood a few feet from us, his head peeking in through the door to the room where all the Motlanders were gathered for a crisis meeting. He turned his head and spoke to Zasquash, “Of course they are traumatized. Some of those fuckers looked ready to kill to get close to the women.”

  Zasquash didn’t respond. Like me his eyes had been drawn in by the interactive wall; it had been showing a tropical rain forest but we had switched it to the news that was covering the situation live.

  “Leo is being interviewed.” Zasquash folded his arms in front of him while Hunter moved closer to see as well.

  “Inspector Leo da Vinci, can you tell us what is happening inside the hotel as we speak?” the interviewer asked.

  Leo had a stern expression on his face. His uniform was ripped near the shoulder and his dark hair pulled back in a messy bun as always.

  “Yes, well, ehh… right now the performers and crew are gathered to talk about what happened. I spoke with them ten minutes ago to assure them that nothing like what happened here today will occur in the future. When I left them, they were discussing among themselves whether to stay or go home.”

  The interviewer was a famous reporter called Zeus who had been on the news for as long as I could remember. His gray hair was thinning but he had a youthful curiosity about him and he was known to ask sharp questions. “How can you guarantee that it won’t happen again?”

&
nbsp; Leo answered fast. “Because we’re doubling the security. I’ve already spoken to Commander Magni and more members of the Doom Squad are flying in as we speak.”

  Zeus nodded. “We’ve been told that there were no casualties today, but many got injured. Do you want to comment on that?”

  Leo lifted one hand and scratched his neck. “To be honest, I’m pissed that some of my men got hurt just because some assholes can’t control themselves.”

  “Do you think the rest of the tour will be canceled after this?”

  Leo looked down and sighed. “It’s very possible.”

  Zeus kept asking questions and looked into the camera as he spoke. “What do you think it will mean to the integration process between our nations that this unfortunate episode happened so close to the tragic death of Josephine Martin, the Motlander bride who was killed by her husband only fifteen days ago?”

  Leo groaned and rubbed his forehead as if the whole thing was giving him a migraine. “We can’t know what the hell they’ll do. I wouldn’t blame the Council for building an even higher wall after all the stupidity we’ve seen from our countrymen lately. It’s fucked up for sure.”

  “Do you have any last comment before you head back inside?”

  Leo turned to the camera and narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, I have one message to all of you watching. If you think what happened here today was acceptable, then you’re fucking dickheads. We’re better than this. What happened to honor? And what happened to defending women? Right now we have a large room full of frightened females behind me. Women who came to enrich our lives with their art. I can’t tell you how it broke my heart to find them hiding in hotel rooms, crying, shaking, and fearing for their lives. It made me fucking ashamed to be an Nman.”

  Zeus gave a deep sigh and shook his head. “I think many of us feel this way. You said you found the women hiding in their hotel rooms; can you elaborate on that?”

  “No, I’m sure you get the picture and I have places to be.”

  “Thank you, Inspector, Leo Da Vinci.” Zeus turned to the camera while Leo was already walking away.

  Zasquash had his hands in his pants pockets and muttered, “He should have told them that we’ll shoot to kill the next time someone tries to get close.”