by Perrin Briar
Siren used all the strength of Compulsion at her fingers, and punched with her fists to get away from the big man.
“Hey, Raf, don’t you have any music?” one of the Raiders said.
Rafael looked at some people he knew were in the band set to play for the party. They got up on the porch and prepared to play.
“Oh, I can handle you, firecracker,” said the big Raider, still chasing after Siren. “No need to be shy.”
“That reminds me,” Rafael said. “It’s time for her medicine.”
He withdrew a plastic bag from his pocket and carefully crushed the leaf into a cup.
“Hold her,” he told the big Raider.
Siren felt a wave of panic and sudden loneliness. She closed her eyes and used every bit of energy she had to send a Pull in all directions, seeking Quinn, begging him to come help. She had no idea if he was anywhere nearby. A desperate hope.
Almost everyone in the area stood and moved toward Siren as they felt the undirected Pull. Rafael felt it and knew exactly what it was. He quickly went to her and grabbed her jaw like he was feeding a pill to a pet dog.
As the Raider held her, Rafael forced her mouth open and poured the concoction down her throat. When it was done, the Raider released his grip and she fell to the ground coughing.
As Bess and Elizabeth came to help her, Siren looked around and saw the party starting to get out of hand. The band played a bluegrass favorite. Raiders dragged women toward the music and forced them to dance.
Some finished their food and grabbed more from the families at neighboring tables. A man stood up after a Raider took his wife’s plate from the table in front of her. The Raider pulled out his pistol and slammed it against the side of the man’s head, knocking him out as his wife watched, trembling.
More Raiders had finished inhaling their supper and walked among the terrified locals, grabbing women and dragging them off somewhere. Each time a man would try to stop them, two more Raiders would appear and beat them. Fear kept the people from acting together to take down the relatively small number of Raiders. Rafael took no notice, and laughed and kept drinking wine.
Then Siren saw a Grayskin wander in, taking out a wooden fence in front of a house. It was wearing overalls. It momentarily stopped and cocked its head to the sound of the country band playing. No one except Siren seemed to notice, until it got to the first row of tables. Townspeople stood and ran away to a safe distance.
When the Raiders noticed what was going on, they started shooting at it. The Grayskin stumbled, but got enraged and charged toward the shooters. Kutcher unstrapped his twelve-gauge and emptied several rounds into the creature, blowing holes into its abdomen.
The Raiders laughed as the Grayskin continued to approach. Another Raider blew the Grayskin’s arm off with a shotgun blast. A roar of laughter pealed out. Rafael was standing with them. He looked at the townspeople standing at a distance.
“You see how great this is?” Rafael screamed. “We feed them, and they protect us!”
Danger had turned to laughter. No one else was laughing. Anne nervously looking around. Even she did not approve of what she was seeing.
The Grayskin finally dropped to the ground. The Raiders turned back to their dinner, wine, and women. When they turned around, there were three more Grayskins coming at them from Main Street. Siren looked down a side street. It was filled with Grayskins in a line going all the way to the edge of town.
The townspeople panicked and ran away to their homes, where they had locks on their doors and tools to fight with. The Raiders fired wildly without aiming as they tried to mount their bikes. One of them had trouble starting his and was beset by four Grayskins who began to devour him as his bike slid over on its side.
Raiders and townspeople were running away. Siren stood still. This many Grayskins at once could only be caused by one thing.
Rafael came running at her, snarling.
“You caused this, you freak!” Rafael said. “How?”
He picked up one of the Raider’s pistols. He stormed toward her.
“Stop!”
The voice came from behind him. Rafael froze in his tracks. Siren looked up to see Greer and Quinn walking up behind him. She smiled, surprised at Rafael. He had halted, wide-eyed and fearful, at Greer’s command, recognizing his master’s voice.
Rafael raised the pistol, a smile on his face. No way he was going to miss Greer. Not from this distance.
Greer didn’t slow down, and instead sped up. He raised a hand and bellowed, “No!”
Rafael hesitated. Siren felt goosebumps on her arms. But it hadn’t been her to had Compelled Rafael.
The moment of hesitation was enough. Greer hit Rafael square in the jaw, knocking the pistol out of his hands.
“This is why I banished you,” Rafael said, massaging his jaw. “You’re nothing but trouble for this town. And when you come back, you bring more trouble. But you won’t be here long. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll be executed this time!”
Greer was fuming. Siren could see all the resentment of what Rafael had done to him boiling under Greer’s tense face.
“I’m trouble?” he said. “You send me packing, then invite the scum of the Earth in to rape and pillage? What kind of man are you?”
Greer shoved Rafael back.
“You couldn’t protect them,” Rafael said. “You never would have thought of this. You don’t have the backbone to do what’s necessary.”
As they argued, Grayskins kept the remaining Raiders from helping Rafael. Kutcher and the others looked at the Grayskins, knowing there were too many for them to take out, but the Grayskins were not attacking. They just stood, surrounding the Raiders.
“You wouldn’t know backbone if I shoved it down your fat throat,” Greer said.
Rafael kicked. Greer punched. It was an ugly fight, lacking any skill. Rafael grabbed Greer, putting him off balance. They fell to the ground, wrestling. Greer kicked and clawed at Greer’s face. Rafael got his weight over Greer and shoved his face into the worn pavement of Main Street.
Rafael laughed and looked back at the Raiders. Then his smile evaporated. He let Greer go. They both got up. Rafael skipped away toward the Raiders.
“Let’s go,” he said. “There are too many of them.”
Kutcher agreed, acknowledging his Raiders were outmaneuvered and outnumbered by the Grayskins.
“You’re out, Rafael,” Greer said, dusting himself off. “Don’t bother to come back. You’re finished.”
Siren looked at Quinn. He was busy. His face was one of intense concentration. Siren came to his side to ensure no Raiders took him by surprise. It wouldn’t do for him to lose control of his monsters now.
Rafael stood and looked toward Kutcher and the Raiders. Grayskins had not harmed them—much. But the Grayskins had kept the Raiders in place. Now the group parted and let Rafael through. He got on the back of Kutcher’s bike.
The Grayskins stepped east, toward the Raiders, who peeled away on their bikes. Rafael was staring at Greer. His face told Greer, Siren, and Quinn that he would be back for revenge.
As a cloud of dust rose on the eastern road, the Grayskins looked back around at Quinn, Siren, and Greer, who stood facing each other. The roar of the motorcycle engines slowly faded. The Grayskins took small steps toward them.
“Quinn!” Siren said.
Quinn turned to her, then looked at Greer. Then he raised his hands, staring at the Grayskins around him. They quickly walked away. In minutes there were no Grayskins in sight anywhere in Whitegate. Quinn lowered his hands and looked expectantly at Greer.
Siren realized what had just happened. Greer was shocked. His mouth was open, but he could not find the words.
Greer could Compel.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“YOU CAN Compel?” Quinn said to Greer in disbelief.
“You can Compel the Grayskins?” Greer retorted.
“Don’t change the subject,” Quinn said.
They wer
e still only three. Downtown was empty, quiet, and becoming dark as clouds hid the moon and stars overhead.
“You two should learn to share information,” Siren said, walking toward a nearby tree.
She leaned against it, stuck a finger down her throat, and vomited. It hurt, but she immediately felt better as the rizena began losing its effect. She wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin and headed back toward Quinn and Greer.
She took a seat at a picnic table, looking around at the mess of food and wine bottles left behind. She needed something to drink to clear the taste from her mouth.
“Since when?” Quinn said to Greer.
“I don’t know,” Greer said. “I think I’ve always been able to do it. I’ve just never wanted to before.”
“Which is why I never noticed,” Quinn said, shaking his head.
Greer was tired. He sat down across from Siren, found a bottle with some wine still in it, and took a swig. He offered it to Siren, who took it happily.
“Sometimes the hardest thing to see is right under your nose,” Greer said. “And you! Controlling the Grayskins. I could never do that…”
His voice trailed off as the wheels turned in his head. He looked hard at Quinn, now sitting opposite him beside Siren.
“You’re the Merchant!” he said.
“Yeah,” Quinn said flatly.
He had never known how his stepfather would react to these things, and now he was bracing himself.
“But why didn’t you tell me?” Greer said with a frown.
He was visibly hurt.
“Why didn’t you tell me you could Compel?” Quinn said.
“Well, I didn’t think you needed to know,” Greer said. “It’s a strange thing, you know.”
“The same goes for me!” Quinn said.
“Listen,” Siren said, having regained some of her strength. “You guys have a lot to talk about, but it will have to wait. We have a community to rebuild, and in case you didn’t notice, Rafael and his friends are going to be back. So we need to focus on that now, please.”
“You’re right, Siren,” Greer said. “I’m going to light some torches. Siren, you know where any of the council members live?”
“Just Anne,” Siren said.
“Okay, go there and invite her to come,” Greer said. “I want her support. Quinn, you help her and invite the others as well.”
A CURTAIN moved after they knocked, someone inside checking to see who was there. The door opened just a crack. It was Anne. Her face showed defeat.
“Greer would like you to come stand with him,” Siren said. “He has invited the council to a meeting to plan what to do next. Will you come?”
Siren could Sense shame and distrust in Anne.
“Tell him I resign,” Anne said, still looking at them with one eye through the slim opening.
“He won’t accept your resignation,” Quinn said. “You’re important to the community. We need stability right now.”
Siren was impressed with Quinn’s political acumen, and frankly, a little surprised. Still, Anne shut the door.
Siren and Quinn went to each council member’s house and repeated the gesture, but none of them agreed to come. When they returned to The Corral, all of the torches were lit, and Emile had come out to join Greer.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to make do without them, won’t we, Emile?” Siren said.
Emile nodded and looked at Greer grimly. He was still nursing his wounds. He was having to make do with their depleted food supply.
“Quinn, ring the church bell,” Greer said. “Siren, there’s something I want you to get for me.”
The people started coming in slowly, cautiously. Then men came in one by one, carrying various homemade weapons: hoes, axes, and clubs. When they realized the Grayskins and Raiders had all gone, the dining area quickly filled.
Greer stood on the porch facing the crowd. Emile was beside him. Bess joined them. Quinn returned and stood with Greer, who raised his hands motioning for silence.
“Our ‘brave defenders,’ as Rafael called them, have left us,” Greer said. “We fed them, and they ran from their duty.”
Siren Sensed the ever-present fear as she walked back toward The Corral listening to Greer speak. She went and stood by Elizabeth at the front.
“It’s okay,” Greer said. “It doesn’t matter. We never needed the Raiders to begin with. We only need each other. The only true defense must be self-defense. We have to fight them ourselves.”
“Why are you back?” Bess said, nursing her swollen cheek. “Are you going to leave us again?”
“I know you’ve been told some things about me, some of them may even be true,” Greer said. “I have made mistakes, chief among them leaving Whitegate without a fight. But when I left, I did not go far. This is my home. I am here to stay. And if you’ll fight beside me, I will fight beside each one of you.”
“Why do we need to fight?” Elizabeth said. “The Raiders have gone.”
“They will be back,” Greer said. “Not just once, but again, and again after that. We have to whip them good, and show them they are not going to have an easy time of it.
“Rafael brought in Raiders with shotguns as guards and told you not to fight. But to be strong we must all learn to fight, and never give that up. What man wouldn’t fight to defend his family? What mother wouldn’t fight to defend her child? We have to pull together as a family now.”
For the first time, Siren saw gold orbs in her mind, the Sense of pride, and even excitement. Greer was convincing and was starting to bring them round. She stepped up on the platform next to Quinn.
“But how can we stop them?” Bess said. “They have guns.”
Greer looked at Siren, who handed him the object she had retrieved for him. It was a machete. Greer held it up for all to see.
“We have weapons, too,” he said. “We know this town better than any Raider. We outnumber them ten to one. In many ways, we have the advantage. But even if they have more powerful weapons, even if they are bigger, even if they are stronger, we still have to fight. We have to make a stand now.”
Some applause and hollering started at the fringes of the crowd. Emile and Bess nodded and began to clap.
“To let them know they can’t just roll in here and take what they want!” Greer said. “They can’t molest our women. They can’t take our food. They can’t mistreat our people. It’s time for them to feel the sting of our blades, the pounding of our fists, and the strength of our resolve. It’s time for a REVOLUTION!”
The crowd erupted in applause and hoots. Men and women wiped tears from their eyes between claps. A throng of people crowded the platform, hugging Greer and shaking his hand, and doing the same for Siren and Quinn. They talked excitedly about finally taking control of their town. They anticipated peace, and planned how to achieve it. It was a long time before The Corral was quiet again.
Chapter Forty
IT WAS mid-morning the day after the Raiders had left and Emile’s assistants had already cleaned up the dining area. Many others came to help. All the streamers and signs were being removed and burned by a delighted bunch of older boys.
Inside, Emile looked through storerooms, probably trying to find a way to turn vegetable oil into meat somehow, but determined to keep the kitchen going. A guard was already posted on the water tower with firecrackers and a flag.
The previous night, several people had gotten together and formed a rotation to watch for trouble and warn the rest of the town now that the Raider guards were gone. There was the water tower guard, and another unit in the church bell tower. When either of them saw anything, the bell would ring.
All over town, people were resuming their old jobs. Greer had said nothing about this, they had just done it under their own steam. Two men with a cart went through the streets picking up garbage and debris. It would be taken to the junkyard and sorted.
Bess considered giving the children the day off, but instead decided their parents could be more
productive if they stayed in school. Farmers mended their fences and looked among their fields for anything that could be salvaged for more food. A gaggle of people worked repairing the brick church on the east end.
Elizabeth worked tidying the council offices. Greer, Quinn and Siren worked there too, looking for anything useful they could use to reform the government and defend the town against the Raiders.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you could Compel,” Quinn said, shaking his head. He’d been saying it for the past three hours. “We could have saved the world by now!”
“Save the world?” Greer said. “What are you talking about?”
He looked at Quinn as if he had made a bad joke.
“Why didn’t you Push me away when I showed up a couple days ago?” Quinn asked. “You told me to go.”
“It was your choice,” Greer said. “I wasn’t going to force you to do something just because I thought it was the best thing to do.”
Greer turned to Siren, who was going through the big desk.
“Find anything interesting?” he said.
“Nothing at all,” Siren said. “Rafael wasn’t much of a note-taker.”
“You’re not taking me seriously,” Quinn said, folding his arms.
“Look, son,” Greer said. “People deserve freedom. No matter who they are. This strange power—however I got it—comes with the responsibility to use it appropriately.”
“I can attack the Raiders with the Grayskins,” Quinn said. “That will teach them to stay away.”
Quinn thought Greer was treating him like a child. He wanted to let him know he was powerful, that he had something to offer.
“That’s not the best solution,” Greer said. “It’s not a long-term one.”
“It doesn’t risk any lives,” Quinn said. “We go on the offensive, keeping the battle away from home. How is that not better than trying to fight a well-armed, mobile troop with shovels and pitchforks? Why can’t you see that this makes more sense?”
