Stinger and Bow

By Orren Merton

Stinger needs a new crossbow.

Thirteen year-old Rachel Silver—or as she's known to the world, Stinger—needs a new crossbow. Her last bow failed her when she needed it most. Besides, Firebird Alex, her aunt and fellow Seduman—half-human, half-spirit being—wields a Sedu blade, made with spirit magic.

So Stinger designs herself a magic crossbow, then convinces her best friends to accompany her around the world and into the universe of Sediin to find the right craftsmen to have it made. Trouble is, warriors attract people who want to challenge them, whether they're ready or not. Stinger is still tormented by her last battle—she's suffering night-terrors, shakes, and cold sweats. When the situation turns deadly, will she be able to come to grips with her trauma and become the warrior she needs to be to save her friends?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orren Merton
• Release date: Feb 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9780990693635

Orren Merton

Orren Merton started writing fantasy and science fiction at an embarrassingly young age. In high school, he picked up guitar and start playing up and down California in a few bands. During that time, magazines, developers, and corporations began to pay him to write and edit music software related articles, manuals, and books. Since then he has written the urban fantasy novel The Deviant and the science fiction novel Skye Entity before working on his current series of YA novels. He lives in Southern California with his family, pets, collection of sci-fi/fantasy memorabilia, and curiously large stuffed animal collection.

Book preview

STINGERANDBOW-ebook.jpg

The Sedumen Chronicles Book 4

Stinger and Bow

Orren Merton

ISBN-13: 978-0-9906936-3-5

BISAC: JUV037000 (Fantasy and Magic)

© 2016 Darkling Books. All rights reserved

Cover Illustration by Dusan Markovic

Cover layout by Michelle Merton

Internal Design by Orren Merton

Special thanks to Simon Cann, Jools, Shula Merton, Cathleen Small, and Barry Wood

1st Printing.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any living person, demon, eldritch horror, or events is purely coincidental.

For all of us who have wanted to be the hero

1

I know it’s my fault, but dammit, she’s such a bitch! I mean, I should feel terrible—and I do, kinda. The thing is, I’d know I messed up even if I wasn’t sitting in the principal’s office with Linda Kelley, my foster mom; Alex, my real Seduman aunt; Principal Gorne; Tiffany Orson; and her mom.

Do you see that? Mrs. Orson screams at us, pointing at the square bandage taped to her daughter’s left cheek. Tiffany pulls her perfectly highlighted blond hair away from her face to make it even more obvious. You can just make out the blackened skin hidden underneath the dressing. Do you see it?

Of course we see it, geez. It’s impossible to miss. The bandage takes up most of the left side of her face. Use my powers for good, Alex told me. And she’s right. We’re the heroes of the story. I blew it.

What kind of a horrible, depraved monster is this—this— She can’t even give me a name; she can only point and spit at me. This isn’t just a schoolyard attack! This—this is terrorism! That’s right, terrorism! This girl is a terrorist!

Tiffany nods to me, a smug, righteous look on her stupid face.

Come on! A terrorist?

I turn to Principal Gorne, and I’m happy to see she’s rolling her eyes. Nice to know my principal doesn’t think I’m a terrorist, at least.

How can you live with a terrorist like this in your house? Mrs. Orson shouts at Mrs. Kelley.

Hey, Mrs. Kelley says, getting defensive. Rachel isn’t—

She’s using weapons! Mrs. Orson yells her down. That’s a terrorist! That’s terrorism!

Now, now, Principal Gorne begins. I think—

You have to do something about her! Mrs. Orson keeps shouting. You need to punish her! Saturday work study? Suspension? She deserves jail! She should be put away!

Maybe Tiffany deserved it, Alex turns to Mrs. Orson, slowly and calmly, like she’s the coolest movie star in the world. Alex stares through her sunglasses and blue cap. I know my Rachel, and she wouldn’t do this unless it was warranted.

I don’t even try to hide the huge grin on my face.

Warranted? Who are you? Why are you even here? You look barely older than she is! Are you part of her terrorist ring? Mrs. Orson sneers.

Who am I? Alex rises, the anger in her voice plain for everyone to hear. She throws off her cap and glasses, her hair and eyes igniting with orange flames. "I’m Firebird Alex. And if my shield maiden stings a girl, I know that she had it coming."

Mrs. Orson sinks deeper into her chair.

Do you have a problem with me, too? Alex taunts, slowly walking over toward Mrs. Orson. Tiffany shakes and grabs onto her mother’s arm, like that could save her.

"Do you?" Alex inhales, the flames inside her mouth beginning to form…

2

…but that’s not going to happen, no matter how much I dream of it happening that way. Alex isn’t like that. She wouldn’t hurt a human being if she didn’t have to. Not like I did. Sometimes I really suck.

I’m still just sitting out in the main office, in one of the small plastic chairs next to the principal’s office, waiting to be called in. I’ve been sitting here since the bus dropped off the thirty of us who went to visit Rebecca’s House Eating Disorder Treatment Program about ten or fifteen miles away down in Lake Forest. It was our fieldtrip for health class. We were supposed focus on the teenagers with eating disorders and how they are being treated. I would have been—Alex and I have a friend there, Klara Bagrov. She was kidnapped, taken to Sediin, and sexually abused—and ended up there. I’m sure everyone at Rebecca’s House has their own story. I would have liked to hear their stories. I would have loved to have been able to say hello to Klara, to show her my support on a day other than just visiting day. But then everything went to hell. And now I’m here.

My phone buzzes. Mrs. Kelley isn’t here yet. So I figure that I can get away with texting if I’m sorta sneaky about it. I try to not be obvious when I look around to see if the coast is clear, and then I pull my phone out of my pocket to see who messaged.

It’s from Josh.

hey nerd. good luck. don’t beat yrself up. thinking about u.

Josh Harman can be a dork sometimes, but he also knows how to make me smile. And I know he cares—I care about him, too. He’s a year older than me, fourteen and in eighth grade. We’ve known each other through Hebrew school and our synagogue since we were small, but we became close once Alex fell in love with his older brother, Jake.

The door opens. Mrs. Kelley comes in and walks to the reception desk. I guess everything is about to start. I quickly respond to Josh.

thanks goober. going in.

I shove my phone back into my pocket. I can feel the vibration of another message arrive. I’ll have to check it later. I keep my eyes locked on Mrs. Kelley. The receptionist gets up and leads her toward me. I try to give her a thankful and apologetic smile. I probably just look like an idiot. My main feeling is guilt that she’s been called away from her Pilates studio to sit in the principal’s office with me and be told how horrible I am.

She sees me. She doesn’t look mad, just disappointed. Honestly, that makes me feel even worse.

Mrs. Kelley looks down at me. She holds out her hand. You okay?

I nod. I take her hand, then look down.

Some fieldtrip, Mrs. Kelley sighs, her face glum.

Yeah, I answer. I messed it all up.

That cut and dry, is it?

Well, no, I shrug. But I…I’ll get in worse trouble if I don’t just apologize, right?

Always apologize when you’ve done wrong—and mean it. But also give a complete accounting. Your reasons may not justify whatever you did, but they at least will give context.

I understand, I say. And yeah, there was definitely a context. And I think she’s already inside.

The receptionist knocks on the door.

Please go in and take a seat, the receptionist says.

We walk into the brown and green cluttered office. Pictures of students and teachers and awards cover pretty much every wall and surface. There are three chairs set up to the left of the huge brown desk. The receptionist points at those chairs. We sit in two of them. Across from us, on the other side of the desk, there are three more chairs; Tiffany Orson, her star witness Julie Seeks, and Tiffany’s mom are already seated. And glaring.

Maybe it’s wrong, but I feel worst about Julie being there. I mean, yeah, Tiffany and her mom, I totally get. But Julie…well, Tiffany treats her like baggage. She watched the whole thing, backed Tiffany up, but she just sort of had a vaguely nauseated look, like she wasn’t really in favor of what Tiffany was doing. But whatever. Tiffany probably told Julie to jump, and Julie asked how high.

I’ll let Ms. Gold in when she arrives, the receptionist tells Principal Gorne and softly closes the door.

I feel like sighing, but I keep quiet. I wish I could just sink into the chair and become invisible. I wish Alex were here.

Since your primary guardian has arrived, we can begin, Principal Gorne begins.

Here goes…

3

As you know, Rachel, Tustin Middle School has a zero-tolerance policy for violence—

And acid! Mrs. Orson practically shouts. I’m sure there’s a zero-tolerance policy about sneaking weapons like acid onto campus, too!

Tiffany nods smugly.

Principal Gorne clearly isn’t happy being interrupted. She tries to continue as if she wasn’t. And a zero-tolerance policy for the use of any kind of weapon or harmful agent as well. On or off campus. Now, I don’t know what happened during the fieldtrip or the reason behind your altercation. But I do know that you used a caustic agent against Tiffany, which is completely unacceptable.

She spit it at me! The freak! Tiffany nearly yells.

How much can I tell them? I’ve never admitted to my principal or the other students that I’m a Seduman—half human, half spirit being from the universe of Sediin. But I am, and that gives me powers that plain old humans don’t have. Like spitting out acid-laced stingers.

Mrs. Kelley stares at me with alarm. She knows who I am and what I can do. God, if this makes her afraid of me—that would be the worst.

I didn’t sneak anything, I nearly whisper.

Oh, so your spit just burns like acid? Tiffany taunts.

In a way, yeah…

You’re not the first student to bring contraband of some kind on a fieldtrip, Principal Gorne jumps in. Trust me, I’ve seen it all in my fifteen years as a principal. I seen students spit all kinds of crazy substances out of straws and worse. And remember, when you’re off campus, you are representing our school. You were visiting a rehabilitation center for troubled teens. Instead of showing sensitivity, your altercation showed disrespect and may even have caused undo stress on the residents in treatment.

But she didn’t use a straw! Tiffany insists. She just spit! She’s a monster!

That’s enough, Principal Gorne is clearly getting sick of Tiffany.

I tighten my jaw so I don’t smile. I’m also grateful that our principal seems to be satisfied that I spit through a straw and is leaving it at that, at least for now.

I have a friend there, I say meekly. Klara Bagarov. She’s been there for months and will be coming home soon.

So? Tiffany says. Do you want a medal? If she’s a friend of yours, no wonder she’s in treatment!

Tiffany’s mother smacks her on the shoulder and glares at her to shut up.

This is why it’s so hard for me to feel as sorry as I know I probably should.

I just meant that I respect Rebecca’s House. They do great things. That’s why when Tiffany—

Three quick knocks on the heavy brown door interrupt me. The receptionist pokes her head in. Excuse me, but Alexandra Gold, Rachel’s aunt, has arrived.

Principal Gorne nods. The receptionist opens the door wider and directs Alex to the chair next to me.

I can’t see Alex’s eyes through her glasses, but her lips are curled in a sympathetic but exasperated expression. I feel relieved. I mean, I’m sorry that she had to come here and all, but I know that she’s always on my side. We’re soul sisters, we’re both Sedumen of the House of Keroz, and I know she’s got my back. She sits next to me.

I’m sorry I’m late, she says. When the school called about this meeting I wasn’t at my phone, so it took me a while to get the message and get over here. What’s going on?

You weren’t that late; we’d just begun, Principal Gorne says. You were called because you are listed on Rachel’s emergency card as one of her guardians, and she is in very serious trouble. We’re trying to get to the bottom of what happened right now. It happened off campus, during a seventh-grade fieldtrip to Rebecca’s House down in Lake Forest. They’re an eating disorder treatment facility.

Alex turns to me. I can tell by the way she tilts her head that she’s wondering if this has something to do with our friend Klara.

There was an altercation that ended with Rachel spitting some kind of acid or chemical on Tiffany Orson’s left cheek.

Is it true? Mrs. Kelley asks me.

There’s a split second where I wonder if I could get away with a lie. But I’d never do it. There are no lies in the House of Keroz is our motto. Our House takes not telling lies so seriously that when Keroz, my Sedu grandfather, sacrificed his life to save Alex, he was reborn as the Greater Sedu of Honesty. I mean, that’s hardcore. So I inhale slowly, to give myself another moment to gather my thoughts. I’ve only got one chance to get this out right.

I promise, I didn’t mean to. I was just going to tell her off. As soon as I spit the acid stinger in her cheek, I pulled it out immediately asked for help. Mrs. Harold, our health teacher, was with another group from our class, but a volunteer—I think Raya was her name—was in the room with us. I shouted to her, and she ran over and directed me to the duty nurse. I ran Tiffany to the nurse’s office to clean it out. I tried to make it right.

Raya? Alex whispers to me.

I nod. Do you know her?

Mrs. Kelley turns to Principal Gorne. The nurse bandaged Tiffany? Will there be any scarring?

Alex gives me the slightest tip of her head, then turns to Principal Gorne.

We did speak with Nurse Waverly, the duty nurse at Rebecca’s House. She was able to flush the puncture and bandage her cheek quickly enough that she feels Tiffany should be okay when the remaining acid is absorbed, Principal Gorne says.

Mrs. Kelley exhales with relief.

That’s not the point! Tiffany complains.

That’s right! her mom backs her up. This girl brings acid on a fieldtrip and spits it on another girl. Why would she bring acid darts or spitballs or whatever in the first place? Is this how she takes out all of her enemies? What else is she planning to do? Is a teacher going to be next?

I feel myself getting hot, but I close my eyes and stay quiet. That’s how this whole thing started—me getting hot and angry and losing control.

First, I want to determine what the altercation was about, Principal Gorne answers, keeping her tone even. From there, I intend to determine if this is a long-standing feud—in feuds like this, it’s not unusual for one or both parties to be constantly armed. But I’m going to find out one question at a time.

I wish I had Principal Gorne’s level of calm. If I did, this whole thing wouldn’t have happened. I hope she’s still this calm when I tell her the truth about how I can spit stingers.…

Excuse me, what’s your name?

I open my eyes and see Alex directing a tight, sympathetic look at Julie.

Um…Julie Seeks… she answers, sounding almost sick, like she’s about to throw up.

Tiffany turns to Julie with the kind of look I’d never give a friend of mine, ever.

"Julie, could you help me understand something? On my way in, I ran into Emma Kelley. Emma grabbed my arm