The Sound of a Siren's Call

30.) Another Midnight Excursion

If Ryan had been able to sneak out at night, there was no reason I couldn't. She'd had that piece of metal. She had to have it on her person. I leaned over her, her peaceful sleeping form. She looked so innocent.

I gently reached into the pocket on the front of her shirt. Then another pocket. I was so involved in my search that I didn't notice her open eyes looking at me until I stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"We?"

"Yeah, we."

"I don't think you're getting the point of me stealing from you when you were sleeping."

"Borrowing."

"Stealing."

"But you were going to give it back, right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"So, it was borrowing. Now where are we off to?"

"I'm going out."

"Oh, you're no fun."

She stood up, grabbed the piece of metal out of my hand and eased the door open.

"Lead the way," she smirked.

I glared at her and started down the street. She followed after me, both of us shrinking into the shadows.

"Where'd you get the metal?"

"I plead the seventh."

"What?"

"You know the seventh law? The one that says you don't have to testify against yourself?"

"I'm from Regno, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Why's it the seventh?" I didn't want to talk with her, but it was so easy.

"Well, the first is the law requiring all citizens to vote. The second... wait, don't tell me. I know this..."

She held her hands to her head for several minutes as we moved down the road, until she eventually finished her thought. "I don't actually know it. But basically, it's the seventh law in our official law."

"What's it like picking your President?"

"Not half as fun as it seems. Most of the time we get into fights beforehand and we fill out this form, send it away, and then we have a new leader and barely anything changes. Except for last time. Jeffery ran on a campaign of fear of magic. Surprisingly compelling. A lot of magical creatures are off-grid, so they have a legal exemption from voting and they've never had a reason to make the trip. The liberals liked her because she was inclusive of everyone that was human. The conservatives liked her because she hit home for a lot of them that hated magical creatures."

"You can get rid of her, though. Right?"

"In theory. But by the time you're in a camp like this, it doesn't matter if you want to remove her. That's why we have to get out. Change minds."

A fire burned in her eyes. "And how do you do that?"

"I have a plan."

I knew more, but not enough.

We continued down the street, and I only stopped when Ryan grabbed my hand. "Soldier," she signed, her eyes wide with alarm.

I followed her finger and saw a guard sitting on the edge of the lake, staring into the water.

"How do we get by him?"

Ryan's face brightened and then darkened.

"What is it?"