Free The Defiance (Brilliant Darkness) by A.G. Henley

there's a lot more action going on by the water hole than I thought.
    "We're grateful for your help," I say. "And we'll give him your message."
    "Thank you."
    She sounds so worried and miserable I can't leave it at that. I step to her and search for her hand. I wish I could tell her Moray will support her, stand by her side. But I can't lie.
    "It's okay. You'll figure something out."
    She squeezes my fingers for a moment before drawing back. I can hear the sick ones roaming around below.
    "Any ideas how I can get my brother inside the caves with the sick ones down there?" I ask.
    "You could try to wait them out, but now that Thrush saw you there may not be time. Maybe you could run for it? I've got my bow. I might be able to take a few of the fleshies out. Then again, I'm not a very good shot."
    Of course. Just our luck to be rescued by the one Lofty that can't shoot straight.
    "You better go," I tell her. "I don't want you to get in trouble. We'll have to take our chances with your people and wait."
    "No, I can do it. I can run for it." Eland says.
    I remember Bear's reaction to being surrounded by the sick ones. Eland's much smaller, but I'm not sure I can carry him if he passes out. "No, Eland. We can't risk it."
    "I only see a few fleshies down there," the girl says. "He just has to control his fear, right?" She says it like a challenge.
    "Not exactly." Irritation leaks out of my voice. "And however it works, I don't want to test it on my brother."
    Eland touches my arm. "I think I can do this, Fenn. I almost did before, when I was alone. With you there, maybe I can make it this time. I'm pretty fast."
    I cup his cheek with my grubby fingers and palm. "And you're fearless. But it's not about courage." If it was, Bear should've been able to withstand the sick ones. He's one of the bravest men I know.
    "Then what is it about? Trust? I trust you, Fenn. I believe in you."
    And I love him for that. But I still don't think it's enough. "You have to have drunk the pure water, Eland. You know that." I turn to the Lofty. "Go. You shouldn't be seen with us. We'll wait. Maybe we'll get lucky and the sick ones will leave soon."
    "I don't think you're going to get lucky."
    The platform under our feet begins to vibrate. Someone's coming.
    "Go now!" I say.
    "Good luck." She slips away.
    "C'mon, Fenn! I have the ladder. We have to get to the ground."
    "No, Eland." But we have to do something. We're trapped. Panic carves a path through me.
    "I don't think we have a choice," he says. "We know what they'll do if we stay up here."
    "Maybe Peree's family would help us . . .”
    "Fenn, we have to choose. Quick."
    He's right. We can stay here and wait for the Lofties to catch and possibly execute us. Or we can take our chances with the sick ones. Which amounts to the same thing for Eland.
    I grit my teeth and ignore the voice screaming at me not to risk Eland's life, telling me there must be another way. I shore up my resolve. I have to, because soft and vulnerable things don't survive in our world. They never have.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    I climb down, my breath coming hard and fast. Eland's feet find the rungs above my head as soon as my hands let go of them. I can hear the creatures out there in the rain, their howls whipped around by the wind. How will they react when we reach the ground?
    "Run. Flat out. Don't wait for me," I say to him for the fifth time.
    He doesn't answer. I can only imagine what he's feeling. It has to be ten times worse than the first time I left the caves to collect the water.
    At least he doesn't have to do this alone. I'll draw as many of them to me, and away from him, as I can. The rope ladder will still be hanging down, but there's nothing we can do about that. I'm sure the Lofties won't let the sick ones get far if they try to climb up.
    "You're almost to the ground." If a voice could curl up on itself, Eland's would be in the fetal position.
    "You can do it. Run, Eland. Don't look at them and don't think. Run. I'll