Free Scars Of Defiance by Lorena Angell

world. His growing compassion for her increased another
notch.
    “Most of the people in Rendier are like me — family-less.
It’s better that way.”
    “How so?”
    “Less worrying. Less grieving.”
    Paul truly felt sorry for her. He had family surrounding him
every day of every year:  a grandmother, aunts, uncles, and a brother along
with his parents.
    “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said and left the room. Why
hadn’t he known this about Rendier before now? Clearly, his parents and Sam
knew, and that’s why they were devoted to helping crossers. His grandmother had
been helping crossers from the get go. She knew too. Why had it taken Paul so
long to understand and accept the true evil that existed a mere thirty miles to
the south?
    He found his father and relayed all the information Sara had
told him. The part about the doctor poisoning the palace made Zachary’s
eyebrows shoot upward.
    “If you hear the doorbell ring, I want you to scramble down
that trap door. You hear? She’s got a lot of heat on her head, Paul, and
they’re looking for her.”
    Paul nodded. “What about the cabin? Isn’t this what we have
it for?”
    “For emergencies only. This isn’t an emergency yet. Go back
to your room and hope the doorbell doesn’t ring.”
    Paul grabbed a couple of fresh-baked cookies on his way to
his room. He went in and handed Sierra a cookie with a smile.
    “So what’s the verdict?” she asked. “Are you sending me on
my way?”
    “No,” he chuckled, “but if the doorbell rings, we’re
supposed to scurry down the hole.” He motioned to the closet.
    She took a small bite of her cookie. “Should we practice?”
    “What? Going down the hole?” he asked. She nodded. “I don’t
… well it couldn’t hurt, or maybe it will hurt, you at least. We don’t have to
if you don’t want to.”
    “I think we should,” she said with a serious expression.
Hurt ankle or not, she didn’t want to be captured.
    He set his cookie down and said, “Alright, um, ding dong.”
He made the doorbell sound. She quickly dropped her cookie and swung her legs
over the edge of the bed. She hopped and limped to the closet, and he grabbed
her arm to try to help.
    “I’m okay. Just get the trap door, Paul.”
    “Oh, right.” He fumbled with the lever. The door dropped
open, then he turned to her. “Do you want me to help you down? Or should I go
down first?”
    “Honestly, it’s a good thing were practicing, because if
this were a real raid, I’d be captured already.” She rolled her eyes, then
turned and hopped away.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Let’s start over.”
    Paul closed the trap door and walked back over to the bed.
“Maybe we should plan this out better. How about if the doorbell rings, I run
to the lever and drop myself down the hole and wait for you. You can sit down
and put your feet in first, and I’ll ease you down to prevent you from hurting
your foot.”
    “Yeah, that sounds good. Ding dong!” She sounded off, and
they both jumped into action. Paul flipped the lever and dropped down the hole,
then turned around to help catch Sierra. She made it to the door just as he was
ready to help her down. She sat down and dropped her feet and her body down at
the same time. Her fluid action caught Paul off guard, and he scrambled to
catch her. His hands were grasping any part of her to try to slow her descent,
and his hands slid under her shirt and up her sides to her armpits. Her
tee-shirt was all bunched up across her chest. He flushed immediately, but she
remained calm.
    “Close the door, Paul,” she said to him.
    She sat down on the dirt floor and pulled her shirt hem back
down to where it belonged. Then she began rubbing her ankle through the splint.
    Paul was instantly in front of her. “Did I hurt you?” He was
still trying to get his mind off of her satin-smooth skin.
    “I’m alright. Let’s do it again. That was too slow.”
    “You came down too fast. I wasn’t ready.” They