The Scourge (A.G. Henley) - By A.G. Henley Page 0,15

I need to move.” It’s true; the creatures are pressing in. Something brushes my ankle and I swallow a scream. Arrows buzz past me. Peree still sounds puzzled when he tells me I can move.

I hurry back to the water. I don’t want to lie to Peree any more than I have to, after what he did for me. I still can’t believe it. It was a simple gesture—he knew I wanted to swim, and he arranged it so I could—but I’ve never heard thoughtfulness toward Groundlings mentioned as a common Lofty trait. Who is this Keeper of mine?

I fill the bags, deliver one to him, and yank the other onto the ground behind me. It’s unwieldy, but not impossible to pull.

“If you have to take the sack back now, why don’t you let me bring it up and carry it for you?” he asks.

Not a chance. This is the one part of the Three’s orders I’m actually following, so I’m following it to the letter. “No thanks, I’ll manage.”

We set off back toward the clearing, a smaller group of the creatures following. Struggling to drag the sack behind me, I’m thankful for my cool, wet clothes. But I feel sick, thinking about how to tell Aloe I disobeyed the Three’s order.

Peree’s been quiet, walking along above me. Suddenly he says, “Have you ever heard of a water dragon?” I haven’t, of course. “It’s kind of a lizard. You remind me of one."

The branch I’m wrestling out of my way almost decapitates me as I let it go prematurely. “What? You’re saying I’m like a lizard?”

“No, I . . . well . . . okay, I am. While you were swimming I was thinking about . . . admiring . . . your capabilities.”

I throw out an arm, then snatch it back to the safety of my side. “My capabilities? Which ones? Being slimy, or good at scurrying up trees?”

“Lizards aren’t slimy, they’re dry and scaly, like snakes.”

“Scaly?” I sputter.

“And by capabilities, I mean how you do your duty without complaint. How you find your way with no hesitation. You swim like a, well, like a water dragon. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could scurry up a tree—you do everything else better than most sighted people.”

I feel blood rushing to my cheeks. I’m not used to praise like this. And certainly not from a Lofty. “Oh. Thank you.”

“No hesitation, no stammering. See, you even take compliments well,” he teases.

“I’m just so used to them,” I joke, “hearing them all the time like I do.”

He groans. “Ah, there it is, the conceit. I knew there was a dark underbelly to all that excessive competence.”

I smile and start walking again, following the path out of the clearing, toward the caves, counting my paces. The creatures match my steps.

“You don’t need a Keeper, you know. You do fine on your own.” Peree sounds disappointed, like he wishes that wasn’t true.

“No, I don’t.” I want to leave it at that, but after everything he said, it doesn’t seem fair. “Your voice, it gets me through the day. Knowing you’re there, it’s what keeps me going.” I wonder if I’ve just thrust my face into a wall of fire, or if it only feels that way.

“You failed to mention my unparalleled skills with a bow and arrow.”

I snort. “Now who’s conceited? But yes, body count is an undeniable part of your charm. And what would I do without a Keeper to keep me honest?” I’m teasing, but my face flames again. I’m being anything but honest today.

“There is that.”

I leave the semi-darkness of the trees and step into the sunlight. The cave mouth should be a few paces in front of me. “Thank you. For the swim, and for calling me a lizard.”

He chuckles. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you–”

“In the morning,” I finish. But I’m not so sure. I’m not sure I’ll live to see the morning after the Three discover my duplicity.

Chapter Four

The sun sets somewhere outside the perpetual night of the caves. I lie awake, wondering what will happen when the Three find out I gave the Lofties water. I thought about trying to explain myself to Aloe, but in the end, I didn’t. I disobeyed the Council’s orders, and hers in particular. I didn’t do my duty. That’s something Aloe would never understand.

Still, I can’t quite bring myself to regret it. The swim was incredibly rejuvenating, for one thing. And Peree probably broke a half-dozen Lofty rules to set it up