The Keeper: A Brilliant Darkness Story by A.G. Henley

Author:A.G. Henley
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-05-25T23:00:00+00:00

5.

Morning comes all too soon. As I listen for the screams of the Scourge, I’m torn. If I don’t hear them, the fleshies are gone and things can go back to normal. If I do hear them, I get to see Fenn again.

I hear them.

A thrill stabs my gut, followed by a healthy dose of guilt. Yesterday was clearly torture for her. How will she get through another day with the Scourge?

The Covey peppered me with questions when I got back yesterday. They wanted to know how the new Water Bearer performed, how I was holding up, if we got all the water we were supposed to.

Shrike, on the other hand, stood quietly by my side, watching me. I think he could tell how confused I was feeling no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

For her first time among the flesh eaters, Fenn was amazing. And I helped her a little, talking her through the hard parts and taking out as many fleshies as I could. We did our duties, and I’m proud of that.

But is it normal for me to feel this . . . fascinated . . . with her? Is it one of those Keeper and Water Bearer things that Shrike’s always been so vague about? Or is it this girl’s particular effect on me? I’m not sure, and I hate being unsure. Confidence is more my style.

I meet her at the cave mouth again. She looks haggard when she emerges from the darkness, with smudges on her face and dress and her hair slumping over her shoulders. But even haggard doesn’t look all that bad on Fenn. Damn.

“Where are they? Are they gone?” She sounds desperate for me to say yes.

What did I expect? That she’d be as eager for them to stay as I was?

“No. You’d better start moving toward the clearing.” At least it was normal for me to sound disappointed.

She doesn’t go. Her gaze is fixed somewhere to my right.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Not really.”

Stupid question. “I’m sorry. I wish–”

She frowns. “What?”

I wish she didn’t have to do this. I wish I didn’t have to do this. I wish I could understand why I’m so drawn to an untouchable Groundling girl.

And I wish I didn’t see the fleshies coming. They pour around the trees like dirty water from a wash bucket, pushing each other in their desperation to get to Fenn. The first ones stop inches from her body, panting and moaning.

“I wish the damn things would go burn in whatever hell they came from,” I say, whipping my bow into position. “Don’t move.”

I cut down more of the fleshies than I probably need to, tensing my upper body to keep from shaking with anger and disgust. The creatures shriek and moan as they fall. One howls up at me, blood spattered across its distorted face like a crimson web, but it backs off from her.

I grimace when I finally look at Fennel. The blood sprayed on her, too.

“Okay, I cleared a little space,” I tell her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.