Page 112 of Us Defiant Few
“Ch-Chief,” he stammered, reaching for his gun. “Why aren’t they locked up?”
“They’re here to help us,” Penny said firmly. “Give me the keys.”
Khalani glanced at the entrance to the house, noticing the front door had chains wrapped around the handle, with the windows shattered and broken glass littering the ground.
“You told them?”
“Everything.”
“But Father said we can’t trust humans, Chief,” Patreus reiterated. “They’re violent, unreliable—”
“Father isn’t here!” Penny shouted.
The other warriors snapped their wide gazes to her.
“He didn’t just abandon us. He lied,” she said. “Not all humans are violent beasts who only reap destruction. These people are good and peaceful, just like we’ve all tried to be. But war is at our doorstep, and we can either fight together against our common enemy, or we can wither away and die like we did hundreds of years ago.” Penny raised her head to the moon, and it peered back at her, encouraging her to speak.
“It’s time to look beyond our differences and come together. And when this final battle is over, we can tear our walls down and build a new future on the surface together.”
The warriors murmured among themselves, nodding in agreement. But Patreus still fumed, glaring at Khalani and Winnie like they were sent to kill them all.
“Open the door,” Penny commanded once more.
“This isn’t a good idea, Chief.”
The tension between them was tighter than a noose. No one moved or spoke until Ferren stepped forward.
“What are you doing, Ferren? Get back in line,” Patreus snapped.
“No,” Ferren shot back. “I agreed to fight the Sinners because Atlas murdered our people. But they”—he pointed at Khalani and Winnie—“aren’t our enemy. If we are to fight once more, I’m honored to have them by our side.”
The conviction and passion in his tone made her chest swell. Even Penny’s eyes shimmered under the moonlight.
Ferren undid the chains around the front door, the metal slinking to the ground in a loud clatter. Khalani tensed as they passed Patreus, half expecting him to pull out his gun and shoot, but he cursed under his breath and stormed off.
Penny gave her a gentle nod. “Go ahead.”
As soon as she opened the door, a chorus of voices shouted.
“There they are!”
“We thought you were dead!”
“Get away from them!”
Arms pulled her through the doorway, and she could barely breathe as Serene, Derek, Adan, and Elise wrapped her in a suffocating hug.
“You’re okay!” Elise exclaimed.
“We gotta stop this kidnapping shit,” Serene muttered in her other ear.
“Can I kill the Chief now?” Adan growled, turning on Penny.
“No!” Khalani and Winnie held out their hands. “She’s on our side.”
“How is that possible? She gassed us.” Derek’s hard glare sliced through the Chief, his fists clenched at his side.
“If you’re looking for an apology, you won’t get it.” Penny lifted her gaze. “It was the only way to separate you safely without a fight.”
