Page 88 of Us Defiant Few

The knife slipped from her fingertips, falling to the ground in a dull, mocking thud.

Ansel kept the gun trained on Takeshi for another second, toying with her emotions, letting her know who was in complete control, before he lifted the barrel away.

“Ansel, we should kill them both,” the bald man snarled, muscles clenching like he wanted to bend her body and break her in half.

“I need them alive,” Ansel stated.

“Why?”

“They’re going to raise the gates to Desert Spring.”

At those words, the room went still.

Ansel caressed the barrel of the gun as he continued, “Once those heretics are erased from the world, we can finally take over their city and rebuild the surface under my rule.”

Khalani would die before she let that happen.

But she needed to escape with Takeshi and return to Desert Spring as soon as possible. To warn them.

“Ansel how can we trust these two?” the man argued, his face growing redder by the second.

“We don’t have to trust them. She knows what will happen if she fails.” Ansel took a step forward, casually aiming the gun at her. “Besides, her curiosity will get the better of her. She’ll dig for the truth because she won’t be able to help herself. And then…she’ll realize we’re all on the same side.”

Khalani’s jaw ached from how hard she was biting her teeth. If she were on the same side as the Sinners, it meant she was already dead.

“I already agreed to your terms.” She lifted her chin, her nostrils flaring. “Release him.”

Ansel weighed her words for a moment, then nodded at one of the men to undo Takeshi’s bindings.

“You’re seriously letting them leave?” the bald man protested, taking a loaded step toward her.

“Are you questioning my decisions?” Ansel shifted the gun.

The guard immediately lowered his eyes. “I would never.”

“That’s what I thought. Now do as I command before I banish you to the sands.”

The man’s jaw held tight, swiftly moving forward to cut the restraints. But when Takeshi was free, Ansel aimed the weapon at Khalani instead.

“Any wrong move and I’ll put a bullet between her eyes,” he seethed. “And then, I’ll let Samson over there rape your little friend’s dead body.”

Takeshi rose slowly, towering over Ansel. The tent felt too small and insufficient, like he teetered on the edge of annihilating everyone. He took one decisive step forward, uncaring of the weapons pointing his way. He bent and whispered something so low, Khalani couldn’t hear. But Ansel paled, a noticeable tremor in his hand.

Takeshi’s dark gaze held him for a moment longer, letting whatever he’d said sink in, before backing away.

He turned to Khalani and dashed across the tent. The incensed fire in his eyes softened as he took the whole state of her in, ignoring everyone else.

“You okay?” he whispered, cupping the side of her neck.

Her cheek throbbed and her spiky adrenaline was beginning to dim, but she was breathing, and to be honest, Khalani didn’t feel more alive than in that moment.

“Yeah,” she breathed, staring into his endless eyes that made the whole world around them disappear. She could’ve stayed in that trance forever before Takeshi grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit.

But Ansel stepped into their path.

“Your packs will be brought to the gate with just enough water to supply you to Desert Spring. Head straight west. Try to venture anywhere else and you will die.”

Takeshi stiffened beside her, wrestling with his control. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to rip Ansel apart with his bare hands.