Burned and Scarred (Burn this City Book 2)

by Brenda Poppy

  With her vision compromised, her hearing kicked in. Even with her eyes shut, she could see the man’s movements, feel where he planned to strike next. Her body reacted instinctively, ducking to the side and spinning out of his reach. Her free hand grabbed another knife from her belt and threw, lodging the weapon firmly in her opponent’s throat. He let out a gurgle of protest before dropping to the dirt, his cries lost in the commotion.

  By then, Burn had regained her bearings, and the world cleared in front of her eyes. The street before her was its own miniature battlefield, with blood and dirt mingling to cover the scene. She cast her senses through the nearby lanes, listening as the city filled with screams. The Lunaria were outnumbered, even with the troops from the wildlands. It would take a miracle for them to win.

  Without warning, another black-clad form appeared from around the corner, his weapon raised. Burn had just enough time to throw her hands in front of her before he fired, the bullet whizzing toward her chest. Time slowed to a crawl as she tried to react, tried to move, but she was too slow.

  Her eyes went wide as she realized what had happened, and she waited for the pain to overtake her. She was sure it was going to hurt. Dying, after all, must involve some amount of agony. But as she waited, the pain never came. Maybe she was already dead, she thought, and simply hadn’t realized it yet.

  As she watched, the officer who had shot her approached, taking his time to investigate his kill. He was a stone’s throw away, then an arm’s length, then upon her. Then he was past her, kneeling to the ground behind her.

  Burn turned mutely, and the pieces came crashing into place – but the pieces were wrong. Because lying on the ground, bleeding out onto the street, was another officer. This man had shot one of his own, killed his comrade in arms. Burn backed away warily, confusion clouding her thoughts. She was safe, at least for the moment, but she couldn’t understand why.

  As she retreated, her body still angled toward the bent figure, a third Peace Officer entered the lane, taking in the scene. But the man on the ground didn’t stir, too occupied by the life he had just claimed. Reaching behind her, Burn pulled her final knife from her belt and let it fly. Her aim was true, and the man sank to his knees before tumbling into the dust.

  Only then did her dark angel look up, seeming to notice her for the first time. Burn froze. She had no more knives to throw. The only weapon left in her arsenal was a single wooden fighting stick, which was of little use at this distance. She braced herself for an attack, listening for anything that might assist her, but what she heard brought her mind to a grinding halt.

  “Auburn,” the man whispered, a combination of surprise and joy coloring the words.

  Burn knew that voice. She knew it, but she didn’t believe it. Only when the man reached up and removed his helmet did his identity truly sink in. It was Kaz.

  The shock robbed her of her wits, and it took a few seconds for her to process his sudden appearance. And the fact that he had saved her. He had shot one of his own to protect her. They looked at each other for a beat, neither sure what to say.

  They were saved the trouble of saying anything by Nara, who rounded the corner like a terror, her fury focused on Kaz. She was about to bring her fighting stick down on Kaz’s head when Burn held out a hand and yelled “stop!”

  Her sudden exclamation did, indeed, stop Nara in her tracks. With the stick poised above her head, she stiffened, momentarily resembling a stone statue of some ancient warrior. Burn knew she wouldn’t stay still for long, so she scrambled over to the pair, placing herself between them.

  “He’s on our side,” she breathed, her hands held up before her in a gesture of surrender. “Don’t hurt him.”

  Nara considered her for a second, clearly assessing her sanity. Judging her to be rational enough to tell friend from foe, she grudgingly lowered her weapon, holding it at her side. Relief washed through Burn as she turned, offering her hand to help Kaz to his feet. He took it gratefully, rising to look at her.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” he said, emotion straining his voice. Burn could see it in his head, feel the regret and desolation and relief behind his words, and it stunned her.

  But they didn’t have time for that, not now. Burn brought herself back to the present, back to the battlefield before her. This was no time for tearful reunions. So instead of acknowledging his words, she quickly got down to business.

  “How can we stop them?” she asked Kaz, her voice tight with repressed emotion. “What can we do to drive them back?”

  “We need to get everyone out of the tunnels,” Nara chimed in, briefing him like an officer in the field. “We don’t need to win. We just need to get them to safety. But right now they’re surrounded, and more officers are closing in.”

  Kaz nodded curtly, taking in her words. “Their plan was to come at you from all sides and pick you off one by one. I tried to warn you, tried to tell you that the Peace Force was coming, but I couldn’t get through. It’s like they knew what Scar was planning and had a strategy in place to stop it.”

  It made sense – but it didn’t do them any good now. That was something they could deal with later. Right now they needed a plan.

  “What if we create a distraction?” Burn posed, scrambling for ideas. “We lure them away from the tunnels, giving everyone enough time to get out and back to safety.”

  “It’s a good idea,” said Nara, who was now using her gift to scan the area for threats. “But what do we have to distract them with? We’re not exactly flush with supplies.”

  Nara was right. Burn took stock of her own depleted arsenal and grimaced. Even taking into consideration Kaz’s gun, along with those of the downed officers, they would still be vastly outmatched.

  She was certain there was something she was missing, but she couldn’t seem to think. The madness raging around her blended with the thoughts of countless frightened people to make her head spin. She was no longer used to this level of chaos, and the onslaught made it nearly impossible to focus.

  Then Kaz’s head snapped up, a new light in his eyes. “Scar’s PeaceBots!” he exclaimed, as if that was supposed to mean something to them. Instead, the proclamation only served to confuse Burn further.

  “What?” she demanded, rubbing her temples in an attempt to rid her mind of its fog.

  “Scar took control of a small army of PeaceBots, and she stationed them nearby, along the edges of the dome,” he rushed to explain. “If we can get them here and use them to fire on the Peace Force, it could draw their attention away from the tunnel, giving your people time to get out.”

  Once Burn got over the fact that, in her absence, Scar had apparently created an army of robotic minions, she considered Kaz’s plan. It could work. If all of her people had made their way up into the tunnels from the wildlands, then they’d only need a few minutes to escape. She didn’t know how long PeaceBots could hold up under fire, but it might just be long enough for everyone to get to safety.

  “But wasn’t Scar affected by the air out there?” Nara ventured, doubt clouding her voice. “Are you sure she can do this?”

  Burn let out a short, blunt burst of laughter. “I’m sure. As long as she’s still conscious, she can make those bots do anything she wants.”

  Burn silently prayed that her sister was, indeed, still conscious. She was about to radio over when she realized with a start that she’d taken her sister’s comms unit. She cursed herself for her stupidity, wishing she’d had the foresight to take someone else’s instead. Yet how could she have known it would come to this?

  “Anyone who’s still down in the tunnels, I need you to find Scar. Find Scar and give her your comms unit stat!” she demanded, holding her breath.

  Silence met her ears, hollow in its emptiness. Burn briefly considered making a break for it and attempting to return to the tunnel on her own when a familiar voice crackled through her headset.

  “Burn?” Scar croaked, her voice still muddled from the atmosphere�
��s effects on her brain. But Burn didn’t have time for her to come around, so she pressed on.

  “Scar. I need you to listen and not ask questions, OK?” Not waiting for a reply, she continued, “Tell your PeaceBots to make their way toward your square – but not too close. When they’re just within range, have them fire at the force and then retreat. We need them to lead the officers away so the people in the tunnels can escape.”

  “Everyone else,” she said, shifting her attention to the other soldiers on the line, “do what you can to keep the other officers away from the shaft. If you’re near the main square, you may have to help lure away the remaining troops after the bots attack. A few of you will need to stay behind to take everyone to safety. I’ll try to get there to help you, but I can’t promise I’ll make it. Protect them with your lives. They’re counting on us.”

  A few seconds of silence passed, seconds that felt like an eternity, where Burn wasn’t sure if they’d heard – or if they’d even be willing to follow her into battle. She was an impromptu leader, a proxy general, and they had no obligation to obey her. Yet one by one they consented, handing over their lives into her hands.

  Even Hale’s voice crackled through the comms, simultaneously giving her strength and making her heart ring with tension. “We’re with you, Burn,” his deep voice rumbled, adding a sparkling gem of conviction to the wretched uncertainty of battle.

  She didn’t know how he’d gotten his hands on a comms unit, but he’d managed it, and now he was willing to submit to her command, risking everything simply because she had asked. Burn swallowed down a lump that had formed in her throat, reminding herself where she was and what she was about to do.

  “The PeaceBots are headed toward the square,” Scar stated, sounding stronger than she had just moments before. “They’ll be here any minute.”

  That was Burn’s cue. She relayed Scar’s words to Kaz and Nara, and the group paused to grab the guns and knives off the officers they’d downed. Kaz replaced his helmet, hiding once more behind the visage of their enemy, before they took off toward the tunnel.

  The trio moved as a single unit, each protecting the others’ backs. An officer sprang out from behind a stone wall, and Kaz shot, felling the man with a single blow. It was Burn’s turn next. As they rounded a corner, she raised her weapon reflexively, finding a target in an instant and firing before he could even take a second step.

  Nara had her own way of dealing with enemies. As they came upon a figure preparing to finish off one of their allies, Nara sprang into action. She leapt into a roll, which took her straight to the man’s side. Once there, she drew two knives in fluid succession, using one of the blades to slash at the tendon behind his knee. As he crumpled to the ground in pain, Nara seized his body, a primal, animalistic fire overtaking her. With her other blade, she ripped into the officer’s throat, sending dark splashes of blood raining down over the scene.

  Satisfied, Nara resheathed her weapons and stood, making her way back to the group. Neither Kaz nor Burn spoke, but they instinctively let Nara take the lead as they embarked on the final stretch to the tunnel.

  It wasn’t far now. They could see the opening – and the crowd of officers bearing down on it. If they did nothing, the defenseless people below would soon find themselves trapped, sentenced to a brutal end in the very passageway they thought would be their salvation.

  Raising her stolen weapon, Burn took aim at one of the nearest officers. She took a breath, steadying her hands, but a sound from behind her gave her pause. She focused her attention on the alley at her back and, as she stared, the familiar form of a PeaceBot came whirling around the corner.

  Burn grabbed Kaz and Nara and pulled them against the wall. A split second later, the PeaceBot fired, aiming at the officers. Shots echoed around her as yet more bots rained gunfire on the troops from the surrounding streets.

  The Peace Officers shifted their attention, turning from the tunnel to face the bots. Burn could feel the confusion emanating from their minds as they wondered why their own machines were attacking them. That confusion rapidly turned to rage as another volley of shots headed in their direction. Some of the officers dropped as the bullets hit their targets, but more survived, turning their fury onto the machines.

  Burn and her friends ducked out of the way as a storm of officers came crashing through the lane, intent on making the PeaceBots pay. Not all of the troops took the bait, however. Many remained near the tunnel, their efforts unhindered by the commotion.

  That’s when the Lunaria turned the tables. Popping out from behind corners, they struck, enticing the officers to leave their posts and follow them through the maze. This time the officers bit, spreading themselves out through the alleys and lanes in search of their attackers.

  Only a few officers remained, their sights trained on the hole in the ground. Almost gleefully, they lunged forward, believing the coast was clear. They were wrong.

  Burn, Kaz, and Nara darted onto the field, joined by several more of the Lunaria who had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for their turn. A sudden blazing inferno engulfed the area in front of them, a localized fire that raged just for them. As it receded, leaving prone officers in its wake, Burn spotted Ansel nearby, his hands outstretched as he reclaimed the flames.

  Glancing around, Burn noticed Crete, the healer, who was on his knees tending to one of the injured. She also spotted Dormaline and Lore, and their familiar presence reassured her somehow, centering her in the here and now.

  With the immediate threat neutralized, Burn dashed to the tunnel’s entrance, dropping to her knees to peer into the hole. The barrels of several guns greeted her, and she had to quickly proclaim her identity before the guards would lower their weapons.

  “You have to hurry. We only have a few minutes. Get everyone up and out. Now!”

  Her command kicked off a flurry of movement, and suddenly hands and arms and torsos were thrust in her face as people rushed up the ladder and into the city. She reached out a hand to help them, while behind her the others kept watch for any errant officers who might come to their senses and double back.

  One by one, the people emerged from their underground bunker, their eyes wide and their bodies shaking. Scar was the last to surface, her now-clear eyes meeting Burn’s in a familiar look. Even without words, Burn knew the meaning: You did good. I’m proud. Now let’s finish this.

  Hoisting her sister up, Burn turned to look at the group before her. She instructed the Lunaria to assist her, holding up the frail and carrying the young. Together, the remaining rebels formed bookends to their ragged lineup, offering protection on all sides. With everyone in place, they set off, snaking through the city’s narrow streets in a tentative, halting trot.

  While Kaz and Nara took up the rear, Burn ran in front, directing the ragtag parade. She sent her thoughts out across the streets, searching for the corridors that promised safety amidst the anarchy. Around her, guns fired, people screamed, and the remnants of violence remained, but she ignored them, pouring all of herself into her mission.

  They were moving. Slowly but surely, they were finding their way through the city, inching closer and closer to safety. The main thoroughfare was in sight now, and beyond it the stairs to the next level. Burn could almost taste the relief as they forged their way forward, leaving the misery of battle behind.

  But escaping couldn’t be that easy. The hands that had trapped them wouldn’t release them without a fight.

  Burn stopped in her tracks as a sound registered from the tier above. Without a thought, she retreated into the lane, pushing her charges back into the safety of the enclosed stone passage. She closed her eyes, breathing through the fear, and sent out her senses to hunt for the threat. Her stomach dropped through her body like lead as the sounds came into focus.

  A fresh battalion of troops was descending on them from above, blocking their path to freedom. At least 20 men marched in unison toward them, their thoughts bent on destruction.

 
Burn briefly considered retreating. She knew they could wind their way back through the maze, finding another route with the promise of escape. But the troops above weren’t the only ones that had caught their scent. As Burn listened, she detected a smaller faction closing in on them from behind, trapping them where they stood.

  “We’re surrounded,” she whispered, half to those clustered around her and half to the troops on the other side of the comms. “Hale, if you can hear me, we need you,” she added, sending out the personal plea through the airwaves in hopes that he’d come.

  Almost as if they’d rehearsed it, the Lunaria members and gifted expats made their way to the edges, placing themselves on the front lines to protect their kin. It was a poignant display of camaraderie with a single missive for the world: We stand together, and we protect our own.

  A handful of heartbeats was all that stood between their adversaries and them. Before Burn knew it, the Peace Force was there, closing in on them from both sides.

  Burn faced their fury out front, trading shot for shot until her ammo ran dry. Tossing aside her weapon, she reached for a knife. Before she could free it, however, a bullet bit into her leg, dragging her to the ground.

  The pain tore at her like fire, sending her into a momentary blackness before she resurfaced, clinging to the light. As she lay in the dirt, trying to find the strength to stand, she took in the terror around her.

  The Peace Force had pushed their way past the Lunaria’s guards, converging on the helpless souls within. Screams of panic and pain pierced her ears, threatening to drive her mad. And on the ground beside her, covered in blood, was Mika, his dead eyes staring sightlessly at the city he’d wanted so badly to see.

  Chapter 23

  Scar was frozen, anchored in place by shock and indecision and the people pressing down on her from all sides. Her back was up against a wall – literally – and she felt pinned in place, as if any attempt to move forward would only result in her being shoved deeper into the confines of the brick.