by Brenda Poppy
✽✽✽
Burn huddled in her cave, shivering. The suns had long since disappeared and the heat had gone with them, leaving a howling wind that bit through her clothing.
She was lucky to have found the cave at all. Before she’d stumbled across it, she had been seriously considering burrowing into the sand, much like the bear that had left her stranded. But as dusk had set in across the desert, she’d detected an outcropping of stone in the distance. Desperate, she’d made her way toward it, unwilling to look away in case it evaporated in a blink or faded with the ever-dwindling light.
Yet as the light died, the stone mound had remained. Burn had eventually reached the rock face, running her hands along it to convince herself that it was real. Under her calloused fingers, its cool surface had felt surprisingly reassuring.
She’d discovered the cavern after following the rocks for some time. The darkness had obscured most of the cave’s features, but light echoes of sound bounced off its walls, helping her form a picture of the space. It was small and low and – thankfully – unoccupied. Carefully examining it, she’d found no bones or droppings to suggest it had a current tenant, so she’d made her move, claiming the area as her own.
Despite the chaos of the day, she had somehow managed to keep hold of her pack, which was a small kind of miracle. Of course, her pack didn’t hold much, as she’d assumed her journey would be a short one. Still, she’d possessed enough foresight to bring a meager supply of food and water, along with a few items of warm clothing to shield herself from the evening chill.
She’d nearly finished the water. The food was easier to ration, although the temptation to eat it all in a few quick handfuls was strong. The gnawing in her belly was difficult to ignore, its volume and ferocity rivaled only by the howls of predators lurking somewhere outside the cave.
Sleep would be impossible. Even without the terrible cries of the creatures prowling in the night, Burn was certain that her chattering teeth would hamper her ability to drift into a dreamless sleep. So she sat there, her back against the hard stone, listening to the night.
She couldn’t light a fire. For one thing, she didn’t know how. Wildlands survival skills hadn’t been required learning in the urban jungle of Kasis. For another, the light could attract predators, luring them out of their comfort zones with the promise of easy prey. The last thing she needed was another sand bear barreling toward her, intent on ripping off her extremities.
Alone in the darkness, with nothing to distract her, she couldn’t help but worry about Jez. Was he alright? Had he made it back to Videre? Or had he met a grisly fate, crushed under their cart or mauled by their attacker while she ran? Burn imagined every possibility in gory detail. No matter how many times she told herself that it wasn’t her fault, the guilt still lingered, aching in her chest.
The cold worked its way into her muscles, melding with her exhaustion to make her body feel stiff and sore on the hard ground. In a way, she felt like she deserved it, like the pain was her reward for cowardice. Then again, her reward might well be that she would wander forever in the desert, never finding Callidus or the safety of Videre. She wouldn’t last long in a place like this, that was certain. Not alone, at least.
Suddenly, Burn heard something move in the darkness. There were no howls or snarls to accompany its approach, only a quiet crunch of sand and a low rush of breath. Its footsteps were slow and even, but they grew louder with every second that ticked by, telegraphing the creature’s approach – along with its considerable size.
Burn stood, clutching her knife with a fervor that made her knuckles go white. Her breathing sounded too loud in the stillness, but no matter what she did she couldn’t seem to quiet it. She faced the mouth of the cave, her shaking arm held out in warning. If she was going to die, she’d die fighting. This time, there would be no running.
“Burn!?” a voice called from the darkness, and she nearly crumpled in relief.
Burn stumbled to the mouth of the cave, sticking her head into the night. She couldn’t see the figure, but she knew he was close.
“Hale?” she yelled back, trying to locate the man by the sound of his movements.
Upon hearing her voice, Hale’s pace quickened, and within moments he appeared by her side. Burn couldn’t stop herself; stepping out of the cave, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. After a second of surprise, he returned it, snaking his broad arms around her in a tight embrace.
They stood there for several heartbeats, each absorbing comfort from the body of the other. Despite having lived together for weeks and sleeping side by side each night, the pair had never really touched, preferring to lead separate lives in their separate spheres. But now, here, away from everything and everyone, their closeness eased something in Burn, a tightness she hadn’t known she’d been carrying.
It was Burn who eventually pulled away, stepping back out of Hale’s strong arms. As they parted, the world fell back into place around her, dark and cold and all too real.
“How did you find me? And how did you even know to come?” she asked, just able to make out the outlines of his face in the darkness. His strong jaw and furrowed brow were tilted toward her, as if he were silently checking to make sure she was whole.
“Nara,” he replied, inching closer as he spoke. “She saw the sand bear attack your cart. Then she lost sight of you. We didn’t know…she didn’t know if you’d made it.” He paused, gathering himself. “I came as soon as I heard. I didn’t think. I just grabbed a horse and rode off.”
“Why?” It seemed like such a simple question, but Burn had to know.
“I needed to do something. I couldn’t just sit there. I needed to help.”
“I don’t need saving,” Burn said quietly.
“I can see that,” Hale replied, his body closer to hers than she’d realized.
Burn’s mind was spinning. She’d written Hale off, left him behind and relegated him to her past. Yet here he was, standing in front of her after riding across a barren wasteland to rescue her. She didn’t know how to respond to his gesture, whether to thank him or send him on his way. So she said the only thing that came to mind.
“Where’s your horse?”
A low rumble echoed in the darkness. Burn recognized the sound as a laugh, Hale’s signature chuckle.
“I left her around the corner. I wanted to explore the rocks on foot. She should be fine until morning.”
Morning. Hale was planning to stay until morning. Here. With her. She suddenly felt flushed, her cheeks warm in the cool night. A shiver went through her despite the fact that she no longer felt the cold.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Hale asked, his voice playful.
Burn let out a quick laugh of her own before showing him into her den, warning him to watch his head as he entered. With both of them fully inside, it felt even smaller, as if the cave had constricted and were pushing them together. Hale stood hunched over beside her, his tall frame too large for the low space.
“It’s nice,” he commented, turning in a slow circle before seating himself along one wall. “A little dark. Could be bigger. But all in all, not a bad cave.”
“It does get quite drafty, though,” Burn added, sitting beside him.
Without a word, Hale put his arm around her and drew her in, the heat from his body seeping into hers. Once again, his nearness felt strange and almost foreign, although not entirely unwelcome. Masked by the darkness and emboldened by her recent escape from death, she nestled closer, leaning her head against his broad torso. The rhythmic movement of his chest soothed her, and more of her tension faded into the night.
Burn didn’t want to break the spell lingering over them. For the moment, everything was calm. The wind raged and howled outside, but it couldn’t touch them, couldn’t penetrate the barrier of their intertwined forms. Still, something nagged at the back of her mind, something she couldn’t shake.
“What happened to Jez?” she asked, her voice barely above a wh
isper. “Did he…Is he alive?” She shut her eyes against his response, as if that would somehow shield her from the truth.
There was a moment’s silence, and Burn wondered if Hale had heard her. Yet, after a pause, his deep voice rumbled to life.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “We lost track of him, too. I found the cart – or what was left of it – but he wasn’t there. It’s possible he got out and has since made it back to Videre.”
He didn’t mention the other possibility, but both of them were thinking it. It was just as likely that Jez hadn’t made it, that the sand bear had swallowed him whole and left nothing to find. Burn didn’t want to imagine it, didn’t want the pictures filling her mind, but they appeared nonetheless, drowning her in guilt.
She swallowed, trying to rid her throat of its sudden tightness. Burn needed something to fill the silence, to wash away the sorrow that was clawing at her lungs and making it difficult to breathe. So, once again, she said the first thing she could think of.
“I’m still going to Callidus,” she said into his chest, not daring to look at him. “I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. But I’m not going back, not before I learn what they know about Kasis. And about my father.”
Burn expected him to protest, to rant, to demand she return to Videre, but he didn’t. Instead, he stroked her back lightly with his fingers, leaving a trail of warmth where they touched her.
“Then I’m coming, too,” he declared evenly, his breath tickling her face.
She couldn’t help but pull away, and her body was suddenly cold without the touch of his. She looked up at him, searching.
“Why?” she asked, not comprehending his abrupt change of heart. “You want to stay in Videre. You’ve made that clear. You could be happy there. If you come with me…well, Imber might not welcome you back with open arms.”
Hale considered her question for a moment, trying to put his feelings into words. As he pondered, Burn listened, but she only picked up pieces and snippets of thought, as if his motives were a mystery even to him.
“You’ve always been so sure about things,” he began slowly. “I envy that. You had such certainty that returning to Kasis – and to your sister – was the right path. It was just what you needed to do. But I never had that level of conviction. I guess…” he paused, searching for the right words. “I guess I didn’t have anyone to return for.”
Burn was stunned, both by his statement and his honesty. She’d never known much about Hale’s life or his past. When she’d joined the Lunaria, he’d just been there. Somehow, it seemed like he’d always been there – and always would be. Burn had never thought to ask about his life before, about who he’d been and how he’d gotten there.
“There’s no one back there? No one waiting for you?” Burn queried, a sudden sadness sweeping through her.
“No,” he stated calmly. After a beat, he went on, “My mom died when I was born. My dad was killed in a factory accident a few years later. I grew up alone. They tried to place me in St. Astiphan’s Orphanage, but…” he stopped, shuddering at the memory. “That’s no place for a kid, especially one with a gift. So I left. I learned to take care of myself.”
“But there must be someone,” Burn replied, searching. “A friend or a partner. Someone who misses you.”
He shook his head softly, looking down at the cave’s dirt floor. “There was someone once, but she’s been gone so long that I don’t think I can even remember her face.”
Burn flashed back to a few months ago, when Scar had hacked into Hale’s tab. She said she’d discovered something – someone – that shed light on Hale’s aloof disposition. Apparently, this someone had died at the hands of the Peace Force, and Hale had never forgiven them – or himself. Burn’s cheeks went red at the memory, and she regretted bringing it up.
“Listen,” he said, drawing her attention back to him. “No matter what you say, I’m coming with you – to Callidus and to any other camp you need to scout. Then we’re going back to Kasis. Together.”
Burn opened her mouth to ask why, but Hale beat her to it.
“Because now I have someone to return for.”
He said it so simply, so matter-of-factly that it took Burn’s brain a moment to process it.
“When I heard you’d been attacked,” he continued, “I realized what an idiot I’d been. I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to you. I promised myself that if I found you, I’d never let you go.”
Burn couldn’t speak. She couldn’t seem to think, either. This was Hale – big, lumbering, domineering Hale. The man who considered violence a suitable solution to any problem. And the man who had landed her out here in the first place.
But, her brain added, it was also the man who had stood up for her in Videre, putting his own life on the line to make sure she was safe. And it was the man who had helped her hone her gift, spending hours as her guinea pig with no promise of a reward. And it was the man who had ridden across a lifeless desert to save her, forgoing his own dreams for the mere chance of helping her achieve hers.
These past few weeks had been some of the most difficult Burn had ever faced. Yet she hadn’t been facing them alone. He had always been there, taking on the world alongside her, but she hadn’t even noticed. He’d simply been a comforting friend and a little piece of home. Until now. Now he was something else entirely.
Suddenly nervous, Burn could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Swallowing, she raised her eyes to find that he was looking at her, observing her face for any hint of a reaction. As their eyes met, he brought a hand up, brushing away a hair that had fallen into her eyes. Without thinking, Burn reached up and held his hand to her face, savoring the heat and the feel of his rough fingers against her cheek.
Without a word, Hale drew her in, his head coming down to meet hers in a tentative kiss. His lips were surprisingly soft against hers, forming a contrast to the rough stubble of his unshaven face. Burn closed her eyes, relishing the taste of him.
Sensing no resistance, he deepened the kiss. As if by instinct, her arms wound around his large form, pulling him closer until no space remained between them. He copied the move, twining his arms around her until she didn’t know where her body ended and his began.
For a time, the world around them ceased to exist. There was no Kasis, no Videre, no desert. It was just them, together. And, for a time, that was all they needed.
Chapter 13
Scar’s night was not going well. The PeaceBots she’d sent out to do her bidding had thus far been unsuccessful, finding nothing more than barricades and solid walls along the city’s edges. Despite their widened search area, they’d discovered no weak spots, no secret doors, and no hints that life could exist outside the dome.
Naturally, she was more than a little frustrated. She’d done all that work, put herself in harm’s way, and enacted an incredibly ingenious plan, yet she had nothing to show for it. She was no closer to finding Burn or uncovering a way back into the city. She couldn’t even prove to the Lunaria that Burn and Hale were still alive.
Normally Scar wasn’t given to flights of fancy, but for some reason, she couldn’t stop herself from imagining the worst. She kept seeing Burn, all alone, pursued by some nameless evil that was inching ever closer.
To distract herself from the images, Scar threw herself into her work. In normal times, she’d have had a backlog of projects for other people, from upgrading their tabs and hacker-proofing their goggles to creating some less-than-legal code to hide their activities from prying Peace Force eyes. She’d gained quite the reputation, too, and had been the go-to girl in all the least-reputable circles. Anyone on a Peace Force watchlist found their way to her door eventually.
Since Burn’s disappearance, however, she’d shut herself away, eschewing the typical projects in favor of her own creations. In the span of a few days, she’d concocted a nearly imperceptible tracker, a jammer for Peace Force comms units, and an early prototype of a sonic blaster
that would temporarily incapacitate attackers.
Yet none of those things would help her find Burn. So she turned to something that could – or at least something that could help her establish contact. Scattered around Symphandra’s small table were the parts of Scar’s tab, each chip and connector and bracket separated and categorized. She’d taken apart her first tab when she was only 3, so by now it was second nature to her.
Her previous tinkering had always been for fun, though, a curiosity-fueled exploration of the boundaries of technology. This was something else entirely. This was a lifeline to her sister, a link she could use to reel her back in and save her from the wildlands. This was Burn’s salvation.
It also wasn’t working.
The plan was simple: to extend the tab’s transmission range beyond the dome, allowing Burn to receive her messages. The execution was a tad more difficult. She’d never before had to send data beyond the dome, through the thick glass that encased them and into the uncivilized world outside. The task was steadily driving her mad.
Every time she thought she had cracked it, she’d send another message to Burn. And, like clockwork, every time it pinged back, undelivered. It made her feel…normal. Like one of them – the ungifted, the powerless. She almost understood why they were so angry all the time.
Of course, there was the chance that it wasn’t Scar’s fault. Maybe Burn’s goggles would never be able to receive a message no matter what she did. They could easily have been confiscated by the Peace Force and destroyed. Or maybe Burn was so far out of range that no transmitter created would ever be able to reach her. Scar’s insipid imagination threw in another possibility: Maybe the goggles had been crushed or skewered or completely eviscerated in some other horrible manner – along with the person wearing them.
Yet she couldn’t dwell on that. She had to keep her hope alive. Otherwise…well, otherwise she would turn off, shut down, withdraw from the world completely. It had happened before when they’d lost their father. Scar hadn’t known how to process it, so she hadn’t. She’d stopped functioning, stopped computing the data, like a machine whose battery had long since run dry.
