Burned and Scarred (Burn this City Book 2)

by Brenda Poppy

  Yet their respite couldn’t last. As soon as the horse was able, they took to the road once more. Burn and Hale rode in silence now, their eyes scanning the skyline. They knew that Callidus was close. Jez had said the journey was a few hours, and they were rapidly approaching that mark. Unless they’d veered off course, they would encounter the city before the suns commenced their downward arc.

  After a while, the horse began to climb, its hooves clacking against the stone hill underfoot. The incline was subtle at first, but as it increased, Burn and Hale disembarked to walk alongside the creature, each panting with the effort.

  Burn was so focused on setting one foot in front of the other that she almost missed the change in the air. Gone were the caws of birds and the skittering of lizards across the sand. The animals had gone silent, hushed by the presence of a larger predator in their midst: humans.

  Burn paused, gesturing for Hale to do the same. Callidus was close. She could feel it now. A multitude of voices murmured somewhere beyond the ridge, beckoning to her. She had to stop herself from scurrying up the rock face to get a better view.

  Jez’s words popped into her head as a warning. “They’re not as friendly…not too keen on outsiders.”

  She’d been so intent on getting there that she hadn’t considered what would happen when she arrived. Burn’s eagerness turned into nervous energy as she contemplated the camp’s reaction to her and Hale’s sudden appearance. Would they welcome the pair as citizens of Videre, accepting them based on their tentative peace? Or would they view them as outsiders, fair game to do with as they pleased?

  “Callidus is just over that hill,” Burn whispered to Hale as she listened, taking note of the people and their movements. There had to be at least 200 of them, all busily going about their daily chores. She suddenly felt extremely small and inconsequential, like a bug they could crush without even trying.

  “What’s the plan?” Hale whispered back, looking to her for direction. She shrugged, her mind devoid of any clever strategy.

  Sighing, Hale straightened and continued his ascent. Burn’s whispered warnings went unnoticed as he reached the peak and surveyed the land before him.

  A strange whooshing noise erupted from somewhere to their right, and she had just enough time to yell “look out!” before a man stood before them. In a flash, he sized up Hale and – apparently determining him to be a threat – stabbed him in the neck with a small needle. Hale promptly fell to his knees before collapsing into the dust.

  Unable to help herself, Burn let out a sharp shriek. The man, clearly gifted with outstanding speed, turned his head toward her. In a blink he stood before her, towering over her and blocking out the suns. Not knowing what else to do, she raised her hands in surrender.

  “We’re from Videre,” she explained hastily. “We were part of a trade mission, but our cart got attacked by a sand bear. We come in peace.”

  The man let out a small “humph” at her words, but he didn’t pull out another needle, which was a good sign. Glancing up at Hale’s immobile form, she prayed that he was merely sleeping, knocked out by a tranquilizer rather than a deadly poison.

  Turning her attention back to the stranger, she saw him scan the rocky hill, as if searching for someone. Sure enough, within a few moments more men appeared around her, creeping up one by one until she was surrounded.

  “Take the intruders to Thestle,” the first man commanded, gesturing to her and Hale. “He’ll know what to do with them.”

  At his words, two men flanked Burn, grabbing her by the shoulders and pinning her arms to her sides. She tried to protest, tried to explain that she wasn’t an intruder, but they promptly tied a gag around her mouth and pushed her up the hill.

  Burn struggled to see past them into the valley beyond, but they blocked her view, turning to lead her down a perilously narrow footpath that wound into the city. Twisting to look behind her, Burn glimpsed four men hoist Hale’s limp body onto their shoulders before her own guards forced her back around.

  Panic welled up inside of her as she realized just how defenseless she truly was. She had no credible excuse for her presence there, no allies, and no exit plan. And now she didn’t even have Hale to watch her back. This was definitely not the welcome she had imagined.

  Chapter 14

  Treating their prisoners well did not seem to be part of Callidus’ strategy. On the way down the rocky trail, Burn stumbled and fell on more than one occasion, helped along by a push from the back or a foot placed conveniently in her path.

  By the time she arrived in the city center, she was covered in dirt and bleeding, with a stone still lodged in her shin from a particularly unpleasant tumble. The guards seemed proud of themselves for her disheveled state. Hale still hadn’t regained consciousness, and they roughly plopped his body beside her in the dirt, face down.

  Stealing glances around her, Burn took stock of the city. Surprisingly, it was quite similar to what she’d pictured in her head. Tan tents flapped in the breeze as bedraggled people walked between them, lugging buckets of water, piles of dirty clothes, and animal hides still dripping with blood. Their weapons, however, weren’t as crude as she’d hoped. As the guards encircled her, she saw the glint of more than one knife pointed in her direction, in addition to several long spears with hideously sharp tips.

  As the two guards let go of her, one of them stopped to bind her hands in front of her. Then, with a harsh push on the shoulder, he forced her to kneel. Sharp stones bit into her kneecaps, but she refused to show weakness, keeping her head high.

  The man gifted with speed, who had disappeared from the cliff’s edge once they’d started their descent, emerged from the tent in front of her. As if on cue, everyone turned their attention to the dwelling, which was by far the largest in the village. Before long, a second man appeared, and the guards around her bowed their heads in respect.

  Burn didn’t see what was so special about this man. His rotund frame clearly wouldn’t make him much of a hunter, and his bald head and round cheeks made him more akin to a baby than a leader. Despite the heat, he wore a long, colorful robe that was belted in the middle and left only his hands and head exposed. He clasped his hands in front of him, circling his large belly, as he took in Burn and Hale.

  “These must be our new visitors,” the man said in mock cheerfulness. “Welcome to Callidus, friends. I’m Thestle. I would inquire as to your names, but they don’t really matter. All of our slaves get new names, after all. Although if being a slave doesn’t suit you, we’d be more than happy to introduce you to our local carrion birds. They also don’t need to know your names. They’ll pluck out your eyes no matter what you’re called.”

  A sudden revulsion rose in Burn’s throat at his sickly sweet threats. She wanted more than anything to grab one of the guards’ spears and challenge him to a duel, the way she and Nara had practiced so many times. But the thick cloth that bound her hands prevented her from moving, so she simply glared at him, wishing her eyes had the power to burn holes into people’s chests.

  Undaunted by her glare, Thestle approached, bending down to get a closer look. Reaching out one of his pudgy hands, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before brushing off some of the dirt that had accumulated on her face. Burn tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he held her head in place, his grip surprisingly strong.

  “Now this one I like!” he exclaimed to his men, who chuckled in response. “So much fire. It’s adorable.” Straightening, he continued, “Put her in my chambers. Throw the other in a cell. I’ll deal with him later.”

  At his orders, two sets of arms grabbed her and dragged her to her feet. She tried to dig her heels into the dirt to slow their progress, but they merely picked her up by the arms and carried her forward into Thestle’s tent. Without a word, they threw her onto the enormous bed that dominated the space.

  She had a sudden surge of hope as they undid the cloth ties around her arms, but it dissipated almost instantly as they secured her hands to
the bed frame behind her. Their movements were quick and efficient, and she got the feeling that they’d done this before.

  Chuckling to themselves, they left her there, helpless. But Burn was never one to give up easily. She wriggled her body around, straining against her bonds in an attempt to loosen them. Twisting in every conceivable direction, she pulled at the fabric, hoping either it or the bed frame would give out and release her. Yet nothing budged. The guards had done their job well.

  It was during this futile attempt to escape that Thestle re-entered the tent. In her heated desire to free herself, she didn’t notice his presence for several seconds. Instead, her focus was consumed by her attempts to deal a kick to the wooden frame behind her in hopes of weakening the planks. It was Thestle’s light throat-clearing that ultimately got her attention. Twisting her body back around, she glared at him and readied a kick in case he came anywhere near her.

  “Oh, how I love the plucky ones. It’s so much fun to break them,” he said, as much to himself as to Burn. “There’s no use fighting, my dear. Even if you managed to get yourself free, there’s nowhere to go. You might as well make yourself comfortable.”

  He approached the bed but stayed clear of her legs, as if he knew her intentions. Thestle took his time looking her over. Burn tried to block out the lecherous thoughts that were emanating from his mind, but they screamed at her, demanding she listen.

  He wanted to take her, and he wanted her to struggle. He enjoyed it when they fought back.

  Thankfully, Burn could also see that he wanted to take his time, to enjoy the atmosphere of tension and hatred before subduing her. That would give her a chance to think, to construct a plan. Because she would never let this bastard lay a hand on her.

  “I don’t think we’re going to be needing this anymore,” he said, reaching up to untie her gag.

  Burn sucked in a deep breath. The heat mingled with the sweet smell of the tent to choke her, and she coughed and gasped in an attempt to breathe. Thestle looked on, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

  “I’m a citizen of Videre,” Burn managed to get out in between coughs. “If anything happens to me, Imber will never trade with you again. And without his help – and his water – you and your people will die. Now let me and my friend go, and maybe we can come to an arrangement.” She tried to put all of her strength behind the words, willing them to work.

  Yet the smile remained on Thestle’s face, growing wider as she spoke. He waited for her to finish, leisurely walking to the other side of the bed to stare down at her.

  “You’re so cute,” he said, his tone thick and greasy. “But we both know that’s a lie. Imber would never send anyone like you, and you’ve clearly brought no goods to barter with. No, I bet that they tossed you out of Videre – you and your little friend. And now you’re crawling around the wildlands in search of another camp to take you in. So pathetic.”

  “We were part of a trade expedition,” Burn tried again, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. “We were traveling with Jez when our cart was attacked by a sand bear. We managed to escape, but we lost Jez and the cart in the process. Callidus was nearby, so we came in search of help.”

  It was close enough to the truth that she could sell it convincingly. She decided to leave out the bit about her search for her father, at least for the moment.

  Part of her brain – the part that wasn’t frantically searching for a way out – wondered if her father was indeed in Callidus. Had he come here in search of information and found himself pressed into slavery? Had he been here for years, forced to do their bidding and unable to escape? The more she considered it, the more likely it seemed. Despite her panic, she felt a glimmer of hope spring to life in her chest.

  What if Arvense was right around the corner? What if he could save her? If that was the case, she just needed to stall until he could get there, until he could find a way to free her. It was a longshot, but more impossible things had happened.

  Meanwhile, Thestle was shaking his head at her tale.

  “I applaud your creativity, girl,” he said derisively. “A sand bear! What a story. Maybe I should keep you on as my personal court jester. You obviously possess a flair for the dramatics. Unfortunately, though, that won’t save you now.”

  He licked his lips as he looked her over, a chill going up her spine. She had to keep him talking, even if no one was coming to her rescue. Maybe, if she was very, very clever – or incredibly lucky – she could even turn the situation in her favor.

  “OK, OK! You caught me,” she said, feigning resignation. “You can clearly see right through me. I thought I could fool you, but you’re obviously too clever for that.” Thestle paused in his approach, enjoying the boost to his ego.

  “I’ll tell you the truth, the real reason I came to Callidus,” Burn continued, watching as he tilted his head in curiosity. “I’m looking for my father, Arvense Alendra. I believe he came here around five years ago looking for a way back into Kasis. And I believe you knew him.”

  Burn listened intently to his mind, scanning it for any hint of recognition. All she needed was a flicker of acknowledgment, a single sign that her father had once set foot in the city. But Thestle was already too far gone to care about anything she’d said. He had one thing on his mind, which overpowered every other thought or need.

  “I never knew an Arvense,” he said, brushing her words aside. “I’m afraid your trip was in vain. Although I must admit that I’m delighted you came. If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get to know each other so…intimately.” Putting a finger on her chest, he trailed it down to her stomach, tracing the curves of her body.

  Disgust warred with red-hot anger in the pit of Burn’s stomach. She wanted this man to suffer, to feel what it was like to be powerless. A harsh scowl contorted her face as he moved closer, placing himself on the bed beside her.

  “You have so much anger for someone so young,” he purred into her ear. “It’s not very becoming, you know.”

  Burn felt like she was going to be sick. She tried to twist her legs up to kick him, but she couldn’t quite reach. All she managed to do was elicit a small chuckle from the round little man.

  “Now, now. That won’t do you any good,” he said in reprimand, as if talking to a child.

  Placing his hand back on her stomach, he began to move it lower and lower, savoring her expression. When his hand reached her hips, however, it paused, lingering.

  “But what do we have here?” he asked almost gleefully. Lifting up her shirt, he revealed her knife belt, taking his time to run his hand along the strip of leather.

  His eyes lit up as he took one of the knives from its sheath and playfully tossed it above her, nimbly catching it mere inches from her skin. He laughed jovially, like it was all some sort of game.

  “Well, now I have to make sure there’s nothing else you’re hiding,” he continued. With a quick swipe of the knife, he cut through her shirt, exposing her chest.

  Burn lunged for him. The ropes bit violently into her wrists, but she no longer felt the pain. Boiling rage consumed her, removing any hint of logic or common sense. It felt like her humanity was slipping through her fingers, replaced by pure animalistic hatred. She wanted to claw at his eyes until they bled, to tear him to pieces with her teeth. He didn’t deserve the privilege of sight or sound or taste. She yearned to leave him crippled and bleeding, a feast for the carnivores of the wildlands.

  “If you touch me again, I swear to the gods you’ll pay,” she growled through clenched teeth.

  “You’re not really in a position to make threats, now are you?” Thestle cooed. “Although it’s endearing that you’re still fighting. Most people give up by now. Don’t you worry, though. I’ll take care of that.”

  He swung his leg over her body and mounted her, subduing her with his considerable weight. She tried to lash out, to headbutt him or twist out from beneath him, but he held her down.

  “Now, I’m so
rry to have to do this, but I don’t want you to scream,” he said, lowering his head to hers. Right as she opened her mouth to do just that, he put his lips on hers and sucked.

  Burn felt her throat go dry as he raised his head, a white, gauzy haze traveling from her mouth to his. Within an instant, it was over.

  Burn tried to shout. She tried to ask what he’d done. She tried to whisper. But nothing came out, not a hint of sound. Thestle had stolen her voice.

  “There, now,” he said enthusiastically. “That’s much better.”

  Burn screamed at him, using every profanity she’d ever learned. She called him a coward and a cad and cursed him to rot in hell for an eternity. Yet silence covered the room, blanketing her in its cruel embrace.

  She felt violated. He’d taken something so precious, so tied to her identity that it felt like he’d stolen a part of her soul. Despite her rage, she felt her energy begin to fade. The fight gradually drained from her body, leaving her weak and broken. He had won – and he knew it.

  As the last of her resistance left her, a figure burst into the tent, drawing Thestle’s attention. Peering around her attacker, Burn saw that it was one of the guards who had escorted her into the city. The relief that had momentarily flashed before her eyes faded as she realized that he wasn’t there to rescue her. No one was coming to save her.

  “What do you want?!” Thestle cried in irritation. “You know that I’m not to be disturbed when I have company!”

  The guard bobbed his head in apology but kept venturing deeper into the room. He glanced at Burn, and she could have sworn that a look of pure hatred flashed across his face before his features went blank. She wondered what she’d done to garner such emotion from a man she barely knew.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” came the man’s low voice as he approached. “But there’s a problem with one of the prisoners. We need your assistance in the cells.”

  By this time, the man was nearly upon them, and Burn could see that he was clutching something behind his back. He shot a quick look at her, clearly trying to communicate something, but she couldn’t interpret it.