Balance by Ciara Knight

Author:Ciara Knight [Knight, Ciara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

The fleet of fighters thundered over us. Bullets ripped apart trees, taking down a few people with them. Shells exploded around me as I ran toward Annie, gathered her in my arms, and bolted for safety—the tunnel.

Fury rode me hard. If I didn’t do something fast, my dream would actually happen. Squinting to shield my eyes from the sun’s glare, I raised a hand and melted anything metal overhead. Simultaneously, our guns returned fire. Hunks of metal crashed to the ground. A wing landed tip down, then fell atop a child, penning his legs. “Help,” the little boy whimpered.

Horrified, I halted beside him, set Annie down, and shoved her toward the tunnel. “Go, now!” A quick glance confirmed she’d done as ordered. Then grasping the edge of the wing, I pulled. Even using all my strength, it was too heavy.

If I didn’t take action the child and I wouldn’t live the next few minutes, I focused on the wing, melting the bottom half while protecting the boy. It softened and slag dripped onto the ground. Grasping the leading edge again, I yanked the wing off the sobbing child, gathered him to me, and raced for cover. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

I knew he was hurt, but not how badly. Nearing the Arc, I stumbled. A soldier charged forward, halted my fall, grabbed the boy from my arms with one hand. “Come on.”

As we reached the tunnel, the soldier released me then carried the child off toward the infirmary. Scanning the area, I was thankful for my dream’s warning and the calm, rapid response from all concerned—the adults and especially the children. We had prevented annihilation of the rebellion’s leaders.

Spotting a child exposed behind a boulder, I pointed. “Ryder, there.”

“See her.” He swept up the little girl and raced for the Arc’s entrance. Reaching safety, he shoved her into the arms of a waiting soldier.

My eyes widened at a small fighter circling back for another strafing run. “Oh, my God, Ryder. Look,” I yelled, pointing at the craft. “I thought we’d destroyed the emperor’s fleet.”

“Guess we didn’t.” He gripped my hand and began tugging me toward the tunnel. “You hear that?”

Glancing behind us, we saw Annie and Laos running toward us, hands clasped.

“What’re you two doing up here?” Ryder roared.

“Wanna help. Sally’s missin’,” Laos said, halting at our side.

During the first strafing run, I’d seen a young girl hit by a half-dozen rounds. The image of her small fragile body being ripped apart would haunt me for decades, and I didn’t want these two suffering the same fate. I stood mute, smoke burning my eyes, unsure how to respond.

A high-pitched scream drew our attention toward the river. Badly damaged and aflame, an escort fighter hurtled toward the Arc’s entrance.

Ryder scooped up both kids. “Run!” he yelled, sprinting for the forest with me hard on his heels.

As we cleared the tree line, an explosive crash rent the air. The subsequent concussive wave flattened us to the ground as trees snapped and fell around us.

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