Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel by Kate Mary (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📗

but it was clear they were begging for mercy. There would be none, I knew. The mayor had no intention of showing anyone inside the District mercy.

“For your crimes against the human race,” she said, having to shout to be heard, “I sentence you to death.”

The last word hadn’t even had a chance to die away before the boom of a dozen energy pulses rang out. My body jerked, over and over again as if they were hitting me, while screams rose from the group of so-called traitors. One by one, they went down in bursts of blue and red, their bodies dropping to join their friends and loved ones. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. Especially once they were all dead. Puddles of red and blue blood had formed beneath the bodies, mixing to create bursts of purple. Just like Finn’s blood. Just like the blood of every half-human living in the District.

I was jerked forward before I could collect myself. The mayor’s eyes gleamed as she watched my approach, while behind her hover cameras floated, capturing every second and broadcasting it for the entire city. As if recognizing me, the crowd began to yell louder, hurling names and insults with an intensity that would rival an energy pulse.

Once I was standing beside her, Mayor Waters turned to face the crowd, lifting her arms and waiting for the noise to die down so she could say, “You all know this woman by now. She is a known species traitor. After attempting to save a rapist and murderer, she betrayed her people even more by moving into the District and taking up with an alien. She has turned her back on her species, her city, and her family, and now she will be made an example of. Let her punishment be a warning to anyone who has ever considered taking up with the enemy. We will no longer tolerate traitors.”

The crowd broke out in applause as I was forced to my knees. I was shaking, unable to muster even a little bit of the courage I’d shown earlier. It felt as if the whole world was against me, as if the sheer force of their anger would rip me apart before the mayor had a chance to send an energy pulse through my brain.

I held my breath, waiting for the barrel of a pulse rifle to be pressed against my skull, but that wasn’t what happened. Instead, the guard at my back grabbed me, one hand on my shoulder and the other on the top of my head, forcing it to the right and exposing my neck. I shifted, trying to look around so I could figure out what was going to happen next, but his fingers tightened. Not enough to choke me, but enough to stop me from turning my head. Why?

My blood rushed in my ears as I struggled to make sense of what was happening. I wasn’t facing death. That wasn’t the example Mayor Waters was going to make of me. What, then? What else could she do to make people think twice before helping the Veilorians?

Branded as traitors.

Dean’s words came screaming back, knocking the air out of me as the realization of what was about to happen hit. I started struggling harder, fighting against the hands restraining me. It did no good. Not only did the guard hold me tighter, but other hands joined his, grabbing my arms and forcing me to remain still.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t turn my head to look. Whoever it was drew closer, and the hands holding me tightened. My heart sped up until I thought it would explode. I watched the figure grow bigger, getting nearer, and then I could feel the heat. It was like standing too close to a fire, and the nearer the man got, the hotter it became. Sweat beaded on my forehead, both from the heat and from the fear, and by the time the guard had stopped at my side, tears were streaming down my cheeks.

“Hold her still.” I jerked at the sound of his voice, and then Dean was in front of me, leaning forward, a hot iron in his hand. “I tried to warn you.”

I clenched my teeth and curled my hands into fists when he moved back to my side, trying to prepare myself for the pain but knowing I couldn’t. Time seemed to stand still as I waited. The shouts from the crowd grew faint as the thud of my heart got louder. I could barely catch my breath, couldn’t hold still. Every inch of me twitched in anticipation.

The searing agony came out of nowhere, and a scream ripped its way out of me. Every muscle in my body tightened as the pain grew in intensity. It seemed to go on and on, concentrated on my neck—just below my ear—and throbbing through me until it felt like every inch of my body was on fire. I screamed until my throat hurt, until it was too raw to get another sound out. After that, all I could do was whimper as my body gave up the fight. If the guards hadn’t been holding me, I would have collapsed into a ball, but they were, and Dean still had the brand pressed against my neck. It was still searing my skin.

The smell of burning hair and flesh filled my nostrils, and my stomach convulsed. Darkness crawled across the edges of my vision, and I prayed for unconsciousness to take over. It did, but slower than I wanted. I was still barely conscious when the guards released me, and my body dropped to the ground.

The echo of screams pulled me from blackness, dragging me to the edge of consciousness, but I fought against it. The pain in my body was too powerful and the shouts of agony too terrifying. I wanted to stay cocooned in the darkness, wanted to avoid the