The Zoya Chronicles Boxed Set

by Kate Sander

  "Ujarak," she moaned as he sucked her breast while sneaking his hand down her pants.

  "My love," he said with a growl.

  Tory leaned her head back, savouring the touch. He took her close then backed off.

  "I need you inside me," she gasped. "Now!"

  He always listened to her. He pressed her back into the tree, struggled a moment to get out of his pants.

  With a grunt, he was finally free of clothes and he obliged his love, entering her and burying his head in her shoulder.

  They stayed standing and Tory wrapped her legs around his waist, taking each thrust with a satisfied moan.

  What should have been tender was fast and hard, a stress relief they both needed.

  They finished together, as they always did, and sank down onto the forest floor.

  She lay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, falling in love every second.

  They didn't lay there long.

  It had been four years, after all.

  29

  Akira

  Akira had been tracking Tomo since the Ampulex camp, but smartly keeping her distance.

  Something was wrong with her old friend. Akira could tell by her movements, once graceful, were now jerky and stilted.

  A man was with Tomo as she moved through the forest and he would keep her tied up at night. Akira didn't know how to free her friend without killing them both.

  So she stayed quiet and she stayed high in the trees, watching and waiting for her time to strike.

  She never got the chance.

  Tomo had swiftly run out of the woods, leaving the Ampulex man and Akira behind.

  Akira climbed a tree and watched it all.

  She saw Tomo fighting this other lady who traveled with a panther and a large black man. It was an intense battle and Akira watched with fascination. The other lady had plenty of opportunity to really do damage to Tomo but she never took it. Akira didn't really know what to think.

  Then the Ampulex man. He shot Tomo in the chest. It was all Akira could do to not scream out loud.

  Huddled in her tree, she watched him run into the forest.

  The anger grew inside her. She wanted to kill him. Her quest was over and she couldn't save Tomo. The only thing left was revenge against the Ampulex. And she would start with this one.

  Gripping her father's sword, she followed the scrambling man through the forest. Again, keeping her distance and biding her time.

  He stopped in a clearing to catch his breath and Akira circled around, wanting to take him by surprise. She was only eleven, she would have to use her speed and the element of surprise to kill him and survive.

  Silently she unsheathed her sword. Creeping through the forest, she was just about to make her move when the man screamed. Akira hid behind a tree just in time and watched as the panther cornered the man.

  "Nice kitty," the man said fearfully, holding his hands out.

  The woman joined them in the clearing.

  "Kai," the woman barked. The panther backed away and sat down, staring at the man.

  She can talk with panthers, Akira thought with awe..

  "Why?" the woman demanded.

  "They made me," the man stammered. "The Ampulex. They told me to follow her and to kill her if she didn't kill you."

  LIES, Akira thought. She'd seen the man tie up Tomo every night. Even if they did have his family, he should never have done it. There was no honour in this man.

  The woman held up her tanto.

  Then she looked up and looked Akira directly in the eye.

  Akira didn't fear this woman, so she didn't scramble away. Instead, fire burned in her belly and she gave a short nod.

  "You made your choice," the woman said to the man. Then she killed him.

  Relief flooded through Akira. This was the start to seeking her revenge for her mother, for her father, and for her friend Tomo.

  The woman made a slight gesture with her head and Akira understood. She backed away from the clearing the way she'd come.

  Akira made her way to the edge of the forest and climbed a tree.

  She watched them build the pyre, wanting desperately to go and say goodbye to her friend. But she didn't trust these people. Only the woman who controlled panthers.

  When they finally put Kogo Tomo Hachiman onto the pyre, Akira couldn't help it. She let out a sob and burst into tears, covering her eyes. Her shoulders shuddered, she was overcome with grief.

  Only a few weeks ago she had her family.

  Now she was all alone in this world.

  A crack of a branch beside her startled her and she tried to reach for her sword. Looking up, she saw the panther. He'd managed to sneak up the tree and settle onto the branch right beside her.

  She looked at him. He looked at her.

  Akira sobbed and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his fur.

  She had no one.

  30

  Senka

  Senka was up and staring into the fire by the time Tory and Ujarak left the forest. With sunrise just beginning, the world was painted a beautiful gray and pink. Kai was still with the little girl she'd seen in the forest. Senka could see them asleep in a tree a few hundred yards away. The girl would join the group whenever she was ready. Until then, Kai would keep her safe.

  Senka didn't trust this Eris girl that Tory was friends with. Keeping the little girl away from her didn't seem like the worst plan in the world. The little girl had obviously known Tomo, meaning that Senka would die to keep her safe. From everyone, "including yourself," she muttered.

  Tory said something to Ujarak and he returned to their camp alone. He flashed Senka a smile that was indicative of a man who just got laid. Tory didn't smile. She looked old and worn.

  Not unlike how you feel, Senka thought.

  Tory approached and took a seat on the ground a few feet from Senka, giving them both some space.

  "Haven't seen him smile like that since I met up with him," Senka said, trying to break the ice. "You make him happy."

  "Thanks, I guess," Tory said.

  "So, tell me what happened to you," Senka said. "As much as it bothers me that you were pointing an arrow at my chest, it's still been four years. I haven't forgotten what we went through together."

  It took Tory some time to answer. "Why did you kill an unarmed man, begging for his life?"

  "I've killed a lot of people," Senka said, shrugging and stretching her legs. "Why is that guy different than all those Sun Gods back in the day? They were people. You used to be a general that went to war. You've gotten soft."

  "Maybe I've grown up," Tory said. "Every life is important."

  "Is it?" Senka asked. "Well, we may have to agree to disagree. History is written by the winners, and I intend to win."

  The fire crackled merrily in front of them and it took them a while to settle down.

  Tory chuckled and Senka shot her a look. "Sorry," Tory said, "I was just thinking about how we used to agree on everything."

  "Remember when we used to have to sign to each other?" Senka said. "How crazy is it that I can now talk?"

  "I was shocked to hear your voice for the first time," Tory said. "Then it dawned on me that you must be a Zoya again."

  "Seems I keep getting a reset," Senka said.

  "Seems so," Tory replied.

  They waited again. No one knew where to start.

  "Where's that panther?" Tory asked, avoiding the conversation that needed to happen.

  "Out," Senka said simply. She sighed. "Tell me what happened to you, Tory. Tell me from the beginning."

  "Well... I watched you die," she said, avoiding eye contact. "And it wrecked me. During that war, I fired on one of our own. A Melanthios woman. She.... It's hard to explain."

  Senka stayed silent, waiting for Tory to finish.

  "It's like we were attached to each other. She's dead, but I can see her. She kept me company during our three year trek through the north to find the ice bridge to Anzen
. And... to find my father."

  "You sent her to me," Senka said. "I was laying there dying, so relieved to finally be done with this shit. Your lackey came and told me to take the pills that would lead me here." Senka shook her head tiredly. "And I listened, like a dumbass."

  "We need you here," Tory said. "You know as well as I do that this is going to affect both worlds before long."

  "I think it already has," Senka answered. It was her turn to tell a story and she told Tory of the time in the jungle when she'd seen the destruction of a coastal city and had been unable to do anything.

  She left out the image of the toddler being swept up by a wall of water, calling for her mother. That was too hard to see again, let alone talk about.

  Tory listened intently. She pulled the Remiel out of her pocket.

  "I think it all has something to do with this."

  "Didn't the Shaman used to carry that stone?"

  "He did, yes. But he gave it to me in a vision."

  Another sidelong look from Senka.

  "Don't ask. I don't understand it either. Got Black Eyes and myself out of a pretty decent jam with that Roald and Malin."

  "The Ampulex," Senka said. Then, with a raised eyebrow, "Black Eyes?"

  "That ghost’s name."

  "Ah. Well makes sense. Her eyes were indeed black. Not very creative."

  Tory grunted her agreement.

  "So, what does that stone do?" Senka asked.

  "I'm still figuring it out, but I think you're wearing a piece of it. The stone was the possession of Cass, the first Zoya a couple of hundred years ago. She brought it from your world with her. It holds the power of memories, amongst other things."

  Senka took out the ring shaped like a lion with a ruby for its eye.

  The Zoya Task Force training came to her. Tomo used to have a dragon pendant with a ruby in it. Senka didn't see it during the burial.

  Come to think of it, every single Zoya in the ZTF had a piece of jewellery with a ruby in it brought from The Other Place. That must be how they all remembered their time in The Other Place before they woke from their coma.

  "Woah," Senka muttered out loud, lost in thought. "Well, that's one mystery solved. So what happened to this Cass?"

  "Died," Tory said. "Her lover killed her for the stone. Pushed her off a cliff into the ocean, shattering the stone into a million pieces. She was the first Zoya and by far the most powerful. The people thought it was the stone, so they tried to steal it. She died protecting it."

  Senka let that sink in.

  "So..."

  "Some of her power was memory. She could access other people’s memories. A remnant of the power must have been left with the stone."

  "Allowing me to remember both worlds," Senka said. "Makes sense. I didn't get the ring until right before I died here. I never got a chance to remember my old life."

  Tory nodded her approval. It was nice to actually figure something out, to get some answers.

  "So," Senka said. "What else happened to you? You went north to find your father. Did you?"

  "Yes," Tory said with a sigh, "I did. He was being controlled by Malin. He poisoned me and I went on a crazy adventure in my mind. Saw a lot of things. Then I ended up on a ship with Malin and Roald. They tried to control me. Roald can make you see the worst thing in your life and make you replay it. Then, when you're beaten down, Malin takes over your mind."

  "Don't... Don't look them in their eyes," Tomo gasped as Senka wiped the blood leaking from her mouth. "He makes you scared. She steals your mind."

  Senka shook off the memory. She didn't need to relive that moment, once was enough. It confirmed that those assholes Roald and Malin were responsible for Tomo's death, however. Senka would thoroughly enjoy killing them.

  "Look at us," Senka said. "Just a regular Sherlock and Watson."

  'Who?" Tory asked.

  "Never mind. So you found your asshole father, the Shaman gave you his stone, you fought Malin and Roald, then what?"

  Tory shrugged. "I walked here. I walked an ice bridge from Langundo to northern Anzen. There I met monks at a monastery." Tory rose. "I have to go and get something."

  Senka nodded and stared at the flame. The nausea that accompanied this pregnancy was hard to get used to, and she took the alone time to resettle herself.

  Hang in there, little one, she thought to her baby, Mom's got some shit to take care of. Then I'm all yours.

  Tory returned to the fire carrying a leather wrapped package.

  "I went to a monastery. They have been protecting this book for thousands of years. They found it in a cave with a sacred guardian. A prophecy says that a Zoya will be able to read it and it will solve all the problems of the world." Tory gingerly unwrapped the package. "The monks died to save it. The Ampulex attacked and the monks gave me the book and told me to run. I've tried to get some meaning out of it but it’s no use, I can't read the writing."

  She revealed a worn leather cover and handed it carefully over to Senka, a look of anticipation on her face.

  Senka took the book and looked at it. It was large, a few thousand pages. There was no writing on the cover. It must have worn off.

  "It's called The Book of All," Tory said excitedly. "And Malin and Roald would kill for it, so it must hold some secret that can help us defeat them."

  The pages were well maintained yet faded. She carefully opened the cover to a thin and yellowed page and read:

  'Last night you began to tell me strange things about my ring, Gandalf,' he said. 'And then you stopped, because you said that such matters were best left until daylight. Don't you think you had better finish now? You say the ring is dangerous, far more dangerous than I guessed. In what way?'

  'In many ways,' answered the wizard. 'It is far more powerful than I ever dared to think at first, so powerful that in the end it would utterly overcome anyone of mortal race who possessed it. It would possess him.’

  Senka didn't have to read any more. She knew exactly what this was.

  "The Book of All," she said softly. "Seriously? People died for this?"

  Misreading her tone, Tory nodded excitedly. "Yes! They've been keeping it safe for thousands of years. No one has been able to read it before now. What does it say?"

  "Nothing," Senka snapped. She tossed the book to Tory who caught it, looking stunned. "It's the fucking Lord of the Rings," Senka said with disgust. "It's a really popular book where I come from. It's fiction, It's not real."

  Tory looked utterly confused and devastated.

  "It's a STORY!" Senka yelled, overcome with emotion. Her chance to beat Malin and Roald was dead. Just like everything else she loved. "IT'S NOT REAL! They wrote it to entertain people. Nothing more!"

  Fuming she stood.

  Tory sniffled behind her and Senka regretted raising her voice.

  "Look, Tory…"

  "I don't want to talk about it," Tory whispered.

  A look crossed Senka's face.

  "What?" Tory sniffled.

  "Wait... Why do you have a copy of The Lord of the Rings in this world? That's thousands of years old, well before the arrival of Zoya."

  Tory shook her head. She had no idea what Senka was talking about.

  "Tory... What year is it?"

  "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  A look of realization crossed Senka's face. "This isn't another WORLD from my own... It's another TIME."

  "What?"

  "WE ARE IN THE FUTURE.”

  Epilogue - Malin

  The shore was coming closer.

  Malin was glad. The time at sea often reminded her of better days. Of days when her life had been complete.

  A steep cliff rose in front of the ship.

  Roald, her love, came up behind her.

  "Langundo. Where it all started," he said.

  "Where it will end."

  He handed her the baby blue blanket. Small, as her dearest one had been. It was tattered and torn, but as soft as the day she'd wrappe
d him in it for the first time.

  "I'm so tired," she said.

  "I know, love," he answered, squeezing her shoulder. "After this we can rest."

  "For our boy," she said softly, fiddling with the blanket. Her most prized possession. The only memory of him.

  "They will pay for what they took from us," Roald said.

  "For our son," she mumbled and wiped a tear from her eye. "We will make them pay for killing our son."

  Void: Book Four of the Zoya Chronicles

  Prologue

  Zoya.

  A powerful being, whose body lies in one world yet functions in another.

  Outsiders, they wake up naked with no memories, with abilities that make them far better than an average person. They fight and kill recklessly, with no thought or feelings of remorse. The ultimate killing machines.

  At least, that's what the legends say.

  In reality, it's much more complicated, especially since the Ampulex have taken control. The organization runs between worlds and it is building an army of Zoya. How can they do that? To become a Zoya was always a random chance. The very act of rebirth born of violence and blood. A coma. A head injury so thoroughly damaging that it caused people to sleep. To sleep and never wake up. Modern medicine plays a key role in this as well. People can be kept alive in comas for longer, ensuring that Zoya really have a life in The Other Place, the other world.

  Before, the injured would die after a few days, causing no lasting damage to the worlds. But now, people are kept alive for thirty years or more.

  Thirty years of violence, bloodshed and the quest for power.

  We use the Zoya who wake up from the coma, the few who wake up again and remember what happened. If a small number of people become Zoya, fewer yet wake up, and fewer still remember what occurred over there. They need a ruby on their person and cannot be killed in The Other Place by a head injury. We'd recruit the few people who met this requirement. They still had access to their powers when they woke, making them invaluable in international espionage.