"What about — wait, no, nevermind, it's not my place," I said.
"It's okay. Ask."
"Is that your family? In the pictures downstairs?"
He looked at the floor. "It was."
I knew I shouldn’t ask. I did it anyway. "What happened to them?"
"They were taken from me."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"
He looked sad, though he tried to play it off.
"It's okay. I just haven't talked about them in a long time."
"Kiril?"
He nodded.
"I hate that fucking prick!"
Zak chuckled and then grew serious.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked.
He was to the point. No bullshit. My eyes widened at the question. It was so simple and yet I had so many answers.
"I don't know...him finding me, controlling me. Not having a life. Not being normal. Constantly looking over my shoulder. I guess I'm just afraid of him."
"That's understandable. So what do you want then?"
"I want to be free. I want all of the girls to be free. I want justice for my family."
"Do you want justice or revenge?"
"Can I have both?"
He laughed, eyeing me up and down once more.
"Well, each one has different motivations. One is motivated by clear thinking, objectivity. The other feeds on emotion, rage, anger. One is good and one is bad. So it's important to distinguish."
"How do you know Kiril?" I asked.
He rose from his seat and loomed over me. I looked down, scared I'd offended him. He snatched our plates and walked to the sink. He stood there and washed them.
He stared out the window, seemingly deep in thought. Kiril always stared the same way. I thought it was just to be dramatic, but it must have been something cultural. Maybe it was a way of thinking or a philosophy. Perhaps it's the way they were raised?
"We were best friends as kids. Later, I worked for him. One day, he didn't need me anymore. That was that."
"What happened to his face?"
Zak stared long and hard at me. "When we were kids he had a sister. She got up in the night and he lit a candle for her. They were poor and didn't have electricity. She tripped on her way back to the bed and caught the sheets on fire. It burned his face so bad he had to wear bandages. The same ones he still wears."
"Hmm, I expected a way more dramatic story about it."
"Their parents died in the fire. He always blamed his sister for it. He never forgave her. One day, his sister and I were playing hide-n-seek at a park. I watched while hiding in the bushes. He was sitting all alone on a bench. She went to see if he was okay. He looked around to make sure nobody was looking and strangled her to death while covering her mouth."
I wanted to throw up. "What'd you do?"
"I was too late. There was nothing I could do. He's been evil ever since the day she burned him.”
"What a fucking piece of shit. I'm sorry, but I hate him."
"Yeah, you can't change the past. Only the future."
"What about your family?"
"It wasn't a cordial split when I left. He took my family and had me beaten, and thrown from the city."
"Why didn't you fight back?" I’d seen the way he moved. His lack of fear when the men came, his attitude toward Kiril. I knew he could defend himself.
"I had fought enough. My whole life I was trained to kill. Learned from masters all around the world. I didn't want to do it anymore."
"So that's it? You didn't do anything?"
"Fighting is not the answer to every problem. He had already taken my family. There is a greater purpose than fighting. The ability to fight is just one small tool to accomplish a goal. It should only be used when absolutely necessary."
"What is your purpose?"
"I search for it every day. Maybe it's to find you? Who knows?" He shrugged.
I wasn’t satisfied with his answer. Zak was a trained killer. Maybe if he'd offed Kiril instead of being a pussy, I'd still have my family. Instead, he just ran away.
"If you look for the real answers to questions, you'll find them. You need to rest first. Clear your emotions. Then, you will find truth."
His words resonated, but I still didn't mind wanting that son of a bitch Kiril dead. I wouldn't sleep well until he was six-feet-deep pushing up flowers. Rage still coursed through me.
"I'd have killed that piece of shit."
"Maybe. Maybe you will.” He walked toward the sink. I was growing tired of his elusive responses. Sure, they sounded good, but how could I rest knowing that monster was still drawing breath? I knew Kiril wouldn't stop looking for me. He was possessive, almost single-minded in his will to dominate and own all those around him.
Zak could sense my apprehension.
"Look, get some rest. You don't have to decide everything today."
I was suspended up in the corner, watching, unable to move or speak. The blood from the girl's quaking lip stained her white t-shirt as the guard slapped her across the face once more. The sound of his hand on her cheek echoed off the walls as the other girls winced. She whimpered, cowering in the corner.
"Where is she?" he yelled.
"That's enough." Kiril glided over to her while the other girls in the dim interrogation room wept in the shadows, praying they wouldn't be next. The girl stared down, blood dripping from her lip to the floor.
Kiril lifted her chin, searching her eyes for the information he craved. He turned to the other girls and cocked his head sideways.
"Where is she?"
"We don't know," one girl said.
"We promise. We never met her," said another.
"You know something." He grinned widely, his purple lips showing through the gauze wrapped tight on his face.
I wanted to help them. To give myself up so they could go. But I couldn't move. I was frozen, almost like I wasn't there. They couldn't see me.
He reached to the back of the girl's head and fisted her hair, squeezing as she yelped. He retrieved his blade from his hip with his other hand. It twirled through his fingers, stopping in front of her face.
The others screamed and pleaded. The girl he held looked catatonic. Her body started to go limp in his arms and her eyes rolled back into her head as she stared at the blade.
"We don’t know, please!" they screamed.
He turned, seemingly enjoying their pleas and the fear in their voices, before returning to his first victim, pressing the steel into her mouth. She shrieked when he began to cut. Blood spewed across the wall as he carved out her mouth, his pupils large and his lips forming a hideous smile as he savored every cry for help.
I bolted upright in the bed, panting, as a torrent of cold sweat saturated my body.
"Zak!" I screamed. "Zak! Please!"
I slowly realized it was a dream, but it still felt real, fresh in my mind. I hadn't heard a sound when Zak's shadow cast over me. His firm hand gripped my shoulder.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"It was him. He's torturing them." I gripped Zak tight as his arms wrapped around my shoulders. "It's because of me.”
"It's not your fault. Just a bad dream. It'll be okay."
"How do you know?"
"Shh. It's not your fault."
"He's going to find me. He's going to kill me."
Zak turned my head so that I was looking at him.
"I won't let that happen. You're safe here. I promise."
I sobbed into his shoulder. I didn't want him to leave. I felt so defenseless. But something had to be done. For the girls, for the others held captive like I had been.
I looked Zak hard in the eye. "Teach me to fight."
He laughed at first, and then realized I wasn't kidding. His brow narrowed and his eyes grew fierce. "Why?"
"I need justice."
"Justice or revenge?"
"Justice."
He released me from his arms and stood. He paced the floor, back and forth, over
and over. He would occasionally glance at me. I was so confused when he finally paused and walked up the stairs. What the fuck is he doing?
I heard the door start to creak and waited for him to close it. "We start in the morning." The door closed.
A loud horn blared and I leapt from the bed still halfway asleep. Zak stood, holding a trumpet, playing notes off key.
"I found this on the road to town a while back. Didn't know it would come in handy." He laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever done in his life. I wanted to knock the shit out of him.
"What fucking time is it?"
"It's time to train. Get dressed. I'll wait upstairs. Be ready in two minutes."
He disappeared up the stairs as I rushed around and threw some of the baggy clothes on. Excitement rushed through me. I finally had a goal, something to work for. I wanted freedom. I wanted to be able to defend myself. I wasn't going to fail.
Dew coated everything in my view as I walked out the front door. The sun peaked over the mountains, casting bright blues, delicate pinks, and warm oranges across the sky. In the distance, Kaja the wolf dog watched from the middle of the yard.
"What? No fucking bacon?" I asked.
Zak's eyes were serious. He was all business and in no mood for jokes as he crossed his arms. His broad shoulders stood out against the backdrop of the forest in his tight, black t-shirt and black sweatpants.
"You going to teach me how to fight?"
"No, I'm going to teach you how to run. Don't fall behind."
"Wait, you're teaching me to run?"
"You catch on quick." He flashed a smile in my direction.
I bit my lip at his subtle sarcasm so early in the morning. In a flash, he took off toward the trees without making a sound. I tore after him and quickly realized how out of shape I was. I was at a full sprint trying to keep up as he dodged every stick and leaf, anything that could make noise under his feet. He moved with little effort. I panted and beat at my chest, my lungs full of flames. He slowed so I could catch up.
He spoke to me with ease, his breathing simple and controlled.
"You can accomplish goals easily in silence."
He sped up. My legs and arms were on fire and I didn't know how much longer I could keep his pace.
"If your opponent can't hear you, can't see you...he'll never know you’re there."
He crossed into the familiar woods and we cut back and forth across the hill, never down it. Fuzzy stars blurred my vision and I thought I might pass out. Zak looked deep in thought.
"Just a little farther." He glided under trees and around bushes.
I slowed, about to collapse when I caught sight of the house, fueling me to push a little harder, go a little longer.
The sun was now fully visible and the heat was taking its toll. My shirt was soaked. I managed to make it back to the house where I bent over at the waist, sucking air into my lungs, unable to speak.
"Raise your head. Take in the air. You did well."
I planted my hands firmly on my hips and tried to lift my head to the sky. My chest burned like embers in a fire every time I tried to draw a breath. It seemed like hours for my heartbeat to slow as Kaja sat in the same spot, watching me with interest.
"Come inside. You need to eat." Zak was breathing fine.
I wanted to swing at him but wasn't sure I had the energy. I followed him into the house and walked to the table. The morning workout had me gross and sticky.
I sat down as he pulled some grilled chicken from the refrigerator and poured me a large glass of water.
"Eat this. The protein is good for your muscles."
He sat down at the table and stared.
"You still want justice?"
I nodded.
"Why don't you let the police in Bathory or Golem handle it?"
"Look at me. Look at the way things are. The police don't do shit." I panted, but managed a derisive stare.
"So, you are going to protect the people?"
"Someone has to." I scarfed down cold chicken. It wasn't appetizing, but it served my need. I paused occasionally to breathe.
"That's a big job for one person. You think you can do it?" He raised an eyebrow.
My face tensed, along with my fists.
He kept staring me in the eye. I could feel him logging every reaction like it was some kind of test.
"You need to become a symbol for the people. Something the criminals recognize. You have to make evil fear you. You can't do this halfway. Do it halfway and you're dead. Understand?"
I nodded.
The look in his eyes made me believe it was possible, but the pain in my legs told me otherwise. I had a lot of work to do. It was either commit fully or not commit at all. It would not be easy, but I’d made up my mind.
"I want it more than anything."
He stood and stalked around the kitchen, then turned back to me. "We'll see about that.”
A few weeks passed and my stamina had improved tremendously. I began to move swiftly as we ran, able to stay on his heels even though he still toyed with me.
This morning the sun rose high and hot as we ducked and spun around a tree. I chased him along the creek while he laughed, jumping from rock to rock, springing and bouncing on his toes, barely tapping the ground with just enough force to make it to his next destination.
We made our way to the house and I wasn't breathing hard at all. We finished early and my stomach was grumbling. I climbed the stairs to the front door when Zak appeared from around the side of the house. He was armed with a bow and arrow and held a live rabbit by the ears. It kicked its hind legs like it was about to draw its last breath.
"No! You are not going to shoot that rabbit."
"Not if you catch it. But rabbit is a good lunch. So we'll see."
He dropped the rabbit on the ground. It sat there, quivering.
"You can't be serious."
He drew the bow back and took aim.
"You catch it or I get to eat it."
I sprinted at the rabbit and it dashed through the grass, bouncing around as I chased after it.
"You have five minutes."
"Do not fucking shoot that rabbit!"
I panted and ran as fast as I could but there was no chance. It was impossible. The rabbit was far too quick.
Snap. An arrow whistled past, piercing the rabbit and pinning it to the ground twenty paces ahead. Blood pulsed around the arrow.
I sprinted to it and dropped as it gave one last kick. Its light brown fur was stained crimson. Anger welled up inside me at the animal's suffering. Zak stalked over and grabbed the creature, still impaled on the arrow.
"You killed the rabbit,” he said.
I sat on the ground, my knees digging into the dirt, fighting back tears. When did he become such an asshole?
Not content to let him get away with it, I stormed into the house and flung myself down at the table. Zak kept his back to me as he skinned and cleaned the rabbit, before dropping it into a pot of boiling vegetables.
My fingernails dug into my palms. "I can't believe you fucking did that, you prick!"
He was on me in two seconds, his hand on my shoulder and his voice in my ear.
"You did that. You weren't fast enough.”
He went back to the stove and cooked the rabbit. I sat there pissed off, glaring at him any chance I got.
I refused to eat when he offered.
"Good. More for me." He ate with a wide grin.
After lunch, we went back outside and trained. Neither of us smiled or joked. When we were done, I sulked to my room.
Why would he do that shit? I thought he was a nice guy.
I gripped a pillow and clutched it to my chest. The rabbit’s blood was all I could see when I closed my eyes. I couldn't sleep.
I looked around the room and found the bookshelf. It was just what I needed, a book to help me forget what happened. I scanned half the titles, nothing good. They were all mathematics, economics...academic books. The re
st were devoted to mediation, the art of warfare, different types of martial arts.
Fuck it.
I started to read one of them. Anything was better than the thoughts currently racing through my mind. I studied the math book first. It was basic Algebra. I remembered learning it before we had taken off for Golem.
Before long, studying the books in between workouts became an addiction. Zak took notice when I began to carry them around the house.
I studied them every day and worked the problems at night. Every day after our morning run, Zak would kill another rabbit in front of me when I couldn't catch it. I never came close. Why did he keep doing this? He could see it tortured me. I knew it was a lesson of some kind. Everything he did was calculated to draw a reaction.
I lost weight but still refused to eat the rabbit meal. I had dropped about ten pounds and could see my ribs. I couldn't concentrate for shit. Always lightheaded, with a ringing sound constantly in my ears.
My eyes were starting to cross whenever I read my books. It made it impossible to focus. I felt like I was failing at everything.
I finally got so pissed off reading one night that I hurled the damn book at the wall. Fuck. I couldn't see straight. The ringing in my ears had my nails digging into my legs.
I got my shit together and walked over to pick up the book. I noticed a section devoted to logic and reasoning. There, in the bold text, it stated sometimes to solve a problem, one must simply look at it from a different perspective. Something in that moment, reading those words, registered within me.
The weather next morning was gorgeous and felt like spring. I loved feeling of the cool breeze wafting over my face as I cut through the forest on Zak's heels. I grew more aware each time we ran. The sounds of water flowing over the rocks and a frog croaking found its way into my ears. My senses were alive. The air smelled fresh and new, like rain was imminent, but only a few clouds hovered in the sky.
We finished our run. As expected, Zak walked around and dropped a rabbit ten yards from me. I didn't run. Zak's eyebrows arched and he lowered the bow. I pulled a carrot from my pocket and squatted down.
I set the carrot on the ground and backed a few steps away.
The Matriarch: An Erotic Superhero Romance (The Matriarch Trilogy Book 1) Page 6
