Kora (Kora Series Book 1)

by Marina Epley

  Samuel doesn’t reply. Gabriel gives him a long hard glare, staring him down until his father finally looks away. I think Samuel is scared of his own son. And I can’t say I blame him.

  Gabriel gently takes my hand and helps me to my feet.

  “It was a pleasure having a conversation with you, Kora,” he says softly. “You’re a good girl. You may leave now.”

  I exit the room and sprint along the corridor and down the staircase. An odd euphoria washes over me. I laugh hysterically, my eyes tearing.

  I’ve survived, I think. I’ve survived Gabriel and have no real injuries. Gosh, I’m lucky!

  Once outside, I double over and throw up. It’s actually relieving. When I’m finished, I feel cleansed and empty, my head completely free from thought.

  Amethyst is waiting for me outside the entrance of our quarters. Her eyes are swollen and red. She throws her arms around me.

  “Kora! Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

  I suddenly break down, gulping and choking as if Gabriel is still strangling me. I can almost feel his hands still gripping my throat. I can see his saddened yet merciless eyes piercing me.

  “I’m so sorry I let him take you,” Amy sobs. “I’m so stupid!”

  I don’t understand what she’s apologizing for. What could Amy possibly have done to stop Gabriel? What can any of us do to help another?

  “I promise I’ll never let anybody hurt you again,” Amy says.

  She weeps, wiping away her tears.

  “Don’t cry,” I manage in a surprisingly calm and steady voice. “I’m all right, really. He didn’t hurt me too badly.”

  Amy leads me inside our quarters. Martha and Topaz sit on top of a bed, holding each other. Their eyes are also puffy. Looks like everybody has been crying today.

  “We heard some really bad news,” Amy announces. “Joan and Brutus told us that the first Terror Race is next week. And they informed us what we’ll have to do.”

  She pauses, lips trembling. I patiently wait for her to deliver the bad news. I already know it’s going to be something terrible. But I don’t care. I guess the human ability to become frightened or worried has limitations. I’ve already reached my limit today.

  “We’ll be chased down by chimeras,” Amy says. “We’re being used as bait.”

  ***

  We use the following six days to vigorously train for the Terror Race. None of us knows exactly what chimeras are, but we suspect they must be dangerous animals of some type. Topaz and Martha heard rumors they’re big as horses, have teeth like sharks and horns similar to elk. I’m not sure whether to believe it. Joan with Brutus don’t explain anything well enough.

  “It’s an old tradition,” Topaz says. “I read where masters from Central Settlement hunt chimeras for their horns. I understand they’re precious.”

  Great. I wonder what my chances are. Apparently, Brutus and Joan are the only two racers to ever survive the Terror Races. I already know I’m likely going to fail, but refuse to give up. Giving up would mean forgetting my dreams and becoming a runaway slave. And escaping is one of the worst crimes I could possibly commit. The masters hunt down, torture and ultimately kill runaway servants.

  But if I can only survive the next twelve months, if I can only suffer through six of the Terror Races, I will have my freedom. And should I happen to screw up and fail, then… then it won’t matter anyway.

  The attitude of the other racers toward me doesn’t exactly improve my spirit. Most continue avoiding me, and a few even demonstrate hatred of one sort or another. I assume they must blame me for that boy’s death, which is utterly wrong. A couple of guys call me a pig when walking past. A girl in mourning calls me a killer. It all makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with me. Why do I always have to be the outcast? I mean, it must be my fault, considering I always find myself in the same situations. And although some part of me understands blaming myself isn’t right, I still can’t help feeling like a freak.

  Samantha still pays me no mind. I often see her sitting outside alone in the evenings, usually with a gloomy expression spread across her pretty face.

  I can’t sleep at night. Even the hours of exhausting training aren’t enough to wear me down. I lie beneath the blanket, my mind restless. I can’t stop thinking about Gabriel strangling me. I imagine countless things I could have done to defend myself. I could have clawed at his eyes and face. I could have kicked or punched him. Yet I did nothing. I feel weak and humiliated. I hate myself for being who I am.

  I finally crawl out of bed, dress and exit the room on tip-toes. Outside, I stroll around the building, breathing the cool night air. My thoughts are toxic. I think of Samantha and her friends throwing stones at me back in my village. I remember Gabriel’s fingers clutching my throat and his hot breath on my face. I imagine my mother standing in front of me, her head lowered, her expression full of pain.

  I’m becoming sick.

  I close my eyes and just stand still for a moment. Somebody suddenly grabs my arm and covers my mouth from behind. I grip his hand, trying to pull it away from my face. He places his other hand on my throat and I freeze, feeling like I’m still in Gabriel’s quarters. Something inside me died during the assault.

  “Be quiet, rat,” the attacker whispers. I recognize Logan’s voice.

  He presses me against a wall, pinning my arms to my sides. I stand unmoving.

  “I hate you,” Logan growls, squeezing my arms. “You got my friend killed. He took your bullet. You should’ve died back there instead of him.”

  Maybe so. I find thinking of death somewhat relieving.

  “Look at me!” He shakes me violently. “I’m sick of you. You’re gonna leave this place, understand? I want you out of here now. If I still see you here in the morning, I’ll kill you. Do you understand me?”

  I don’t say anything, staring right back into his hateful eyes. I imagine Trent coming to rescue me. But nobody comes to help. I’m all alone.

  “Do you hear me?” Logan smacks my head with an open palm. “Get out of here. Go! I don’t want to ever see you again.”

  “Hey you! Don’t touch her!”

  Amy comes out of nowhere and shoves Logan away from me. He releases me and grabs Amy, holding her in a bear hug. She jerks her head forward, smashing Logan’s mouth and nose. She simultaneously stomps on his foot. Logan lets out a painful groan, releasing her. She grips his shirt and the back of his head tightly and steps to the side, throwing him off balance. As Logan falls on his hands and knees, Amy adds a hard kick to his rear end.

  “Let’s go!” she yells, gripping my wrist and pulling me toward the entrance of the building.

  “I’ll kill you both!” Logan shouts from behind.

  Back in our room, Amy and I lie on my bed together, chuckling quietly. I no longer think of dying. We feel safe because Logan wouldn’t dare attack us inside our room, besides, Amy just beat him down.

  “Darn,” I whisper. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

  “Well,” Amy snickers. “Back in my village the girls often fought with guys. Nothing too serious really. We were just playing around.”

  I look at her in genuine admiration. I so wish to be like her.

  “We have to take care of one another,” Amy states. “There’s nobody else to help us.”

  ***

  The next evening, I find Trent outside and tell him about our incident with Logan. I’m not sure why I want him to know. Maybe because I need somebody to be sympathetic and protective toward me, somebody I love.

  “Wait a minute,” Trent frowns. “Are you sure it was Logan?”

  “Of course I’m sure,” I say.

  “But it was dark, wasn’t it? You could be mistaken.”

  Anger burns through me. “We were standing face to face! How can I be mistaken?”

  “Why would Logan attack you? He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

  “He hates me!” I exclaim, my eyes stinging. “He blames me for killing his frie
nd. And Logan is a jerk.”

  Trent doesn’t speak for a few moments. His eyes darken. I so wish he’d comfort me and be more understanding, but he seems angry.

  “What the hell were you doing outside at night anyway?” he growls.

  I shrug. I don’t want him to know how devastated I feel.

  “Damn it, Kora,” he sighs. “You can’t just walk around alone after dark. It’s dangerous. You should stop being so careless.”

  “I walked around whenever I wanted back in our village.”

  “We’re not in our village anymore. You have to be smarter.”

  I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste my own blood. My hands tremble. I don’t know what I can say. It’s not my fault that Logan is a jerk who happens to hate me.

  “All right,” Trent finally says. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “No!” I exclaim. “Please, don’t.”

  I’m scared that Trent may only make things worse.

  “What do you expect me to do then?” he groans.

  I want you to hold me, I think. I need your support, your friendship and love.

  “Do you think it’s my fault Gabriel shot that guy?” I sob. “Do you blame me too? Do you think I’m a freak?”

  Tears flow freely down my face. I turn away, sniffling.

  “Oh, Kora,” Trent sighs, finally putting his arms around me. “Don’t cry. You’re too sensitive.”

  He wipes away my tears. I press my face into his chest and cry some more. Trent pats me on my back, soothing me. I raise my face, looking into his kind handsome eyes, reaching for him.

  Trent kisses my lips. I close my eyes, holding him tightly. He finally pulls me away and suggests I go back to my room to get some sleep before tomorrow’s Terror Race. I nod and head back.

  Amy, Martha, Topaz and I can’t sleep the entire night. Dennis and Sandro join us after midnight, and we all sit around, anxious and troubled. Dennis holds Amy gently in his arms. Topaz and Martha hold each other, whimpering in fear. Sandro and I remain quietly lost in deep thought while Amy can’t stop talking.

  “Come on guys, we’ve been training for this,” she says nervously. “It’s gonna be all right. I mean, chimeras are just big animals, right? It can’t be much worse than running from the dogs.”

  “Why don’t the masters provide guns?” Dennis wonders. “We could kill the chimeras for them.”

  It’s a long, worrisome night filled with the fear of the unknown. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Maybe we’ll all wind up dead.

  “No matter what happens, we should work together as a team,” Amy states.

  Finally, the sun peeks above the horizon and the day of the first Terror Race is upon us.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Let’s go, racers! Time to get ready!”

  Joan and Brutus bang on doors, demanding we come outside. Most of us are still stuck in the bathrooms, suffering from nerves due to the high level of stress. I’m having my own trouble, kneeling in front of a toilet and gagging. I force myself up, go to the sink and splash cold water on my face. I check my reflection in the mirror. I’m pale as a ghost and have a haunted expression in my eyes.

  “Hang on,” I whisper to myself. “You can survive this.”

  Outside, Joan is handing out new uniforms to the racers. We are to wear sleeveless golden shirts and obscenely tight shorts. I’ve no idea how these clothes are supposed to help us survive the day. We head toward the main gates of the residence, where the masters have already gathered for the hunt. They’re half-naked as well, dressed only in military-style pants and riding boots. They’re armed with bows and arrows. Golden war paint covers their faces, giving them a bizarre, almost inhuman appearance.

  I notice Samuel and Gabriel standing beside two white horses. Gabriel catches my gaze and smiles. I avert my eyes, wondering how anybody so gorgeous on the outside can be so ugly and mean inside. My neck burns where his fingers were pressing into my skin. When I glance at Gabriel again, he’s standing with his back turned to me. I notice a large colorful tattoo covering his entire back, marking the clan of the high master. Each member of Samuel’s family has one.

  I bite my lower lip and scratch at my hands, trying to fight my increasing anxiety. The others aren’t faring too much better. They have the same lost, panicked expressions. A few of the young girls cry, Topaz and Martha included. The masters of course don’t care how we feel. They all smile excitedly in anticipation of the coming adventure. It suddenly dawns on me that today may be the day I die.

  The guards order us inside two waiting trucks. They nudge us with their rifles, making sure nobody stalls. The masters mount their horses and ride slowly ahead of our trucks. Three vehicles with well-armed guards complete our procession.

  Amy sits beside me, her hand clutching mine. Topaz and Martha whimper, rubbing at their eyes. Dennis and Sandro remain silent, their faces closed and cold. Trent looks away, completely ignoring me.

  An hour later, our truck stops in front of a tall mountain chain. My heart jumps in my chest as I realize that we’ve arrived at our destination. This may be the very place where we all meet our death. I crawl out of the truck, shivering and feeling sick to my stomach.

  Guards unload a sheep from a truck and slit its throat. The animal’s thick blood pours into a bucket. Samuel orders all the racers to form a line, and guards smudge our faces and bodies with the fresh blood. We now don’t look as much obscene in our sparse clothing as gory. I wipe my face and stare at my shaking hands, feeling repulsed.

  Fallen dried-out trees, large rocks and meager vegetation fill the half mile of space between the bottom of the mountains and our group. Samuel commands us to walk until we reach the caverns. Guards fire a few rounds above our heads, forcing us to follow the order. Dragging our feet, we proceed slowly toward our fate.

  Amy, Topaz, Martha and I walk together, holding hands. Dennis and Sandro stroll a few yards ahead. My teeth chatter.

  “No matter what happens, we must stay together,” Amy says, to which we all agree.

  I notice Trent walking ahead of us with Samantha. I have an almost overwhelming desire to speak to him. I suddenly remember my village, my mother and our small dark shack. I feel thankful she doesn’t know where I am or what I’m doing right now.

  We finally approach the first caverns, which resemble large black holes surrounded by rocks. A few of the braver racers cast cautious glances inside. None of us wants to face wild animals, but unfortunately we have no choice. The guards will gun us down should we fail to deliver chimeras to the masters. So we must obey, offering ourselves as bait.

  I silently wonder why we can’t just run off right now. The guards and masters are setting up far away, and nothing prevents us from escaping. Yet we all do as we’ve been trained and taught, even if it may cost us our lives.

  No more time to think. I hear a ferocious roaring as a chimera emerges from within a cavern. For a moment I just stand motionless, frozen in fear, watching as the furious animal runs toward me. And the creature isn’t as big as a horse… it’s even bigger. Two long horns project from its wolf-like head, its mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth. Somebody screams. I snap from my stupor, turning and taking off. Amy shouts something. Our group quickly forgets about our decision to stay together as we all split up, running in different directions.

  I don’t fully comprehend what’s happening. My consciousness has reduced down to one basic instinct, a flight response. I sprint as fast as I can, jumping over fallen trees and dodging around rocks. My heart pounds so heavily that I’m worried I may pass out. I look straight ahead, trying not to stumble or run into something. I know I’ll be dead within seconds should I stumble and fall. The space around me fills with screams and fierce growling. I don’t know where Amy and my other friends are. I can’t even understand whether the chimera is still following me or not. My head is dizzy and my mind is blank. So I continue running.

  My foot gets stuck between fallen branches and I collapse onto the rocky g
round below. A huge chimera is only a few yards away, and I freeze, realizing I’m not gonna make it. Amy throws a stone into the chimera’s side, and the beast turns and lunges at her. She quickly climbs a dried-out tree, hanging tightly to the top branches. The chimera rises on its hind legs, scratching at the tree and shaking the trunk. The tree gives, crashing down along with a screaming Amy. I throw a rock, hitting the chimera’s head. It charges at me and I sprint between fallen logs and rocks. My knee hurts and my head feels dizzy again. I’m verging on a blackout, when a small hole in the ground comes in sight. I dive in head-first, jamming myself between the rocks and mud. The chimera crawls in after me but quickly gets stuck as its long horns don’t fit inside the tiny cavern. I lie on my back, my legs pulled to my chest, panting and groaning. The chimera’s jaws snap open and closed near my feet. After several frustrating minutes the beast finally leaves. I continue lying still, now being only half-conscious, listening to the cries of anguish coming from outside my cover.

  I can’t stay in this cavern. I must help my friends.

  I take a few slow breaths and leave my cover. As soon as I get back to my feet, I hear the sound of a massive body crashing through branches. I don’t risk looking back. I run as fast as possible, zigzagging between multiple obstacles and catching air with my mouth. I don’t even feel scared anymore, only numb and dizzy.

  A few moments later I approach an opening and see a row of masters, aiming their bows my direction, ready to shoot. I drop down, sprawling across the ground. I hear a furious growl behind me and then the masters loose their arrows. I sit up, watching as the arrows pierce the chimera’s body. The animal falls over, bleeding and wreathing in agony. It’s already half-dead but the masters loose a second volley. The chimera lets out a miserable cry and finally lies motionless. I rise to my feet and take several steps toward the line of masters.

  “Back!” guards yell. “Get back to the caverns!”

  I shake my head no. They fire their automatic weapons, hitting the mud close to my feet. I cry out in shock, running back toward the caverns.