Kora (Kora Series Book 1)

by Marina Epley

  In the evening, we gather some dry wood and build a small campfire. Our dinner consists of crackers, a chocolate bar and bottle of water. Tanya aims the gun into the darkness, pretending to shoot. I smirk.

  “Am I so funny?” Tanya asks sheepishly, lowering her eyes. “Dimitri showed me how to use a gun. I can really shoot.”

  “I believe you,” I say. “I’m just glad that at least one of us can use a gun.”

  Tanya smiles. “You’re very good with a knife.”

  “Thanks,” I laugh, wondering how I can still smile and laugh after everything that just happened.

  I volunteer for first watch, letting Tanya sleep. She replaces me after a few hours and I rest till morning. Being completely alone out here in the dark woods, we must always remain alert.

  We almost run directly into a group of travelers on the third day of our journey. Upon hearing the approaching voices, I grab Tanya’s arm and we dive into some nearby brush. We barely manage to conceal ourselves before the strangers come into sight, three young men and a woman. I watch them carefully, signaling Tanya to remain quiet. She raises her gun and I place a hand on my knife. The travelers appear harmless, laughing and talking amongst themselves. But we know better than to trust anybody.

  A few days later we run out of food and are forced to search for alternative sources. We manage to find some wild berries to pick. And after a few attempts, Tanya shoots a duck. We become ecstatic. While she gathers wood for the fire, I ferociously pluck feathers before opening its stomach to remove the guts. I’ve never before had to clean a duck. The whole procedure is gross, but a half hour later we have duck roasting on the fire. Not too shabby for our first attempt.

  “I’d like to become a hunter,” Tanya confesses as we’re waiting.

  “You’re already one,” I say.

  “You think we’ll ever find Jingfay?” she asks suddenly.

  “I don’t know. I think we should at least try.”

  “Do you really believe she’d let us join her group?”

  “Why not? She’s an Amazon. And she’s an escaped servant just like us.”

  “I don’t know.” Tanya turns away. “I’m ugly. Maybe the Amazons wouldn’t like me to be amongst them.”

  “Well,” I shrug. “I doubt they care about such things. And I’m not exactly a beauty queen either.”

  We both smile. Honestly, Tanya’s scars are hardly noticeable to me now. She has large expressive eyes and thick brown hair. I enjoy her company more with each passing day.

  “What are we going to do in Bastion?” she asks. “Will we join their army? I wouldn’t mind becoming a soldier. But I suppose I’d have to be a cleaner for a few more years until I grow up.”

  “We’ll see.” I frown, feeling troubled. Lady Augusta warned me how Bastion’s residents don’t tolerate escaped servants. They fear that accepting them may lead to conflict with Central Settlement.

  “We’ll have to get rid of our branding marks,” Tanya says after I share my concern with her. “We could use acid to pour over the marks. What do you think?”

  I hesitate, remembering the intense pain from only a few drops of acid on my skin. My hand still hurts a little even days later. Would I be willing to pour acid on my arm, waiting for my skin to dissolve? Am I strong and brave enough to suffer through such a procedure? I decide that I am.

  One night Tanya shakes my shoulder, whispering, “Kora! Wake up! I saw something moving!”

  I sit up, looking around in a panic. Tanya holds her gun, her face pale from fear. I hear a low menacing growl. Shadows move in the darkness. I jump to my feet, knife in hand. Tanya stands beside me, shivering, and I protectively put an arm around her.

  The pack of wolves slowly approach. We stand unmoving, our backs pressed against a tree. I hold the knife out in front, trying not to breathe, recalling our running from the dogs back at the training facility. A long moment passes before a few wolves charge at us. Tanya fires her gun several times. I brandish my knife, stabbing at a big gray head, but the wolf pulls back. Startled by the gunfire, the remaining animals saunter off. Two wolves remain lying motionless on the ground, wounded and dying. I smile at Tanya. She’s much braver than I had previously thought.

  The same pack of wolves stalk us over the next several nights. After running out of ammo, we have to keep our campfire burning higher to keep the animals off of us. We can no longer hunt, so we survive on water and berries. It’s becoming more difficult to travel. Walking through a swamp, we catch a few frogs, cut off their legs and cook them on a stick. It looks disgusting but tastes somewhat like fish.

  As we get further north, the woods around us begin to gradually change. The trees grow shorter now and look more gnarled, their leaves almost black in color. Heavy, dark clouds cover the sky, blocking the sun. The nights seem longer and it never really gets light even during the day. I realize that we must have entered the so-called Dark Land of the roamers. The thought is more than a little worrisome.

  One evening we hear a familiar growling. Chilled by the sound, I slowly rise to my feet. A chimera slowly walks toward us, stopping several feet away and studying us with its yellow eyes. Tanya lets out a sob.

  “Don’t move,” I whisper, standing between her and the animal.

  The chimera watches me warily, sniffing at the air. I stand frozen, willing my pulse to slow. I know we can’t outrun this beast. It takes a couple more steps toward us and I slowly raise my knife. The animal stops, letting out another warning growl.

  I won’t let this chimera kill Tanya, I think with an odd calmness. I don’t care how big and strong it may be.

  The chimera and I stand motionless, staring each other down. I have no idea what it’s waiting for.

  “Leave,” I say. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  No fear, I repeat in my mind. Animals can smell fear. I can’t allow myself to feel scared.

  The chimera moves in closer and sniffs at the knife. I still don’t move. It bares its teeth, growls and runs away. I breathe a sigh of relief. I know this animal could easily have killed us, but for some strange reason didn’t.

  “You scared it off!” Tanya exclaims.

  “It just wasn’t hungry,” I say. “Let’s get out of here before its appetite returns.”

  We hurriedly walk away.

  We worry that we may come across more chimeras or wolves. But it turns out that we’re afraid of the wrong things. One night we run into a group of five men dressed in dark hoodies, military cargo-pants and heavy boots. We freeze in place, staring at them in stark horror. They look demonic with faces painted like human skulls. I immediately realize these must be the legendary roamers of the Dark Land. The very ones known for killing trespassers on sight. So it wasn’t just a silly story after all.

  “What have we got here?” one guy says, grinning. “What are two nice girls like you doing out here all alone at night?”

  Screaming, I turn and take off running.

  CHAPTER 20

  I hear voices mixed with laughter behind but don’t risk looking back or slowing my pace. I sprint flat out as hard as I can, tearing through brush and thin branches. My breath is ragged and my legs ache. The night is so dark that I can’t see where I’m running.

  I run smack into a large tree, knocking myself down, and lie sprawled across the ground. I remain motionless, listening to my own heartbeat. I don’t hear anything else for a few moments. Then a girl’s high-pitched scream causes me to flinch.

  Tanya!

  Frightened out of my mind, I somehow completely forgot about her. A feeling of guilt burns through me. They’ve captured her! She’s in grave danger. I can’t leave my friend behind.

  I rise to my feet and run back toward the sound of Tanya’s screaming. Coming closer, I can hear derisive laughter along with her pleads for help. I increase my speed, envisioning the frightful roamers beating and torturing Tanya. The horrible image makes me sprint faster. I must find a way to rescue her!

  A dark figure looms in m
y way. I stop abruptly, turning around, my heart skipping a few beats. But it’s too late. A tall broad-shouldered guy lunges at me. I cry out in horror. He laughs, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

  “I got her!” he yells into the darkness.

  I struggle desperately to free my arms but can hardly move. He squeezes me tighter, causing my ribs to ache. His horrific face is only a few inches away from mine. I try to push him away, but he’s just too strong.

  “You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart,” he says.

  A vision of Amethyst flashes in my mind. It feels as if my best friend has come to help me once again. I do as she did to Logan in a similar situation. I quickly jerk my head forward, striking the guy in the face as hard as I can. My forehead connects solidly with the bridge of his nose. His head whips backward and his grip weakens. Without thinking, I shove him away and take off again. The guy curses angrily behind me.

  Tanya screams again. I snatch up a branch from the ground as I run. I hear footsteps and voices all around. I feel disoriented, not fully comprehending where I should go. Where’s Tanya? Where are the other roamers? Is somebody following me? I don’t know. I can’t worry about that right now. I have to help my friend.

  I approach the road, the same place we ran into the gang. A roamer leads Tanya right in front of me, heading toward a pickup truck. I leap out from the brush and hit the guy in the head with the branch. He curses, turning to face me, but still holding onto Tanya. I hit him again and he grabs the branch. Tanya bites at his arm and the guy yells, releasing her and charging at me. I duck under his outstretched arms, jumping away.

  “Run!” I shout, sprinting again.

  I can’t understand what’s happening. I have no idea whether Tanya managed to escape or not. I’m not even sure about which direction I should run.

  Yet another roamer emerges from the darkness right in front of me. He grabs my shoulder and arm, stepping to the side. I feel my feet fly up as his leg sweeps across mine. I wind up on my back before I can understand what happened. This one moves extremely quickly. A moment later, he’s already sitting across my stomach, pinning me down with his weight.

  My knife! Why didn’t I think to pull the damn knife? I squirm, reaching for my trophy. The guy instantly grips my wrists and presses my arms to the ground above my head.

  “Stop resisting,” he says calmly, “or I’ll kill you.”

  I don’t doubt his willingness to kill me, but can’t give up now. I yank my arms, trying to break his grip. I kick the ground with my feet, trying to knock him off me. He almost effortlessly holds me down, making any attempts futile. Although he has an average build, he’s much stronger than average.

  “Get off me!” I yell in panic. “Let me go!”

  I have a sudden flashback of Gabriel pinning me to the floor.

  The guy rolls his eyes, easily gripping my wrists with just one hand. He pulls a knife, one with a long sharp blade, and places it against my throat. I feel the cold metal pressing into my skin. It’s more than enough to convince me to stop moving.

  “Do what I say or I’ll cut your head off.”

  I believe him. I hold my breath, staring into his ruthless eyes. He stretches his white painted lips into a satisfied grin.

  “That’s better,” he comments.

  I wonder whether I should spit in his face. I decide against it. He’d just slit my throat. I know I want to survive, no matter the cost.

  “I’ll kill you if you so much as twitch,” the roamer threatens.

  He releases my wrists, but I continue lying motionless, breathing slowly. The blade is still pressed against my neck.

  His hand slides along the side of my body, touching me firmly. I involuntarily let out a strange sound, something between a groan and cry.

  “Relax, sweetie,” he smirks. “I’m just searching you for weapons. You packing anything?”

  “No,” I lie.

  His hand brushes inside my jacket, checking my pockets. He discovers my knife of course.

  “Nice,” he smiles broadly.

  “It’s mine!” I exclaim. Gabriel’s knife means a lot to me. It’s a constant reminder that I can be dangerous.

  “Shut your mouth, girl,” the guy says.

  I become quiet, biting my lip in frustration. I hate being so passive, but don’t know what else I can possibly do in this situation. I feel trapped and powerless.

  The guy examines Gabriel’s knife closer, turning it over. His jaw suddenly drops open and his eyes widen. For a moment, he has a really silly expression.

  “Well, I’ll be!” he exclaims. “Where did you get this knife?”

  “That’s none of your business,” I answer, feeling angry.

  “Damn, girl!” He glares at me. “Your life is in my hands. So anything concerning you is definitely my business. Where did you get the knife?!”

  I press my lips together.

  “You really don’t want to live, do you?” he asks. “If you must know, you wouldn’t be the first girl I’ve killed.”

  I remain silent. He stares me down, scowling. His painted face is very creepy. The rumors about roamers turning into demons and werewolves come to mind.

  “Where did you get the knife?” He bares his teeth, pressing the blade deeper into my skin. “Did you steal it? You’re a little thief, ain’t you?”

  I must say something or he’ll cut me.

  “It’s just a trophy,” I mutter.

  “What?”

  “I killed my master. It was his knife.”

  “Stop lying!” he shouts. “You can’t talk your way out of this, understand? I know much more than you think.”

  “It’s the truth,” I gulp.

  “I’m getting fed up with you, girl. I think I’ll go ahead and kill you right now.”

  He wraps a hand around my neck. He doesn’t actually choke me, but a wave of horror overwhelms me anyway. I can’t take it. His unblinking snake-like gaze, his fingers on my throat and his weight pressing me against the ground are all too familiar. He’s just like Gabriel. I feel like I’m back in the basement again.

  “It’s true!” I repeat desperately. “I killed him. He murdered my best friend so I slit his throat with his own knife!”

  “What was his name?”

  “Gabriel! His name was Gabriel!”

  The guy watches me intently, thinking, then finally releases my neck. I take in a deep slow breath, calming myself.

  “All right then,” he smiles. “I believe you for the time being.”

  He gets up and yanks me back to my feet. My head is spinning.

  “Walk,” he orders, taking my arm and forcefully pulling me forward. He holds his still open switchblade in his other hand.

  I have no choice but to obey. He leads me through the dark woods and toward a road. Four other roamers stand near two pickup trucks. Tanya sits on the ground, her arms tied with a rope. She looks frightened but okay.

  “Damn it, Wreck!” one of the others complains. “What took you so long? What the hell were you doing with her back there?”

  My captor, apparently named Wreck, doesn’t bother to answer.

  “Look what this little one had,” another guy says, demonstrating Tanya’s handgun. “Did you check yours for weapons?”

  “She wasn’t carrying,” Wreck answers curtly, binding my hands in front.

  “All right then,” the guy with the messed-up nose says, approaching us. “It’s time to get rid of them. I’ll take care of this one.”

  He takes a step toward me, but Wreck yanks me back.

  “Whoa,” my captor says, motioning for the guy to stop. “Not so fast, Ace. She’s my prisoner. I’m taking her back to the village.” He glances over at Tanya and adds, “We ain’t killing anybody tonight.”

  “Who do you think you are to decide that?” Ace frowns. “I don’t care what you say. I’m gonna kill this troublemaker. She broke my nose!”

  “Seriously?” Wreck begins chuckling. “A girl broke your nose? Well, that’
s just too damn tragic, Ace. Do you need us to wait while you sit down and cry?”

  The other roamers smile, but Ace gives Wreck a hateful glare.

  “Shut your mouth!” he spits. “Give her to me! She’s gonna get what she has coming!”

  He tries to grab me again, but Wreck shoves him away. It’s strange to watch as they argue over me, as if I’m just an object instead of a human being.

  “Are you deaf or just plain stupid?” Wreck asks. “I said this one is mine. I’m taking her back to the village.”

  “Tartis ordered all trespassers killed,” Ace argues.

  “Well, here’s a news flash for you,” Wreck grins. “I don’t give a damn about his orders.”

  “You’re not the one in charge here!”

  “Oh really? You really think not?”

  They face one another for a moment. Ace pulls his knife. Wreck watches him warily, still holding his open switchblade.

  “Back off, lunatic,” Ace growls. “You’re nobody to me. You’re just an outsider.”

  “Are you seriously threatening me?” Wreck laughs, pushing me toward the nearest roamer. “Hold her!”

  They step toward one another. Ace is at least a head taller and much heavier than my captor. The other roamers watch with interest. I begin slowly moving closer to Tanya, but the roamer grabs my elbow, quickly stopping my progress. I freeze.

  “I’m about to make you real sorry,” Ace sneers. “Scared, boy?”

  Wreck snorts and flips his switchblade into the ground.

  “I don’t really think I’ll be needing this,” he says. “Come on then, big guy. Show me what you’ve got.”

  I don’t understand what he thinks he’s doing. Is he about to fight a guy with a knife with his bare hands?

  Ace charges at him, but Wreck moves aside. He grips Ace’s knife arm, twisting it behind his back. Ace grimaces in pain, bending over. Wreck yanks away his knife and knees him in the side of the head. He simultaneously twists his arm further, almost breaking it now. Ace falls to his knees. Wreck punches him in the head again as Ace sprawls on the ground, mouth gaping open. Grinning like a maniac, Wreck adds several hard kicks to his body.