Kora (Kora Series Book 1)

by Marina Epley

  “Kora?” he utters, pulling away. “What the heck is going on?”

  I smile broadly. “I’ve come back for you. But we must leave now. We’ve got little time.”

  I take his hand, pulling him toward the door, but Trent doesn’t follow.

  “I don’t want to escape,” he states.

  “Please, Trent,” I yank his hand. “We must go now!”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He pulls his arm away. I become anxious. What can I do? How can I persuade him to escape? I don’t want to leave him behind again.

  “Trent!” Wreck barks, approaching us. “You’d better do as your girlfriend suggests. We’ve come here for you, and we aren’t leaving without you.” He pauses, his eyes flickering angrily. “Get outside! Now! Or I’ll knock you senseless and carry your sorry ass out myself.”

  Confused, Trent walks obediently toward the door. I didn’t expect him to follow Wreck’s request, but Wreck knows very well how to be forceful and intimidating. I feel grateful toward him. Why did he help me persuade Trent to leave?

  We separate, checking rooms for any racers who haven’t yet gone outside. Somebody grabs my arm. I stop, turning, and see Logan standing in front of me. He grabs my shoulders and slams me against a wall.

  “I told I’d kill you if I ever saw you again!” he growls. Just like Ace.

  He had no trouble recognizing me in spite of my face paint. I snarl, pushing him away. I think of Gabriel, Ace and all other people who have abused me. I want to kill him. He clutches my throat, choking me. I claw his face, pressing my thumbs into his eyes. He groans in pain, releasing my throat. He staggers backward as I kick his calf as hard as I can. But not hard enough. He lunges forward, grabbing me and throwing me to the floor. I grip his shirt tightly while falling and we both go down. Logan lands on top, knocking the air out of me. My ribs hurt and I’m dizzy. I pull him in closer and furiously bite into his ear, tearing his flesh with my teeth like a wild animal. He lets out a cry of surprise and punches me in the head. I spit half of his earlobe back into his face.

  Suddenly, Wreck grabs Logan from behind, pulls him off and delivers a violent knee under his chin. Logan falls unconscious onto his back. Wreck adds several brutal kicks to his head for good measure. I sit up, gazing at them, my thoughts still cloudy.

  “Damn it, Kris,” I sigh, wiping blood from my lips. “He was mine.”

  “Sorry,” Wreck says sheepishly. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  He motions me to follow him. I scramble to my feet, feeling frustrated that Wreck interrupted my fight.

  Maxine, Tanya and the group of racers wait for us outside. I look around anxiously, but still see no guards.

  “You and Tanya should take them to the trucks,” Wreck says to Maxine. He turns to face me, grinning. “Let’s go pay my uncle a visit.”

  I return his smile.

  CHAPTER 40

  The guards are still busy subduing the fire, so we don’t run into anybody on our way back to the mansion. I feel nervous, remembering the night I tried to free Amy. The thought is sickening. The skin on my neck begins to crawl. I’m worried that I may lose Wreck tonight. He’s Prince Christopher and needed to liberate the servants so I might fulfill my destiny. I have to make sure he returns to the village safe and sound. So for the rest of the night at least, I’m his bodyguard.

  It’s dark inside the mansion, but the hall is filled with Samuel’s servants. The explosion must have woke everybody. We push through the crowd of startled house maids and cleaners, my eyes searching for the girl with scars on her face. I don’t see her anywhere. Nobody tries to stop us. I wonder what’s going on inside Wreck’s head. How must it feel to come back to the place where you grew up and was once happy and loved? How must it feel to return to the very place where your parents and sisters were brutally killed?

  Four armed guards descend the staircase, heading toward the door. They don’t notice us right away. Wreck charges into the closest one, punching him in the head and reaching for his gun. I freeze for a moment, my thoughts racing, then hurl myself toward the guard nearest to me. I stick my knife deeply into his chest. His legs give and he collapses, pressing a hand against his wound. I hear a gunshot as something hits me in the stomach. The force knocks me onto my back, with the full realization that I’ve been shot. I see no blood, so the vest must have stopped the bullet. The people out in the hall begin to scream and run outside in a panic. I scramble to my feet, looking around in confusion. Three guards now lie motionless on the floor. I know I killed one of them. Wreck is wrestling with a fourth guard. He’s on his back and the guy is trying to point the gun at his head. Yelling, I rush toward them, grabbing the guard by the hair and jerking his head back. I cut his throat. Wreck pushes him off and rises to his feet, breathing hard, wiping blood off his face. I stagger back, my head spinning. I feel like I’m going to faint.

  Pull yourself together, I tell myself. You did the right thing. You can’t let anybody hurt Kris. You must protect him.

  I exhale slowly, forcing away my dizziness.

  We collect the guns from the deceased, and ascend the staircase to the second floor. Wreck takes the lead, checking each room along the way. A group of frightened house maids run past. Wreck kicks the last door and we hear gunshots. He instantly returns fire, running into the room. I follow, stepping over two guards he’s just killed. It all feels surreal. Samuel now stands in front of us holding a gun, a crazed look in his eyes. Wreck shoots his gun hand. Samuel groans as his weapon drops to the floor. Wreck moves in, grabs his shirt and slams him against a wall. Samuel doesn’t even appear to be trying to resist. Wreck punches him in the face, knocking him down, and sits on top of him. I remain in the doorway, watching in case more guards arrive.

  “Remember the boy you tried to kill six years ago?” Wreck asks, sneering, staring into Samuel’s eyes. “Well, that kid grew up.”

  “No, please,” Samuel utters, holding up his bleeding hand.

  Wreck smashes his head into the floor. He takes Samuel’s knife from his waistband and places the blade to his uncle’s face.

  “Right after I finish killing you, I’m going to pay a visit to your beloved wife and daughter,” he whispers into his uncle’s ear. “I’ll show them the same mercy as you did my family. You can be sure they will suffer before they die.”

  He laughs, smashing his uncle’s head against the floor once more. He presses the blade deeper into Samuel’s chin, causing a nasty cut. I have a flashback of Gabriel threatening me with his knife, and the memory makes me shiver.

  “No, please don’t hurt my family,” Samuel winces. “They’re innocent. They don’t have anything to do with the past.”

  “I don’t give a damn. I’m gonna have a lot of fun with them tonight. You can know that.”

  Samuel shakes his head, begging Wreck to spare his family. Grinning, Wreck stabs him in the stomach and slowly twists the blade. His uncle turns his pleading eyes to me. I grind my teeth, swallowing hard. I hate Samuel, but this level of violence and aggression frightens me. Wreck seems to be truly enjoying himself.

  “This is for my family and Kora’s mother,” he whispers, still staring into his uncle’s eyes. “And for all the others you and your sorry son have killed.”

  Samuel shudders, letting out a few incoherent noises. Blood seeps from his mouth. I watch, unable to turn away, torn between the horror of it all and my desire for vengeance. Wreck stabs Samuel repeatedly in the chest. He begins slowly slicing his uncle’s throat and I finally have to look away. That is not something I really need to witness. A few moments later Wreck approaches, carrying Samuel’s bloody head in his hands. He drops the head to the floor and kicks it violently. I stagger a few steps back, terrified, no longer recognizing him.

  He smiles cruelly and says, “I can’t wait to meet my aunt and cousin. Come with me. You can help hold them down.”

  “No, Kris,” I breathe out. “You shouldn’t. It’s not right.”

  He doesn
’t listen, brushing past me into the corridor, still wearing the same scary grin. I grip his sleeve, trying to stop him. He pushes me away.

  “Please, don’t do this,” I beg, following. “Let’s just leave, please.”

  Ignoring my pleading, Wreck continues searching for his aunt and cousin. I don’t know how I can stop him. Will he really kill his innocent relatives? Is he that violent or just insane?

  He yanks open a door and I hear a high-pitched scream. A young girl attempts to run past him. He roughly grabs her arm, pulls her in close and holds Samuel’s knife to her throat. The girl freezes, helpless and sobbing. She has long blonde hair and clear blue eyes.

  “Hello, Stella,” Wreck says. “Have you missed me?”

  He smiles, licking his lips, and there’s something revolting and obscene in the gesture. The girl screams again, trying to push him away, but his grip is too strong. I feel sick.

  “Kris, let her go!” I demand, but he doesn’t listen.

  He forcefully drags his cousin back inside the room. I have a strong urge to run, but follow him into the large bedroom. A middle-aged woman is searching for something inside a closet. She turns toward Wreck, her face whiter than snow.

  “Mom!” Stella cries out.

  “Shut your mouth,” Wreck says with an eerie calmness, pushing her onto the bed.

  The girl falls on her side, covering her face and shivering. Her mother stands motionless, facing him.

  “My dear aunt Agatha,” he smiles. “You know who I am, don’t you?”

  She doesn’t answer, her lips pressed tightly together. Wreck approaches her, grabbing her shoulders, and throws her onto the bed as well. She lands on her stomach, hurriedly crawling toward her daughter and wrapping her arms around the girl. They both sit on top of the bed, hugging each other and watching Wreck in horror. They understand they’re at his mercy. Stella’s face is wet from tears and her lips move, but no sound comes from her mouth. Wreck stands unmoving in front of them, holding the knife. His back is turned to me, so I can’t see his face. My teeth begin chattering. I’m terrified of what he may do. I must stop him somehow, must snap him out of the killing mode he’s in, but I feel paralyzed. My throat closes up and I can’t speak, just like Stella.

  Don’t do this, I repeat in my mind over and over. Don’t you dare. They’re innocent. And they’re your relatives.

  I can easily envision him lunging forward, gripping Stella’s long hair and slitting her throat. I can imagine her mother trying to defend her daughter and Wreck furiously stabbing his aunt into the stomach and chest. I can almost hear their anguished screams mixed with his crazed laughter. I know I won’t be able to forgive Wreck should he actually go through it.

  But after a few moments of hesitation he finally draws in a deep breath and lowers the knife. He takes a couple of steps back.

  “Nah, I’m not Samuel,” he says. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Just stay in this room, all right? Everything will be over soon. You’ll never see me again. I promise.”

  I feel a flash of relief and my muscles relax. Wreck turns and begins walking toward the door. Agatha quickly leaps off the bed, runs toward the closet and starts frantically searching for something inside. A moment later she has a gun in her hand. Wreck turns to face her. Agatha shoots and I watch in horror as he falls. I scream and fire my gun at the woman, but miss. Somebody grabs me from behind and something smashes into my head. The room darkens as I pass out. When I open my eyes, I find myself lying on the floor. A guard holds my arms twisted behind my back. I squirm instinctively, but an intense pain in my shoulders restricts my movement. Two more guards hold Wreck’s arms, forcing him to stand on his knees. He doesn’t look injured so I guess the bullet hit his vest. Agatha stands in front of him, pointing her gun at his head. Stella is still sitting on the bed, sobbing and shivering, her face reddened from tears.

  “I always knew you’d return one day,” Agatha says, grinning. “I asked my husband to send his soldiers to finish what we started. But he didn’t have enough guts.”

  “What?” Wreck looks up at her, wild-eyed. “You knew Samuel was planning to kill my family?”

  “Oh please,” she sighs. “Of course I knew. Who do you think persuaded him to take over? Do you really believe he had enough will to go against his stupid sister on his own?”

  “Shut your filthy mouth!” Wreck bares his teeth. “Don’t you dare say another thing about my mother!”

  Agatha laughs. “She wasn’t your mother, Nicholas. She just had a weakness for poor homeless kids. You’ve never been one of us. You’ve always been a wannabe.”

  I stare at her. Why did she just call him Nicholas?

  I don’t have time to sort out my thoughts. Maxine enters the room, firing a rifle at the guard holding me down. The bullet takes him in the head and he falls on top of me. Agatha flinches, turning to look at Maxine, but still holding her gun on Wreck. One of the guards releases his arm to return fire. Maxine backs away into the corridor. Stella screams. Wreck struggles with the guard still trying to hold him. Agatha starts shooting. But Wreck uses the guard as a human shield. I realize that she’s about to kill him. My mind becomes blank. I push off the dead guard and sprint across the room, charging into Agatha. We both collapse to the floor and her gun flies free. I sit on her stomach, grab her throat and squeeze as hard as I can. Images of Gabriel strangling me cross my mind. I hear more gunfire behind me mixed with Stella’s screams. I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t even care. I perceive everything through a red haze and can only press my fingers tighter and tighter into her neck…

  “Kora! Let her go. She’s dead.”

  I don’t react. Somebody grips my shoulders and shakes me. I freeze, looking up. The room is quiet now. Wreck kneels beside me. I’m still squeezing Agatha’s neck.

  “She’s dead already,” he repeats calmly. “We have to go.”

  I glance down at Agatha. She lies motionless, her eyes open and empty. I cover my mouth, holding back a sob and feeling sick. Wreck pulls me to my feet. I breathe in deeply, swaying slightly on my feet, trying to collect my thoughts. Maxine stands in the doorway with her rifle, watching the corridor. Stella sobs uncontrollably, staring at her dead mother. Wreck approaches the bed, but she doesn’t even notice him.

  “Stella.” He touches her shoulder. “Stella, look at me.”

  She shudders, turning to face him, her long blonde hair covering half of her face.

  “I’m sorry about all this,” he says. “I did what I had to do. Don’t try to come after me, all right? I promise I won’t come back. Just stay out of all this mess.”

  Stella nods slowly. My heart aches for her. I know what it feels like to watch your mother die.

  Wreck looks at his cousin for a moment longer, then heads toward the door. I snap from my stupor and follow. We walk down a corridor, descend the staircase and enter the basement. I don’t know where Wreck is taking us, but ask no questions. Instead, I replay in my mind everything that’s transpired tonight, wondering why I don’t feel any remorse. How can I remain so calm after committing murder? Or maybe I’m still in shock and the memories from this dreadful night will later come back to haunt me?

  Wreck and Maxine move a few large barrels away from a wall inside the basement, revealing a door. Wreck kicks it a few times and the door gives in. He leads us through a long underground tunnel. Maxine shines a small flashlight, illuminating the way. I remember Dimitri carrying me through a similar tunnel back in the Recycling village. Of course Wreck knew about this secret exit. This was his home.

  The tunnel leads to an abandoned shack outside the master’s residence. We jog toward the parked trucks. Tanya stands beside one of the vehicles, holding a handgun. I guess she and Maxine encountered a few guards and took their weapons. Tanya smiles upon seeing us and reports that the racers are loaded inside the trucks. I take a last lingering look back at the high master’s mansion. I can’t see the building, but notice a glow of fire in the distance. I know I should feel happ
y because Samuel is dead and my friends are now free. But I don’t experience any particular joy or sense of satisfaction. I feel indifferent.

  I climb inside a truck and Wreck gets behind the wheel. We drive off. Maxine follows in the other truck right behind.

  I press my head against the cool glass and close my eyes. Only now I fully realize how tired I am. My muscles are sore. My head hurts where the guards and Logan hit me.

  “Well, I guess you realize you rescued me tonight,” Wreck says. “My lovely aunt almost killed me. So I guess our score is about even now. I liked how you downed that guard I was grappling with back in the hall. He was really tough. Nicely done, Kora!”

  I don’t understand what he’s talking about. What score? What guard? My mind is foggy.

  “I still can’t believe we got Samuel!” he laughs, still wired. “I really enjoyed killing him. It felt good. You want to know a little secret? I’ve never killed anybody before tonight.”

  I open my eyes, looking him over. He’s smiling broadly, his hands still stained with Samuel’s blood.

  “I thought you’d killed many times before,” I say.

  “I was just trying to maintain my reputation. Tonight was the first time.”

  “But what about all those travelers you captured?”

  “Well, I just scare the hell out of them, and cut them loose.”

  I don’t reply, realizing what I’ve done. All his talk about being a cold-blooded killer was a lie. He was innocent before meeting me, and now I’ve coaxed him into killing. I’m not sure how I should feel about that.

  “I’m really glad you chose to spare your cousin,” I say. “But why did you?”

  “I’m not Samuel, all right? Although I really regret initially sparing Agatha. I still can’t believe she was the one behind everything. What a witch! She always acted so nice. I never even suspected her.”

  “Kris,” I say. “Why did she call you Nicholas?”

  “She probably just lost it.”