Kora Exiled (Kora Series Book 2) Read online

  “Thanks,” I say, returning the flask.

  “My name is Chuck by the way. You don’t remember me, do you?”

  I shake my head no.

  “You kissed me during your initiation,” he explains.

  My jaw drops. “What?!”

  “It was nothing serious,” he adds hurriedly. “You were telling everyone how much you loved us. And then you suddenly pulled me close and kissed me.” He laughs, averting his eyes. “You were high on Deathfall.”

  “Um,” I clear my throat. “Huh… Okay.”

  I wonder how many other rangers I kissed during my initiation, and whether Wreck was amongst them or not. Well, I guess it could have been worse.

  “We won’t let Tartis kill you,” Chuck promises.

  I watch him leave and lock the door behind.

  Once he’s gone, I’m finally able to relax. I sit down on the floor and rub my raw wrists, thinking of Wreck. Was it true what Tartis said?

  Those same vivid images flash across my mind. I recall Wreck attacking Agatha and Stella. I remember his sadistic smile and glazed eyes. His blood lust and desire to kill terrified me. He was only a moment away from murdering his relatives, including those whom he believed completely innocent. How can I trust him? I can’t.

  I don’t know whether he really hurt other villagers here or not. But what I do know for sure is that he’s capable of doing so. He’s aggressive, forceful and has an extremely violent temper. And it’s practically impossible to ever predict his actions.

  So even after everything we’ve been through together, after saving each other’s lives multiple times, I still don’t really know who he is. Let alone understand his motives.

  The thought hurts so much I want to scream.

  I hear the door opening. I turn to look and adrenaline shoots through my veins. A big roamer stands in the doorway, smiling, piercing me with his eyes. I recognize Ace.

  “Hey sweetheart,” he says in a tender voice. “Have you missed me?”

  I’m unable to answer. I did think of him quite a bit.

  “Remember I told you I’d kill you if I saw you again?” He takes a step toward me. “I’ve come to keep my promise.”

  CHAPTER 2

  I freeze up, holding my breath, my usual response to danger. I understand something horrible is about to happen to me. Ace has come to kill me and I don’t believe for a second he’s going to choose a quick and painless method.

  Desperation sets in. I want to faint and awaken somewhere far away, perhaps back at Jin’s house. But I know that won’t happen, I never faint from extreme stress or terror.

  Ace approaches from across the room. He’s huge. I’m almost six feet tall, but he’s at least a head taller, and must weigh over two hundred and fifty pounds. I shake off my stupor and jump to my feet. I have to act fast if I want to survive. Two other rangers follow him inside the shack, closing the door behind, wearing the same disgusting grins.

  Ace smirks, stopping short in front of me. “Happy to see me, darling?”

  I hate his calling me all these nauseatingly sweet names. It somehow makes me feel dirty, as if he’s suggesting there’s some sort of relationship between us. I remain silent, my hands curled into fists.

  Ace notices my reaction and laughs, “You think you can fight me off? You must be even more stupid than I realized.”

  I don’t react, still being half-paralyzed. My mind is numb, and it seems like I’m watching everything from afar. I know I must snap out of it. But part of me just wants to give up and start crying, begging for him to spare my life.

  “You brainless piece of trash,” Ace continues. “You’re a fake, pretending to be a ranger.”

  His friends laugh in agreement. I think of Amy and how she once knocked down Logan. I remember Wreck pinning me to a wall, encouraging me to defend myself.

  Ace stretches out a hand, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “Such an ugly face.”

  I flinch, taking a step away until my back presses against the wall. Nowhere to go.

  “I have a meeting with Tartis,” I lie, my voice unsteady.

  “No, you don’t.” Ace laughs. “He’s no longer interested in you. He gave you to us.”

  My legs weaken. Could that be true? Did Tartis order me killed after all?

  “Wreck will cut your throat if you touch me,” I say, staring Ace down.

  “You still think your psycho boyfriend can protect you?” He moves in closer, stroking my hair. “That’s really stupid. Tartis is going to string that lunatic up in the morning. He won’t be helping you this time.” He pauses, grinning. “Sorry, but you chose the wrong guy to bed you down.”

  I want to spit in his face. My hands tremble. I dig my fingernails into my palms. Ace’s friends laugh behind his back, watching with interest. Only several feet separate me from the door, several short steps to freedom. If I could only make it outside, if I could only get past Ace and his friends…

  “Ready to have some fun, darling?” Ace asks in a mocking tone.

  I return his smile. “I’m always ready.”

  I don’t wait around for him to attack. I kick him as violently as I can between his legs. Wreck once told me I have powerful kicks. Ace groans in agony, doubling over, and I shove him away as I spring toward the door. The other two roamers grab me.

  “Let’s kill her!” Ace yells.

  I elbow one of them in the face and kick his knee. He turns loose, momentarily stunned, but the other begins dragging me further inside. Screaming now, I claw viciously at his eyes. He flinches back and I feel his hands release me. I shove him away, and lunge again toward the door. Freedom, I think, get outside.

  I push the door open, catching a glance at the street. But that is all I have time for. Somebody grabs my hair from behind, yanking me back inside. Pain shoots through my scalp. I lose my balance, falling backward and screaming out in frustration. I was so close… I almost made it…

  I land hard on my back. Somebody kicks me in the side and I cover, anticipating more kicks and punches. I hear the door lock. Cursing loudly, Ace grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me up to my feet. He raises me into the air and smashes me against a wall. I lose my breath, closing my eyes in shock. He slaps my face several times and my cheeks begin burning. He throws me back to the floor and I land flat on my stomach, dazed.

  Ace climbs on top and pure terror overwhelms me. I remember Wreck explaining how this is one of the worst positions to be in a fight. I can almost hear his demanding, forceful voice inside my head. Turn! Turn immediately! You must face your attacker!

  I cry out, trying to push myself up. Ace’s weight smashes me back down. I jerk my head backward, trying to headbutt him, but I miss. He grabs my hair and presses my face into the floor. I hear his friends laughing. My head is still spinning. But I suddenly become more alert and full of energy. I have to find a way to survive. I know I want to live till tomorrow.

  I don’t fully comprehend exactly what I’m doing. I scream in desperation, pushing myself up, trying to turn. I somehow find myself on my back. Ace pins my arms to the floor but his body is now positioned between my legs. I know what I need to do. I wrap my legs around his waist, preventing him from mounting me fully. If I could only bring my knees up to his chest, I could knock him off. But his friend grabs my ankles, holding them down and twisting my foot. I cry out in pain, squirming.

  “Hold her arms!” Ace directs.

  One of them grabs my wrists, pinning them to the floor. Ace moves up onto my stomach. I growl, attempting to yank my arms and legs, but am unable to move. Three against one isn’t a fair fight.

  Ace pulls a handful of green leaves from his pocket, and wraps his fingers around my throat. I shudder, groaning. I’m back in the basement, again, and Gabriel is choking me.

  Ace presses the leaves against my lips. “Eat them!”

  I try to turn my face away, but he grabs my chin, locking my head in place.

  “Swallow them!”

  What the hell is
going on? I think desperately. What is he trying to do? Why doesn’t he just kill me and be done?

  It finally hits me. I suddenly realize why Ace has only been slapping and shoving me. He doesn’t want to leave any visible marks. Tartis hasn’t ordered me killed. Ace wants everything to look like an accident, so these leaves must be poisonous.

  I press my teeth tightly together. No matter what happens, I mustn’t swallow this stuff.

  “Open your mouth!” Ace shouts.

  His fingers part my lips, but he can’t push the leaves past my teeth. I close my eyes, not breathing. My entire body hurts. I feel like I have been fighting for hours.

  “Open up!” Ace barks.

  He squeezes my nose, blocking my air. I hold my breath. I know I have a minute or two before passing out. My lungs begin to ache. I suffer as long as I can before taking a breath instinctively.

  Ace shoves the leaves into my mouth, his fingers going almost into my throat.

  “Swallow!” he orders.

  This must be one of the worst things that could happen, crosses my mind. Being pinned to the floor while somebody is sitting on top, pushing his fingers into your mouth. And then it dawns on me. Yes, of course. His fingers are inside my mouth. What am I waiting for?

  I snap my jaws shut, biting down violently. Ace screams in pain. Blood fills my mouth. He tries to withdraw his fingers, but I don’t let go. He slaps my head with an open palm, and I bite down even harder. Infuriated, he punches me in the face and the room becomes dark.

  A moment later when I reopen my eyes, my mouth is filled with the leaves and his hand covers my lips. The bitter taste makes me feel nauseated.

  “Swallow,” he repeats with hatred.

  He chokes me again. My throat is on fire. The desire to swallow is almost overwhelming. My eyes begin to water. I groan and whimper weakly, my head becoming cloudy...

  And then the door suddenly bursts open, and daylight fills the room.

  “Get off her, you filthy animals!” I hear Wreck’s furious shout.

  CHAPTER 3

  He rushes inside, charging into my attackers. The closest ranger begins rising to his feet. Wreck lands a flying knee right on the guy’s chin, knocking him down. Ace pushes off me and lunges at Wreck, grabbing him from behind. I spit out the leaves and take a deep breath. I watch as Wreck secures Ace’s wrist and throws him, sending him flying through the air. Ace lands hard on the floor and becomes motionless, his eyes glazed.

  The third roamer releases me to try a haymaker at Wreck’s head. But Wreck steps to the side, avoiding the punch. He instantly delivers two solid blows squarely in the guy’s face. I hear the punches landing, mixed with a sound of crunching bone. The guy’s head bounces backward, blood spraying from his nose, and he goes down. Wreck adds a violent kick to his head as the ranger sprawls across the floor. I continue sitting frozen in a stupor, just watching.

  One of the roamers scrambles back to his feet, brandishing a knife. I don’t have time to shout any warnings. The guy raises the blade to stab Wreck in the back, but Wreck turns to face him. Suddenly, I hear a gunshot fire outside and the roamer groans in pain, dropping the knife. I can see a round hole centered in the palm of his hand.

  “Don’t even think about hurting my little brother,” Maxine says, entering the shack with her gun raised.

  “Nice shot,” Wreck comments, winking at his stepsister.

  The wounded ranger holds his bleeding hand, doubling over. Wreck’s expression becomes infuriated.

  “I’ll teach you some manners!” he shouts.

  He punches the wounded guy in the temple, knocking him down. He adds kicks to his stomach and head.

  “Back off, lunatic!” Ace yells, drawing a switchblade as he scrambles back to his feet.

  “There you go,” Wreck snarls. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  I’m sitting on the floor, still just watching.

  Ace takes a step toward him. “I’ll kill you!”

  “That’s enough,” I hear a calm, firm voice.

  A thin gray-haired woman enters the room. She’s in her late seventies and is wearing a black t-shirt and hunting style pants. It’s Jingfay, the one responsible for liberating hundreds of servants and founding this village. She’s a living legend, my personal hero and inspiration. I smile as relief envelops me.

  “Take your friends and leave,” she orders.

  Ace turns to face her. “You crazy old witch! I should have cut your throat a long time ago.”

  “You’re welcome to try any time you please,” says Jin.

  Ace thinks it over for a moment, assessing his chances, then curses and heads for the door. His friends quickly follow, looking at Jin sheepishly.

  Once they’re gone, Maxine and Wreck kneel in front of me.

  “You all right?” he asks. “You look like hell.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” Maxine sighs. “Your face!”

  I remain quiet, unable to snap out of my daze. Wreck attempts to pull me to my feet, but my body is limp. I’m too dizzy to walk. So he lifts me in his arms and carries me outside.

  He places me on the ground, propping my back against the wall of the shack, and kneels again in front of me.

  “Kora.” He touches my shoulder. “Look at me. Can you understand what I’m saying?”

  I nod, feeling detached.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m all right,” I say flatly, because I’m still alive and not really injured, so it must mean I’m all right.

  “Here, wash out your mouth.”

  He puts a flask to my lips. I take a long gulp of water and spit it out. Squinting, he picks something up from my chest. A small green leaf.

  “Damn!” he exclaims. “This is bad. Jin, take a look. This is a Wolf leaf, right?”

  Maxine and Jin bend over, examining the leaf.

  “I’m afraid you’re correct,” Jin says.

  Wreck grabs me by the shoulders, staring into my eyes. “Kora, did you swallow any of these?”

  “Um… I don’t think so.”

  “Dang!” He leans in closer. “I need to know. If you did swallow any, we have to make you throw up. These leaves are no joke. Could cause a heart attack or stroke. So did you swallow any? C’mon, concentrate.”

  I can’t comprehend all his words. It’s hard to think straight.

  “No,” I say finally. “I didn’t swallow any.”

  He pours more water on my face, wipes my cheeks and touches my lips.

  “Open your mouth,” he directs.

  I do as he asks. He checks my teeth, pulls up my lip carefully, and touches my gum. It hurts a little. I sit motionless, staring at the cabins on the opposite side of the street. Maxine stands behind him, watching intently.

  “Jin, take a look at this cut,” Wreck says. “She needs stitches.”

  Jin approaches and nods. “It will definitely heal faster with stitches.”

  “No worries,” Wreck grins, winking at me. “We’ll fix you up. You’ll be good as new.”

  To my great relief, he finally leaves my mouth alone. I run my tongue over my upper lip, tasting the salty blood. Wreck and Maxine help me to my feet.

  “I’m all right,” I say. “I can walk.”

  “You sure?” Maxine asks.

  “I’m fine,” I smile, “really.”

  We proceed down the street. They’re both speaking to me, saying something, but the information slips from my consciousness. We approach an old pickup truck parked on the side of the road.

  “Kora and I will ride in the back,” Wreck states.

  “Leave her be, pest,” Maxine frowns, wrapping an arm around me.

  “Get lost, woman,” Wreck shoves her away, gripping my wrist and pulling me closer. “Kora and I need to talk.”

  “She needs rest, you idiot,” Maxine scowls, grabbing my hand.

  I feel like I’m a toy they’re about to yank apart.

  “It’s okay, Maxie,” I finally say. “Wreck and I really do need to talk.” r />
  She rolls her eyes, giving up on us. Wreck helps me climb onto the bed of the truck. Jin and Maxine climb in up front and we drive off.

  I watch as tall pine trees pass us by. The air is moist and heavy. Wreck is sitting on the opposite side of the truck, and his presence somehow begins unnerving me.

  “You sure you’re all right?” he asks.

  He must have noticed a change in my expression.

  “I’m fine. So what happened? How did you free yourself?”

  “I didn’t,” he chuckles. “Jin rescued both of us. If it wasn’t for her, we’d still be locked up. She showed up in the village and threatened Tartis.”

  “What? She threatened him?”

  “Yep. She might be a bit old, but she’s still dangerous. Tartis realizes that half the rangers would join her, if she ever decided to take over leadership. He won’t risk that. So he agreed to free us and let your friends stay in the village.”

  I frown, thinking over his words. “Why didn’t he just kill us? I mean… if he knows everything…”

  “He knows nothing,” he interrupts. “He’s only sure that we freed a few servants in Central Settlement. So I imagine he’s kinda confused. He hasn’t yet figured out how to use the situation to his own advantage.”

  I nod, trying to collect my thoughts. My eyelids are heavy. And I can’t get rid of the feeling that something is still stuck in my throat.

  “I’m worried he may find out who you really are,” I say, suppressing another wave of nausea.

  “I doubt it,” he states.

  “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”

  “Nah, I just acted stupid. I was like… hey, did somebody break the rules and attack Central Settlement? We gotta find those jerks!” He laughs, obviously pleased with himself. “I wish you could have seen it. Tartis was interrogating me for hours, but got nothing. Of course he knew I was lying, but couldn’t prove a thing.”

  I watch him intently. He’s dressed in his roamer outfit, but his face isn’t painted at the moment. His features are plain and he looks like the boy next door. I mean he might look this way if his expression wasn’t so smug. And if his dark gray eyes weren’t so glossy. A deep rough scar runs across his right cheek. He never said how he received the scar, but I suspect his cousin, Gabriel, had something to do with it.