Kora Exiled (Kora Series Book 2) Read online

  “What about you?” Wreck asks. “What did you tell Tartis?”

  I shrug. “Nothing.”

  “Good,” he grins. “I knew the fool wouldn’t be able to crack you. I thought, nah, my Kora won’t be scared of him. Anyway, did he even mention me?”

  My throat tightens for a moment, and I feel anxiety coiling inside my chest. I fill him in about my interrogation.

  He bursts out laughing. “Well I swear! Did he really say I’m delusional and insane? Well, I could be. Everybody thinks I’m the craziest guy in the village.”

  He sounds proud. I bite my split lip.

  “Something else?” he asks.

  “No,” I lie.

  “C’mon, spit it out.”

  I shake my head. “It’s nothing, really.”

  Wreck continues watching me and his cold intense gaze makes me feel uncomfortable.

  “I’m not stupid,” he says. “I can tell something else is troubling you. So just tell me.”

  I wonder how he can see right through me so easily. Is he really able to read body language so well?

  “Kora,” he says. “We’re mixed up in a really big mess. If we want to pull through this, we have to be on the same page. Don’t you agree? We shouldn’t let Tartis, or anybody else for that matter, destroy our friendship.”

  Something churns inside me. He must realize I still don’t fully trust him.

  I take a deep breath. “Tartis said you’ve done some awful things… that you hurt some girls in the village.” I pause. “That you… took advantage of them.”

  “What?” He looks puzzled for a moment before it begins to sink in. “Oh. I see. And you believed him?”

  I remain silent. I can’t give him the answer he wants to hear.

  “Seriously?” he laughs. “C’mon. You know me better than that.”

  No, I don’t know better, I want to shout. I don’t know anything about you.

  “All right then,” he sighs tiredly. “I admit I have beat the hell out of some of the rangers. But they were all jerks, all right? That’s all. I didn’t bother anyone else. And I never thought I would have to explain that to you.”

  I shrug.

  “I don’t even go near that part of the village,” he adds. “So, do you believe me or not? Because if you don’t, I’m gonna take you there. You’re welcome to interview every girl in the place, and I guarantee they won’t even know me.”

  “Fine,” I say. “I believe you.”

  “You sure? Because accusations like that aren’t a joke. I take them seriously.”

  I look at him, and our eyes meet for a moment. He seems concerned. I remind myself that this is the guy who spent hours one night supporting me in my grief. This is the very person who was shielding me from bullets. But he’s also the one who threatened and attacked me, and kept me on a chain.

  “I believe you,” I lie.

  “Good,” he says coldly.

  “Anyway, what are we going to do now?”

  “Don’t know yet. We’ll have to play it by ear. For the moment, we need to be sure to protect your friends.”

  I place my hand over my mouth, feeling sick again.

  “Just hold on,” Wreck looks at me, his cold eyes becoming sympathetic. “Keep your head low. We’ll arrive at Jin’s soon.”

  ***

  Two dozen racers await us outside the house. Wreck and Maxie lead me toward the entrance, gripping my arms.

  “Move out of the way!” Wreck directs. “She’s fine. Nothing to look at here.”

  The racers move back obediently, all eyes trained on me. I see Martha, Trent and Tanya… then Samantha covering her mouth upon seeing my battered face.

  We enter the house, heading toward the kitchen. Wreck has me sit on a wooden chair and I lean back, relaxing. Jin boils water on the stove for tea. Maxine sits at the table, devouring a chicken leg. Wreck picks up a bottle filled with a colorless liquid and takes a long pull.

  “Whew,” he grins, wiping his mouth. “I really needed a drink.”

  Jin hands me a cup of warm tea.

  “Here you go, sweetie,” she says softly. “This will help lessen the pain.”

  She reminds me of my mother. Smiling, I take the cup and sip. The tea is sweet and scented like fresh grass and summer. I close my eyes, feeling groggy and only semiconscious of what’s happening around.

  “C’mon, Jin,” I hear Wreck’s voice. “Let me do it. I really need the practice.”

  “All right,” Jin answers. “You take good care of her.”

  Wreck chuckles. “Thanks. I will.”

  Fingers touch my chin and I snap back to reality. Wreck is standing in front of me, while Maxine shines a flashlight into my face.

  “Open your mouth, please,” he says in an official tone of voice. I part my lips compliantly. “Perfect. Now sit tight.”

  He’s holding a thin bent needle that resembles a fishhook. I stiffen.

  “Relax,” he smirks. “You won’t feel a thing.”

  “I can stand a lot of pain,” I mutter sleepily.

  “Stop talking,” he orders. “And sit still.”

  I become quiet and motionless, letting him do whatever he needs.

  I feel the sharp pressure of a needle piercing my lip, but no real pain. The tea I drank must have had a powerful anesthetic. Wreck’s hands move quickly and confidently, yet gently at the same time. I suppose he must have done this many times before. He has long, delicate-looking fingers more befitting a piano player than a fighter. I sit still, holding my breath.

  “That’s it,” Wreck says, cutting the thread. “Five stitches.”

  “Nicely done,” Jin smiles, approaching. “Very good work, Kris.”

  “Well, I had a great teacher,” he answers respectfully.

  He then helps me back to my feet, leading me down the corridor. As we pass a big mirror hanging on a wall, I catch a glimpse of Wreck’s reflection. He’s holding a skinny slouched girl with messy hair, dressed in black. Her face is bruised and short threads protrude from her swollen lips. It takes a moment to realize that the girl is actually me; she looks so unfamiliar.

  We enter a small room with a bed, a couple of chairs and bookcase. I fall over onto the bed and lie motionless, unable even to turn.

  He chuckles, “Dang, Kora. You’re really funny when you’re drugged.” I feel him pulling off my boots. “Do you want to sleep in your clothes?” he asks in a businesslike voice. “Or should I help you undress?”

  I don’t answer because at the moment I really don’t care.

  “Oh well,” he sighs. “Maxie can help you later.”

  I feel him holding my ankles as he places my legs onto the bed. He adjusts my pillow and covers me with a blanket. He leans in closer and whispers, “Sweet dreams, champ. See you in the morning.”

  I can smell alcohol on his breath.

  He leaves, closing the door behind just before I pass out.

  CHAPTER 4

  Somebody is sitting on the edge of my bed. I can’t move and don’t have any control over my body, my eyes still closed. I feel a hand touching my thigh through the blanket. My heart races. The assaulting hand travels up my thigh, my stomach and my chest, then the strong fingers wrap around my neck.

  I gasp and open my eyes.

  Gabriel leans in toward me, a gentle smile spreading across his handsome face. Horror paralyzes me. Not real, he’s dead… I killed him, didn’t I?

  “Did you miss me?” he asks softly as he squeezes my throat.

  I grab his wrist, trying to free myself. But I’m too weak, and the drug makes my reactions too slow. Everything seems blurry. I want to scream, but he covers my mouth.

  “Easy,” he says in a tender voice. “You’ll be free soon enough.”

  I squirm and whimper, suffocating. The cold stone floor beneath me hurts my back. I shut my eyes, unable to breathe, unable to save myself…

  “You all right?” I hear Wreck’s voice.

  I awaken, shivering, and see him sitting o
n the edge of my bed. What is he doing in my room at night? He watches me, grinning, and something in his expression makes me feel vulnerable. He winks and suddenly climbs on top of me, pinning me down with his weight.

  I gulp and press my hands against his chest, pushing him away. My thoughts begin racing. I don’t recognize him now. Smiling, he grabs my wrists and presses my arms against the pillow above my head. He leans in, placing his face close to mine and staring right into my eyes. I understand I’m powerless against him.

  I begin pleading, “Don’t… Please, don’t. Please stop.”

  He doesn’t care. He grabs my head and presses his lips against mine, forcing me to kiss him. My stitches hurt. I sob in disgust and fear, weakening. I’m too exhausted to resist. So I give in, becoming slack, just letting him do whatever he wants. He kisses me more forcefully, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and I feel his hot breath in my throat. The sharp smell of alcohol. It makes me so disgusted that I snap from my stupor. I start fighting again, pushing him away and…

  …I open my eyes, gasping, wrestling with a pillow. My face is wet from sweat and tears. It’s dark and I’m completely alone in the room. But I can still feel something pressing against my chest, squeezing my throat.

  Shivering, I rub the burning skin on my neck and get up. I’m still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. I don’t understand what’s happened. Was Wreck in my room? Did he really attack me? What’s real and what’s not? It felt like a hallucination.

  A nightgown is placed on a chair beside the bed, along with my trophy knife and the switchblade Wreck gave me. I change into the nightgown. Still dizzy and shaken, I approach a window and open it. The air is humid and doesn’t bring any relief.

  Outside, I see Wreck sitting under a tree, staring vacantly off into the darkness. I glance at the clock. It’s 3 am. What is he doing outside in the middle of the night? What is he looking at? He has an open switchblade in his hand. Scary.

  He must feel my gaze, because he slowly turns to look at the house. I move quickly away from the window, grab the knife off the chair and lie back down. I pull the blanket over my head and force myself to close my eyes.

  ***

  Maxine checks on me in the morning. I’m happy to see her, but can’t will myself to smile. She places a tray with food on the chair beside my bed, and examines my stitches. After she leaves, I continue lying unmoving. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

  When I next awaken, the tray is gone. I turn on my side, staring off into space. The clock shows 5 pm. My lips feel swollen.

  The door opens and a short red-haired girl enters. Samantha. I have a quick flashback of her throwing rocks at me back in the Recycling village. She sits on the edge of the bed and places a steaming bowl of chicken broth on the chair in front of me. I attempt to eat, but my throat suddenly closes, and I feel Ace’s fingers back inside my mouth.

  “Does it hurt to eat?” Samantha asks.

  “I’m all right, really,” I smile. “I’m just nauseous from the medicine.”

  “You look so pale.” She sniffles, her lips quivering. “Maxine told me you’d been attacked.”

  I don’t understand why she’s so upset. Is she really concerned for me?

  “Samantha.” I touch her hand. “How are you doing?”

  “I don’t know,” she wipes at her eyes. “I feel… lost. I’m so used to being a servant. It feels strange to have no master.”

  I remember how she once told me that the mere thought of freedom was scary for her.

  “You’ll get used to it,” I say.

  “I don’t know. I need somebody to tell me what to do.”

  She sounds almost desperate.

  “You’ll be safe here,” I add. “I won’t let anybody hurt you or the others.”

  “The masters from Central Settlement will be coming after us,” she mutters.

  “So what? We’ll fight them.”

  She glances at me, astonished.

  “You’re so brave,” she says. “I didn’t realize you were so fearless. Where do you find all that strength?”

  I become quiet. Samantha has a wrong impression of me. I’m not really brave, strong or fearless. I’m anxious and whiny. But I do have one valuable quality that helps me to survive. I’m neurotic. Push me too hard and I snap. Even crying and pitying myself, I’m still able to fight or kill if need be. And I don’t generally feel any remorse after taking a life. In our warped world we live in, this ability is precious.

  “Well,” I say. “I just do what I have to.”

  “I wish I could be more like you,” Samantha confesses, and I get a sense of talking to my twin. “I’m so scared all the time.”

  “This is Jin’s house,” I say. “Nobody will dare bother us here. Do you know who Jin is?”

  Samantha smiles, nodding. “Yes. Maxine told us. She also said that you and her brother will protect us, but…” Her voice trails off.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “It’s nothing. I’m just afraid of… him.”

  “Afraid of who?”

  “Kris.”

  I get a sickening sensation in my stomach, remembering what Tartis told me.

  “Why?” I ask. “Did he say anything mean to you? Did he do something?”

  Samantha shrugs and my heart skips a beat. I know she’s hiding something from me, too scared to speak.

  “You can tell me,” I say carefully. “I’m on your side, no matter what.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m just overreacting, I guess. He’s just so creepy. I heard him talking to himself a couple of times. He was completely alone in a room. And he carries around that knife all the time.”

  “Oh,” I breathe out, relieved. “Well, don’t worry about him. Kris is just a weirdo.”

  “Kora,” she looks into my eyes. “We’re friends now, right?”

  I think for a moment. Can I truly be the friend of someone who was bullying me for years? Can I really forgive everything?

  “Yes,” I say. “We’re friends.”

  She hugs me before leaving. Once she’s gone, I pull the blanket back over my head and try to sleep.

  ***

  I remain in bed for the next three days. Something is definitely off with me. I can’t eat, still suffering from nausea. I don’t have any desire to move, much less go outside. I just want to sleep, shut out the world and hide from reality. But there’s no rest for me. I wake several times during the night, frightened and sweating. Gabriel continues torturing me even in death.

  Wreck and Maxine drop in often to check on me. My lips are healing. I’m always happy to see Maxine, but Wreck’s presence somehow bothers me. I don’t feel safe around him. Samantha reads to me in the evenings. I listen, staring into the ceiling, not speaking for hours.

  I can’t stop thinking of my mother. I remember our last night together, how she was wiping off the dried blood on my skin and how much love she held in her tired eyes. Never again will I see or speak with her. Never again will I have a chance to make her happy. And this is all my own doing because I killed her by coming back to the Recycling village. If only I hadn’t taken part in the stupid Exchange, if only I’d listened to her…

  I also miss Amethyst, my wonderful friend who gave her life trying to protect me. I envision us sitting on the sand, both laughing and feeling happy, the salty ocean breeze on my face. My chest aches. Why her and not me? I often wonder. It seems she deserved to live much more than I do.

  The future is vague. We killed the high master of Central Settlement and took revenge for our relatives. So what now? Only a few days before, I thought I’d finally understood who I am and found my destiny. But those plans seem unrealistic and stupid now. Can I really take over Central Settlement and free all the servants? Me, the one who cries all the time, and who can’t even defend herself? I feel so weak and powerless.

  Trent. I also think of him. I often imagine him sitting on the edge of my bed, holding my hand, smiling. I still crave his understanding and lo
ve. I don’t know where this obsession is coming from. I should probably hate him after everything he said to me.

  I roll into a ball under the blanket. Sleep, just stop thinking and sleep.

  ***

  Somebody enters the room and plops down beside me, but I don’t move, pretending asleep. A finger pokes me in the shoulder. I sit up, frowning upon finding Wreck sitting on the edge of my bed.

  He smiles broadly, his expression carefree.

  “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!” he exclaims.

  “What are you doing here?” I mutter angrily.

  “Pestering you at the moment. Are you gonna sleep away the rest of your life?”

  I groan and lie back down, turning my back to him. He pokes my shoulder again and tugs at my hair. I envision punching him in the face, but am too weak to follow through.

  “Go away,” I say.

  “C’mon, don’t be such a bore. Let’s do something fun. I can teach you low kicks. Like to learn low kicks?”

  I ignore him.

  “Does your silence mean yes?” he asks.

  “Leave me alone.”

  Laughing, he grabs me by the shoulder and shakes me. “C’mon, lazy. Let’s train.”

  I don’t react. He lies down next to me and wraps an arm around my waist. My eyes widen.

  “This bed is big enough for two, you know,” he says in an exaggeratedly seductive voice. “What do you think? Like me to stay here with you a while? I can lock the door.”

  I grind my teeth, fantasizing about cutting his throat. There is a knife under my pillow. He pulls me closer.

  “Why are you being so quiet?” he whispers. “You’re playing hard to get, aren’t you? You like to resist a little, huh?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Are you gonna fight back or what?” he says, irritated. “C’mon, do something. Try to defend yourself. I dare you.”

  My desire to hit him is intense, but I remain motionless. I’m not going to let him manipulate me into fighting.