by Marina Epley
“She’s waiting for you,” Amy says.
I flinch, looking around in panic, my heart jumping in my chest.
“Easy now,” Wreck holds me down. “It’s all right. The spirits are present.”
I want to scream, want to stop everything and get out of this cavern. But my body is slack and I can’t move. The flames from the fires dim. Dark entities begin to creep toward me. I try to push Wreck away, try to scream, but only a wheeze comes out and…
…and I’m lying on my back in complete darkness. I attempt to sit up but my head strikes a hard surface. I’m inside a coffin, buried six feet under the ground just like my mother.
I scream. I pound at the wooden surface above me with my fists, feeling claustrophobic and suffocating. “Help me! Get me out of here!”
Somebody grips my hand and for a moment I see Wreck’s face in front of mine with the glow of the flames behind him. I hear sounds of drums filling the cavern.
“No fear,” Wreck whispers. “You’re stronger than them.”
I take a deep breath, calming myself, and rise to my feet. I’m back in the basement inside the master’s mansion, the place from my nightmares. There’s a large puddle of glistening blood on the floor. Gabriel grabs my ankle and I fall onto my hands and knees. I know he’s dead because my trophy knife protrudes from his back. I scream and kick him in the face. His head bounces backward, but his grip is still strong. He lunges forward, squashing me with his weight, and his hands squeeze my throat. I reach for his face, jabbing my thumbs into his eyes. He growls, baring his teeth, trying to bite my face like some kind of feral animal. I pull the knife from his back and stab him in the neck. He finally releases me and I push him off, scrambling to my feet.
I run toward the door. It’s locked. I kick it several times and it breaks open. I take a step into the hall of the mansion and freeze in shock. Topaz stands in my way, holding her detached head at her side. The eyes on the head move, watching me.
Not real, not real, not real…
I hear a chilling growling and three wolves attack, biting at my legs. The pain twists me around and I scream. I fall onto my back, brandishing my knife.
“Hold on,” somebody whispers into my ear.
I see Wreck’s glossy eyes in front of me again, can hear the beat of the drums, feel his hand squeezing mine.
What’s real and what’s not? I don’t remember.
My legs are broken. I crawl across the hall of the mansion, pulling myself forward on my arms. The pain is intense and I’m bleeding.
“You’re a rat!” Logan says, kneeling beside me. “You’re trash! A nobody.”
I flash my knife, slitting his throat. He collapses and I continue crawling. Amy now stands at the doorway, her face deathly pale, a round hole centered between her eyes.
“Amy! Help me!” I scream.
She opens the door. I crawl outside and drop into an endless ocean of garbage. Overhead, lightning strikes across black clouds. My body sinks into the trash. I’m drowning. I feel somebody’s hands grab my feet, pulling me down. I go under the surface, holding my breath and raising an arm above my head. My hand grips long soft fur. Something pulls me out from the garbage trap. Panting, I stare right into the eyes of a huge chimera.
“Thank you,” I whisper, patting the animal’s head. “I’m very sorry I had to kill you.”
The chimera lies down in front of me and I crawl onto its back, gripping its horns for balance. I whisper, “Please, take me to my spiritual guardian.”
The animal takes off. Everything darkens. I close my eyes, passing out, letting the chimera carry me.
When I come to, I’m inside a small shack, my legs no longer broken. A short thin woman stands in a corner, her back turned to me. She’s dressed in a black shirt and camo hunting pants, a sword in her hand. She turns to face me and I gasp, tears blurring my eyes.
“Mom! Is it really you?”
She hugs me tightly. I press my face into her chest, crying yet feeling relieved.
“I missed you so much,” I utter. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I think of you every day.”
She caresses my face, her touch soft and calming.
“Mom, who are you?” I whisper, looking her over. “Are you… Jingfay?”
“No,” she laughs, placing the sword into my hand. “I’m not Jingfay. But you are.”
“Me?” I pause, my thoughts racing. “How can I be her?”
“You must free your friends and follow Jingfay’s legacy. You must finish what she started.”
“But how can I do that?” I exclaim in desperation as her face begins fading. “I’m completely alone. I don’t know how I can do it on my own.”
“The high master will help you.”
“Samuel? What do you mean?”
The room becomes blurry.
“No!” I yell, clutching her arms. “Don’t leave me! Please let me stay with you!”
“Kora, wake up! That’s not our world.”
I realize I’m lying on my back on a hard surface. My eyes are closed and something heavy sits across my chest, suffocating me. I can’t fight it off because my body seems to be paralyzed. All I can manage is to let out a few miserable noises.
“Easy, you’re just experiencing temporary paralysis,” I hear Wreck’s voice. “It’s normal and will go away in a few minutes. Just relax. Breathe.”
I draw in a deep breath and open my eyes. I’m back in the cavern and Wreck sits beside me. I still feel like something is squeezing my ribcage, but the sensation is fading.
“Can you feel my touch?” Wreck asks, touching my hand. I can’t answer, so I just blink two times. “Good. Now, I want you to move your fingers.”
Slowly, I roll my hand into a fist.
“Great,” Wreck smiles. “You’ll be okay. Welcome back.”
Several minutes later I push myself up into a sitting position. Wreck watches something in the far side of the cavern, but when I follow his gaze I see nothing. He snaps out of his daze, wraps his arm around me for support and we head toward the entrance. My legs are wobbly and I can hardly walk.
Once outside, the rangers greet us with deafening shouts. Ignoring them, Wreck leads me into the woods. I feel disoriented, periodically passing out before floating back to reality again. We walk through the woods and then he carefully lowers me into cold water. I shudder and sit up abruptly, running my fingers through my wet hair. I find myself in the middle of a shallow stream. A strange euphoria overwhelms me.
“Kris!” I exclaim. “I’ve met my spiritual guardian! She told me who I am!”
Wreck puts a finger to his lips, gesturing me to be quiet. “You’re not supposed to tell me. Everything you saw tonight was meant only for you.”
“I love you, Kris!” I laugh, splashing water around me. “I love everybody. I’m Jingfay!”
He pulls me out of the water. There’s a pile of ranger clothing placed in the grass. He hands them to me. Not fully understanding what I’m doing, I kick off my boots and change right in front of him. But Wreck is as high as I am, so he doesn’t seem to notice exactly what I’m doing. His unfocused eyes still follow something in the darkness, something only he can see.
I black out again and the next moment find myself jumping around a giant campfire, swinging my arms and yelling like a savage. I’m amongst a crowd of rangers, but don’t feel scared or unsafe. Instead, I feel as if each of them is me and I’m each of them. So I laugh, twirling around, feeling happy and alive. Somebody grabs my hand and I see a smiling Amy standing beside me. She pulls me forward, and we run toward the fire and leap. But when we land on the other side, I realize that I’m holding Wreck’s hand.
He says something which I can’t comprehend, his words drowned out by the ranger’s yelling and the pounding of drums. I close my eyes and everything fades into pitch-black darkness.
***
When I next awaken, my body feels sore and my throat is dry. It’s daylight, and I’m back inside Wreck’s cabin, ly
ing on my side across a blanket. I’m wearing wolf’s skin on top of my new ranger uniform. How did I get here? I don’t remember a thing. Well, at least I’m fully dressed this time.
I sit up, rubbing my eyes and trying to recall what happened. I don’t know whether I really did see spirits during the ritual or if it was just a drug-induced hallucination. But what I do know is that everything that I saw came from the depths of my mind. I need to liberate my friends. I want to kill Samuel. That is it. That is the destiny I can no longer deny.
But how to do all that? I have no idea.
A flask with water lies on the floor near my blanket. How thoughtful of Wreck. I drink greedily and pour some water on my head before rising to my feet. I look at my hands and they’re smudged in black and white paint. I guess, my face is painted. I place Gabriel’s knife in my pocket and walk outside, heading toward the river. The street is empty. The rangers must be all sleeping after last night’s celebration. If I run into Ace, I’m going to slit his throat.
Approaching the river, I find Wreck kneeling along the edge of water, washing his face. His back is turned toward me and he’s not wearing his shirt.
I stop, watching him, feeling my legs become wobbly. There’s a large colorful tattoo covering his entire back, and I immediately recognize the pattern. I blink a few times, refusing to believe my eyes. Am I still hallucinating? Samuel and Gabriel had identical tattoos. But it’s impossible. It would only mean that he is…
Wreck lied to me. His parents weren’t merchants. He’s a member of the high master’s family.
CHAPTER 35
Confused and shaken, I walk slowly toward him. Wreck glances at me, picks up his shirt and hurriedly pulls it on. He continues washing his face, but I know he knows I’ve seen his tattoo.
“Hey, Kora! Wild night, huh?” He winks at me. “Feeling well?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” I answer curtly, handing him the wolf skin. “I believe this is yours.”
“Well, you took it from me yesterday. You don’t remember?”
“No. I don’t even remember how I made it back to your place. Did you carry me?”
“No, we walked back together. But for sure, I thought you might have been in some sorta blackout. You were saying something about the creation of universe and how we all are brothers and sisters. Honestly though, I didn’t understand any of it.” He laughs. “You also told about half of the rangers how much you loved them. Although they were so drunk I doubt they’ll remember anything.”
I offer no comment. My adventure yesterday doesn’t trouble me at the moment, but his tattoo certainly does.
“Can you show me your tattoo?” I ask.
“”I don’t have a tattoo,” he lies, looking straight into my eyes.
I frown. “Wreck, you know I’ve already seen it.”
“Come on, Kora. You still must be hallucinating.”
Could I be? I don’t think so, but need to make certain.
“Take off your shirt,” I demand.
“Kora! Why do you want me to undress?” He moves in closer, smiling broadly. “What do you have on your mind? Somebody may come along and see us here, you know. We ought to at least wait until we make it back to my place.”
“Stop trying to distract me!” I give him a hard look. “Take off your shirt. Now!”
“No way.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
His refusal to show me his back makes me even more certain that my guess is correct. He’s concealing the fact that he’s a member of the high master’s family, which means that most of the things I know about him are untrue.
I lunge forward, grabbing his t-shirt. He easily pushes me away.
“What the hell, Kora?”
“Show me your back!”
I grab his shirt again, trying to pull it off. Astonished, he staggers back, clutching his shirt and pulling it back down. The fabric starts tearing.
“Are you crazy?!” Wreck yells. “Get away from me!”
“I know you have a tattoo! Show me!”
He removes my fingers from his shirt and shoves me away. I stumble a few steps backward, sneering, infuriated that he won’t do as I ask.
“Dang, Kora,” he chuckles. “I realize I’m a hot-looking guy, but that’s not a good enough reason for tearing off my clothes. You should learn to control your impulses.”
I lower my eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. You could be right. I’m still a little disoriented from the drug.”
Wreck watches me suspiciously.
“That’s all right,” he finally says, snatching up his hoodie from the grass.
I charge into him again. Wreck curses and pushes me aside. I slip on the mud, falling into the river, still tightly clutching his shirt. Wreck loses his balance as well, falling, and we both wind up in the water. I wrap my legs around him, holding my breath, trying to tear off his shirt. Pushing me away, Wreck attempts to raise his head above the surface. I pull him in closer to me. We grapple for a few moments, splashing in the water and slipping in the river bottom mud. He finally throws me away from him. I collapse again, holding what’s left of his shirt in my hands. Coughing and spitting water, a now shirtless Wreck crawls out of the river. As he turns his back toward me, I get another good look at the tattoo. I was not mistaken.
“Liar!” I shout. “You’re the son of a high master!”
“Stay the hell away from me!”
I climb out of the water and glare at him, breathing heavily. I don’t know why I’m getting so mad. What do I really care if he lied to me or not? Why am I so obsessed about his past?
Wreck stands motionless in front of me, his hands rolled into fists. I feel a little shaky yet determined. I must learn the truth.
“Damn it, Kora,” he says calmly. “You almost drowned me. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I recognized your tattoo. It’s the symbol of the high master’s family.”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s not a real tattoo, all right? It’s fake.”
“Stop lying! Nobody wears fake tattoos like that. You’re some kind of prince.”
He begins laughing. “Do you even hear what kinda crap you’re saying? Look at me, Kora. Just take a good long look at me. Do I really look like some damn prince to you?”
“No. But somehow you are one.” I take a step closer to him. “Who are you, Wreck? What’s your real name?” He remains silent. “Answer me! I have to know!”
“Why?”
“Because I’m sick and tired of not knowing who you are or what you’re plotting.”
“I’m not plotting anything.”
“How can I trust you? I feel like a fool after believing your lies. I want to hear your real story.”
He smirks, folding his arms across his chest. “It’s none of your damn business, Kora.”
“Oh yes, it is my business. I’ve done everything you asked me to. I joined your gang. I killed the chimera. I even allowed you to drug me during your stupid ritual.”
“Hey! It’s an important tradition.”
“Screw your traditions. And screw you, Wreck! I deserve to hear the truth after everything you’ve put me through!” I pause, out of breath, wondering why I’m getting so worked up. “Are you the high master’s son or not?”
“What the hell do you care? Why can’t you just be happy with who I am now? Dang it, Kora! I’m your friend. How can you doubt me? I rescued you. I’ve helped you all I could. I was ready to die for you. I still am. Isn’t that enough for you to trust me?”
“No!”
“Well,” he snorts. “That’s just too bad.”
“Who are you, Kris?”
He remains speechless, his lips pressed tightly together, and his reluctance to give me an answer is driving me crazy. I lunge forward, grab hold of his shoulders and shake him violently.
“Are you Samuel’s son?!” I yell. “Did I kill your brother!? Answer me!”
“Get the hell
away from me!”
He shoves me away so hard that I almost fall into the river again.
“Stay away from me, Kora, or I’ll make you sorry you didn’t,” he says harshly, and I realize I won’t be able to get the truth out of him.
He stares me down for a moment, then turns and leaves.
Alone, I pull Gabriel’s knife, approaching the nearest tree, and start stabbing the trunk. I hate you, hate you, hate you!
***
It’s warm outside so my clothes soon become dry. Walking through the village, I run into three tired-looking rangers and ask where I can get some food. They lead me inside a large cabin, where several women stand cooking in a kitchen. I sit alone at a table with a bowl of hot stew and bread. Several guys are dining in the other end of the room, but nobody bothers me.
My thoughts are racing. Is Wreck really Samuel’s son? Could it be possible? What’s real and what’s not? How can I use this information?
I finish my stew and head back toward his shack. I find him outside, throwing knives into a tree. He’s wearing his ranger outfit, so I can’t get another look at his tattoo. He pretends not to notice me.
I take a deep breath. “Wreck.”
“I don’t feel like company at the moment,” he says coldly.
“I just need to know who you really are… Please tell me, whatever it is.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve spent years trying to forget.”
He walks back inside his shack and I follow. I suppose I’m like a bulldog. Once I get my teeth into something, I won’t let go. Wreck plops onto the floor, still holding a knife and staring off blankly into space.
I kneel down beside him. “You remember anyway. So what’s the point in keeping it secret?”
He closes his eyes. “Kora, you have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
“Are you Samuel’s son? You’re a prince, right?”
His mouth twitches and he shoots me a look as if I’ve slapped him.
“Wrong. Samuel isn’t my father. He’s my uncle and the killer of my family.”