“Don’t touch me with your filthy hands,” he spits angrily and slaps me lightly, the way you might slap a misbehaving pet.
His hands squeeze my throat again. I grip both arms, trying to pull them away. It’s useless. Gabriel is so much stronger than me.
“It’s all right,” he says soothingly. “Everything will be over soon. You’ll be free.”
His fingers press deeper into my skin. The room darkens. I don’t feel scared or anxious anymore. My body relaxes. And during my last conscious moment I can only hope my mother never learns what happened to me. It would certainly kill her too.
CHAPTER 10
When I come to, I’m still lying on my back, unable to see. I hear two voices speaking above me.
“What were you doing with her?” an unfamiliar voice asks.
“What’s wrong, father?” Gabriel answers. “It seems you’re upset about something. Why don’t you take a seat and have some wine?”
“Answer my question! What were you doing with this servant?”
“I’ve been teaching this poor soul a lesson about wrongfulness in our world. It was merely for her educational benefit, father.”
“Damn it, Gabriel! You nearly killed her.”
“And so? Do I not have the right to do as I please with these servants? Isn’t that what you and dear mother have been preaching my entire life?”
My vision returns. I sit up and look around. I’m in the middle of the room between Gabriel and a tall mid-aged man with light-brown hair. He must be Gabriel’s father, the High Master Samuel. They have similar features. Samuel is handsome and his eyes the same icy blue. I hunch my back, trying to appear smaller.
“They’re too expensive to waste,” Samuel says. “If you don’t stop wasting them, I…”
“Yes, father?” Gabriel calmly interrupts. “What exactly will you do if I don’t stop?”
Samuel sighs, shaking his head. He opens his mouth to speak, but Gabriel motions for him to remain quiet.
“Don’t threaten me, father,” he says in a menacing voice. “You’re well aware how I may suddenly forget what differentiates servants from masters, should I stop killing. And you must think of the consequence of my forgetting.”
Samuel doesn’t reply. Gabriel gives him a long hard glare, staring him down until his father finally looks away. I think Samuel is scared of his own son. And I can’t say I blame him.
Gabriel gently takes my hand and helps me to my feet.
“It was a pleasure having a conversation with you, Kora,” he says softly. “You’re a good girl. You may leave now.”
I exit the room and sprint along the corridor and down the staircase. An odd euphoria washes over me. I laugh hysterically, my eyes tearing.
I’ve survived, I think. I’ve survived Gabriel and have no real injuries. Gosh, I’m lucky!
Once outside, I double over and throw up. It’s actually relieving. When I’m finished, I feel cleansed and empty, my head completely free from thought.
Amethyst is waiting for me outside the entrance of our quarters. Her eyes are swollen and red. She throws her arms around me.
“Kora! Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
I suddenly break down, gulping and choking as if Gabriel is still strangling me. I can almost feel his hands still gripping my throat. I can see his saddened yet merciless eyes piercing me.
“I’m so sorry I let him take you,” Amy sobs. “I’m so stupid!”
I don’t understand what she’s apologizing for. What could Amy possibly have done to stop Gabriel? What can any of us do to help another?
“I promise I’ll never let anybody hurt you again,” Amy says.
She weeps, wiping away her tears.
“Don’t cry,” I manage in a surprisingly calm and steady voice. “I’m all right, really. He didn’t hurt me too badly.”
Amy leads me inside our quarters. Martha and Topaz sit on top of a bed, holding each other. Their eyes are also puffy. Looks like everybody has been crying today.
“We heard some really bad news,” Amy announces. “Joan and Brutus told us that the first Terror Race is next week. And they informed us what we’ll have to do.”
She pauses, lips trembling. I patiently wait for her to deliver the bad news. I already know it’s going to be something terrible. But I don’t care. I guess the human ability to become frightened or worried has limitations. I’ve already reached my limit today.
“We’ll be chased down by chimeras,” Amy says. “We’re being used as bait.”
***
We use the following six days to vigorously train for the Terror Race. None of us knows exactly what chimeras are, but we suspect they must be dangerous animals of some type. Topaz and Martha heard rumors they’re big as horses, have teeth like sharks and horns similar to elk. I’m not sure whether to believe it. Joan with Brutus don’t explain anything well enough.
“It’s an old tradition,” Topaz says. “I read where masters from Central Settlement hunt chimeras for their horns. I understand they’re precious.”
Great. I wonder what my chances are. Apparently, Brutus and Joan are the only two racers to ever survive the Terror Races. I already know I’m likely going to fail, but refuse to give up. Giving up would mean forgetting my dreams and becoming a runaway slave. And escaping is one of the worst crimes I could possibly commit. The masters hunt down, torture and ultimately kill runaway servants.
But if I can only survive the next twelve months, if I can only suffer through six of the Terror Races, I will have my freedom. And should I happen to screw up and fail, then… then it won’t matter anyway.
The attitude of the other racers toward me doesn’t exactly improve my spirit. Most continue
