My hands start trembling. I want to grab his shirt and shake him, demanding he tell me the truth.
“Then how can I trust you?” I ask. “I know nothing about you. You’re some sort of lunatic. You scare me, Wreck.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he snorts.
“It’s not ridiculous!” I shout, my head spinning. “What do you want from me?! What are you planning?! Who are you, Kris?”
He glares at me, offering no answer. His mere presence feels intimidating. There’s something creepy and unwell about him. I take a few steps back, gazing at his knife. Drops of sweat pop out on my forehead. My legs feel weak.
“Stay away from me,” I mutter when he tries to approach.
“Dang, Kora! Have I ever given you a single reason not to trust me?”
“For sure,” I breathe out. “Lots of reasons. You’ve attacked me, put a knife to my throat. And you also kidnapped me and forced me to join your gang and…” I gasp, feeling suffocated. “You’re really strange. One moment you’re funny and kind, and then the next… you become violent… and…”
“Kora, are you all right?”
He takes a step toward me and I hold out my arms, motioning for him to stop. “Don’t touch me!”
“Kora, you’re pale and sweating. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
My legs give and I sit down hard on the ground. It feels like being underwater. Sounds become muffled and a blurry fog envelops me. I plop over onto my back. Wreck kneels beside me, feeling my forehead. I’m too weak to push him away.
“Oh shoot, you’re burning up!” he exclaims, his eyes widening.
“I’m just tired,” I mutter.
“Nah, something is not right.” He touches my neck. “Your pulse is too slow. Are you nauseous? Have a headache?”
“A little…”
“Open your mouth.”
I do as he directs. Wreck squints, tilting my head back and looking into my mouth.
“You have a sore throat,” he states.
He unzips my jacket, pulling it off, and examines the scratches on my arm. The skin around them is dark purple.
“I’ll be…” he breathes out. “Your scratches are infected. Why didn’t you tell me? This is no joke!”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s bad… It’s real bad. I think you’ve caught chimera fever. Hold on. We’ll fix you up.”
Wreck quickly scoops me from the ground and carries me effortlessly, as if I’m weightless. I sag limply in his arms. My eyes roll back inside my head.
“Stay with me, Kora!” Wreck commands. “Don’t you dare die on me.”
He starts running. I will myself to remain awake, but my mind drifts away. When I next come to, we’re at the edge of the village. There are several trucks parked along the street, and three rangers stand in front of us.
“Move out of my way!” Wreck barks.
“You’re not authorized to use one of these vehicles.”
Wreck bares his teeth, carefully places me onto the ground and lunges forward. I hear sounds of fighting, somebody’s cursing and then everything becomes quiet. Wreck returns and picks me up, carrying me toward the nearest truck. I catch a glance of the three rangers stretched out across the road.
I black out.
“Stay awake, Kora! We’re almost there!”
I open my eyes. I’m inside a moving truck, half lying in the seat. Wreck is driving.
“Where are we going?” I manage to wheeze.
“To my mentor. I got no idea how to treat chimera fever. It’s a rare infectious disease. I’ve never had to deal with it before. Just stay awake. Fight, Kora! Can you hear me?!”
Darkness.
***
I awaken in a soft warm bed. A few candles illuminate the small room. I feel sore and my head heavy. An old thin woman sits on the edge of the bed, mixing something in a steaming cup.
“Hi Kora,” she says in a soft voice. “How you feeling, sweetie?”
“I’m okay,” I mutter. “Where am I?”
“You’re in my home. Don’t worry. You’re safe here.”
“What happened?”
“You caught chimera fever from the infection. It’s very dangerous. Kris brought you here yesterday. You were unconscious. If you arrived an hour later, you could easily be dead by now. But don’t worry. You’ll feel better very soon. The fever hits hard, but goes just as quickly with the right treatment.”
I nod, too weak to speak. The woman smiles, watching me. She has short gray hair and kind, intelligent eyes.
“I’m Jin by the way,” she says. “And I’m very happy to finally get to meet you. Kris has told me a lot of things about you. You’re a very brave girl.”
I manage a small smile.
“Drink this tea.” She puts a cup to my lips, raising my head a little. “It will break your fever and help you sleep.”
I take a long sip of the sweet warm liquid, thinking of my mother. I close my eyes and pass out again.
CHAPTER 33
A soft hand gently caresses my face.
“You found her,” Amy whispers in my ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
Her excited laughter awakens me. It’s daytime and I realize I’m completely alone in the room. Bright sunshine pours through an open window. I don’t remember when I last saw sunshine.
Smiling, I sit up and look around. There are a couple of chairs beside the bed along with a small dresser and wooden table. Everything looks antique but clean and cozy. I feel relaxed. Using the side of the bed for balance, I get to my feet. I’m barefoot, dressed in a knee-length sleeveless nightgown, the type an old lady might wear. And it seems to me this nightgown is the only piece of clothing I have on. A quick glance underneath confirms my guess. I plop back down on the bed in a stupor. My memory is partially blank.
A moment later I notice a
