Promise: The Fighting Girl

By Maya Shepherd

Polyora is back. The lives of billions of people are in danger once again. The only hope lies in Promise, a city in which the antidote is rumored to exist.

Nea embarks on an uncertain journey. She is accompanied by the mysterious Arras, who remains silent about his past. Only when Nea achieves her goal does a truth reveal itself that is more terrible than anything she could ever imagine. Not only her future, but the future of humanity is at stake. If Nea has learned one thing, it's that there is always hope as long as you don't stop fighting for what you love.

A thrilling and heroic tale in a world devastated by disease.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maya Shepherd
• Release date: Aug 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781507148693

Book preview

Maya Shepherd

Promise

„The Fighting Girl"

Table of Contents

Title Page

Promise: The Fighting Girl

What Happened Before...

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Epilogue

Afterword

Thanks

Translated by Bradley Hall

Copyright ©2014 Maya Shepherd

Coverdesign: Cover-up! by Bianca Holzmann

All rights, including full or partial reprinting in any form is reserved.

Facebook: Maya Shepherd

Blog: www.mayashepherd.blogspot.de

Twitter: MayaShepherd

––––––––

For my wonderful readers

who have ventured with Nea

on her journey to Promise.

What Happened Before...

Before being burned at the stake, Miro managed to rescue Nea and brought her into a Carris government building. While Miro lives, he is no longer the same person Nea once knew. He now calls himself Ereb and is not only the god of the Carris; he is also the father of Kasia’s child. At first, Nea tried to take him to task, but it soon became clear that Miro was just a puppet of Urelitas, a high priest of Carris. Miro and many of the Carris followers are under the influence of Memoria, a drug used to quell uprisings before they start by making the user into a mindless drone.

After Nea’s wounds have healed, she is sent with the other slaves to work in the fields. Together with Arras, the twins, and other slaves, she plans her escape. They want to set fire to the whole town, not just their buildings, but the lab where Memoria is produced as well.

Before this can happen, Nea is brought into the government building on a pretext. Urelitas locks her away because he considers her dangerous. He then spreads a rumor amongst the slaves that she fled alone.

The day of the escape comes and the other slaves stick to the plan and set a large fire across the city while Nea is stuck in prison. Miro frees her and they escape. Together with Kasia and the baby, they flee to the agreed upon meeting place. But on the way, Miro remains to stop Urelitas and the Carris.

The rebels seek shelter in an old farmhouse. While Nea forges her plan to liberate Miro, Irina and Harold fall ill. It appears to be an ordinary flu, but quickly it turns out to be Polyora, the deadly disease has somehow come back. The oldest two members of the group die.

Arras admits to Nea that there was a rumor in Promise that an antidote to Polyora exists, but remains silent as to his sources for the information.

Together, they return to Fortania to rescue Miro. They are just in time to see a large parade that will culminate with him being burned at the stake, having been branded a traitor. They manage to prevent Miro from being killed. Urelitas is also suffering from Polyora. Panic ensues among the Carris and many flee the city. Of those who remain, many help Nea and her friends around the city.

After Urelitas becomes even more ill, Elias falls sick. He was Kasia’s first love, but is now with Emmi who fled to Promise to seek the elusive antidote. In the face of his impending death, Kasia admits to Elias that he, not Miro, is the father of her daughter. Nea overheard the conversation and implores Kasia to tell Miro the truth, but she steadfastly refuses.

Nea struggles with her conscience and her feelings. She feels connected to Arras, but at the same time she feels love for Miro, and for the first time he also seems to reciprocate her love. But when she tells him what she found out about Kasia and her baby, he becomes angry, not only at Kasia, but Nea as well, because she did not tell him directly. After Faith falls ill, Nea decides to leave the city to search for the antidote herself.

Miro goes after her and confesses his love. Nea is overwhelmed by her feelings and remains to give their relationship a chance. Thus they not only anger Kasia, who cannot bear to lose Miro, but also Arras, who had hoped that he and Nea could be more. He leaves the city in order to not stand in the way of Nea’s happiness.

But the twins are also disappointed in Nea’s decision. Under these circumstances, Nea cannot enjoy her relationship with Miro. She suffers from guilt. Miro also senses this and releases Nea so she may search for the antidote. They promise to remain true to each other. While Nea sets out on her journey, Miro remains with the others in the city.

On her way, Nea meets a group of brigands, who have somehow managed to capture Arras. Nea manages to free him and flee with him. Arras offers his support to accompany her to Promise.

One

It’s a starry night as Nea and Arras walk on the lonely highway. Since there is no electricity, the nights are dark. Not only is there no light from street lamp, but there are no lights on in shop windows or homes or illuminating billboards. Looking out at the horizon is like looking into a black hole.

They pass at least one abandoned car every mile. Their owners fled long ago. They fled in search of food or they ran out of gas and decided to continue the rest of their trip on foot Where were they going? Who knows? The cars are all smashed, broken up, the useful pieces picked up by scavengers. There are pieces of glass everywhere. The wind has scattered it every which way over the past several years. All of the cars are covered with rust. Some are covered with plants.

In the period after the outbreak of Polyora, the people did not want to believe the whole world was affected, instead hoping, praying, that the contagion was limited to a single country or a single continent. They tried to flee, hoping it would be different elsewhere. But soon word got around that there was no place that wasn’t affected.

Nevertheless gasoline is a very rare, and therefore, valuable, commodity. It has been years since Nea last saw a moving car.

Several feet away a wreck stands out of the shadows of the night. It is a Jeep. It is only when they stand in front of it do they see that the windows are still intact. The driver’s door is unlocked and the glove box is open. It’s almost as though someone had been sitting in the car a few minutes before.

Arras’ hand lies down on the cool metal of the door.

I doubt we will find something useful in that car, let alone discover that it’s still usable, Nea says critically.

We should take a break, Arras replies as he reaches into the interior to unlock the other doors. You can have the back seat.

For a moment Nea stands undecided before the Jeep. They have been on the road for nearly a week and the atmosphere between them is still very tense. Arras behaves courteously and is considerate, almost gentle. But familiarity has disappeared. They are like strangers who happen to have the same goal. They were so much more than that. But all this is in the past.

Nea feels guilty toward him. She hurt him and there is nothing she could do or say to make it undone. Sometimes she wishes he would yell at her. If they argued, then perhaps they could make up and finally be friends again. But it is not so easy. Everything is unsaid between them. Nea chose Miro and Arras will probably never forgive her. She does not even know why he offered to accompany her. Perhaps he feels obliged to her after she saved his life for the third time. Still, she is glad that he is with her. She spent two years completely on her own and therefore should not be afraid of loneliness but she is no longer the same. She has changed - Arras has changed her.

Finally Nea slides into the backseat. The seat has some cracks and is completely worn out, but it feels better than being on the cold and wet forest floor.

Arras sits behind the wheel, so Nea can only see him from the side from behind. He stares straight ahead.

Will you take first watch? She asks him, just to break the silence.

Yes, now sleep, he replies repellently.

Make sure you wake me halfway through the night this time! Most nights he had not, he just let her sleep. Whenever Nea then woke in the morning, her guilt became even worse, almost as if Arras intended it. When she asked him about it, he would just shrug his shoulders.

If you do not sleep, the night will pass anyway, Arras growls, ignoring her demand. He is annoyed by her and that hurts Nea. She feels as though nothing will be able to make things right between them. If she tries to reconcile things, he becomes repellent. When she talks about something trivial, he only gives monosyllabic answers. If she remains silent, he says nothing.

She pulls her legs in and lies down flat on the back seat, closes her eyes, and tries to sleep. the days are long. They walk each day since the early morning hours. Her feet are throbbing. Her map did not survive the fall into the river, so they use a compass to guide them. Promise is in the south. Arras has taken the lead, and it looks as if he knows the way. Nea relies entirely on him.

Although she is tired, sleep does not come easy. She listens to Arras breathing. If she stretched out her hand, she could touch him, and yet he feels so far away.

Arras? She whispers in the silence.

She sees his shoulders tense at the sound of her voice.

What is it?

Can you set your breathing to mine?

If she could only see his face’s reaction to her question. He remains motionless for a moment before he rises with a soft sigh from his seat, gets out of the car, and comes to her in the back seat. He sinks into the seat and continues to look straight ahead.

Nea sits up and looks at him intently. The faint light of the moon shines on his dark hair and sparkles in his eyes. At the sight of him, her heart contracts - she missed him so much. At this moment, a lot more than she misses Miro.

Do you think we will be there soon? She asks softly. From outside, only the wind rustling leaves and the chirping of crickets can be heard.

It’s not far, he says evasively.

You know the way, right?

He does not answer, but instead looks out the window into the dark night.

Will you not tell me what happened in Promise? We’re almost there...

His head snaps around to face her and interrupts her sharply: No, Nea! I do not want to talk about it.

She winces at his loud words. It has been a long time since she has seen him angry. The last time was when he left Fortania. Perhaps this is the moment she has been waiting for. She could try to provoke him further, in the hopes of finally airing his feelings. There are certainly a lot of things she could say, but before she can say anything, he touches her knee. His hand is warm. She can feel the heat emanating from his body through her jeans. He has avoided her for days, barely looked at her and now to be this close, it takes her breath away.

Let me go alone, he urges.

The spell is broken. She pushes his hand away. I made a promise to Hope. This is not your job! She replies angrily.

But you do not know what awaits you there.

He stretches his arms out to her surprise and acts totally desperate, but Nea braces her arms against her chest. Then finally tell me what awaits me there.

The beginning of the end, he says with meaning. He has not been looking forward to this moment all week. Perhaps there is an antidote in Promise, but you will never leave from there.

You were there and managed to get away! Nea countered stubbornly. Why should I not succeed? You’re stronger than me, but I’m at least as tough as you are.

Arras lowers his head as he realizes that she cannot be dissuaded from this path, no matter how hard he tries. Nea, the man I once was died in Promise. I’m just a shadow of myself.

Then it is time for you to get your old self back.

You would like him, not because he ran like a coward, but because of it.

Nea shakes her head uncomprehendingly. Why is it so hard for you to tell me the truth? No matter what you’ve done, I’m the last person who has the right to judge you in any way.

Arras is at odds with himself. Part of him wants to tell Nea everything. He knows that his silence is one of the reasons Nea ultimately chose Miro. His secrets have always been like an insurmountable wall between them. No matter how close they have been, Nea always knew there was something about him that he was not willing to share with her. But if he had told her the truth, she would hate him if she did not kill him on the spot. There is no excuse for what he has done. When he looks into her trusting eyes, it puts heavy chains around his heart that close his mouth.

You will learn the truth soon enough, he says, and rises abruptly out of the car. He feels her gaze in his neck as he sits back down in the driver’s seat. Sleep! We will arrive at Promise tomorrow afternoon. You will need your strength.

Nea is surprised they are so close. She looks into the rearview mirror and sees him looking at her, then she turns away and lies down on the back seat.

––––––––

The sky is cloudless and the sun beats down mercilessly on the skin. In the morning, Nea and Arras left the highway and went on overland paths leading mostly through fields and open meadows. There are hardly any trees to provide shade or offer protection against enemies. The farther they are to the south, the hotter it seems to be. Nea pulled her parka off a long time ago and tied it around her hips while she can feel the fabric of her shirt stick soaked in sweat and stick to her back. It is not unusual for them to travel long distances, but the heat causes them to strain. Arras does not seem to mind, because he is still wearing his coat and does not seem to be sweating. Today, they have barely spoken to each other, while there is plenty they must discuss. What do they expect in Promise? Will they ever get access to the city?

Nea holds back all of her questions. Only Arras’ tense demeanor and their conversation from last night, if you can call it a conversation at all, is keeping her from talking.

At noon their water bottles are empty and there is no drinking water in sight. Are you quite sure we will reach Promise soon? Nea asks worriedly.

Arras lets his eyes wander over the horizon. In the distance the outlines of houses can be seen. However, it is not enough for a city. Do you see the houses?

Nea nods.

From there, it will only be a half an hour.

She raises her eyebrows in surprise. Although Arras already told her last night, she cannot believe that they are so close to their goal. For two years she