Read Online Arissa's Fate (Redemption Trilogy) by Amanda Daul - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda Daul
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her along in the story. It was painfully obvious how difficult it was for her to dredge up the memories that had destroyed her so.
Fresh tears threatened to glisten in her eyes as she nodded. “I had only left a minute and he was gone. I knew something terrible had happened and I was so afraid it was because of what I had been doing under the General’s command. I had to find out if I was going to have a chance at figuring out who had kidnapped Cayl.
“I went to the Governor’s mansion immediately. I had already thought of ten different things that could have happened to order a hit on Cayl, but I needed to know for sure if something serious had happened.”
A cold shiver of terror flashed through her as she tried to allow her scared brain to relive it.
“I got to the mansion and, of course, everybody knew me and I went straight to the Governor’s office. I opened the door and he was lying on the floor, dead. I couldn’t tell what had killed him, but the next moment a group of militia soldiers came in behind me with guns. Obviously, they thought I had done it. I was standing over the body, I had been the only person on that floor and I had no alibi because Cayl was gone. Nobody believed me about what I had to say, all they wanted to do was arrest me.”
The liquid in Arissa’s mug had cooled down by now, but she continued to sip at it, just as an excuse to stop talking for a moment to gather her thoughts.
“I panicked. I couldn’t let myself be arrested, the General would have me sentenced to death the next day and Cayl would have been killed. I had to run. I’m just lucky that the majority of the General’s army is made up of clueless amateurs.”
“I couldn’t stay at home, but I had another safe house in Daer that no one knew about. I stayed there for a while and the only one who knew was this apprentice boy who Cayl had been training. Several times Cayl was able to smuggle letters out to me from wherever he was. I have no idea how he did this, but they always ended up with Jefferson, his apprentice. It was the only news I could get about him since no one seemed to believe he had been kidnapped, even though he was suddenly missing. Immediately after I received the last letter from him, Jefferson disappeared and I haven’t seen him since.”
“What made you finally start looking for him?” Landon encouraged, his voice remaining soft and heartening. It was obvious he empathized for her.
“At first I thought something would blow over and he would show up, but then I began to lose faith and I had more than my job and my name to lose. I had to do something because, evidently, nobody else was going to. I went back to our home to get Raze and I left.”
Thinking of Raze saddened her even more. She loved her stallion and hoped that he had somehow found his way home or at least off the dreadful mountain.
“I had no idea of where to start. I stayed hidden as much as possible. I didn’t enter any towns or villages until I came to find you a few days ago. After meeting a few groups of soldiers in the forests, word must have gotten out that I was on the run and before I knew it, I had dozens of people trying to kill me every day. It took me months of making countless circles around the entire country just trying to get rid of as many as I could. I was scared. I was terrified for my family. I didn’t know where to go. I was running blind until I got it out of a bounty hunter who tried to arrest me that they were bringing him to Vailwood.”
“You didn’t do it,” Landon whispered, his voice sounding shocked. It was the first time Arissa looked up to meet his incredulous
Fresh tears threatened to glisten in her eyes as she nodded. “I had only left a minute and he was gone. I knew something terrible had happened and I was so afraid it was because of what I had been doing under the General’s command. I had to find out if I was going to have a chance at figuring out who had kidnapped Cayl.
“I went to the Governor’s mansion immediately. I had already thought of ten different things that could have happened to order a hit on Cayl, but I needed to know for sure if something serious had happened.”
A cold shiver of terror flashed through her as she tried to allow her scared brain to relive it.
“I got to the mansion and, of course, everybody knew me and I went straight to the Governor’s office. I opened the door and he was lying on the floor, dead. I couldn’t tell what had killed him, but the next moment a group of militia soldiers came in behind me with guns. Obviously, they thought I had done it. I was standing over the body, I had been the only person on that floor and I had no alibi because Cayl was gone. Nobody believed me about what I had to say, all they wanted to do was arrest me.”
The liquid in Arissa’s mug had cooled down by now, but she continued to sip at it, just as an excuse to stop talking for a moment to gather her thoughts.
“I panicked. I couldn’t let myself be arrested, the General would have me sentenced to death the next day and Cayl would have been killed. I had to run. I’m just lucky that the majority of the General’s army is made up of clueless amateurs.”
“I couldn’t stay at home, but I had another safe house in Daer that no one knew about. I stayed there for a while and the only one who knew was this apprentice boy who Cayl had been training. Several times Cayl was able to smuggle letters out to me from wherever he was. I have no idea how he did this, but they always ended up with Jefferson, his apprentice. It was the only news I could get about him since no one seemed to believe he had been kidnapped, even though he was suddenly missing. Immediately after I received the last letter from him, Jefferson disappeared and I haven’t seen him since.”
“What made you finally start looking for him?” Landon encouraged, his voice remaining soft and heartening. It was obvious he empathized for her.
“At first I thought something would blow over and he would show up, but then I began to lose faith and I had more than my job and my name to lose. I had to do something because, evidently, nobody else was going to. I went back to our home to get Raze and I left.”
Thinking of Raze saddened her even more. She loved her stallion and hoped that he had somehow found his way home or at least off the dreadful mountain.
“I had no idea of where to start. I stayed hidden as much as possible. I didn’t enter any towns or villages until I came to find you a few days ago. After meeting a few groups of soldiers in the forests, word must have gotten out that I was on the run and before I knew it, I had dozens of people trying to kill me every day. It took me months of making countless circles around the entire country just trying to get rid of as many as I could. I was scared. I was terrified for my family. I didn’t know where to go. I was running blind until I got it out of a bounty hunter who tried to arrest me that they were bringing him to Vailwood.”
“You didn’t do it,” Landon whispered, his voice sounding shocked. It was the first time Arissa looked up to meet his incredulous
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