Arundia Returns by Aya Walksfar

Author:Aya Walksfar [Walksfar, Aya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wild Haven Press
Published: 2016-07-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Alexis Night Runner

Three days after he should have returned, Gregory hadn’t come back. In fact, no one seemed to know where he was. Disheartened, I returned to one of the cubicles that had been assigned to the Warriors.

Just before dawn, a Warrior shook me awake. “Captain, First Councilwoman demands your presence in her room.”

I sat up on the edge of the cot and rubbed sleep from scratchy eyes. A quick glance at my watch and my heart hit warp speed as I sprang to my feet. “What’s wrong?” I hurriedly dressed.

The Warrior shrugged. “I was on inside patrol and the First Councilwoman opened her door and said to bring you to her. You’re to come alone.”

“Wake the Warriors...”

Before I could complete the sentence, the Warrior was shaking her head. “First Councilwoman was adamant that I was not to alert anyone else in the house; only you.”

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped down my back. I strapped on the short sword that hung on the back of a chair next to the cot. Leaning close to the Warrior’s ear, I whispered, “Wake the Warriors and have them play ghost and disperse into the woods outside the gates without anyone seeing them. I have a very bad feeling about this.”

Concern flashed across the Warrior’s face, but she’d been too well trained to question a commanding officer. “Yes, ma’am. What do I tell them?”

“Tell them to secrete themselves at some distance from the estate and to utilize evasive strategies, if necessary. They are not to engage with anyone unless Lieutenant Howitter or I command it.”

The Warrior hurried off to inform the others as I slipped out of the room and found Nikki patrolling downstairs. “Get the Warriors off the estate and hidden in the woods. Something’s not kosher. Serena demands my presence…in secrecy.” I swallowed hard and pushed the next unwelcome words out. “If anything happens to me, get the Warriors to Ri. Join forces with her People.”

Nikki didn’t engage in false assurances; she clapped a hand on my shoulder then rushed off.

Eyes closed, I gathered my resolve then went into the kitchen. I threw together a pot of coffee. A hard knot of dread filled my chest. I had to give the Warriors a chance to vanish into the woods.

I pulled the refrigerator open and removed what I needed to fix a couple of sandwiches. Tears filled my eyes as I slapped together Serena’s favorite--roast beef with plenty of horseradish sauce. Randomly opening cupboards, I found the stash of oatmeal raisin cookies wanton Nancy had baked that evening, and added several to the tray.

Unable to stall any longer, I headed up the stairs to Serena’s room. When I tentatively knocked on the closed door, she called for me to enter. As soon as I stepped inside, my gut clenched.

A wanton I didn’t recognize lay crumpled in the corner of the room. Though I wanted to rush to the woman, some survival instinct held me fast where I stood.

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