Jericho's Redemption

By MaryLGibbs

The battle is over, but the war has just begun. Jericho returns to the Obsidian camp, only to learn that her sister Candace destroyed it as part of a plot to dismantle the resistance movement that brought down their mother, the High Priestess. The rest of the resistance blames Jericho for the deaths of their friends, but that's the least of her worries. Not only does Jericho now have to right the wrongs her sister has done, she must contend with a few guests to the camp who bring secrets that will change her life forever. Either she'll redeem herself in the eyes of her comrades, or she'll die trying.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Cieslak
• Release date: Jun 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370110247

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Jericho’s Redemption

Mary Lynne Gibbs

Original text of Jericho’s Redemption

Copyright © 2012 Mary Lynne Gibbs

Jericho’s Redemption is published by Dragon’s Roost Press

This edition © 2017 Mary Lynne Gibbs and Dragon’s Roost Press

Cover Art © 2016 Don England

E-book Formatting: www.gopublished.com

All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to any persons living, dead, or otherwise animated is strictly coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1541094154

Dragon’s Roost Press

207 Gardendale

Ferndale, MI 48220

http://thedragonsroost.net/styled-3/index.html

For my mom.

I wish you could have read this one.

Thank you for encouraging my dreams.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Bio

Also Available from Dragon’s Roost Press

Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.

—Abraham Lincoln

Chapter One

The Obsidian camp lay in ruin. Glass from the windows, wood from the doors and furniture, and scraps of clothing were strewn all over the courtyard. Missing, thankfully, from the scene were the bodies of my friends and clan members. No blood either, as far as I could tell. It should have made me feel better, but it didn’t. A whole bunch of other grisly possibilities swirled around in my head instead.

Jericho?

A voice shook me out of my thoughts. It had to be Jared. He stood beside me and touched my arm. I didn’t look at him. I had more important things to do. I turned to the former guard, a refugee from the Keep who had stopped us on the road to the Keep to tell us what had happened to my friends, the former resistance, at the hands of my sister. The girl had worked for the High Priestess when she reigned.

What’s your name? I asked. I liked to know who I was yelling at.

Claire, she answered, and stood a little taller when she did. No one had ever asked her that, I’m sure. At the Keep, none of the guards had names or individual identities. They worked as one, and knew that if the High Priestess called GUARD! they’d better come running.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. Okay, Claire…I need you to tell me everything.

Wouldn’t you rather hear it from someone who isn’t the enemy? an angry voice behind us said.

The three of us turned around. Dana, my best friend and second-in-command, stood not far away. She had fire in her eyes and her weapon pointed at me.

Wait…me?

Dana? I said.

"She was there when our camp got destroyed," Dana said, and made a jab toward me with her blade.

My hands rose instinctively. Hey, I…. What the heck was she talking about? I wasn’t there. She knew that. I’d been at the Exile Camp.

I didn’t want to! Claire blurted out.

Jared and I both spun around, and I realized she’d been directly behind me the whole time. Dana’s odd behavior suddenly made a lot more sense—and made me feel pretty dumb for thinking she’d meant me.

We backed a few steps away from the former—or perhaps current— guard.

You didn’t want to do what, exactly? I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Jared folded his arms across his chest and gave her a scowl.

I…I helped them destroy your camp, Claire admitted, and bowed her head. Then she looked up, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. I had to! I didn’t want them to take me in. Your sister is worse than the High Priestess ever was. She’s not just crazy—she’s bloodthirsty. The things I’ve seen in the short time she’s been in power are horrible. She went quiet for a moment, and visibly shuddered before she continued. I couldn’t stay there. I ran.

Claire seemed sincere as she stood there, holding herself at the elbows in a very unguard-like way, but I’d learned the hard way that things weren’t always as they seemed. My cousin Ari, for instance. I had believed she was loyal to the resistance. When she led Dana and me into a trap that got us captured by my sister—the current High Priestess, or Queen, I guess—I learned my lesson.

I looked to Dana for her take on the situation. She glanced at Claire and scowled. That part is true. Candace has been pretty vicious lately.

Candace? I thought. Vicious? It seemed highly unlikely. After all, it was Candace—the woman who hated to travel at night because of the threat of bugs. But another, more pressing, question bothered me more. And what about the reason Claire gave for helping them wreck our camp? I asked. We needed to know—and know fast— where Claire stood. The rest, I’d get to.

I suppose that could be true, Dana admitted, reluctant to even say that much. Fear makes people do strange things. She lowered her weapon then, and took a deep breath. I guess we can believe her.

I nodded at Dana and returned my attention to Claire. You can stay with us, I said. But if you do anything against us, so help me, I’ll kill you myself.

Claire stared at me for a second before she blinked and said, Of course. I understand. Thank you.

Running a hand through my hair, I said, Okay, now that we have that settled…what happened?

Dana moved toward us, sheathing her weapon as she did. After you left, Rain and Kaila went to the Keep to work with Candace, and Darren and I came back here. Everything seemed to be okay for a few days. All the messages from the Keep were positive. Then, Scout showed up and told us Candace had thrown the whole Council into the dungeon. That’s when the stories of the raids and attacks started coming in, Dana said. She took a deep breath before she continued, and somehow I knew that what she’d say next wouldn’t be good. The attacks got more and more brutal. People are dying, Jericho. More than before. Not just by torture, but flat out murder. The color drained from her face, and she looked like she hadn’t had any sleep since the attacks started. Knowing Dana, she probably hadn’t. I felt really crappy that I’d left her, but what she said next threw me over the edge. An entire clan was wiped out yesterday.

Which one? I dared to ask.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and seemed to pale even more. Blue Mountain, she said. We found them shortly after it happened. There was so much blood. They were totally slaughtered.

The Blue Mountain clan was one of the smallest groups in the resistance…just five members total, and all women. None of them had any fighting experience, but they were keen hunters and provided the Obsidian clan with half of our meat. They tended to keep to themselves, except when it came time to trade. They were some of the nicest women, and always had warm smiles and kind words for their visitors.

I didn’t know what to say. I was just too shocked.

Jared must have realized I’d been stunned into silence, because he spoke right up. Where are the rest of the Obsidians? he asked. The question made my chest tighten. After what I’d just heard, I didn’t think I could handle the answer.

They’re safe, Dana said. I felt myself begin to breathe again. We’ve split up, though. A few people went to Rain’s camp to help out while she’s in the dungeon. Rain was the leader of the Red Oak clan. They’d worked closely with the Obsidians in the past, and even helped save Dana and me at the final battle with the High Priestess. We have a couple watching the Keep to see what Candace is up to. Those left are off trying to scrounge up supplies to help us fix up the camp, Dana said. Darren should be back any time now. He went to get us some water.

I nodded. That was it. I just stood there and nodded like an idiot. Of course, I felt relieved that none of our people were lost in the raid, but I couldn’t trust my own voice to put it into coherent words. I could barely put it into coherent thought, either. So, I just stood there and nodded.

Jared’s strong arm went around my shoulders, yet I hardly felt it, even as he pulled me closer to him. Good, he said, giving me a little squeeze of reassurance. At least we have some good news to work with. I looked up at him, confused by his words. My brain felt a little fuzzy by then. He gave me another squeeze and smiled. We’ll get this sorted out, he said. I wasn’t sure if he’d said that to me or to Dana.

Why don’t you two go rest for a little bit? Dana suggested, and our attention turned to her. Your room isn’t too bad. Take a nap. Your new friend can help me get started with the cleanup.

I have a name, my new friend said. It’s Claire.

Dana rolled her eyes, taking her head along for the ride. Okay, ‘Claire.’ You can tell me all about what happened at the Keep while we work, she said in a not-so- nice way.

Claire glared at her, but gritted her teeth and answered, Fine!

Dana turned to Jared and me. Go rest, she said. I’ll take care of things out here.

Thanks, I managed to mumble as Jared began to propel me by the shoulders toward our room.

Or, I should say, what was left of it.

Our door lay on the floor with a foot-sized hole in it, the hinges still in place. Someone kicked it in, I thought, and then reminded myself how obvious the statement was. Jared and I had to avoid the splintered remains of the doorjamb as we entered and crossed over the broken wood as if it was a bridge. The dresser drawers lay around the room as though they’d been flung. The mirror that had once been above the dresser was shattered and the frame hung askew. Glass from the broken window and mirror, as well as wood splinters, littered the floor. Other than a couple of drawers thrown on top of it, the bed seemed fine.

I looked around and heaved a sigh. Our shelter was safe no more. I felt violated and exposed. I started to feel angry until I noticed a picture frame on the floor at my feet. The frame once held the photo of my father and me when I was a little girl. Now it lay empty, the picture gone—or so I thought. Wide eyed, I looked closer and noticed that the ripped up remains of the picture were scattered purposely around the frame. My only picture of my father and me… gone.

For the first time in years, the tears flowed.

Hot, salty tears streamed down my cheeks and slipped off my chin as I sank to the floor, forgetting the glass and splinters. It didn’t matter if I cut myself or not. Some pain hurt much, much more. The person who had done this wanted to hurt me, and hurt me bad.

Candace.