Quick, Amanda by The Captive Read Free Book Online

miss this place
    when she was living on Trellis. "Hey, Lynnie, got any adventure left in your soul?" "Why?" she asked
    suspiciously. "What do you want to do now?" "Why, go visit Number Four, of course," Magny said with
    a wink and a grin. Ashlynne stared at her. "Are you crazy?" "Maybe," Magny replied with a wave of her
    hand. "Well, do you want to?" "Of course not," Ashlynne replied, but she was dressing as she spoke, her
    heart pounding, not at the very real possibility of getting caught, but at the thought of seeing Number Four
    again. She began to have second thoughts as they drew closer to the mine. Her father would be furious,
    her mother appalled. "Mag," she whispered, "I don't think this is such a good idea." "Sure it is. Be careful,
    don't step in that hole." Ashlynne followed Magny across the bridge, all her senses alert, She jumped
    when one or the boards creaked, the noise sounding like thunder in her ears, gave a little shriek when a
    night bird flew in front of her face. "Lynnie, be quiet!" "Sorry." Ashlynne glanced over her shoulder.
    "What if we get caught?" "We'll just say I forgot something at home and we came down to get it." Magny
    turned right, skirting the edge of the compound, until they drew near the squat cells that housed the
    prisoners. "This is silly," Ashlynne said, looking around. "We won't be able to see him anyway. There's
    no light in the hut." Magny whirled around to face her. "And just how do you know that, Lynnie?" Mouth
    agape, Ashlynne stared at her friend. "Well?" Magny tapped her foot on the ground. "I'm waiting." "I-I-I
    don't know. I'm just guessing. I mean, do they have lights in the huts?" "Ashlynne Myrafloures, tell me the
    truth! You've been down here before, haven't you? When?" "You won't tell?" "Of course not." "It was
    when my parents went to Partha the last time. I forgot you were gone, too, and I decided to come down
    for a visit." "Go on." "Well, I decided as long as I was here, I'd look around. I went to look in the cells,
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    and. I saw Number Four. It was right after he was brought here. He was wounded, remember? I heard
    him moaning and I made Dagan open the door for me." Magny grinned at her. "Dagan thinks you're
    pretty, you know." "What? Don't be silly." "Go on," Magny urged, "what happened?" "Nothing. He
    opened the door and I treated Number Four's wound and then I left." "You call that nothing? Why didn't
    you ever tell me this before?" "Why do you think?" Magny laughed softly. "I think you're a lot braver than
    you think you are, my Lady Myrafloures, that's what I think. Come on." Like thieves in the night, they
    crept along until they reached Number Four's cell. "All right, we're here. Can we go home now?"
    Ashlynne whispered. "Of course not. We look inside." "Tell me again why we're doing this?" "Because
    you think he's handsome. Go on, you go first." Ashlynne rolled her eyes. The sooner she got this over
    with, the sooner they could go back home. Taking a deep breath, she stood on tiptoe and peeked in the
    barred opening, and found herself staring into Number Four's face, which was clearly visible in the
    moons' light. With a gasp, she jumped back, and bumped into Magny. "He's awake!" Ashlynne
    exclaimed, and turning on her heel, she ran for the bridge, and didn't stop running until she was on the
    other side. Magny joined her a moment later. For a minute, they just stared at each other, and then
    Magny burst out laughing. "It's not funny!" Ashlynne said, and knew she would never forget the look of
    bitter despair on Number Four's face, or the way it had turned to anger when he saw her staring at him.
    As if he were an animal in a cage. The laughter died on Magny s lips when she saw the expression on
    Ashlynne's face. "Are you crying?" Ashlynne wiped the tears from her eyes. "No, of course not. Can we
    go home now?"

Chapter Five
    "The pool needs cleaning," Jadeleine remarked at