Wind Demon Triology: Book II: Evil Wind (30 page)

"Aye, Your Eminence,” Shei-Ling replied and hurried to do her mistress’ bidding.

"I will take care of you, Kam,” Kym said as she sat down at her desk, unlocked a drawer where she'd stored the box of disklettes for Kahmal and the brass-studded box that contained the specialized instruments used in the implantation process. “By all that is holy, I will."

Shei-Ling approached the cage cautiously, looking around her for any suspicious eyes that might be watching. “Milord Cree?” she called out.

The Prime Reaper lifted his head. He saw the vac-syringe in her hand but didn't even protest as he got to his feet and walked over to the bars. “My morning joy juice, eh?"

"With a little extra kick to try to knock out that headache,” she said.

He stood still as she swabbed his neck and quickly administered the burning liquid, barely flinching for his mind was elsewhere.

"All is in readiness,” Shei-Ling said as she withdrew the needle. “I am sorry for the loss of your blood daughter."

He nodded and rubbed absently at the stinging pain in his neck. “Tell LeJong I am grateful for all she's done.” He looked into Shei-Ling's eyes. “And for everything you've done, milady."

"I've one last errand to run before the festivities begin,” Shei-Ling said. “I will extend your goodbyes to Her Eminence."

"Aye, do that and tell her.... “He half-smiled. “Tell her I wish for the Wind to be always at her back."

Shei-Ling reached through the bars and laid her hand on his cheek. “As those of us from the Multitude wish the same for you, Milord Cree."

Cree watched her hurry back into the building and was still watching when she came out again and headed for the docking station. He saw she was carrying something in her hand and wondered what Kym was sending to Kahmal now.

"Thank you, LeJong,” he whispered, closing his eyes to send the subliminal to the woman who had risked so much to keep him and his safe.

Kahmal shook hands with Shei-Ling and asked her to extend blessings to the Prophetess-Mother. “Tell her all is in readiness and we will not fail."

Shei-Ling frowned. “Did anyone from the Festival committee come to assign you places of honor in the courtyard?"

"Some fat bitch did, but I told her we would have a better seat watching from our vid-com than being pushed and shoved in the courtyard with thousands of other women,” Kahmal said with a snort. “When she would have protested that at least I as the one who captured Kamerone Cree should be attendance to watch his bloodkin executed, I reminded her Amazeen warrioresses did not like to be rub shoulders with those we consider beneath us and I let her know by my glare how I felt about her. She hastened to leave."

"So no one should question why you are not highly visible."

"Even if they do, it doesn't matter,” Kahmal stated.

Shei-Ling grinned. “May the Wind be always at your back, Major, and the goddess with you."

"She will be,” Kahmal replied.

Turning to go, Shei-Ling stopped then snapped her fingers together and spun back around. “By the way, the other ships here on the hub have been disabled so no one will be following you out the iris. You don't have to worry about it cycling open, either. That's been taken care of. As soon as the last Reaper is shackled to the pole, engage your engines and snatch them up. There will be enough noise that no one will notice you blasting out of here."

"Let's hope not,” Kahmal said.

"I believe you can count on it, Major,” Shei-Ling assured her.

Prince Kamau Taborn and the members of his Necromanian crew were just outside the gravitational pull of Rysalia Prime with the Scaan technology cloaking in place. Not a single ship had been aware of the LRC as it sat there on the edge of orbit.

"Fifteen minutes until the festivities begin,” Prince Kamau's Com Officer reported.

"Power up our weapons,” Kamau ordered, “just in case.” He looked to the Navigational Officer. “Are you locked on to the other three ships?"

"The StarRaider is about four clicks larboard,” the Nav Off reported. “The
DarkWind
and the Diabolusian ship are two clicks beyond them to the starboard."

"What of the Amazeen ship?"

"It's still in its docking harness inside the hub and the engines have yet to engage."

Kamau bit down on the cuticle on his thumb nail. It was a nervous habit his men knew all too well. “And the princess Zainabu? Is she safely on the Amazeen vessel?"

The Nav Off nodded. “Aye, Your Grace, she is."

Breathing out a long breath at that news, Kamau nodded. “Good. As long as she is safe."

The Nav Off and Com Off exchanged glances. Everyone on the Necromanian ship was aware how the princess felt toward the J'Bai of Prince Lares Taborn.

In the cargo hold of the StarRaider Raphaella Constantine and Maeve Lynne McGregor were going over the cases of Triso and Sustenance the Amazeen had had the foresight to include among their supplies.

"There should be enough but perhaps we might take on more before we set out for Terra,” Maeve Lynne suggested.

"Before we left I told the lab people to brew more just in case and to have the ancillary step up on collecting Sustenance,” Raphaella said. “I hope I thought of everything although I certainly didn't count on there being another Reaper.” She tapped her foot. “Perhaps we should have another con cell or two added once we get back to Corinth."

"Captain Cree should be proud of you, Raphie,” Maeve Lynne said. “You are looking after him and his bloodkin."

"Better than that Terran healer ever could,” Raphaella snapped. “When we get to Terra, I plan on ridding him of that bitch Caitlin!"

Maeve Lynne made no reply for everyone knew once a Reaper mated, it was for life. Getting rid of Caitlin Kelly would make no difference in how Khiershon Cree would feel toward the Amazeen—and especially not if Raphaella harmed Caitlin in any way.

"Let's head for the bridge,” Raphaella said. “The show is about to begin!"

Khiershon Cree was pacing the bridge of the
DarkWind
. Iyan had taken the command chair with the former admiral of the Rysalian Fleet Command sitting beside him. He was worried about the Triso and Sustenance on their ship. He had not given his bloodkin a thought as he prepared to go after them and that had been a major mistake that could lead to an even bigger calamity.

"What if one of my bloodkin is in Transition or near to it?” he asked, stopping to stare at Iyan.

"Let your bloodsire worry about that,” Tylan said. “Once he has them on the Amazeen ship, he can assess the situation and will let you know if he needs to put one or more of them into confinement."

"Will he have Triso do you think?” Caitlin asked. She was sitting beside Tylan Kahn in the chair reserved for the ship's healer.

"By the gods I hope so because I have very little with us,” Khiershon said.

"We can get more on Corinth,” Iyan reminded him.

"Is that why you're digging a hole in the deck?” Caitlin questioned. “Are you worried there won't be enough Triso to last us to Terra?"

Khiershon plowed a hand a hand through his thick brown hair. “That and Sustenance."

"Sustenance shouldn't be a problem,” Iyan said. “Between the Amazeen crew, the crew from the
Orion
, Admiral Kahn and his men, as well as any others willing to go to Terra with us, the issue of Sustenance is handled."

"So then it's just the Triso that is the problem,” Caitlin said.

"And that's a helluva big problem,” Khiershon reminded her.

Captain Elena Vargas on the Diabolusian ship, the
Pantera
, was thinking the same thing and wondering if the problem with Triso had been adequately covered. She had a crew of fifteen women—including herself—and had every intention of going to Terra with the luscious Tylan Kahn. She and her women could provide Sustenance for the Reapers but the drug those warriors needed to keep them out of indiscriminate Transition was of the utmost importance.

"
Teniente Ortez, on un canal seguro informa al DarkWind que nos romperemos lejos y los contestaremos cerca de Chale. Necesitamos tomar algo de mi familia en Diabolusia,"
she told her Com Officer.

"
Aye, Capitaine
!” Ortez replied. She opened up a secure channel and hailed the
DarkWind
. “
DarkWind
, this is the Pantera. The Capitaine wishes me to inform you that we will be breaking away and will rejoin you near Chale. We need to pick up something from her family on Diabolusia."

"What? Why the hell is she...?” Khiershon snarled at his Com Off Dakin Hesar.

"Vargas Pharmaceuticals is the galaxy's premier supplier of industrial strength tenerse,” Sinjin Wynth informed his captain on the D
arkWind
.

"I don't give a gods-be-damned..."

"Tenerse,” Caitlin said. “Think about it, Khier."

"I don't..."

"Tenerse,” Caitlin stressed, staring into her husband's eyes. “But you call it..."

A light seemed to go on behind the Reaper's eyes. “Triso,” Khiershon said with a sigh and closed his eyes slowly, his lips moving as though he were praying.

"She's going after Triso for our Reapers,” Tylan said. He grinned. “I knew I liked that woman the minute I saw her."

Khiershon opened his eyes. “Thank Captain Vargas for me and tell her we'll be watching for her near Chale. Make sure she knows we won't leave without her."

Troi rolled by with Raven close behind. “'Alls well that ends well',” the ‘bot giggled.

"'She covered me warm, and she prayed to the angels to keep me from harm—

To the queen of the angels to shield me from harm,’ “Raven agreed as it took its position by Troi near the weapons com.

"'I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name,'” Troi agreed.

"Coordinates for the Triso and Sustenance are locked in and on sequence to be transported up as soon as the last Reaper is on board,” Lt. Melankhoia Chanz told Kahmal. “Kam will be the last one we bring up."

"And would have it no other way,” Kahmal said quietly.

"Don't forget the Reapers will be heavily drugged with
céasadh
,” Lt. Renata Aegean reminded her fellow crewwomen. “They'll be disoriented and no doubt in pain."

"Testy Reapers aren't a pretty sight, either,” Augenia Deon quipped.

"Cree will handle them once he's on board,” Kahmal said.

Ceatie—the weretiger—insinuated his head under Cirolia Sern's arm and mewed.

Sern scratched the old were beast under his ear. “He'll be with us soon enough, baby. Don't worry."

"What about the destruction of Room B?” Lt. Cedilla Tyrian asked.

"Room B is set to be taken out as soon as we start out the iris,” her fellow engineer Chanz informed her.

"Everything is ready, ladies,” Kahmal said as she took her seat in the command chair. “Pray to Alluvial everything goes as planned."

"They are coming out,” Princess Zainabu Waberi said, pointing to the vid-com screen.

"The Festival is about to start,” Nyndham Dax informed the crew of the
DarkWind
. “The doors of the Titaness are opening."

"Doors are opening,"
Sern sent to Kamerone Cree.

The Prime Reaper got to his feet and turned to face the prison in which his bloodkin had been incarcerated. He ran his sweaty palms down the legs of his jumpsuit and licked his suddenly dry lips just as the first gong echoed over the courtyard. Stepping up to the bars he saw the women beginning to gather in the courtyard. To him, it seemed as though the females were pouring out of every crack and crevice surrounding the buildings circling him. That was unnerving enough but the fact that they were completely silent as they approached made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Not even the shuffle of their feet or the rustle of the long pale blue robes they wore broke the stillness. The only sound was the rhythmic bang of the low gong as the women filled the courtyard to near bursting.

From out of the Titaness came three women marching side by side. Dressed in lavender robes they were followed by three more sets of women and behind them walked the Prophetess-Mother LeJong Kym in a robe of deep purple.

A space had been left for the twelve priestesses to take their position in front of the semi-circle of eleven poles to which the Reapers would be led to their deaths. A gilt chair had been arranged directly in front of the place where the priestesses stood and it was to this throne-like seat that LeJong moved. When she was seated, the gong stopped.

Stillness, silence, the complete and utter lack of sound made Cree uneasy as he gripped the bars of his cage. His gaze was glued to the entrance of the Titaness, his nerves stretched taut as he waited to see his bloodkin. Until he actually could reach out and touch them, he would not cease to worry and the longer the time ticked away, the more uneasy he became.

"Please, Alluvial,” he begged, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. “Please. Do as You swore. I humbly beseech You, please!"

The thought of his bloodkin dying before his eyes was a horror paused at the back of Kamerone Cree's brain. Not even the massive agony beating at his temples could blot out the fear he felt or the exacting worry that was all but crippling him. In his nostrils he could smell the scents of his cousins dying in the very cage in which he stood trembling and that smell was washing over him in waves of terror.

The Prime Reaper jumped as a deep, resonant bell began to toll and his eyelids flew open. It was almost as though the sound was throbbing in his head and it increased, magnified the pain of the headache that was slowly driving him insane.

It was the sound of chains rattling in counterpoint to the loud bell that made Kamerone Cree's heart beat faster. Sweat was standing out on his forehead and upper lip and running down from his arm pits and along the center of his chest. His breathing was harsh as he waited for the first of his kind to exit the Titaness. At the twelfth peal of the bell, the first prisoner dressed in a gleaming white jumpsuit Cree knew was made from the same material Kate had worn to her execution came out of the prison.