Wind Demon Triology: Book II: Evil Wind (31 page)

Kaelan Cree—the youngest of the Reapers—could feel the heavy pull of the manacles dragging upon his arms. The iron was cutting into his flesh so tightly he was bleeding and the neuroleptors he'd been injected with before being escorted from his cell was magnifying the pain a thousand times over. It had been months since he'd seen the sun and the light was invading his eyes like daggers of glass. He squinted, seeing only a mass of blue-clad bodies lining the cobblestone walkway over which he passed, but deeply inhaling the sweet, fresh air that wafted over him.

Behind Kaelan was the next youngest, Eachan Gehdrin, and in order of their ages: Comyn Coure, Killian Kiel, Corydon Cree, Toryn Belial, Ghrian Tohre, Braiden Cree then his twin Rylan, and finally Taegin Kullen, the eldest. The only one struggling was Taegin and he was fiercely hissing at his captors, cursing them with words meant to insult and degrade.

"Be still, Taegin,"
Kamerone whispered to his blood nephew.

Taegin stumbled to a stop as Kaelan was forced up onto the platform and his arms bound behind him to the pole. “Prime?” he asked.

"In the cage, Taegin."

Taegin craned his neck to look around the sea of women but could only see the curved iron of the cage's roof. He hissed at the woman beside him.

"Do not embarrass your father, Taegin,"
the Prime Reaper ordered.
"He was a brave man."

Taegin lifted his chin and clamped his lips shut, stumbling forward as he was pushed rudely by his guard while Eachan was lashed securely to his pole. He cast his enraged glower over the women, hating each and every woman of them to the depths of his being.

One by one the young Reapers were pushed up the steps of the platform and secured to the gleaming poles—the center one of which still bore the flame-marks where Kathleen had met her fate.

With the Reapers chained to the poles, ten women in scarlet exited the Titaness, bringing with them the staffs upon which a crescent moon perched. Each of the women took their position in front of a Reaper and then stood at parade rest: staff held at an angle from their bodies, free hand bent behind their backs.

Another woman—dressed in black robes—came out of the Titaness carrying the Labrys, the double-headed ritual battle ax that symbolized the matristic power of the Multitude.

Kamerone held his breath as LeJong Kym got to her feet and took the Labrys from the High Priestess of Rituals. “Please, Alluvial,” he prayed again. “Don't fail us."

Kym walked to the edge of the platform and held the Labrys toward the heavens. “Oh, Majesty of the Multitude, Fruitful Mother of us all: Hear our prayer!” she chanted.

"Hear our prayer!” came the united response from the women.

The Prophetess-Mother lifted her other arm to the morning sky. “You have led us from our misery, oh, Mother of us all!” she cried out.

"You have led us!"

"You have taught us the pathways to peace and prosperity!"

"You have taught us!"

"You have granted us the fulfillment of our bodies and souls!"

"You have granted us!"

"You have graced us with the wisdom to rule our world with a just hand and a pure heart!"

"You have graced us!"

"You have protected us from the savagery of the male who abused us and enslaved us; who murdered our Sisters with impunity and slew our offspring!"

"You have protected us!"

"And you have given us your Majestic help to set right the wrong that was done to our Sisters on this very night so long ago!"

"You helped us!"

LeJong Kym brought her arms down from the heavens to which she had cast her prayer and extended her left hand toward the men bound to the poles. “May the Wind be with you,” she said softly beneath her breath.

The ten scarlet-robed women snapped to attention with their bare heels clicking together then extended their staffs toward the bound men.

As fire sprayed from the staffs toward the Reapers, an ultra bright blast of light slashed over the courtyard and the women gathered there stumbled back, throwing up their arms to shield their eyes from the bright illumination. The air sizzled and crackled and snapped, grew intensely hot—so hot the women cried out and fled the super-charged heat, falling over one another to put distance between them and the blistering energy building over the courtyard.

Cree could not see what was happening on the platform. The wild shrieks of the fleeing women, the screams, the saturated heat undulating him toward him in waves combined to intensify his unease and he shouted at the running women, yelled out for LeJong Kym. He thrust his arm through the bars trying to catch a passing woman but she clawed at him, raked his hand with her fingernails, and pulled away savagely. He jerked at the bars, screaming at the running women. When the smell of burning flesh finally registered on his consciousness, he threw back his head and howled.

The
Alluvia
shot out of the iris faster than any ship had ever left the docking station—so fast a wing clipped the opening and sheared off a section of the iris’ titanium skin. Behind the departing ship, a loud explosion rocked through the Fleet Command and jagged stone flew high into the air, crashing down into the courtyard and into the waters of the Reflecting Pool. Banking sharply to starboard, the Amazeen vessel shot into hyper drive, leaving in its wake three other ships that were struggling to follow.

Dorrie Burkhart struggled to get up from the transporter pad but her feet slid out from under her and she went careening against the bulkhead, slamming shoulder first into the unforgiving wall. “Son of a fucking bitch!” Dorrie bellowed.

All around her, what she realized must be Cree's bloodkin were trying to gain their footing as the ship upon which they found themselves went careening hell bent through the heavens, moving so fast they were pressed heavily to the deck.

"Where is he?” Dorrie shouted, trying to see Kamerone amidst the men. “Where is Cree?"

Toryn Belial was the first of them to be able to get to his feet and he stood pushed up tight to the wall behind him, unable to do more than move his head. “Where is the Prime?” he asked for all he counted was the woman and his nine bloodkin.

"Cree!” Dorrie screamed. “Cree!"

Ghrian Tohre was cradling his left arm in his hand. The flesh was burned all the way to the bone and he was shivering with the intensified pain caused by the
céasadh
invading his system. He stared at Eachan Gehdrin whose face was burned deeply on one side. He shuddered as Eachan looked over at him.

"Pretty, huh?” Eachan asked. “Hurts like a mother, too."

"The bitches burned us,” Killian Kiel said as he lay on the floor, the lower portion of his body blackened to a crisp.

"We'll heal,” Taegin Kullen said. He was sitting with his back to the wall, the stump of one leg sending tremors of agony through his lower body.

"Where is Cree?” Dorrie shrieked. She was trying to peel herself off the wall. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were wild. “Cree!"

"Someone shut that bitch up,” Taegin growled, “before I pull her fucking guts out."

"I can't move,” Kaelan Cree spoke up.

"Are you hurt?” Rylan Cree asked.

"No. You?"

"No but Braiden looks like a fucking lobster,” Rylan reported.

"I feel like a fucking lobster,” Braiden told his twin.

"I don't think we were supposed to get hurt,” Corydon Cree said. He was nursing a severely burned shoulder.

"Hell yes we were!” Taegin grumbled. “They had to make it look like we were toast."

"Cree!” Dorrie sobbed wildly.

"Wench, shut the fuck up!” Taegin yelled at her. “I'm going to pulverize your ass if you don't!"

With a suddenness that stunned them, the ship cut its power almost 75% and the relaxation of the gravitational pull released them from their enforced immobility. As soon as she could push away from the wall, Dorrie sprang at Taegin, her hands going for the Reaper's eyes.

"Bastard!” Dorrie yowled, trying her best to rake her nails down Kullen's face. “He's dead because of you!"

Someone hooked an arm around Dorrie's waist and pulled her off Kullen, swinging her and her flailing arms and legs away from the Reaper, pivoting her on a hard, masculine hip.

"Damn it, Dorrie, that's enough!” her captor snarled.

Dorrie cursed, her lips peeled back from her teeth and she would have attacked the man holding her but his identity hit her like a ton of brick and her legs went out from under her. Her eyes went wide. “Raine?"

"Aye, wench, and damn. What the hell have they been feeding you? You weight a fucking ton!"

"Raine?” Dorrie questioned again, her eyes once more filling with tears and she flung her arms around McGregor's neck. “He's gone, Raine. Cree is gone!"

Raine met Taegin Kullen's infuriated eyes. “She has feelings for your Prime,” he said.

Kullen snorted. “Are we going back for him?” was all he asked.

"No need,” Raine said.

"Raine, no!” Dorrie cried out, trying to push away from the man who had been her mate on Terra. “We can't leave..."

"He's on board, Dorrie,” Raine said, shushing her. “He's unconscious, but he's all right."

Dorrie searched McGregor's eyes, her entire body quivering. “You swear?"

"He's on board,” Raine said softly. “Do you really think Tylan or Lares or I would have left him behind?"

"They are here?” she asked.

"Along with Paegan and Alexi and Tealson, André Arbra and Hern Belvoir who we brought along for good measure,” he told her.

"I have to see him,” she said, wriggling out of his arms.

"The Healer is in with him right now,” Raine said. “She's a Terran and...” He got no further for Dorrie ran out of the transporter room.

Raine let out a long sigh. “That woman is something else."

"How badly is he hurt?” Taegin asked.

The other Reapers had gathered around. Several were burned badly and would need the care of the Healer to aid their parasites in healing them.

"He wasn't burned,” Raine said. “There's a problem with the M-Rs. The Healer believes over time one of his implants began misfiring and has over stimulated the levels of dopamine and serotonin in his brain. The abnormal amounts of those chemicals caused the blood vessels to..."

"React abnormally,” Taegin snapped. “You're not talking to imbeciles here. We get migraines like you humanoids get zits."

"So the Prime has developed really bad headaches,” Toryn declared, giving Taegin a quelling look.

"Very bad,” Raine replied. “Severe enough to be incapacitating. He was in so much pain when we brought him on board, the Healer knocked him right out. He believes you men died on Rysalia Prime and until she allows him to wake, he won't know any different."

"What needs to be done for him, then?” Rylan Cree asked.

"The M-Rs have to be taken out as soon as we reach Terra."

"That could be dangerous,” Comyn Coure said.

"Aye, but we have the biomaps of his brain and yours, too, so unless you don't mind eventually going through what Kam's going through—and apparently has been for some time now—you should think about having your M-Rs removed, too,” Raine told them.

"Can we see him?” Kaelan Cree asked.

"How ‘bout waiting a bit? We're on our way to Corinth in Serenia,” Raine said. “So far the only ships behind us are those protecting our back but we need to get to Corinth, change vessels and head for the wormhole. The Multitude might have bought your deaths on Rysalia Prime but we don't want to take a chance they didn't."

"I'd like to see my bloodsire,” Kaelan said.

"And you will,” someone else said and the Reapers turned to see a tall, dark haired man standing in the doorway. “For now, you can greet the eldest of the Prime. I am Khiershon."

Caitlin emptied another vac-syringe of Triso into the bulging neck muscle of her patient and stepped back, glancing at the woman who sat at Kamerone Cree's bedside, his hand clutched possessively in hers.

"His blood is pounding through his veins even with all that Triso flooding through him,” Dorrie said. She reached up her free hand to smooth the hair back from the Reaper's sweaty forehead.

"He's borderline stroke level,” Caitlin said. She handed the vac-syringe to Lisa Mahon, one of her med techs. “I know the parasite is struggling to get his blood pressure under control, but I'm thinking about giving him a dose of paralysis to ease him down farther into unconsciousness."

"He's had it before,” Dorrie said. “Also hephastiox but he gets sick from that."

"Paralysis it is then,” Caitlin said. She instructed Lisa to draw up the med then sat down in another chair across from Dorrie.

Major Akkadia Kahmal appeared in the sick bay, her face showing the strain of having strangers on board her ship. “How is he?"

"I'm going to let him sleep until we get back to Corinth,” Caitlin replied. She grinned at the Amazeen. “Did you come in here to play with us?"

Kahmal snorted. “Stop with that lesbian stuff or I'll be tempted to transport you back over to the
DarkWind
,” she said, but her eyes were twinkling with humor. “I came in to tell you I am having the Reapers brought to sick bay. Several were burned badly enough that you need to see to them."

"We'll get ready,” Caitlin said. “Should I send for more of my techs?"

"I don't believe that's necessary,” Kahmal said. “Dorrie can help you. Having thirteen extra people running around the
Alluvia
is a bit much and I've been fighting for the last hour with Zainabu wanting to transport over to the
DarkWind
to see her J'Bai."

"Not a good idea,” Dorrie said.

"Is that the Necromanian princess who's J'Bai married a Terran?” Caitlin asked. “They're going to have to confront one another sooner or later.” She took the vac-syringe from Lisa and stood up to administer it to her patient.

"Better it be on land that on my ship,” Kahmal said.

"Better still to let Cree handle it when he wakes up,” Dorrie said. “Only he will be able to calm Zainabu."

"You think?” Kahmal asked, frowning.