Her Reaper's Arms (25 page)

the distance, she saw a wolf streaking through the woods beyond the rails and knew

Bevyn Coure was running free. She turned to find Riley behind her.

“Is he loose?”

“That he is,” she said.

“Should we have them stop the train?”

Penthe didn’t know how to answer that. If the Reaper had any control over himself,

he more than likely would not attack the train but if he were lost to his animalistic

nature, he might harm someone. She weighed the consequences, the options, then her

shoulders slumped.

“No, I don’t think that would be wise,” she said at last.

“He’ll follow us,” Lea said, and they turned to look at her. “He doesn’t want me to

see him like that.”

“I thought he said he wasn’t near Transition,” Penthe said.

“Perhaps the wounds altered his cycle,” Lea said. She was leaning against the open

door of the observation deck, the wind from the moving train blowing her blonde hair,

her arms wrapped around her. “His flesh was so hot I should have realized what was

going to happen.”

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“Well, there’s nothing we can do,” Riley said. He went to Lea. “Let’s go get that

food.”

“I can’t eat now,” Lea said. “I’m too keyed up.”

“You should try,” Riley told her. “At least come on in and sit with us.”

Penthe took one last look behind the train then came toward Lea. “He’ll be all right,

wench.”

“Aye,” Lea said, and moved back, her head down.

“He called me because he knew I had the strength to hold that door shut,” Penthe

said. “No other reason.”

Lea lifted her head and met the Amazeen’s gaze. “I know.”

Riley walked behind the women as they moved back through the social car and into

the dining car where everyone was looking up at them expectedly. “He’s running

somewhere off in the woods out there,” he told them. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Will he be all right?” one of the elderly women asked.

“He’s a Reaper,” Lea answered. “He’ll be fine.”

* * * * *

Though his mind had been taken over completely by the animal side of him, Bevyn

Coure was aware and as he sat hunkered over the deer he’d brought down, his fangs

buried in the sleek brown neck, his thoughts were on Lea. Drawing the dead animal’s

blood deep into his own body to replenish what he’d lost, the Reaper held his woman’s

face firmly in his mind. She was his anchor to sanity that kept him from attacking a

nearby party of trappers who were sitting around a campfire only a few hundred yards

away.

Using the power that had been given to him, he closed his eyes and concentrated on

finding Lea at that moment. With the small amount of blood he had taken from her, he

could pinpoint her position and hear every word she spoke. He could sense her state of

mind and knew she was worried about him. That made his heart ache.

“Do not worry, sweeting,”
he sent to her.

On the train, Lea jumped, hearing that voice in her head. She nearly choked on the

cup of coffee she had been trying to drink.

“I’ll join you when I am able, but don’t be concerned if I am not there,”
he whispered to

her.
“I can’t predict how long the Transition will last.”

“Are you all right?” she whispered.

“Think the words, milady, and I will hear them,”
he told her.
“And aye, I am all right.”

There was a slight pause then she said,
“I love you.”

“I love you too. Sleep well,
mo shearc
.”

“Not without you by my side,”
she told him, and was relieved to hear his slight laugh.

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When he said nothing more, she knew he had terminated their conversation.

Looking around her at the others, she met Penthe’s steady look and knew the Amazeen

must have realized Lea had been in contact with her Reaper for the Blackwind nodded

to her then turned her head to look out the window at the dark scenery they passed.

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Chapter Nine

The train pulled into the Boreas station on the North Sea in the midst of the

rainstorm that followed behind them from Clewiston. Blustery wind whipped at the

windows, sending sheets of rain cascading against the glass.

“I hate rain,” Penthe said. She had her Dóigra clutched in her hand as they waited

in a line to exit the train.

A cool breeze came in through the door the conductor had left open when he’d

exited onto the platform. He stood conversing with two tall men in dark brown

uniforms who Riley told them were guards from the Citadel.

“See that big coach over there?” he said, pointing at a large conveyance pulled by

six horses. “That’s what you’ll be making the trip up to the fortress in.”

Penthe and Lea exchanged a look, neither happy about striking out in the storm.

For the last two days Lea and the Amazeen had formed a touchy kind of truce.

With Bevyn still gone, the women had settled into a relationship of sorts that would

never be friendly, but at least was no longer purely antagonistic. It had helped that her

Reaper had spoken psychically many times over those days to Lea, calming her fears

and promising her he would meet her at the Citadel.

“Why do you suppose they have not filled in these awful craters or removed some

of the fallen buildings, at least planted some trees to conceal the scorched land?” Lea

asked as she peered out the window at the destruction she realized had to have been

caused during the Burning War and subsequent cataclysmic disasters that had hit the

area.

“There are those who believe the goddess Herself wants it kept this way to remind

the Terrans of all they lost because of their warring ways,” Riley said. “It is a vivid

reminder, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Lea agreed. She stared up the manmade mountain that could be seen

through the wavering lines of the rain on the windows. A steep climb wound its way

up the mountain in a serpentine trail. Her stomach roiled at making the perilous

journey.

“Your coach is ready, my ladies,” the conductor said as he climbed onboard. He

took Lea’s bag but Penthe refused to allow him to touch her weapon, glaring at the man

instead.

Thanking Riley for everything he’d done for them, Lea and Penthe bid the gambler

farewell, Lea asking him to come to Orson to visit if he got the chance.

“I’d like that and just might take you up on the offer,” Riley said. He tipped his hat

to the women.

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Following the conductor from the train, Lea and the Amazeen hurried to the

Citadel guards, who respectfully greeted them. Penthe regarded the coach toward

which they were being led and decided the vehicle was long enough to accommodate

her Dóigra.

“Lord Arawn is waiting for you at the top,” one of the guards told them.

A loud, piercing whistle sounded and the guard explained it was to alert the guards

at the Citadel that the coach was on its way.

“Security is very strict here,” the man told them. He eyed the Dóigra but said

nothing when Penthe informed him she would keep it with her.

“Just don’t point it at Lord Arawn,” the man warned. “Our Prime Reaper is not

overly fond of Amazeens as it is.” His mouth twisted. “None of us are.”

“Fuck you too,” Penthe snarled at the man, dismissing him as she climbed

unassisted into the coach.

Lea gave the guard a tremulous smile. “I’m sorry. She can be a bit rude,” she

apologized to him.

The guard tipped his hat. “Don’t let it concern you, Lady Lea,” he said. He held out

his hand to help her climb the steps.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You are our first Reaper’s mate and it is my privilege and honor to serve you,

milady,” he said softly. “I hope you enjoy your stay at the Citadel.”

Surprised the man knew she belonged to Bevyn, although she realized as she took

her seat and he closed the door behind her, this was why her Reaper had been

summoned to the Citadel. She was the reason he would be punished and that bothered

her deeply.

“Looks like you’re going to be treated like royalty,” Penthe grumbled as the coach

jerked forward and left the protection of the canopied platform. The rain hitting the roof

nearly drowned out her next words. “As befitting a Reaper’s mate.”

Lea ignored the words. The glass windows did not allow that much to be seen for

the rain was pounding against the coach, but she strained to see out until the climb

became so steep it made her nervous.

It seemed to take forever for the coach to reach the summit of the manmade

mountain upon which the fortification sat. The imposing sight of the legendary building

caused both women to gape at it as the coach pulled up to the myriad steps leading into

the building. Made of brick and mortar, the huge fortress had been constructed over a

legendary Terran building that had been destroyed during the War. The five sweeping

arms of the Citadel were fashioned along the lines of a flattened star and rose five

stories high and included a huge basement that ran not only under the ten sections of

the ground floor but the huge center courtyard around which each arm had been built.

Covering twenty-nine acres and encompassing six million square feet of floor space, the

Citadel was an impressive, forbidding stronghold.

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“We’ve nothing like that on Amazeen,” Penthe said.

“I doubt there is anything like it here either,” Lea commented.

“Not even the Bastion?” Penthe said. “The one in the Northlands?”

Lea shrugged. She had no idea what the Bastion was.

A man in a brown uniform came down the steps with a large umbrella as the

guards, who had driven the coach, got down from their seats and flanked the coach

door. After returning the salutes of his men, the newcomer motioned for the door to be

opened.

“Good day, ladies,” the man greeted them. “I am Giles D’Brickashaw, the Primary

Guide. Welcome to the Citadel.” He held his hand out to Lea. “It is an honor, Lady

Lea.”

Lea took Giles’ hand and was helped under the protection of the large umbrella, but

even so, rain cascaded down around them and blew water against her gown. She

glanced back at Penthe and was pleased to see the warrior woman frowning.

“You will grow accustomed to our weather,” Giles said. “It rains very frequently

here and there’s a storm brewing out in the North Sea to collide with the one that

followed on your heels.”

“Has there been word of Lord Bevyn?” she asked as they began the steep climb up

the steps.

“He is already here, milady,” Giles informed her, “and awaiting you.”

Lea breathed a sigh of relief. She had not heard from him since she woke that

morning and had been growing worried.

“He is well, milady,” Giles said with a smile. “His Transition did not last as long as

normal since it was caused out of cycle by the severity of his wounds. He is most

anxious to see you.”

“Are the other Reapers here?” Penthe asked as they neared the top step.

“Just Lord Arawn, the Prime, milady,” Giles answered. “The others are on

assignment.”

Lea reached out to touch Giles’ arm, halting him. “Is he in a lot of trouble because of

me?”

Giles smiled gently. “There is no need to worry, Lady Lea. As I understand it, his

punishment will not be harsh. A week in a containment cell isn’t a cakewalk but neither

is it brutal punishment.”

“Would it help if I went before the Shadowlords and…?”

“Milady, his sentence will be nothing that Lord Bevyn does not expect or for which

he is unprepared. Had he not wanted to spend his life with you, he could merely have

walked away.” D’Brickashaw covered her hand with his. “He chose not to.”

“But…”

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“As a Reaper’s mate, you must be strong, milady,” Giles said sternly. “You must

support him for it is his decisions that will direct your lives together. Honor him and

the commitment he has made to you. Show the Shadowlords how you feel about him

but do not grovel before them—they will be annoyed if you do. Do not show them

disrespect by disputing their decisions—your mate will bear the consequences if you

do. Be strong and stand behind Lord Bevyn, give him your support.”

“In other words, don’t let the Shadowlords know how much I hate what they will

be doing to him because of me,” she said.

“Precisely,” Giles declared.

A man in a dark brown uniform came striding toward them. He stopped and

smartly saluted Penthe. “I have been asked to escort you to the Security Section,

Captain.”

Penthe blinked. “You have mistaken me for someone else. I hold no rank among the

Amazeen,” she responded.

“With your permission, ma’am, Lord Kheelan has assigned you rank here. He will

discuss this with you once we have you processed in,” the man replied.

“Processed?” Penthe repeated, her eyes narrowing. “Show me to this section of

yours. We’ll see what the hell is going on!”

Lea breathed a sigh of relief as the Amazeen stormed off. She felt acutely

uncomfortable anywhere near the woman.

Giles led her through the unbelievably beautiful reception area and down a long