Phantom of the Wind (19 page)

Quinn winced. “You don’t mean becoming Reapers, do you?”

Tariq shrugged. “It is not a punishment, Lord Quinn. It is an honor.” He laid a hand over his heart. “I am proud to be what I am.”

“How many Reapers do you have here?” Kendall asked.

“There were sixty made on Riezell-Nine from my Queen,” Tariq said. “The Black Sun and his lady-wife also joined us.”

“Cair and Davan are Reapers?” Kendall asked with a gasp.

Tariq nodded. “Aye, they are. Queen Ardor is also.”

“I had no idea,” Quinn said, feeling a bit queasy knowing such powerful people had embraced the Reaper parasites.

A very handsome young man hurried up to them, smiling fleetingly at Quinn before speaking in a low voice to Tariq. The Prime Reaper held up his hand, frowning. “Where are your manners, Caith?” he chastised. He looked at Quinn with apology. “My eldest son apparently forgets himself.”

The young man’s face reddened but he turned to put out a hand to the Phantom. “My sincerest apologies, Milord. I am Caith Cree, son of the Prime.”

Quinn clasped the young man’s wrist and felt the same jolt of power coursing through the son as pulsed in the father. These men were commanding warriors with a strength he knew he could never best. He tried not to notice the son was just as naked as his sire.

Caith bowed respectfully to Kendall. “We are most pleased you have joined us, Healer Kendall,” he said politely then he looked up at his father who was a foot taller than he.

Tariq sighed deeply. “What is it?” When his son started speaking in Theristesian, the older man held up his hand once more for quiet. “Lord Quinn is not only our guest, Caith. The Burgon sent him here as leader of his people. What you find you must say in private to me can be said in front of him.”

Caith ducked his head. “Aye, Father,” he responded. “We have had bad news from Aduaidh Prime.” He turned to Quinn. “It must have come after you and your people left your ship. I am sad to report the Coalition has attacked the capitol, destroying the palace of the Burgon. The Empress Anastasia was killed in the attack as well as two of her children. The third, they have been unable to find in the wreckage.”

“Oh no!” Kendall said, putting a hand to her mouth.

“The Burgon?” Tariq asked, his face hard, his eyes brittle.

“He was visiting Piscina when the attack occurred. His men have rallied to him.”

“This will begin the war all over again,” Quinn said, his eyes meeting Tariq’s. “What the hell could the Coalition have been thinking?”

“They do not think,” Tariq said.

“Many of their former allies have condemned them,” Caith reported. “Amhantar, Gaoithe, Ennead and many others in the Cairghrian Galaxy have refused to get involved—they are tired of war. Some are sending their warriors to aid the Burgon.”

“I need to get back,” Quinn said.

Tariq put a hand on the Phantom’s shoulders. “There will be many from among those the Burgon sent here who will want to accompany you. It would not surprise me to learn all sixty of my bloodsons will want to go to his aid. There are two of Cair’s brothers here and three of his wife’s brothers. I know they will wish to leave with you.”

“I will go too,” Kendall said, and when her lover began shaking his head, she lifted her chin. “You will need a healer to care for the wounded. I
am
going, Phantom!”

Quinn opened his mouth to protest but seeing the militant look in his lady’s eyes, he just shook his head. “All right, but we need to leave right away.”

“Caith, gather those who wish to accompany Lord Quinn,” Tariq said. He was looking across the village to where Prince Aleyn was standing with a young woman who had come from the Burgon’s harem. “I don’t believe he would want the young one to go with you.”

Quinn turned to see where Tariq was looking. “Most definitely not. He is the future of Cengus. He must be kept safe.”

Tariq tilted his head to one side. “He wishes to become a warrior of your Order.”

“He has had a bit of training but—”

“We have a Master Scytheman here,” Tariq said. “He can teach the young one while you are away.”

“A Master? Here?” Quinn questioned. “Who?”

“Coireall Donnan. The Burgon sent him to us a year ago when Coir was recuperating from an attempt on his life. He decided to stay when he met a certain lady from the harem.”

“I’ve heard of him,” Quinn said, respect showing in his gaze. “Aleyn couldn’t ask for a better instructor. Donnan will take him down to the bedrock of his ability then build him up layer upon layer until he is a master with the blade.”

“I am sorry your stay with us must be so brief,” Tariq said, “but I understand your need to support the Burgon in this hellish time. He loved his wife dearly and must be devastated at her loss.”

“Would you like to come with us?” Quinn asked.

Tariq shook his head. “My Council forbids those of us born here from engaging in battles beyond our home world. We are a peaceful people and will fight only to protect our own. You will have more than enough warriors when my bloodsons are unleashed on the Coalition.” He turned to his son. “Seek out your bloodbrothers and tell them to ready themselves to leave with Lord Quinn.”

Caith doubled his fist and slapped it to his heart in a sign of obedience then ran off to gather the Reapers who would want to go with Quinn.

Paton came hurrying up. “Have you heard?” he asked.

“Aye,” Quinn said. “Looks like we’ll have a ship full of warriors on our return trip to Aduaidh.”

“I’m having Douglas shepherd our crew back to the ship.” He scratched his cheek. “They’ve put their claims in on some of the women. I had to tell them the women could not come along with us. They weren’t happy about it.”

“How many women are you talking about?” Kendall asked as Fenella joined them.

“Ten or so,” Paton replied.

“We will need nurses if this is indeed another war,” Kendall said. “Do we have room on the
Lhong Shee
for them?”

“Aye,” Fenella answered for her husband, “and Kenni is right. We will need help with the injured.”

“Then bring them onboard,” Quinn said, though his tone said he didn’t like the idea. “If the men are that gung ho on having them, let them know I’ll be performing Joining ceremonies as soon as we’re out of orbit of Theristes. I’ll not be having illegitimate children popping out nine months from now.”

“That’ll curtail a few such requests,” Paton said with a grunt.

“I figured as much,” Quinn replied.

An absolutely gorgeous woman with long silvery hair that swept the ground came shyly forward. Her eyes were as black as onyx and set in a lovely face with a flawless complexion. She had lush breasts that swung gracefully as she walked.

“My lady-wife Bahiya,” Tariq said, pride evident in his tone. He slipped his arm around the small woman’s shoulder. “The light of my life, the love of my soul.”

Bahiya’s red lips parted to reveal starkly white teeth. “My husband is my heart,” she acknowledged. “I had wished to show you our hospitality. Will you promise to return to us so we may welcome you as you deserve?”

“We would be honored,” Kendall said.

“We’d best get back to the ship,” Quinn said, and he offered his hand to Tariq. “Pray for us in this hour of darkness, Lord Tariq.”

“The Wind be always at your back,” Tariq said. He gripped Quinn’s wrist tightly. “Give the Burgon my best wishes for a swift end to these new hostilities.”

“I will,” the Phantom said. He nodded politely to Tariq’s wife then put a hand to Kendall’s back to usher her back to the ship.

Walking beside her lover, Kendall glanced up to see her lover’s face set and hard, a muscle working in his lean jaw. “This is bad, isn’t it, Milord?” she asked.

“Do you remember how the war began in the first place?” he asked.

“That was before I was born,” she said.

“It began as a border war between Aduaidh Quadrant and Amhantar,” he told her. “There were greedy men on Amhantar who wanted the minerals and gems that abound on Utuk Xul and Rabushu and they were willing to kill to mine those treasures. Soon the border war became a raging conflict that brought allies from other worlds to both sides. Men of reason could not rationalize with the warring factions and within two years it became a conflict that spanned two galaxies. The Burgon before Ryden was a real bastard. He didn’t care how many people died, how much land was destroyed, how many resources were depleted. When our Burgon ascended to the throne, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children had died already. Thousands of acres of land would never bear again. Some plant and animal life disappeared never to be seen again. It was a terrible time.”

“I remember the Burgon once saying he had given up hope of the conflict ever ending, but it looked as though it finally would. Now this? He has to be distraught.”

“He’s a good man,” Quinn said. “Morrison and his ilk have been known to destroy good men without a single qualm. I want nothing more than to see Morrison and his cronies defeated once and for all.”

“You think the attack came because of us escaping Morrison?” she asked. Her lover’s footsteps were eating up ground toward the ship and it was all she could do to keep pace with him.

“I have no doubt at all that it did. What the bastard hoped to accomplish is beyond me. Surely he had to know there would be men like Cair Ghrian and Taegin Drae who would side with the Burgon. I can’t begin to fathom what the Coalition was thinking to bomb the palace on Aduaidh Prime, killing the Burgon’s wife and children. They had to know he’d retaliate.”

They were at the gangplank and he motioned her ahead of him up the steps. “Some men,” she said, turning her head to look at him, “cannot live without war. It is a sickness, an addiction in their blood. Peace is as abhorrent to them as war is to the rest of us.”

“You may be right,” Quinn said. He walked around her and headed for the bridge. “How many are coming with us, Paton?” he asked. “Do you have a count?”

“Lord Caith says there are about twenty of the Reapers who are either in Transition or are so close it would be folly for them to go with us. We’re only taking those whose Transitions are at least six weeks away. As it is, we’ll have to make damned sure we have containment cells available should they be of need.”

“Where the hell are we to get containment cells?” Quinn snapped.

“Lord Caith suggested we take a swing by Seabhac before we leave the Green Sector. Apparently there are two LRCs docked there and both have six containment cells each. We can transfer them to the
Lhong Shee
.”

“But that will take time!” Quinn grumbled.

“According to Lord Tariq no more than an hour. There are cybots on the ships that can be activated to help ours.”

“Then let’s get this party on the road!” Quinn ordered. “Gilly, can you open a line to Aduaidh?”

“Aye, Cap’n.” There was a brief pause then the communications officer said, “General Reeve on line, Sir.”

The Vid-Screen came up and on it was the grim visage of an older warrior with stark white hair and very piercing blue eyes. “Quinn, where the hell are you now?”

“We’ll be leaving Theristes momentarily, General,” Quinn replied. “We are bringing along forty or so Reapers.”

“Good,” Reeve said, nodding. “We’re going to need them, though we’ve been getting messages from all over Alel’s creation from planets that are furious with the Coalition and are either staying out of this or are aiding the Alliance. It looks right now like the only ones backing those treacherous bastards are one or two others from the Cairghrian Galaxy.”

“Do we know who?”

“Looks like Diabolusia,” the general said with a twist of his lips. “As though that was a surprise. Those idjuts can’t go a month without starting a war somewhere! As for the others? It’s anyone’s guess but we think perhaps Necroman and possibly one or two—maybe more—of the Federated Moons of Rysalia.”

“Necroman?” Quinn said. “That is unanticipated.”

“Amazeen has demanded the defense queen’s daughter be allowed to leave the
Raptor
, but so far Morrison has been ignoring them. Either Major Shanee Iphito is there against her will or she’s decided to throw in with the Coalition.”

“She’ll do what she has to,” Quinn said. “Where do you want me to head for, Sir? We’re going to stop on Seabhac and pick up some containment cells then I’m all yours.”

“Right now there are only nine Coalition ships prowling around out there. King Ruan blew two out of the sky and Prince Gabriel’s the
Sangunar
is in hot pursuit of another. Odds are that ship will crash within the hour. That will leave eight including Morrison’s flagship. The Burgon is on the
Sekkeen
and he is personally going after the ship that dropped the bomb on the palace. You might want to join up with him since I hear the
Raptor
has two SubCruisers with it.”

“It was the
Raptor
that dropped the bomb?”

The general clenched his teeth. “Aye, it was.”

Quinn ran a hand over his face. “I am to blame for this, General. I—”

“You are
not
to blame!” General Reeve bellowed. “You were the excuse, perhaps, but Morrison would not have brought that StarDestroyer out here simply to pick you and Prince Aleyn up. Don’t give a second thought to the notion that you were the cause of the Coalition’s perfidy. Now get your ass to Rabushu as quickly as you can. That’s where the Burgon is headed.”