DarkWind: 2nd Book, WindDemon Trilogy by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Page A

as the other woman slammed into his shoulder, spinning him around in a full circle as she made to follow the Healer. His jaw tight, his fists balled, he ran after them.
    Caitlin was shocked to see the bright red infusing her patient’s face. He lay gasping for breath, his hands digging at his throat, his feet pushing against the mattress. His eyes were bulging, his handsome face set in rigid lines of agony.
    “Khiershon!” she cried out, reaching for his arms. She tried pulling his hands away, sickened at the livid gouges in his flesh, but he was too strong.
    McGregor shouldered her aside and grabbed the Reaper’s wrists. “Help me, Dockery!” he told the warrior. Between the two of them, they managed to drag Cree’s hands from his torn flesh. Iyan turned to Caitlin. “Don’t just stand there. Sedate him, woman!”
    “I will not! It could....”
    “Do it!” McGregor bellowed. “You can’t kill him!”
    Caitlin flinched, but looked to Lisa. “You heard him!”
    Lisa pivoted and ran to the medication unit.
    “What’s causing this?” Caitlin asked, realizing she was trembling.
    “N...no!” they heard Cree gasping. “N...no!”
    McGregor shook his head. “I have no idea.” He was pale, his arms trembling as he and the guard kept Cree on the table. “Unless it something with his parasite.”
    Lisa rushed back to the cot and slapped a syringe into Caitlin’s hand. “Domatripitol,” she reported. “100 milligrams.” Caitlin nodded and used the syringe like a dart to inject the med into Cree’s arm.
    “No!” Cree screamed, then went limp, his head swiveling toward Caitlin.
    She reached out to touch his cheek and gasped. “My God! He’s burning up!”
    “Aye,” McGregor agreed. “I know.” He let go of Cree’s arm and looked down at his blistered palms. He lifted his hand and stared at the mark.
    “How is that possible?” Lisa asked, seeing the blister.
    “Burning,” Cree whispered, his voice a croaking sound.
    Caitlin bent over him. “What?”
    “They are burning my brothers,” said Cree.
    “You can’t know that, Khier,” McGregor said softly. “You’re too far away from Rysalia to sense that.”
    Cree’s words slurred as the potent sedative began to shut down his world. “Felt them, Iyan. Close by. Heat. Pain.”
    “Not your brothers, my friend,” McGregor said, smoothing the hair from the Reaper’s sweat-slick forehead. “They are all in the Titaness, remember?”
    “Captain!” the Com-Link interrupted.
    McGregor shook his head angrily. “Not now, Nyndham!” he ordered.
    “A ship is fast approaching the wormhole, sir!” Nyndham reported from the bridge of The Ravenwind.
    “We’ve cloaked both ships. Why are you worrying me with this now?” McGregor growled. “Those ridiculous Terran ships can not-”
    “Not a Terran ship!” Nyndham broke in. “It’s an Amazeen LRSC!”
    McGregor tensed. “Then blow the gods-be-damned bitch out of the sky!”
    “Are you sure?” Nyndham asked.
    “Aye, I’m sure. Blow it-”
    “No,” Cree whispered, using the last of his dwindling strength to grab his friend’s arm. “Leave it.”
    “The hell I will!” McGregor snapped. “And have it waiting for us on the other side of the wormhole to blow us out of the heavens?”
    “Brother on board ship,” Cree mumbled then passed out.
    “Captain?” Nyndham prompted. “What’s it to be?”
    McGregor bit his lip. Khiershon would never forgive him if he issued the order to disintegrate the Amazeen ship and a Reaper was on board. He looked to Caitlin.
    “My advice would be to let them go,” she said quietly.
    “We don’t know there’s a Reaper on board her!”
    “Then why was he suffering so?”
    “If that is the cause of this,” McGregor said, nudging his chin at the unconscious man, “then the humane thing to do would be to put the prisoner out of his misery, don’t you think?”
    “Captain? They’ve almost reached the wormhole!” Nyndham reported urgently.
    “Let