another, his strong hand held lovingly in hers. 55
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Chapter Six
The morning brought with it a harsh gray day with rain heavy in the sodden clouds. A brisk wind had come in from the North Sea and was bombarding the land, whipping up ash and debris from the craters pockmarking the land around the mountain upon which sat the Citadel.
With the specially made oversized coach already having made one run down the mountain to the depot with the Reapers’ weapons and gear as well as the healer who would be accompanying them, it was now slowly making its way back up to take the seven warriors down to the train that had been designed to carry them west.
“Do you believe he’s wearing a Reaper uniform?” Phelan asked Owen. The two men were staring at Kasid Jaborn where he stood apart from the others, his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his black leather uniform pants.
“C uir síoda ar ghabhar agus is gabhar i gcónaí é ,” Owen mumbled.
“What did he say?” Aingeal asked Cynyr.
Her husband grinned. “Put silk on a goat and it’s still a goat.”
“Remember what Lord Kheelan said, mo shearc ,” she told him. “Don’t give Kasid a hard time else the two of you might wind up howling together in the con cells.”
“Con cells?” Cynyr asked, a dark brow arched.
“That’s what the healers call them,” she told him.
“Well, I plan on leaving Jaborn alone unless he gets his ass in trouble,” Cynyr said.
“Rest assured, a ghrá mo chroi , I’ll guard him as closely as I do my brethren.”
Aingeal sighed at being called his heart’s darling but there was a gleam in his wicked amber eyes she didn’t think love had placed there. Casting a look at Jaborn, she could tell the former balgair was unsure of his safety with the Reapers.
“You know,” she said loud enough for Phelan and Owen to hear her as well, “he didn’t have to come here to tell the Shadowlords about the Ceannus. He could have joined them but he didn’t, even though it would have been the easiest way out for him.”
Jaborn lifted his head and looked at her for a long moment. When she smiled gently at him, he nodded respectfully to her then went back to studying the ground at his feet.
“Makes you wonder why he didn’t join them,” Iden said in a low voice.
“My guess is he feared them,” Glyn remarked.
A horrendous crack of lightning branched across the sky then the rain started down in a violent downpour that drove the Reapers and their womenfolk under the roof of the Citadel’s portico. Coming down so hard the coach was obscured by the onslaught, the rain made a loud rushing sound that drowned out normal conversation. 56
Prime Reaper
“Not an auspicious beginning for the mission,” Arawn told Bevyn who was sulking at not being allowed to go out with the other members of his team.
“This isn’t right, Ari,” Bevyn snapped. “If they had to leave someone behind, why couldn’t it have been the Akhkharulian?”
“Because,” Arawn said, holding up his thumb. “The Akhkharulian knows the balgairs better than we do and—” he held up his index finger “—you can’t swim.”
“Shit,” Bevyn said. “That sucks.”
“Then learn to swim while we’re gone,” Arawn suggested. He clapped his 2-I-C on the back. “Get Danni to teach you. She tells me she taught many of the children in Haines City. Surely she can teach you.”
Bevyn rolled his eyes. “I’m not a child,” he complained.
Arawn shrugged. “You’d never prove it by me the way you’re acting.” He glanced over at Lea. “Wench, come get your man before I shove his ass out in the rain.”
Lea giggled and came to thread her arm through her mate’s. She leaned her head against his wide shoulder. “Behave, mo shearc .”
Another brutal blast of lightning pierced the sky and a heavy roll of thunder followed close behind. The coach rolled up and the driver looked as forlorn as the horses as the cold water came down in
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Chapter Six
The morning brought with it a harsh gray day with rain heavy in the sodden clouds. A brisk wind had come in from the North Sea and was bombarding the land, whipping up ash and debris from the craters pockmarking the land around the mountain upon which sat the Citadel.
With the specially made oversized coach already having made one run down the mountain to the depot with the Reapers’ weapons and gear as well as the healer who would be accompanying them, it was now slowly making its way back up to take the seven warriors down to the train that had been designed to carry them west.
“Do you believe he’s wearing a Reaper uniform?” Phelan asked Owen. The two men were staring at Kasid Jaborn where he stood apart from the others, his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his black leather uniform pants.
“C uir síoda ar ghabhar agus is gabhar i gcónaí é ,” Owen mumbled.
“What did he say?” Aingeal asked Cynyr.
Her husband grinned. “Put silk on a goat and it’s still a goat.”
“Remember what Lord Kheelan said, mo shearc ,” she told him. “Don’t give Kasid a hard time else the two of you might wind up howling together in the con cells.”
“Con cells?” Cynyr asked, a dark brow arched.
“That’s what the healers call them,” she told him.
“Well, I plan on leaving Jaborn alone unless he gets his ass in trouble,” Cynyr said.
“Rest assured, a ghrá mo chroi , I’ll guard him as closely as I do my brethren.”
Aingeal sighed at being called his heart’s darling but there was a gleam in his wicked amber eyes she didn’t think love had placed there. Casting a look at Jaborn, she could tell the former balgair was unsure of his safety with the Reapers.
“You know,” she said loud enough for Phelan and Owen to hear her as well, “he didn’t have to come here to tell the Shadowlords about the Ceannus. He could have joined them but he didn’t, even though it would have been the easiest way out for him.”
Jaborn lifted his head and looked at her for a long moment. When she smiled gently at him, he nodded respectfully to her then went back to studying the ground at his feet.
“Makes you wonder why he didn’t join them,” Iden said in a low voice.
“My guess is he feared them,” Glyn remarked.
A horrendous crack of lightning branched across the sky then the rain started down in a violent downpour that drove the Reapers and their womenfolk under the roof of the Citadel’s portico. Coming down so hard the coach was obscured by the onslaught, the rain made a loud rushing sound that drowned out normal conversation. 56
Prime Reaper
“Not an auspicious beginning for the mission,” Arawn told Bevyn who was sulking at not being allowed to go out with the other members of his team.
“This isn’t right, Ari,” Bevyn snapped. “If they had to leave someone behind, why couldn’t it have been the Akhkharulian?”
“Because,” Arawn said, holding up his thumb. “The Akhkharulian knows the balgairs better than we do and—” he held up his index finger “—you can’t swim.”
“Shit,” Bevyn said. “That sucks.”
“Then learn to swim while we’re gone,” Arawn suggested. He clapped his 2-I-C on the back. “Get Danni to teach you. She tells me she taught many of the children in Haines City. Surely she can teach you.”
Bevyn rolled his eyes. “I’m not a child,” he complained.
Arawn shrugged. “You’d never prove it by me the way you’re acting.” He glanced over at Lea. “Wench, come get your man before I shove his ass out in the rain.”
Lea giggled and came to thread her arm through her mate’s. She leaned her head against his wide shoulder. “Behave, mo shearc .”
Another brutal blast of lightning pierced the sky and a heavy roll of thunder followed close behind. The coach rolled up and the driver looked as forlorn as the horses as the cold water came down in
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