head and looked up at Arawn. “He will need a revenant queen, not just a fledgling. A new nest needs to form quickly to combat the poison. The queen must be a strong, ancient one. Are you willing to give up yours in order to save him?”
Arawn didn’t hesitate. “Aye, mo regina . Do what you need to.”
Morrigunia smiled gently. “It is a very painful procedure, Arawn Gehdrin. The removal of a queen from a Reaper has only been done once before. It is not something I do lightly.”
“Do what you need to,” Arawn repeated. “As Prime Reaper, it is my right to provide for my men.”
“We are with you,” came the combined voices of the Shadowlords from far, far away.
“Lend your strength to him, Kheelan Ben-Alkazar ,” Morrigunia joined the high lord on his mind-link with Arawn.
“Mine as well as Lords Dunham and Naois,” the Shadowlord agreed. “His brothers are winging their way to you at this very moment.”
55
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
“When the transference is complete, I will leave you to care for him,” the goddess said. “I have business with the renegade Ceannus.”
“I am sending the other Reapers to aid you, mo regina ,” Lord Kheelan protested. “I beg you wait until they—”
“I have no need of your help, Ben-Alkazar,” Morrigunia stated. “Even now the evil ones are planning an attack against this settlement. I will not allow my humans to be placed in danger!”
“Mo regina—” Lord Kheelan began but the goddess waved her hand and his voice was stilled.
“Michael Brady?” Morrigunia called out. “Unlock the cell door. Bevyn, you will need to take Arawn into the other cell and harvest the queen from him.”
Bevyn swallowed loudly. “Me?” he whispered.
“Arawn, give me your blade,” the goddess said and thanked the Reaper when he handed it to her.
Mick Brady hurried forward and unlocked the cell, pulling the door open wide. He was pale, for he remembered well what had transpired when Cynyr had been stabbed in the back. The expression on his face said he wasn’t looking forward to reliving that nightmarish sight.
“Arawn, come here,” Morrigunia ordered, and when the Reaper approached her, she held out her hand for him to help her up from the floor. When she was on her feet, she put her palms on his cheeks and stared into his eyes for a long moment then released him.
Arawn turned as though in a trance and walked out of the cell, entering the one beside it and stretching out on his belly, tugging his black silk shirt from his britches as he lay down.
“You mesmerized him,” Moira said, watching what was happening in the adjoining cell.
“He was brave enough to offer his queen for another,” Morrigunia said. “I would see that he suffer as little as possible in the transfer.”
“He’ll be all right, won’t he?” the old woman asked.
Morrigunia nodded. “His hive will be intact. Another alpha revenant will take over in the missing queen’s stead and begin to grow in power and strength to control the nestlings. Arawn will be just fine. Bevyn? Pay close attention to what I do and follow suit when I have removed the queen. Feel around inside Arawn’s wound until you find her. You will know her by the sting she will give you.”
“How bad a sting?” Bevyn wanted to know.
“Bad enough,” was the reply.
Bevyn’s hand was trembling as he drew his own knife. He was watching Morrigunia who was bending over Cynyr, making a long cut from just beneath the Reaper’s rib cage to his hipbone.
56
Reaper’s Revenge
“Empty a bucket, Moira, and bring it here,” Morrigunia instructed. When the old woman did as she was asked, the goddess thrust her hand deep into Cynyr’s back. Her knees threatening to buckle beneath her, Moira clamped her jaw tightly closed and forced herself to watch what the goddess was doing. Cynyr was shrieking in agony, his body jerking against the restraints holding his wrists and ankles. One of Morrigunia’s hands was pressed
Arawn didn’t hesitate. “Aye, mo regina . Do what you need to.”
Morrigunia smiled gently. “It is a very painful procedure, Arawn Gehdrin. The removal of a queen from a Reaper has only been done once before. It is not something I do lightly.”
“Do what you need to,” Arawn repeated. “As Prime Reaper, it is my right to provide for my men.”
“We are with you,” came the combined voices of the Shadowlords from far, far away.
“Lend your strength to him, Kheelan Ben-Alkazar ,” Morrigunia joined the high lord on his mind-link with Arawn.
“Mine as well as Lords Dunham and Naois,” the Shadowlord agreed. “His brothers are winging their way to you at this very moment.”
55
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
“When the transference is complete, I will leave you to care for him,” the goddess said. “I have business with the renegade Ceannus.”
“I am sending the other Reapers to aid you, mo regina ,” Lord Kheelan protested. “I beg you wait until they—”
“I have no need of your help, Ben-Alkazar,” Morrigunia stated. “Even now the evil ones are planning an attack against this settlement. I will not allow my humans to be placed in danger!”
“Mo regina—” Lord Kheelan began but the goddess waved her hand and his voice was stilled.
“Michael Brady?” Morrigunia called out. “Unlock the cell door. Bevyn, you will need to take Arawn into the other cell and harvest the queen from him.”
Bevyn swallowed loudly. “Me?” he whispered.
“Arawn, give me your blade,” the goddess said and thanked the Reaper when he handed it to her.
Mick Brady hurried forward and unlocked the cell, pulling the door open wide. He was pale, for he remembered well what had transpired when Cynyr had been stabbed in the back. The expression on his face said he wasn’t looking forward to reliving that nightmarish sight.
“Arawn, come here,” Morrigunia ordered, and when the Reaper approached her, she held out her hand for him to help her up from the floor. When she was on her feet, she put her palms on his cheeks and stared into his eyes for a long moment then released him.
Arawn turned as though in a trance and walked out of the cell, entering the one beside it and stretching out on his belly, tugging his black silk shirt from his britches as he lay down.
“You mesmerized him,” Moira said, watching what was happening in the adjoining cell.
“He was brave enough to offer his queen for another,” Morrigunia said. “I would see that he suffer as little as possible in the transfer.”
“He’ll be all right, won’t he?” the old woman asked.
Morrigunia nodded. “His hive will be intact. Another alpha revenant will take over in the missing queen’s stead and begin to grow in power and strength to control the nestlings. Arawn will be just fine. Bevyn? Pay close attention to what I do and follow suit when I have removed the queen. Feel around inside Arawn’s wound until you find her. You will know her by the sting she will give you.”
“How bad a sting?” Bevyn wanted to know.
“Bad enough,” was the reply.
Bevyn’s hand was trembling as he drew his own knife. He was watching Morrigunia who was bending over Cynyr, making a long cut from just beneath the Reaper’s rib cage to his hipbone.
56
Reaper’s Revenge
“Empty a bucket, Moira, and bring it here,” Morrigunia instructed. When the old woman did as she was asked, the goddess thrust her hand deep into Cynyr’s back. Her knees threatening to buckle beneath her, Moira clamped her jaw tightly closed and forced herself to watch what the goddess was doing. Cynyr was shrieking in agony, his body jerking against the restraints holding his wrists and ankles. One of Morrigunia’s hands was pressed
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