Wind Demon Triology: Book II: Evil Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Page A

stopped, his eyes widening.
    "What?” Iyan asked.
    "She was to have become the next Domestic Queen,” Khiershon said. “There were only three other women—all daughters of the Defense Queen—that Raphaella deigned to associate with and one of them was named Akkadia."
    "That's a common enough Amazeen name, Khier,” Iyan reminded him.
    "Aye but if memory serves, the Defense Queen was named Melanippe Kahmal!"
    "Kahmal is the name of the Major on the Alluvia ,” Caitlin said.
    "But surely Kahmal is sworn to bring Raphaella to justice for helping you to escape,” Iyan said.
    "Not necessarily,” Khiershon disagreed. “I always thought she must have had inside help in aiding me to escape Amazeen. What if that help was Akkadia Kahmal?"
    "You may be right. Hell, she was even bragging to Kahmal!"
    "If they were friends...” Caitlin began.
    "She had no friends, I tell you!” Khiershon said. “I would have known!"
    "All right,” Caitlin said, taking his word for it. “Then either one of two things is happening here.” She held up her thumb. “The two of them came to some kind of understanding and the Major isn't going to hold Raphie accountable for setting you loose or.... “She held up her index finger. “The Major is leading Raphie to her death on Rysalia Prime."
    "With an unconscious Reaper cadet in tow,” Khiershon said, his face as stony as granite. “We've lost dozens of Reapers already to the Multitude's fires. I've no intention of losing even one more!"
    "Khier, other than you, the only cadet not accounted for is Sajin. If you're correct, it is most likely him on the Amazeen ship,” Iyan stated.
    "The only cadet we know about,” Khiershon corrected. “What if there are more that we don't know about? We need to liberate him before they can turn him over to the Multitude and question him to see if there are more cadets out there somewhere."
    "And alert the Amazeen that you have a ship of men being masked as women on their scanners?” Caitlin asked. “You might as well signal on ahead to Rysalia Prime that we're coming to the Reapers’ rescue."
    "She's right,” Iyan said. “I don't see any way to snatch the lone male off the Alluvia without giving ourselves away."
    "Then he'll have to stay where he is and we'll add him to our pickup list,” Caitlin said. “Isn't that what we're doing here tonight? Cementing our plans for snatching your bloodkin from their doom?"
    Khiershon nodded. He was still troubled, his nerves on edge, but he saw no way to help the male on the Amazeen ship. He'd do everything he could to save the man but if it came down to saving one man or ten, one would have to be sacrificed. He just prayed it didn't come to that.
    "I know you're worried,” Caitlin said, reaching out to cover her husband's hand where it rested on the table. “Try not to let it get to you."
    The Reaper nodded. “There's also Raphie,” he said. “If Major Kahmal is leading her to her doom...."
    "Stop borrowing trouble, Khier,” Iyan told him. “Let's get the plan down first before we veer off on any tangents."
    "All right,” Khiershon said. He looked around and realized his entire team had gathered in the lounge. Only Dax—who was in control of the ship—was missing. “Take a seat and let's go through this all again. Has anyone thought of any potential problems we need to deal with first?"

Chapter Seven
    Raphaella had, indeed, recognized Caitlin's voice, but she had not found the Terran woman's antics amusing. What she had learned from the crew of the Alluvia had brought things home forcibly to her that this was not going to be a walk beside the lake they were undertaking. There was exacting danger aligned against them all. For the first time in her life, the Amazeen woman felt fear. Not for herself but for the man she loved. That he was with another woman only deepened Raphaella's fear for his wellbeing. She wouldn't be near him to protect him.
    "Considering what we learned from Major Kahmal should we