Phantom of the Wind (18 page)

“Goodbye, dear Phantom and Mrs. Phantom-to-be!” the Burgon joked. “May the Wind be always at your backs!”

The
Lhong Shee
was rapidly speeding away from the powerful formation that had appeared out of nowhere to protect the Phantom’s back.

“You knew they were on their way, didn’t you?” Kendall asked.

Quinn reached down to touch the handle of his scytheblade. “She pulses whenever there is another member nearby. When she practically jumped out of her sheath, I knew we had some gods-be-damned powerful company practically right on us.”

“We could see ‘em but no one else could. They were cloaked until we shot right by the
Sekkeen’s
port side,” Paton said, “then they decloaked to scare the shit out of Morrison.”

“That must have been one helluva sight to be facing,” Aleyn commented. “It was impressive enough just seeing it from behind those warships.”

“The Tiogar himself,” Quinn mused. “I’ve always wanted to meet that man. He’s a legend.”

“Like you,” Kendall said, and there was pride in her voice.

Quinn smiled. “Well, there’s a difference, wench,” he said.

“And that is?”

“I have you and he doesn’t,” the Phantom bragged.

Kendall raised one red gold brow. “You think you have me, Lord Phantom?”

“I’m trying,
Lhiannan
,” he said.

“Oh how well I know, Rory Quinn. You can be
very
trying,” she replied.

Chapter Six

1443 CMT

It was a breathtaking view over which the
Lhong Shee
passed. Spreading out like a raven in flight, Mount Korak was an impressive vista. Two wide sweeping “wings” arched gracefully from a tall peak that time and wind had carved into the likeness of a bird’s beak in profile. Strange, rippling striations across the mountain range only added to the illusion of a massive raptor sailing in flight for the grainy horizontal stripes appeared like feathers on the stone.

“It’s called the Raven,” Quinn told Kendall. “That’s what the word
korak
means in Theristesian.”

“Beautiful,” she pronounced. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Their ship was skimming low over the rainforest, aiming for fertile ground, lush grassland bisected by a serpentine river with a high cataract to the south. Tariq’s village would be at the base of Mount Korak.

“There!” Paton said. “I think that’s it!”

Luxuriant colors spread out like jewels beneath the keel of the Phantom’s ship as Shannon throttled her down, aiming for a circle of white stones that was their landing site. Bright greens of every shade and turquoise water sparkling upon a river that wound down from the higher elevations and fell into a breathtaking canopy of falls above which mists clung like liquid diamonds mesmerized the eye. Multi-colored birds—scarlet, bright yellow, electric blue, piercing orange—winged through the air and to the north of the landing area, wild white ponies frolicked in tall, crimson-colored grass.

“What is that lovely grass?” Kendall asked, in awe of the wavering garnet stalks.

“They call it Blood Grass,” Quinn answered. “Appropriate for a planet on which Reapers are born, don’t you think?”

Shannon landed the ship with only the softest of bumps.

Quinn unbuckled his harness and went to stand in front of the wide sweep of windows that overlooked the valley into which they’d landed. “By the gods, this is spectacular,” he said. “I can see why the Burgon comes here for his rare vacations.”

But it was not the stunning scenery that caught and held Kendall’s attention as she started to get up from her chair. She just happened to glance up at the Vid-Com. The outside Vid-Array had picked up movement at the edge of the forest and zoomed in on a being that made the young woman’s womb clench with sheer, unadulterated lust.

He was tall with a wide, heavily muscled chest pelted with dark hair that wedged in a V to between his long legs. Broad shoulders tapered to a slim, flat belly with abdominal muscles that were sharply chiseled. Strong-looking thighs were braced apart as he stood there observing the ship. Dark brown hair—so dark it was almost black—hung down to his waist and was flowing free in a slight breeze, draping behind him like a silken cloak. Naked as the day he had thrust from his mother’s womb, his staff was long and thick and held Kendall’s undivided attention. She swallowed hard, unable to look away.

“I think that must be Cree,” Fenella said in an awed voice. She had come to stand beside Kendall and she also seemed unable to look away from the magnificent warrior standing at the edge of the clearing.

“That,” Kendall said, “is prime male.”

Quinn heard his lady and looked around, his gaze going up to the Vid-Screen. He blinked, blinked again and his mouth fell open as he stared at the imposing man whose handsome face was slowly breaking into a knowing smile.

“
Greetings, Phantom
,” a disembodied voice wound its way into Quinn’s head.

“I’ll be damned if I’ll let my woman out there with something that looks like him!” Paton snapped. He too was staring at the Vid-Com.

“He has his own woman,” Fenella reminded her husband. “Remember what we were told?”

“I don’t like the looks of him,” Quinn said, snapping his mouth closed and speaking around grinding teeth.

“Her name is Bahiya and she has been my mate for longer than you have drawn breath in the megaverse, Phantom,”
the voice whispered
. “I would no more dishonor her with another woman than you would dishonor the one you call love.”

“Aye, but do the other Reapers look like you?” Quinn demanded, casting a look at Paton.

Tariq Cree grinned, showing sparkling white teeth, and when he spoke, his words came out of the Vid-Com for everyone on the ship to hear. “Every last mother’s son of them,” he said then chuckled. He waved his arm at them—motioning them to join him—then melded back into the tall verdant foliage from whence he’d come.

“I don’t know, Quinn,” Paton said. “Naked men…”

“They have Reaper women too,” Fenella reminded her husband. “If the men look as good as that, can you imagine what the women must look like?”

Shannon perked up. “You think they’ll be naked too?”

“As the day they were born,” a female voice trilled over the Vid-Com. “And not all of us are Reaper.”

Shannon’s grin nearly split his face. “All right!”

“Didn’t I hear something about the Burgon having sent some of his concubines here as mates for the Reapers?” Kendall asked.

“Aye!” Fenella said. “I heard that too, and there were hundreds of females he sent!”

“Hundreds of naked females?” Douglas asked with awe. He looked at Shannon and both men rushed to the airlock.

“I didn’t say we were going out there!” Paton shouted after them.

Quinn chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide if he dared allow his woman to be amongst such handsome brutes with unbelievable physiques. He looked around at Kendall when she came to put a hand on his shoulder.

“You are everything I could want, Phantom,” she said, “but you’ve got to win my trust again.”

“And you expect me to compete with men like him?” he countered.

“Well, if you don’t feel up to the competition…”

Quinn reached for his lady, yanking her to him. “Don’t play with me, wench. I’m not feeling very confident right now after seeing the Reaper.”

“Quinn…” It was a breathless word that had the captain of the pirate ship looking around to the young prince.

Aleyn Kaneen was staring up at the Vid-Screen at what had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his young life. She was standing where Tariq had stood but she was fully clothed. Young—about his tender age of twenty-two—she was a tiny thing with long blonde hair in a rustling mauve-colored gown.

“I want her,” Aleyn whispered. “I want
her
!”

The prince was scrambling out of his safety harness, hissing at the buckle.

“Easy, Your Grace,” Paton said, going over to aid his prince. He calmly swatted the young man’s hands away from the buckle and unlocked it. He grunted as Aleyn pushed him none too gently aside and scrambled for the airlock that was cycling open as he reached it.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Aleyn ordered.

“I don’t know…” Quinn said, but Kendall reached up to cover his lips with her fingers.

“The Burgon would not have sent us here had there been even a hint of danger involved, Phantom,” she told her lover. “We are meant to be safe here, remember?”

Hesitant, feeling less than adequate, Quinn nodded. “I suppose so.” He watched Shannon and Douglas tripping down the gangplank behind their prince and frowned. “You men should lead him, not the other way around!”

“We’ve got his back, Cap’n!” Shannon called back.

“Quinn, look,” Kendall said, and pointed out the windows.

Many people had gathered at the edge of the forest. Some were naked but most were clothed. Those who were naked were stunningly attractive, but each was holding the hand of one who was undoubtedly their mate. Many of the clothed were women and they rushed forward to meet Shannon, Douglas and a few other members of the crew who had followed the navigational officers.

“Your little brother has been conquered,” Kendall said.

Quinn groaned for he too saw the prince stopping before the beautiful young woman with the long, fair hair. He rolled his eyes when Aleyn went to one knee before her and took her hand in his. “What the hell is he doing?” he demanded.

“Staking his claim,” Kendall said with a laugh.

“And the chit doesn’t seem to be adverse to it either,” Fenella remarked.

Paton slipped an arm around his lady. “Let the unattached do whatever they feel the need to but if you so much as ogle one of those naked men, Fenella, I will—”

“Pout the entirety of the day,” Fenella said. “I intend to look my fill, Paton, so you might as well pucker your lips and maintain.”

Quinn sighed. “We might as well get on out there, Paton. We’re going to be here a while.”

None too happy about venturing into the group of overpoweringly handsome males, Paton reached down to capture his wife’s hand and held it tightly as he pulled her toward the airlock, mumbling in a low voice to her as they went.

“He can order her not to touch,” Kendall said, “but don’t forget why the Burgon wanted me here, Quinn.”

Quinn’s frown deepened. “
Lhiannan
, I don’t think—”

“I am a healer, Phantom,” she said. “There aren’t just Reapers here, although I am dying to find out how their anatomies differ from ours.” She slipped her arm around his waist. “I’ve heard whispers of such beings, but to actually meet one?” She shivered delicately. “I am beside myself with curiosity.”

“Look all you want,” Quinn said as he walked with her to the airlock. “Touch if touch is required to heal one of them, but if you bat your eyes at them, wench—”

“Duly noted, Phantom,” she said, cutting him off.

Those members of Quinn’s crew who were unattached had already migrated to some of the women who had been volunteered to come to Theristes when the Burgon shut down his harem of concubines. Most of the women were still virgins and were shy with the new men entering their territory, but a few were brazenly flirting with the crewmen, staking out their own claims among the Phantom’s men.

Following the parade of clad and unclad bodies into the verdant luxuriance of the jungle, Kendall was amazed at the new varieties of plants and trees she was seeing. The smells were intoxicating and wafting over her in gentle waves of pleasures. Off to the right was the gurgling river and the sound of the cataract tumbling over glistening rocks higher up was a soothing resonance that put her at ease.

The village was a surprise that had Quinn stopping in his tracks. He had expected huts made from native grasses or interwoven branches but he found stone buildings with metal roofs.

“Lord Quinn?” The voice was the same one that had spoken to the Phantom in his mind. The tone was deep, authoritative and friendly.

Quinn turned to the tall man who strode forward with his hand extended in greeting. “Lord Tariq?”

“I am he,” Tariq replied, and the two men grasped wrists in warrior fashion. “My wife Bahiya is preparing a repast for us else she would have been here to greet you and your lady.” He turned to Kendall. “You are a most welcome addition to our village, Healer.” He let go of Quinn’s arm and turned to draw Kendall into a light embrace. “May your days here be productive and your nights fruitful.”

Quinn tensed as the handsome man put his arms around Kendall, but it was a fleeting hug and very respectful. He saw Kendall blush at the greeting.

“Your journey was uneventful, I hope,” Tariq said, searching Quinn’s eyes.

“We had no trouble once we left the Coalition ship behind as it faced the Burgon and his allies,” Quinn said.

Tariq grinned. “I believe Cair said you called them the Hounds of Hell. That is a most appropriate name for warriors of such renown.”

“You’ve met them?”

“A few have journeyed here. Now and again the Burgon sends warriors who wish to embrace our heritage and become one with us.”