Janrae Frank Dark Brothers of The Light 5 Blood Paladin

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on the floor with his wife in his arms. Chinisi lay very still and a bit too
pale by Amiri's estimation. Unlike the other blood-slaves, Chinisi still wore
the same dress with the torn upper bodice that she had the day Anksha took
her. Amiri crossed the floor and dropped to her knees beside them, putting her
hand to Chinisi's neck and Reading her.
"What have you come for, Ymraude?" Liuthan asked bitterly. "We're Anksha's
cattle, not yours."
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"Shut up and let me Read," Amiri said.
Liuthan stared at his wife's still face, caressing her closed lids and
parted lips with his eyes. "Her mage centers are dead. Yesterday they were
brittle. Today they're ash."
Amiri ignored him, concentrating. Chinisi's mage centers and mage net had
collapsed in on themselves, her bio-alchemical systems were thrown off and
exhausted, her shaukras had become blackened and shriveled. The mon was alive,
but only in the strictest sense of the word. Amiri sucked in a breath at the
damage and started unlacing Chinisi's bodice.
"What the hell are you doing?" Liuthan demanded, grabbing Amiri's hands.
"I'm an etheric. I need to check the physical signs and symptoms."
"Didshesend you? What is Anksha doing? Sending you here to measure how fast
she can destroy us?"
Amiri gave Liuthan a hard stare before answering. "She didn't send me. I
came because I was concerned. She's feeding more heavily of late."
"Heavily? It feels like chunks of my life force are being torn out of me
each time her fangs pierce my flesh." Liuthan gestured wildly with one hand,
his finger splayed. "And she's doing it every god-forsaking day."
Amiri watched him until he calmed a bit. "I'm a healer, as well as a
bio-majicalist and bio-alchemist. I want to help, if I can."
Liuthan's voice softened suddenly and the force went out of him. "All
that..." He considered a moment, his expression gradually taking on a faint
touch of hope. "Will you help her?"
Amiri did not answer until she had Chinisi bare to the waist. She examined
Chinisi with clinical dispassion. A black metal collar with 'property of
Anksha' inscribed on it circled Chinisi' throat loosely and the fanged 'A'
that was Anksha's registered slave brand had healed well on Chinisi's
shoulder. Red splotching and streaks covered her breasts and stomach, and
lined her sides. "She's withering swiftly. There's nothing I can do."
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"There must be something." Liuthan's voice turned pleading.
"The one who could have helped is in no condition to because of you!" Amiri
snapped.
Liuthan dropped his eyes. "You mean Dawnreturning."
"Yes." Amiri lifted Chinisi and carried her into the bedroom, where she laid
the mon out and covered her before returning to Liuthan. "Open your robe."
Liuthan wore the loose black robe over black pants that Anksha ordained for
her blood-slaves. Amiri wondered why Chinisi had been allowed to retain her
own clothing.
"I'm nearly as bad as she is," Liuthan said.
Amiri nodded and watched him open his robe. Liuthan allowed the robe to
slide from his shoulders and settle on the floor around him. The welts and
streaks covered his stomach and lined his sides, and a few had turned into
oozing sores. "I can give you something for the pain and a cream for the
sores."
Liuthan gave her a suddenly grateful look. "The pain never goes away. The
sores burn. I have tried to ask Chinisi if she hurts, but she hasn't been able
to speak since the day that Anksha took us."
"I will have one of the lycans provide you both with a dose of pollendine
twice a day. I can't trust you with the bottle. Some of Anksha's slaves have
suicided over the years."
"I imagine so." Liuthan lowered his head as she Read him. Amiri found that
his mage centers, nets, and shaukras were nearly dead. "I have a son," Liuthan
said as she finished. "I would have word of him, if you can and will without
endangering him."
"I don't know..."
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"Please."
"Most of the children from your estate are dead."
"Oh gods have mercy." Liuthan closed his eyes, lowering his head.
Amiri struggled to remain detached. She thought of how Anksha's hand
fluttered longingly across her stomach, wanting a child. A sense of guilt
inserted itself in her heart like a thin blade they were risking Anksha's
life in hopes that Isranon could get a child on her and save the species. A
child of Anksha's would be the nearest thing that Amiri would ever have to a
child of her own. She thought of her own longings and asked, "What is his
name?"
"Stygean. He's nearly thirteen."
The boy's age hit Amiri a hammer blow. "Then he's most likely dead. All who
have participated in the rites are either dead or taken by Anksha."
Liuthan grasped her arm, his face full of misery and desperation. "He
hasn't. Stygean is a late-bloomer."
Amiri nodded. "Then I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you."
Amiri left him, haunted by the knowledge that if Isranon killed Anksha, she
would have to tell Zulaika to give the Ymraudes the orders that would start
the butchering of the surviving children. For the first time, Amiri did not
feel comfortable with her usual emotionless expediency.
* * * *
The sa'necari children, twenty-eight of them came into the courtyard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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