Phantom of the Wind (10 page)

Kendall loved the cottage as much as he did. It had been a present to him from the Burgon and it was rustic enough to please the warrior, yet comfortable and well-appointed enough to please the warrior’s lady. There were two rooms—a living and eating area and a nice-sized bedroom in which stood—behind an ornate trompe-l’oeil screen in one corner—a huge copper clawfoot tub, washstand and toilet.

With hardwood floors throughout, ceiling-to-floor shutters on the mullioned windows and a cook’s dream of a kitchen provisioned with every gadget known to man, the living area sported a large sofa, two chairs, a dinette with two chairs, assorted end tables and a well-stocked bar and larder—the cottage had everything save that which would distract the warrior and his lady. There was no desk, no Vid-Com, no entertainment center—nothing that would allow the world to intrude.

In the bedroom, an oversized scrolled copper headboard and footboard with faceted green glass finials and knobs held a plush mattress made of MemFoam. The coverlet was a thick blanket of plush dark green velour and the sheets were a pale peach color. A large armoire, two nightstands, two overstuffed wingback chairs that sat to either side of the cottage’s second vast fireplace, made the room cozy and inviting.

They had spent many a night making love on the softness of his bed, many a comforting hour with her head on his shoulder and his arms around her beneath the silken sheets. Had eaten many a meal she had prepared for them at the little table in the dining area. Night after night—and many a morning—had found them in the plush spaciousness of the copper tub, her back to him as he shampooed her long red gold hair, perfumed bubbles lapping over their heated bodies.

Now Kendall was staring down into the flames, her heart uncomfortably tight in her chest, sensing something wasn’t right and deeply troubled by her feelings.

He too was troubled for he had a task to perform that had kept him awake for three days straight, two bottles of Chrystallusian plum brandy and a glass close at hand. After he’d consumed the brandy and called for a third bottle, he’d passed out, coming to in a dimly lit seedy hotel room somewhere on Idimmu Prime with three men standing over him with stern expressions that had brooked no argument. Sobering up had been hell for he’d received no sympathy from the men. Now a week later, he’d had precious few hours of sleep but no brandy to dull the pain that was piercing his heart.

Standing up, he walked to the barn door—his fingers hooked on the doorjamb—and stood there with the rain pummeling him, hitting him savagely in the face. He welcomed the stinging for what he was about to do was tearing him apart.

* * * * *

1026 CMT

Kendall stood beside the TAOS unit and marveled at the movement of Quinn’s eyes beneath his closed lids. He was deep in REM sleep once again and whatever dreams he was experiencing were tormenting him. Now and then he would whimper and that was so unlike the man she’d known and loved, it added to her overpowering feeling that something was wrong with the whole scenario of the Phantom being taken down by the Amazeen. She looked around at Andrews.

“Open a channel to the
Borstal
,” she said. “I want to speak with the Riezell Guardian.”

Andrews’ eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious, Doc?”

“Just open the gods-be-damned channel!” Kendall barked, almost laughing at how much the order sounded like Quinn’s arrogant tone.

The imperious face that filled the Vid-Com screen stared back at Kendall with hostile but wary eyes. “Have you completed the outlaw’s treatment?” the Amazeen demanded.

“No,” Kendall said. “He’ll be here another couple of hours at least.”

Anxiety shot through the pale gray eyes of the Riezell Guardian. “Then why are you bothering me?”

“Come over here and see,” Kendall said then motioned for Andrews to sever the contact.

Parks let out a low whistle. “Man, Doc. You think she’ll do that?”

“I know she will,” Kendall said. She started out of sick bay. “Tell her to come to my quarters.”

“Ah, I don’t know that that’s such a good idea, Doc,” Andrews said. “I—”

“Just do it and don’t give me any shit, Andrews!” Kendall snapped at him.

Riding down to her quarters in the elevator, Kendall sensed the surge of power that signaled the transporter pad had been engaged. She smiled nastily, imagining the surprise on the crew’s faces as the Amazeen appeared.

“Doctor Bryne?” It was Captain Breen’s stern voice.

“Aye, Sir?” Kendall said. Although there were no Vid-Com screens in the elevators, there were speakers and she looked at the mesh grid as she spoke.

“I understand you invited Major Shanee Iphito to your quarters?”

“Aye, Sir, I did.”

There was a long pause then Breen warned her that he hoped she knew what she was doing.

“Sir?” Kendall called out before her commanding officer could break the connection.

“What?” Breen snapped.

“I will be putting my quarters on blackout status until I am finished with my conversation with the Amazeen so please don’t be alarmed if you can’t contact me.”

“She’ll make mincemeat of you, Bryne,” Breen said. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Munchkin looked up as her humanoid companion came in. Upon seeing no carton of milk, the Elfinish was not pleased and the sharp hiss, flounce of her hairless tail and a darting into the sleeping area was the feline’s way of showing her displeasure.

Kendall shrugged. She had more important things to take care of than her cat’s moodiness. She cast a quick look around and was satisfied her quarters were in no need of tidying. When the hard knock came at her door, she flung it open.

“Turn off your Vid-Com,” Kendall ordered her visitor. “What I have to say is between just the two of us.”

Shanee Iphito glanced about the room then reached up to turn off the link attached to the lapel of her Riezell Guardian uniform. “What is this about?” she snapped.

“How did he get hurt so badly?” Kendall asked, and watched the wariness in the Amazeen’s eyes turn to suspicion.

“I told Captain Jaborn—”

“I know what you told Jaborn,” Kendall interrupted her. “I want to know what really happened.”

Shanee lifted her chin. “Why don’t you ask my prisoner?”

Kendall walked over to her sofa and sat down, not bothering to invite her guest to do the same. She laid her arm on the back of the sofa. “Is he your prisoner or your lover?” she asked.

Munchkin padded out of the sleeping area and stood framed in the doorway. She was staring intently at the Amazeen, and when Shanee became aware of the Elfinish, the tall woman’s eyes lit up.

“An Elfinish!” she shrieked, and rushed over to kneel before the small feline. “Greetings, Worldly One!” she gushed.

Kendall’s mouth dropped open as the Amazeen bowed her head then held out her hand, palm up.

Munchkin lifted a paw and lightly tapped the woman’s palm then strolled past her. “You may rise, warrioress,” she said in passing, her tail straight up in the air, her nose held high. She padded over to the sofa and hopped up beside Kendall, perching as close to her humanoid companion as she could get. “You did not tell me the tall one was a woman of breeding and intelligence, humanoid,” she told Kendall.

Shanee stood and came over to sit on one of the chairs facing the sofa. Her eyes were no longer filled with hostility. “Any woman who has the companionship of an Elfinish and is allowed to converse with the Worldly One is worthy of my attention if not respect.”

“Whoopee,” Kendall said in a droll tone.

“Behave, humanoid,” Munchkin said. She turned her pink gaze to the guest. “You are a friend of the Phantom?”

Shanee nodded. “He and I are close friends,” she answered then smiled. “Very close.”

“What the hell do you mean by close?” Kendall asked, but the feline reached out to put a paw on Kendall’s thigh.

“Let me handle this, humanoid. You get too wound up at times while I—on the other hand—am quite levelheaded and less inclined to jump the gun, as they say.” She took her paw from Kendall’s leg. “Now, tall one. What is your humanoid name?”

“Princess Shanee, Worldly One,” the Amazeen replied.

“Oh goody,” Kendall said with a roll of her eyes. “An honest to goodness princess yet.”

Shanee raised her chin. “I am the daughter of Polemusa, the defense queen.”

“Well, ain’t that special?” Kendall mumbled.

“What are you to the Phantom?” Munchkin asked. She flicked her long, pointed ears. “And do not try to lie to me. You know it is impossible to do so without my knowing.”

The Amazeen inclined her head. “Never would I lie to an Elfinish.” She cut her eyes over to Kendall for a moment. “He is technically my prisoner now but—in the past—we have been lovers.”

“How far in the past?” Kendall growled.

Shanee’s gray gaze was lethal. “Two, three weeks, perhaps?”

Hurt like nothing she had ever experienced before lanced through Kendall’s soul. Though she had hardly expected Quinn to remain faithful to her when he threw her out, hearing proof that he had taken another woman to his bed, to his body was almost more than Kendall could stand. Though she hid it from her guest, her feline companion sensed the misery enveloping her humanoid and was not happy.

“Who did such damage to the Cengusian warrior?” Munchkin demanded. “Was it you?”

Shanee shook her head. “There are some things I can not reveal to you, Worldly One, even though I am sure you would not repeat what I would tell you. Some things are best left to the Goddess to reveal at a time She believes best.”

Munchkin inclined her regal head with its sharp ears and single tuff of hair that sat between those radar-like appendages. “As well it should be, Shanee.”

“If you don’t mind, I would like to check on my…” Shanee smiled. “My prisoner.” She stood up, cast Kendall a haughty look and then started for the door.

“By all means,” Munchkin agreed. “Run along, dear, and may the Wind be always at your back.”

Shanee bowed respectfully to the Elfinish then departed.

“Bitch,” Kendall pronounced when the door had closed. She reached up to rub at the headache that was once more throbbing in her temples.

Munchkin sighed dramatically, hopped down from the sofa, speaking over her shoulder as she padded into the bathing area. “You’d best turn the Vid-Com links back on and let them know you survived your visit with the tall one.”

“Aye,” Kendall said, and did as her companion ordered without thinking about what she was doing.

Coming back into the living area, the Elfinish dropped a meds bottle on the floor at Kendall’s feet. “Since the Goddess did not see fit to give me opposable thumbs I can’t open the bottle for you, but take two and lie down for a bit. Let Andrews know you’ll be down a few hours with the headache.”

Kendall was so depressed by what she’d learned from the Amazeen regarding her relationship to Quinn, she didn’t question that order either. She picked up the bottle, called up to the sick bay then shook out two pills and went into the galley for a glass of water.

“She slept with him, Munch,” she said, tears gathering.

“Aye, but there was about her admission a tiny bit of information she left out,” Munchkin stated as she hopped up on the chair the Amazeen had vacated and sniffed it thoroughly.

“What?” Kendall asked, listlessly as she tossed the pills into her mouth and swallowed them, washing them down with a long drink of tap water.

“A funny odor,” Munchkin observed. “One I can’t quite identify.”

“What did she leave out, Munch?” Kendall asked as she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the sofa, one arm crooked over her eyes.

Munchkin sniffed again. “Very strange,” she said then hopped down from the chair and jumped up onto the one beside it.

“Munch? Her less than forthcoming information?”

“Ah yes. The tall one failed to mention that on the evening she and the Phantom became lovers, he was quite the worse for having drunk far too much of something called brandy.”

Kendall lifted her arm, turned her head and looked at the feline. “He was drinking?”

“I believe the saying is he was drunk as a skunk,” Munchkin reported. “Whatever a skunk is.”

“Did she seduce him?” Kendall asked, hope rife in her voice.

“One gets that impression, aye,” the Elfinish replied. “Now close your eyes and let the medicine work.”

The pain pounding between her eyes, Kendall lowered her arm over her face once more and tried to relax. Just the thought of Quinn lying with the Amazeen was enough to make her want to scratch the other woman’s eyes out and pull every strand of her ugly white hair from her head.

“Stop obsessing and relax,” Munchkin ordered, intercepting her companion’s angry and hurt thoughts.

“He said I belong to him,” Kendall said. “And he goes and screws that walking mop.”

Munchkin shook her head, curled her front paws beneath her and stared at her humanoid, willing her companion to sleep. From past experience, she knew it was the only way Kendall would be rid of the terrible, crushing pain in her head.

“I hate him,” Kendall mumbled as the med began to take effect.