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patrolled the confines of Baybridge under the Reaper's direction.
"Who's the other visitor?" Viraidan demanded.
Danforth shuddered. "A name wasn't given, milord, but he's a Ridgelord."
WINDS THROUGH TIME Charlotte Boyett-Compo 114
"Ah ...." Cedric hissed, the ruff on his back standing up as his back arched, his whiskers
twitched. "That's why the unease, Cree!"
"What the hell did the brat do now?" Viraidan growled again and threw out an angry arm.
"Bring them to my office."
"My kind has no use for Ridgelords," Cedric grumbled as Danforth hurried away to do his
boss's bidding.
"Well, Reapers aren't that fond of them, either," Viraidan said. "At least this one isn't."
Fifteen minutes of angrily pacing his office later, the Reaper was in a high state of
irritation when there was a soft knock on his door and it opened to the sight of a gray-robed
mage striding in as though he owned the place.
"I am High Lord Kaleb," the mage announced, "of the Shadowlord High Council."
"I am Prime," was all Viraidan needed to say as he narrowed his eyes at the Reaper who
came in behind the Shadowlord. His nostrils flared but he said nothing to Kaegan.
"I am Cedric," the Nightwind said as he took human form. He looked down his long
nose at the Ridgelord. "I am ...."
"We know what you are," Lord Kaleb interrupted. He gave a slight inclination of his
head.
"What the hell did you do, Cree?" the Prime Reaper demanded.
"He has done nothing," Lord Kaleb answered for the younger man. "We are here to ask
for your help." He shifted his gray eyes to the Nightwind. "Yours, as well."
Viraidan's hellion twisted in his back and it was all he could do not to flinch. The pain
was horrific but the message was received here were the ones he was to aid. He swept a hand
to the chairs placed in front of his desk. "Sit," he ordered then skirted his desk to plop down in
his form-fitting chair.
Although Lord Kaleb's mouth twisted with annoyance at the demanding tone, he took a
seat, indicating Kaegan was to follow suit.
"What's this about?" Viraidan queried as he lifted his feet to prop them on the edge of his
desk.
"Your lady is Bronwyn McGregor, is she not, Lord Viraidan?" the Ridgelord asked,
ignoring Kaegan's head snapping toward him.
Viraidan's look hardened. "If you wish to take in more than the last breath you drew,
you'd best leave my woman out of this and she is Bronwyn Cree, not McGregor."
"The young Reaper's mate is Wynter McGregor," Lord Kaleb said as though he hadn't
heard the threat. "And she has been taken by a Nightwind."
Cedric had taken humanoid form and positioned himself at the end of Viraidan's desk.
He stood there with his arms folded over his chest but at those words, he stiffened as though
someone had hit him in the back with a sledgehammer. "When?" he asked.
"Just within the past week," the Ridgelord answered. "While the Reaper was in
Transition and unable to stop him."
"McGregor," Viraidan repeated. His sharp amber eyes glittered. "Kin to my woman?"
"As distant a relation to your lady as the young Reaper here is to you, Lord Viraidan, but
kin, nevertheless," was the reply.
"Which Nightwind?" Cedric asked.
"His name is Azzin Cree. He ...."
At those words the Prime Reaper shot to his feet. His eyes turned midnight black with
rage. "He is one of the feohdys?" he bellowed. "Here? On my world?"
WINDS THROUGH TIME Charlotte Boyett-Compo 115
"He is my half-brother," Kaegan said and the furious eyes of the Prime leapt to him. He
held the other Reaper's enraged glower though he knew he should drop his gaze out of respect.
"He is a McGregor Nightwind," Cedric said calmly and reached out to put a hand on
Viraidan's arm. "Not a Broderick Nightwind, Cree. He can not be after your mate for Bronnie
was the last of the Broderick female line."
Viraidan shook off the restraining hand. "Is your woman the last of the McGregor female
line?"
"She is not a witch, milord," Kaegan said. "There are no more witches of the McGregor
female line and so Azzin ...."
"Stole her to keep from being sent back to the Abyss," Cedric finished. He nodded. "I
see the problem." He looked at Lord Kaleb. "Did you help in this mess?"
The Ridgelord raised his chin. "We were going by the strict letter of the law in allowing
there to be a contest. We thought ...."
"A contest for what?" the Prime Reaper demanded with a lethal growl.
"To see which the McGregor woman would chose, milord," Lord Kaleb said. "Reaper or
Nightwind. It was only fair to ...."
"What do you need?" Viraidan asked, cutting the mage off. A muscle was working
furiously in his lean jaw. "How can this feohdys be smashed, Kaegan?"
"We know where he has taken her," Kaegan said. Hearing the Prime call his half-brother [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]