claws. They raked down his skin, scouring the outer layer away.
Again.
Again.
Again.
He fell out of his chair, light-headed, gasping. His raw skin was overloaded with sensation, with pain. He was disgusted at himself, at the way he continued when everyone around him died. Why stop at these weak punishments? Why not just kill himself?
Why not bring the fire down until it ate through his body, until he suffered what Fa had suffered? He brought the fire down again, again. Something warm spread over his forearm, dampness stinging exposed nerve endings. From the sleeve of his coat a trickle of blood ran out onto his hand.
He felt warmth on his back now too, and his side. He would not lose control again. He would not hurt anyone else again. He called the fire down. The dampness spread, warmth enveloping him. He found himself fading into that warmth. It was hard to focus. But he knew there was one thing he must do, and he held fiercely to that one thing. And as consciousness left him, he brought the fire down one last time.
C HAPTER 4
Anna closed her orifice and, with a cry of joy, shot up into the sky. The gases of the atmosphere, layers of moisture and dust pressed against her, fighting her forward motion. She strove upward. Beneath her, cities had been flattened to desolate plains, life exterminated. A great victory.
The atmosphere thinned, her weight grew light, and the cold sent exhilarating tingles across her skin. Then she was free, cutting through the invigorating vacuum of space.
Her sisters had taken flight, speeding to Z'ha'dum to drop off their prisoners, so they could return to this sector and wait in delicious anticipation of the next attack.
For Anna there would be no such joy. She must remain with her passengers on Z'ha'dum.
She had extended chairs and benches from the walls of her largest chamber, and there they sat, heat and oily excretions soaking into her. Through her skin, she watched them.
The hated Bunny sat apart from the others, with a screen on her lap. Using a stylus, she dashed off line after line of strange symbols. Even occupied as she was, Bunny challenged Anna's ability to concentrate, to carry out her tasks.
The pressure of Bunny's thoughts pushed at Anna's mind, generating a dull, pulsing pain. Bunny was a disruptive, intrusive presence. She vexed Anna. Because of Bunny, Anna had to stand idle on Z'ha'dum in case her passengers required transportation. Anna was the only one the Eye trusted to carry Bunny. Once, another of her sisters had been ordered to transport a telepath.
As soon as the telepath had boarded, she'd taken off and flown into the nearest sun. If Bunny were not among Anna's passengers, any ship could take them. She could return to the war, where she longed to be. Elizar sat beside Razeel on a bench.
Their weight pressed against Anna.
"You've perfected the cylinders," Elizar said.
"They were beautiful, weren't they? Two great mouths of hunger. They would have consumed her utterly."
He watched her silently for a moment.
"They served their purpose well."
"I wish Galen had not interfered. Their need has gone unsatisfied."
"Galen will pay his price."
Elizar took her hand and examined it. A dark red discoloration ran along the length of her index finger and over her fingertips.
"Why don't you rest and allow your hand to heal?"
Their bodies were so inferior, their pale skin vulnerable to nearly any attack, unlike Anna's brilliant black skin. Elizar stood, and Razeel lay on the bench, her face to the wall. As she traced a finger over Anna, she whispered.
"The shadow of death stretches out its hand. And upon its palm I sit. The queen of shadows."
She began to hum. Elizar let out a heavy breath and went to Bunny. He watched over her shoulder as she scribbled symbol after symbol. After a time, her hand stopped.
"Is that all?" Elizar said.
Bunny jerked her head around, her mouth tightly closed.
"Those are all the spells the girl remembered. Galen explained to her what
Again.
Again.
Again.
He fell out of his chair, light-headed, gasping. His raw skin was overloaded with sensation, with pain. He was disgusted at himself, at the way he continued when everyone around him died. Why stop at these weak punishments? Why not just kill himself?
Why not bring the fire down until it ate through his body, until he suffered what Fa had suffered? He brought the fire down again, again. Something warm spread over his forearm, dampness stinging exposed nerve endings. From the sleeve of his coat a trickle of blood ran out onto his hand.
He felt warmth on his back now too, and his side. He would not lose control again. He would not hurt anyone else again. He called the fire down. The dampness spread, warmth enveloping him. He found himself fading into that warmth. It was hard to focus. But he knew there was one thing he must do, and he held fiercely to that one thing. And as consciousness left him, he brought the fire down one last time.
C HAPTER 4
Anna closed her orifice and, with a cry of joy, shot up into the sky. The gases of the atmosphere, layers of moisture and dust pressed against her, fighting her forward motion. She strove upward. Beneath her, cities had been flattened to desolate plains, life exterminated. A great victory.
The atmosphere thinned, her weight grew light, and the cold sent exhilarating tingles across her skin. Then she was free, cutting through the invigorating vacuum of space.
Her sisters had taken flight, speeding to Z'ha'dum to drop off their prisoners, so they could return to this sector and wait in delicious anticipation of the next attack.
For Anna there would be no such joy. She must remain with her passengers on Z'ha'dum.
She had extended chairs and benches from the walls of her largest chamber, and there they sat, heat and oily excretions soaking into her. Through her skin, she watched them.
The hated Bunny sat apart from the others, with a screen on her lap. Using a stylus, she dashed off line after line of strange symbols. Even occupied as she was, Bunny challenged Anna's ability to concentrate, to carry out her tasks.
The pressure of Bunny's thoughts pushed at Anna's mind, generating a dull, pulsing pain. Bunny was a disruptive, intrusive presence. She vexed Anna. Because of Bunny, Anna had to stand idle on Z'ha'dum in case her passengers required transportation. Anna was the only one the Eye trusted to carry Bunny. Once, another of her sisters had been ordered to transport a telepath.
As soon as the telepath had boarded, she'd taken off and flown into the nearest sun. If Bunny were not among Anna's passengers, any ship could take them. She could return to the war, where she longed to be. Elizar sat beside Razeel on a bench.
Their weight pressed against Anna.
"You've perfected the cylinders," Elizar said.
"They were beautiful, weren't they? Two great mouths of hunger. They would have consumed her utterly."
He watched her silently for a moment.
"They served their purpose well."
"I wish Galen had not interfered. Their need has gone unsatisfied."
"Galen will pay his price."
Elizar took her hand and examined it. A dark red discoloration ran along the length of her index finger and over her fingertips.
"Why don't you rest and allow your hand to heal?"
Their bodies were so inferior, their pale skin vulnerable to nearly any attack, unlike Anna's brilliant black skin. Elizar stood, and Razeel lay on the bench, her face to the wall. As she traced a finger over Anna, she whispered.
"The shadow of death stretches out its hand. And upon its palm I sit. The queen of shadows."
She began to hum. Elizar let out a heavy breath and went to Bunny. He watched over her shoulder as she scribbled symbol after symbol. After a time, her hand stopped.
"Is that all?" Elizar said.
Bunny jerked her head around, her mouth tightly closed.
"Those are all the spells the girl remembered. Galen explained to her what
Similar Books
![Knight, Kayla - Her Long Hot Surrender [Raw Texas Heat 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/598849/thumbs/152x264/knight-kayla-her-long-hot-surrender-raw-texas-heat-3-siren-publishing-menage-everlasting.jpg)
