Wind Demon Triology: Book II: Evil Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Read Free Book Online Page A

Triso,” Dorrie replied. “Top-grade, pharmaceutical strength, as pure as possible."
    Waberi's eyebrows shot up. “You jest!” he said with a snort.
    Dorrie started to speak but stopped when the black woman at her side reached out, grabbed her brother by the front of his multi-colored caftan, and pushed him savagely against the wall. “Remember my J'Bai?” Zainabu hissed.
    "Lares?” Waberi questioned. “Of course, I remember him. What...?"
    "It is for a rafiki of my J'Bai. A man who deserves my aid for the great love he bore my J'Bai and my J'Bai bore him!"
    "No friend of Lares Taborn would willingly addict himself to Triso!” Waberi scoffed. “What game are you playing, Zain?"
    "It is for the Prime Reaper Kamerone Cree!” Zainabu stressed.
    Dorrie groaned. “Why don't you just shout it to the world, Zainabu?” she growled.
    "Kamerone Cree?” Waberi asked in a small, hushed voice. “The Prime Reaper is here on Ionary? I had heard he fled to Terra."
    "He did but he was brought back by Amazeen bounty hunters who are now his friends."
    Waberi's face showed his disbelief. “Amazeens do not befriend males,” he stated.
    "They do when Attribution has been declared!” his sister exclaimed.
    "Attribution?” Waberi gasped. He stared at her—gauging her truthfulness—then narrowed his eyes. “Woman, if you are lying...."
    "He is on an Amazeen ship and in full Transition. The duplicator is down and he could not get the Triso needed to keep him human,” Zainabu said. “We need your help, brother. The man is in agony!"
    Waberi shifted his hooded gaze to Dorrie. When she did not look away, he narrowed his eyes. “Where are you taking him, Pale One?"
    "To Rysalia Prime,” Dorrie answered. “To rescue his bloodkin from the fires at the Feast of Alluvial."
    The black man brutally shoved his sister away from him and began pacing, his gaze riveted to the floor. “It is not a matter of obtaining the Triso. That I can easily do. I have a year's supply buried beneath this very floor. It is a matter of obtaining the kind a Reaper needs for his purposes. This is pure, and that I can only get from one of the pharmacy warehouses."
    "How long will it take you to do that?” Dorrie asked. “He needs the meds now and we don't have that long before we must be in Rysalia Prime."
    "We know about the planned executions, of course,” Waberi said, ignoring her question. “I also know there are others who are intent on stopping the Reaper cadets from being killed and are on their way there even now."
    "Others?” Dorrie repeated, fear running down her back. “What others?"
    "Serenians, members of a rebel force led by one called McGregor,” Waberi answered. “They bought weapons and electronics from me for their ship just yesterday."
    "Do you know how they plan on rescuing the Reaper cadets?” Dorrie asked.
    "A man does not ask such things, Pale One,” Waberi snapped. “What one does not know, one can not reveal. What I do know is they are on their way to Rysalia with software that will hide them from the Multitude's watchdogs."
    "Scaan technology?” his sister asked.
    Waberi shook his head. “A different breed of software."
    "What kind of software?” Zainabu demanded.
    "The kind that will show all life forms on their ship as female,” Waberi replied. “A very fine piece of engineering is that small chip from Amhantar."
    "And handy,” Dorrie observed.
    "When can you obtain the Triso, brother?” Zainabu asked him. “We can not remain long on Ionary."
    "Give me an hour,” Waberi answered. “It will take that long to contact my employees in the pharmacy warehouse. I will send them to your ship with the meds.” He asked where their ship was docked and its name.
    "If you can find out anything about the Serenian ship, it would be of help to us,” Dorrie told Waberi. “Neither of us needs to be going into this with ignorance of the other."
    The dark man nodded. “I see the wisdom in that. I will do what I can,” Waberi