Charlotte Boyett-Compo- WIND VERSE- Hunger's Harmattan by Unknown (best management books of all time TXT) 📗

Shanee threw her husband an irritated look.“I don’t imagine that’s any of your concern, ehemann,” she snapped.

Ailyn didn’t even glance at her. He wasstaring straight at Strom. “I am making it my business, Shanee,” he said, andbefore she could say anything else, he told the general that he wanted to bepartnered with the general’s Primary.

“What?” Shanee gasped, she vaultedout of her chair. “How dare you ask for me to be…”

Turning his head to give her a calm look,Ailyn smiled. “Did you notice I said I wish to be partnered with you and notthe other way around, ionúin?

She snapped her mouth shut and narrowed hereyes into lethal slits before speaking. “I am a Primary Riezell Guardian,Commander. I…”

“Sit down and listen to my proposal to thegeneral before getting your hackles up, Shanee.”

“I will not! I…”

“He outranks you, Colonel,” the generalsaid. “I suggest you do as he ordered.”

Hissing, Shanee slammed back into the chairand glared at her husband.

“I am not questioning your abilities,”Ailyn said. “You are more than capable of taking care of yourself as you provedon the Midian. I am merely suggesting that you need someone at your backand since I would never allow another male to fill that position, I have everyintention of doing so myself.”

“I don’t need a partner,” Shanee snappedfrom between clenched teeth. “And even if I did, I’d ask for a female.”

“Actually for the next assignment I have,it would be extremely helpful, Colonel, for there to be a female and a male onthe team,” Strom said, and almost flinched when the Amazeen’s head snappedaround and she gave him a killing look.

“He’s influencing you,” Shanee accused.“He’s using his gods-be-damned sublims on you, General!”

Ailyn sighed. “No, I’m not.”

There came a heavy pounding beyond thegeneral’s office door. It was muted for it was being delivered against the doorto the outer office.

“Jost,” the general grumbled. He reachedover and flicked on the vid-com. He ordered the camera in the corridoraccessed.

Ailyn was staring at the large vid-comscreen that sat to one side of the general’s office. As the image came up,Shanee heard a low growl coming from her husband’s throat. When she glanced hisway, she saw an expression on the Reaper’s face that made the hair stand up onthe back of her neck.

“Vice-Counselor Jost and your brotherFelix,” Storm reported softly.

Though there was no sound, it was obviousJost was shouting. His face was red with anger as he pummeled the door with hisfists. The young man beside him looked almost as angry as his stepfather. Andthen Jost kicked the door.

“That man is an idiot,” Shanee commented.

“He hired the assassin on the Midian,”Ailyn said, his fingers on the arms of the chair digging into the leather.

Strom looked away from the screen. “Are yousure?”

Ailyn nodded without speaking.

“Why would he do that?” Shanee asked. Shehad considered the vice-counselor to be nothing more than the nuisance Stromhad labeled him.

The Reaper studied the irate man. “His mindis a quagmire of wickedness,” Ailyn said quietly. “He wants his wife dead so hecan gain access to her fortune. It wasn’t your death he contracted for butmine.”

“So the Storian wasn’t after Shanee afterall,” Strom said.

“No, he was,” Ailyn said. “I read it in hismind during the attack but he was being paid by Jost as well as whoever hiredhim for O’Shay. I just didn’t know that until now.”

“So what do we do?” Shanee asked. “Otherthan arrest Jost.”

“Not just yet. We don’t want to let himknow we are aware of what he tried to do,” Ailyn said. “As I said, I’ll handleJost.” He swiveled his attention to the general. “Let him in.”

Without a comment Strom got up out of thechair and walked to the door, opened it and went out into Miriam’s office.

“What are you going to do?” Shanee askedher husband.

“Keep quiet and listen, ionúin,” heanswered, and then vanished before her eyes.

Shanee popped out of her chair like ajack-in-the-box, twisting her head this way and that trying to find herhusband. Her heart was suddenly thudding in her chest for even though she’dseen Rory Quinn disappear on many occasions, she had not seen Ailyn do so.

Jost cursed Strom as he bulldozed his waypast the general and headed straight for Strom’s office with Felix Harmattanstriding close behind him. He came up short when he saw the Amazeen facing him.“Where is he?” he demanded.

“Where is who?” Strom inquired.

“The Reaper!” Jost shouted. He too waslooking about the room.

“Do you see him?” Storm asked.

Jost’s jowls wiggled as he closed in onShanee. “Where is he?” he demanded again. “Why didn’t you bring him with…?”

It was then the door to Strom’s officeslammed shut, making everyone jump as all eyes went to the door only to find noone even close to the portal.

“Who the hell did that?” Jost snapped.

The chairs in which Ailyn and Shanee hadbeen sitting suddenly lifted up from the floor and sailed across the room,governed by unseen hands. The two other chairs that sat before the desk soonjoined the others.

Felix Harmattan stumbled back until hisshoulders were pressed tightly to the wall. His eyes were wide, his mouth openand he appeared to be trembling.

Jost’s florid face paled and he rushed tothe door and tried to open it but it was sealed shut, and no matter how hard heturned and twisted the lock, it would not budge. He spun around, his fearfuleyes scanning the room. “He’s in here,” he said. “I know he is!”

Strom calmly took his seat behind the deskas Shanee walked to his side. They faced the general’s visitors withemotionless faces. “Why are you here, Vice-Counselor Jost?” Strom inquired.

“Show yourself, Reaper!” Jost shouted.

“I wouldn’t call him that if I were you,”Shanee said. “He doesn’t like it.”

To emphasize her words, one of the chairslevitated from the floor and became nothing more than kindling in the space ofa breath. The debris fell to the floor.

Jost gasped and slid along the wall to getclose to his stepson. “I meant no disrespect,” he muttered.

Two chairs rapidly skidded from the wall toin front of Strom’s desk.

“Sit down!”

The disembodied voice was harsh andthreaded through with a savage growl