Jeanne G'Fellers - No Sister of Mine, Jeanne G'Fellers [best summer reads TXT] 📗

horror as they fell. In that terrified moment, her phase dropped and Talmshone, leering dreadfully, reached for her.

“Even Kimshee apprentices are all pilot briefed, I do believe.” He pulled her into the crushing crook of his arm. “You cannot phase without oxygen, young one.” His lock tightened until her eyes rolled back. “I should have done this long ago. It is much tidier than Cance’s methods.”

“Don’t harm her!” bellowed Krell. “She’s never flown an aerolaunch.”

“Then I will drop her from the ramp unless a more qualified individual agrees to be of assistance.” Talmshone dragged her to the edge and let her flailing legs dangle into the void. “I am waiting.”

“Let her have footing and air,” said Krell. “And I’ll go with you.”

“Remove your bow and walk my direction, guardian.”

Talmshone loosened his grip slightly, allowing LaRenna to take a single breath. She dangled from his arm, a bare toe length above the ramp. “I will let her breathe when you are safely in the pilot’s position.”

Phase him. LaRenna’s inner voice was almost nonexistent. Pain phase him!

Not until you’re on solid ground. Krell slowly entered the launch. “I’ve done what you asked. Let her down.” Talmshone dropped LaRenna on the ramp for a moment, letting her take several deep breaths before he put her in a head lock again, this time with a grip loose enough for her take partial breaths. “Get used to it, girl. My arm and sparing breaths are your fate until we are safely in Iralian space.”

LaRenna pushed into his hold, sliding her head down until she could bite his arm. When she did, Talmshone dropped his grip, knocking her off the ramp. Her hands somehow found his ankle as she fell and she gripped it for dear life. Everything spun as she fought to for a hold. She hurt without solace, her stretched ribs searing, her foot an anchor dragging her down. A chorus of cries flew through her head. Had she made them or heard them? Her fingers slid across the Iralian’s slick scales, fruitless in their struggle to find a hold. Talmshone reached for her as she fell free, his fingers slipping through hers. Time seemed to slow as she fell. She could see everyone’s faces so clearly. Talmshone’s gray-yellow shaded a surprised pink. Krell lunged for her. Belsas and Firman ran headlong for her, their faces a mixture of disbelief and helplessness. Tatra clutched Chandrey’s arm, pulling her from the cliff edge. Their voices circled her as she tumbled.

“Girl, what are you doing?”

“My baby!”

“Hold on, LaRenna!”

“Renna!”

They jumbled together until she couldn’t tell one from the other. Only Krell’s strong voice cut the panic. It was telepathic, a booming broadcast of a single command. Put me where you’ll land. NOW! LARENNA! NOW!

“KKKKRRRREEEELLLLL!” Abruptly, the scream stopped.

“No!” Chandrey collapsed back into Tatra.

Belsas and Firman continued their forward sweep, plowing into Talmshone and throwing him into the launch doors. You killed her! Belsas forced a vengeful pain phase at him as he struggled to his feet. You murdered my child!

Talmshone shrugged off the phase. “Fight me fairly, Belsas, and quit hiding behind that excuse for a phase. Your daughter had a better command of it than you. Her phase could have stopped me. Yours is an insect—small, annoying, and crushable.”

Belsas stepped forward to push harder. “My phase may not be as intense as LaRenna’s but I am not alone in my efforts.” Talmshone fell back as Chandrey released her anger in the violent spasms that she centered on his spine.

“You took my only child!” She ignored his pleas for mercy and pushed all her energy at him.

“Taelach laws do not allow for death for a single murder.” Talmshone cowered in the back of the launch. “You cannot execute me for it! It is forbidden by the Kinship!”

Tatra steadied Chandrey as she lent her own mind to the punishment. “You didn’t kill just one. Over one million died on Langus. That gives Belsas the right to pass immediate judgment.”

Talmshone howled and stumbled back onto the ramp, scraping the scales from his face as he tried to wipe away the pain. “Mercy! In your Mother Maker’s name, have mercy!”

Firman caught the Iralian’s tunic front. “I sincerely wish I could push the death phase into you myself, but I’ll leave that honor to Krell.” He looked into the launch’s pilot seat. “Where’d she go?”

Belsas stepped into the launch, never turning from the phase holding Talmshone frozen. Krell was indeed gone. “You threw her over the side as well!” Belsas’s anger now burned out of control. “I hereby find you guilty of mass murder, sabotage, and other crimes too numerous to mention. You are sentenced to immediate death by pain phase.”

Their combined phases strangled out his objections, collapsing him onto the ramp. Tatra and Chandrey slowly approached, their phases growing heavier as they drew near. Talmshone peered up at them, searching for some sign of sympathy. Finding none, he fumbled in his tunic pocket and pulled a small folding knife, which he drew across his neck, slicing two of the three main veins. The move caught his executioners by surprise, distracting them into dropping their phases.

“Taelach justice is swift.” Blood gurgled up and out Talmshone’s mouth. “But the Iralian can take that from you, too. I take my own life before I lose it to you.” The knife fell from his hand and he slumped forward.

Belsas flipped him over. “He’s gone. Iralians consider it an honor to commit suicide in the line of duty. It’ll make a martyr out of him.” She took Chandrey’s arm, leading her away from the scene. “Healer Wileyse, please tend to Commander Laiman while I call for a launch to take Engineer Whellen’s remains to the Training Grounds. Firman, would you please begin searching for any sign of Krell and LaRenna? Mother, please let them be alive. We have seen more than enough death as of late.”

“A search won’t be necessary.” Firman stood at the ramp edge. A smile spanned his face, one