There wasn't time to block, only to avoid. Carrie turned, taking the blade in the upper arm. It sliced intothe tricep muscle, tearing the flesh as it was ripped free.
For Kusac it was as if everything was happening in slow motion. He experienced the hot flare of painalong her thigh as if it was his, then the agony of the wound in the upper arm. He sagged briefly againstthe males holding him, then fed the power of the gestalt to Carrie, hoping it would give her the strength tocontinue. Saving just enough for himself, he turned on the Warriors. The one he had stumbled against hadrelaxed his hold enough for Kusac to pull free. He turned on the other, hitting him full strength across theside of the head with his free hand. Suddenly he found himself in the midst of his own battle as the firstone leaped on him.
* * *
Kaid kept turning his head to look at the fight, mentally sharing every blow given and received by Carrie. He tried to remember he was supposed to be guarding her, but his eyes kept returning to the combat. That was where her most pressing danger lay for now, and in the circle, he couldn't protect her. Heturned away again, scanning the open area around them, looking for the slightest of movements thatwould betray the presence of a sniper.
A shout rang out and he looked back at the two females. It was over, and Carrie had drawn first blood. He sighed. Vartra be praised! His mind at ease now, he turned to look back at the surroundingwoodland. A glint of light over to his left caught his attention.
Simultaneously, he heard more shouting followed by a cry from Kusac. Around him, all was still. Herisked a quick glance back and saw Rala hit Carrie.
Instinct made him look back at the bushes even as his chest tightened in fear for her. There was someonethere, he knew it. He scanned the undergrowth, looking for a repeat of the flash. Now was when he'dattack, when they were both made vulnerable by her wound.
Carrie gave an involuntary cry of pain as the blade was wrenched free. She staggered back, aware of asudden heat running far too quickly down her arm. Risking a glance at her injury, she gasped, realizing bythe amount of blood she was losing that a major vessel had been severed. Clamping her arm quicklyagainst her side, she" looked for Rala. There was no time for fear.
Her vision blurred briefly as the gestalt surged through her again. This time she realized Kusac was notcontrolling it. She reached out, harnessing the power, using it to stave off the shock to her system andfound her dizziness begin-ning to fade. Keeping her left arm pressed tightly to her side, shield up at chestlevel, she waited for the Sholan. She didn't have the strength to waste on going to her.
Rala, knowing that the blow hadn't been fatal but that Carrie was seriously wounded, came rushing in tofinish her off. Carrie blocked with her blade, noticing that Rala's shield had dropped. Risking everything,she stepped for-ward, using the gestalt energy to shield-punch at the fe-male's face with the rim of hershield. The moment she moved her arm, blood began to stream from her wound, fall-ing to be absorbedby the sandy floor of the arena.
Rala whipped her shield up, throwing her head back to avoid the blow, giving Carrie the chance sheneeded. With the last of her strength, she lunged forward, stabbing up into the other's rib cage.
The blade penetrated to the grip, stopping only as it hit Rala's spine. She gave a high-pitched scream ofagony and toppled forward, wrenching the blade from Carrie's hand.
Kusac had laid out one of the warriors with his first blow. The other proved more tenacious and hereceived a couple of head-numbing hits himself before landing a hard enough blow to keep his opponentdown. He swung around just as Rala fell dead at Carrie's feet.
He ran toward his Leska, seeing her stagger, blood pour-ing from her arm as he tried to catch her beforeshe fell. Something punched him hard in the shoulder from behind and he stumbled, unbalanced by thedead weight of Carrie in his arms. He crashed to the ground, landing hard on his knees, Carrie cradledclose to his chest. Oblivious to his pain, he sat back on his haunches and felt for her wound with his hand,trying to stem the continuous stream of blood. The gestalt was fading now and his head began to swimwith her pain and loss of blood. His shoulder ached, too, for some reason he couldn't comprehend.
Taizia came running up, shouting for her father. She slowed as she saw Kusac bending over Carrie.
"Father," she said quietly, "the message just came. The. Council on Keiss has canceled the Challenge."
* * *
Kaid began to run even as the pulse of energy spat out from the assassin's cover. No time to checkwho'd been hit. It was too late now anyway. Either they were still alive, or they were dead. Anger burnedwithin him as he retaliated with a strafing burst of fire that ignited the bushes.
There was an explosion of movement and a figure broke from the undergrowth to dash four-leggedtoward the deeper cover of the nearest treeline. Kaid shot again, hearing the communicator at his throatissue orders in Garras' voice. The sound had an eerie quality, alerting him to the fact
Garras was close behind.
* * *
Chyad had made it to the woodland. As he plunged head-long through the bushes at least he had thesatisfaction of knowing that he'd hit the male, Kusac. With the trauma from her wound, all it needed wasa push in the same direction for him and they'd be caught in their mutual pain. There was no way theycould possibly survive. The double shock alone would kill them.
He heard the sound of pursuit crashing through the bushes after him. They'd have to be a lot quieter thanthat if they planned to catch him. Branches whipped him in the face, tearing at his ears and nose. Heground to a halt as one smacked him across the face, its sharp thorn drawing blood from his foreheadand leaving a thorn or two embedded in his nose. The undergrowth was too thick for him to run like this. Rearing up, he swung his rifle off his shoulders and shifted it round into a ready position as he loped off tothe right.
The trees were thinning out as he saw the hill looming up ahead of him. Once across the clearing, hisaircar waited under the cover of a spiky wintergreen tree. Then he was clear and free.
Kaid heard Garras crashing around just behind him. The old magic was still there: Garras had read himand knew ex-actly what was needed. They'd always made a good team. He took off to one side of thetrail, moving quickly and si-lently. He had a major advantage over their sniper: he knew every inch of thiswoodland.
His quarry was sweating profusely, and he could smell it. From the direction he was heading in, it was asafe bet he was making for the hill. The woodland petered out there, leaving a clearing of some thirtymeters to the bushes at the base of the hill. He increased his speed, playing the hunch, determined to getthere in time to stop the assassin.
The clearing came into sight and with it a running figure. Kaid used his powerful leg muscles to propel himforward in a leap that took him a good five meters into the clearing. As he landed, he fired, aiming aslicing burst of energy at the male's legs. Chyad went down as if poleaxed, the rifle flying from his grip as
he landed.
Kaid remained where he was, crouching down, ready to fire again if necessary. The sniper lay theremaking small mewling noises of pain; he wasn't going anywhere. Kaid stood and walked over to him justas Garras emerged from the trees.
"He's mine," said Kaid shortly, gun trained on his captive. "Go back, help the others check the area in
case there're more."
Garras hesitated, looking at the hideous burns on the snip-er's legs. "Kaid, don't you…"
"I said go!"
Garras nodded and left them alone.
The male on the ground looked up at Kaid, face contorted by pain, ears invisible against his skull. "Damnyou! Aren't… you going… to… ask… why?" His voice was dis-torted by his clenched teeth.
"No, Chyad. This time I'm going to make sure I kill you," said Kaid, his voice like ice as he flicked off the
safety switch on his rifle. "Eventually."
* * *
She was losing too much blood and he couldn't stop it. Dazed, Kusac lifted his head and looked around.
As if in a dream, the figures around them suddenly began to move. Vanna was first over, followed by herassistant. She handed Chena the hypoderm, ordering her to give Kusac a shot while she pushed his handout of the way, applying a pressure pad to Carrie's arm wound. Holding it tightly in place, she ripped thesleeve open with her free hand so she could work on the injury.
"You faint on me, Kusac, and I'll kill you myself!" she growled. "I need you to monitor Carrie." As she
fastened the bandage, she spoke to Chena. "Check the other female when you're done."
Kusac flinched when the hypoderm was fired against the inside of his thigh, but as the stimulant began totake effect, his head started to clear slightly.
"I can't give you a psychic suppressant since we need to use your abilities," she said, working quickly to bind the wound on Carrie's thigh. "You're going to have to block her pain yourself." She glanced up at him. "Kusac!" she said sharply, reaching out to pull hard on his ear.
He flicked it away from her, eyes beginning to focus again.
"Block it, Kusac," she ordered. "You've done it before, do it now."
Moments later, she sat back. "Can you carry her?"
He nodded, accepting her help as they lifted her between them.
"Keep her injured arm around your shoulder and take her to the aircar," she said, moving aside.
Kusac started walking—toward the house.
"Damn you Kusac! The aircar," said Vanna, pulling at him, trying to make him change direction. "I can't
treat her in the house! All my equipment's in the aircar."
He pulled free, continuing to walk to the house.
"Do you want her to die?" Vanna shouted, dancing beside him in anger.
"If she dies, it'll be in our home."
She whirled round, turning on Chena and anyone within reach. "What the hell are you standing lookingfor? Get my bloody equipment! Get everything since His Lordship wants me to treat her in the house!" She turned to run after them, slowing long enough to shout over her shoulder, "Get the blood and the dripset up first!"
Taizia, Meral, and T'Chebbi raced after Chena, taking the equipment she handed them and heading forthe house at a run.
Kusac's father watched bleakly as his son lifted Carrie. Both of them were drenched with her blood. Heknew she was still alive, but for how long? They had all felt Rala's death agony and that psychic shockhad been severe enough without the addition of Carrie's pain. He gathered his thoughts. There werethings he had to attend to now. There was an eternity for grief later, if grief was needed.
He went over to where Rala's brother, Talgo, was bending over his sister. One of their warriors hadremoved the sword and tried to arrange the body. He stood up as the Clan Lord approached.
"Clan Lord Aldatan," Talgo said, schooling the grief from his face. "I had no idea my sister intended this. To lose the fight then illegally re-Challenge was utterly dishonorable of her. She was only using the Challenge to hide her desire for revenge. It won't help, I know, but we apologize for what she's done."
"No blame is placed on your family. Your apology is ac-cepted. Neither my bond-daughter nor my son has done any-thing to warrant facing a Blood Rite Challenge from anyone. Just take Rala's body and go." He gave a brief bow and left him to see to his sister's body.
Entering the house, he called for the main attendant.
"Get that arena cleared," he said, his voice harsh with grief and anger. "I want no trace of it left. Plant it
with something, anything, so long as it ceases to exist!"
He found his wife in the study, curled up in one of the chairs, crying.
They're still with us, he sent, placing a hand on her shoul-der. We'll wait here, out of the way. If theyneed us, we'll know.
* * *
A quarter of an hour later Kaid arrived back at the Chal-lenge circle. Already two Clan members wereremoving the blood-soaked sand with shovels. The metallic tang of blood permeated the air: she'd losttoo much. He knew she still lived, but it would be touch and go.
Garras moved forward to meet him, reaching out to touch him on the shoulder when he saw thenarrowed eyes and the gray skin round his friend's nose. "She's still alive," he said. "They took herupstairs into the house. Vanna's working on her now."
Kaid nodded, face and body impassive.
"The shot missed her, Vartra be praised. I think it may have hit Kusac, though." Garras hesitated. "I'll
send a cou-ple of people to fetch the trooper."
"No need. I destroyed the body."
Garras felt ice run down his spine. This wasn't like Kaid. "Because of her?" he asked, suddenly definingwhat was dif-ferent. There was no response. He took a deep breath. "Go inside," he said. "I'll takecharge out here." When Kaid still hadn't responded, he pushed him toward the house. "Go. I'll keepwatch outside with the others. At least you'll know sooner if you're in there."
"There aren't any more of them," Kaid said. "He couldn't get anyone to follow him."
"Can you be sure?"
Kaid looked round at him, eyes bleaker than midwinter. "Oh, yes," he said softly. "I can be sure."
"Kaid, while she's still alive, she needs you guarding her. Go."
Kaid went, heading up the stairs at a run. He reached their lounge in time to have a quick glance throughthe door be-fore it closed. She was still alive.
Taking a deep breath, he sank down into the nearest chair and began the litany to focus his mind. Heneeded to think clearly, not be distracted by feelings he'd learned long ago to live without. Ghezu and Lijou had their proof now and the cost had been too high. Anger started to rise within him and he stilledit, concentrating only on the litany,
* * *
Carrie was whiter than the sheets that Kusac had laid her against. As Vanna went into the bathing room,she shielded her anger at having to treat Carrie up here, knowing that more guilt was something Kusacdidn't need. The minute or two she had lost wouldn't really make much difference one way or the othernow. She dried her hands and returned to the bedroom where Chena had finished cutting Carrie'sclothing free of the wounds.
Getting Chena to hold the bag until the portable stand ar-rived, she started the blood transfusion. Thegirl's pressure was dangerously low.
Kusac sat on Carrie's right, out of Vanna's way, holding her hand. Now that she was unconscious, herpain was not affecting him so strongly, but he was swaying again despite the stimulant. He moved hisshoulder, trying to ease the dis-comfort there, confused that it hurt.
"Monitor her, Kusac," said Vanna, laying out her suture equipment while Chena carefully released the
bandage and wiped the area with an antiseptic.
"Why not use a plasmagraft?" Chena asked, belatedly put-ting a pad under the wound to catch the flow
of blood.
"Clamp the arm above and below the injury," ordered Vanna, turning to check the oxygen and gas mixture on the small anesthetic tank. "We haven't used plasmagrafts on Terrans yet. I can't be sure it'll be compatible."
"She's slipping away, Vanna," said Kusac. His voice was . full of fear as he felt Carrie's presence getting
weaker and weaker. "I can't hold her much longer."
"Yes, you can," Vanna said savagely, swabbing the blood from the wound and starting to work on the severed artery. She spared a glance at her monitors. "Use that damned ges-talt if you have to, I'm not having her die under me!"
Kusac tried to trigger the gestalt, his fear mounting when nothing happened. At last it began to buildslowly, its power a fraction of what they had experienced before. Using it, he strengthened their Link,trying to draw her closer to him, willing her to live.
Vanna finished on the artery and ordered Chena to start using the anesthetic while she released the lowerclamp first. The joining held, and Vanna sighed with relief, turning her attention to the rest of the wound.
She was only halfway through stitching the torn muscle when the door opened quietly. She looked up tosee Brynne.<
br />
"What do you want?" she demanded, turning back to her task. "I told you to stay away."
"You're going to need me," he said, stepping up to her and looking to see what she and Chena were
doing.
"I haven't the time to argue. Just leave before Kusac no-tices you're here," she said.
Kusac was sitting as if in a trance, ears back, eyes closed, the visible flesh on his face gray and drawn.
"She's going into shock," said Chena quietly, "and it looks like she's beginning to abort."
Vanna swore. "Just what we need!" She looked at Brynne, a question forming in her mind.
"Yes, I can handle the anesthetic," he said, moving round to Chena's side and taking her place.
"Chena, get Kusac out of here," she said, "then get back and deal with this miscarriage. I have to finish
closing her wounds."
The door opened and Taizia stood there. "I brought Brynne upstairs," she said quietly. "I was waiting incase there was a problem with him being here. I'll see to Kusac."
Vanna nodded. "Take him downstairs and see he stays with you," she said abruptly.
Taizia went over to her brother, taking him by the arm.
"Kusac," she said, shaking him gently. "You have to come with me."
Carrie began to move, trying to curl up as her abdominal muscles started to contract.
Kusac's eyes opened wide in fear as they all felt a tiny presence that was barely there cease to exist.
"I know," soothed Taizia, "but you can't help. Come with me. They can work more easily without you
here." She pulled him gently, urging him to his feet.
"I can't leave," he said brokenly. "My fear caused this to happen, I can't leave her now."
"You must," said Taizia, leaning forward to unfasten his grip on Carrie's hand. "You can still sense her from down-stairs, you know that. They have to stop your emotions from affecting her now. Don't let her feel your sense of loss on top of everything else she's suffering."
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