“Can’t you quieten her down?” cried Claudia as Judith let another keening moan. She had begun moaning a short while ago, but even though she had been infected hours ago, she had yet to cough up any blood, but she had begun to cough in between cries for mercy and moans of agony.
“I’m trying,” said Dmitri. “Nothing seems to be working. She is in agony after all.”
The door opened and Birkett entered, followed by Wayte. “We’re here for your patient,” said Birkett without preamble. Dmitri’s jaw dropped open; it was too soon for her to be taken away, she might not survive the journey.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Claudia.
“Oh? And who asked you woman?” asked Birkett in a snarl.
“Well, if you want to get infected, you just go ahead,” replied Claudia sweetly.
“What do you mean?” asked Birkett suspiciously.
“It means,” said Dmitri, as if talking to a simpleton, “that if you take her now, you will get infected.”
“Don’t try to be clever Dmitri,” said Wayte threateningly, “it won’t work to your favour.”
Dmitri and Claudia exchanged startled glances at Wayte’s behaviour. Claudia nodded towards Wayte and pointed to her mind, indicating that Dmitri should be the one to link with Wayte. Preparing his magic, Dmitri reached out for Wayte. His spirit wasn’t there!
Meanwhile, Claudia had told Birkett that until Judith had coughed up blood, it wasn’t safe to move her. As if the disease itself had heard, Judith’s body seemed to choose this time to give up the fight against the disease. Her coughing grew worse and at first it was a few drops of blood, but as it became worse, so did the amount of blood. Tears ran down her face as she fought to stop coughing. The guards simply stood back and watched. Dmitri and Claudia linked and Dmitri had erected an air and water shield around them, the same type of shield that he and Antonio had used so long ago. Thinking back to the events that had happened since, Dmitri realised from his perspective, it had only been a few days. After Judith’s coughing fit had subsided, Wayte and Birkett grabbed her, one guard held her by her arms, the other by her feet. She struggled feebly, but it sapped her already depleted strength and she fell limp.
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“You’ll pay for this!” cried Claudia.
Birkett stopped and turned to face her, “Why? She is going to die anyway.” Then his eyes narrowed, “Or were you planning to cure her?” He laughed, “Well, I’ll let Draycott know when we return. I’ll relish her death you know.”
Claudia rushed at him, but once again, Dmitri grabbed her, “Let them go,” he said gently. “Neither of them is a real man. Neither will fight against the evil that plagues this place.”
Claudia stopped struggling as she heard Dmitri’s emphasis on ‘neither of them’. She looked at him questioningly, indicating Wayte. Dmitri shook his head as if to say no he hadn’t been able to link with Wayte. Claudia frowned and concentrated, focusing her mind, trying to link with Wayte. She found a shadowy form where Wayte’s spirit should be and tentatively she reached out for it with her mind.
Dmitri watched the men go as Claudia tried to link with Wayte. Having been working humbly and peacefully for the church for so long, Dmitri almost didn’t recognise the emotion as hatred as it crept up inside him. Birkett was such an evil and despicable man; it was hard not to experience something of the like. Claudia clearly did, the number of times that she had flown at him in a fury indicated as much. But Dmitri hadn’t undergone the torture at his hands that she had.
Dmitri had gotten so used to having her in his arms that he had almost forgotten that she was there until she collapsed. Dmitri looked at her startled, her eyes were closed and her arms and legs limp. He carried her to the bed, not caring about the guards anymore. He checked her breathing, it was slow and shallow; she was alive, for now.