The Demon's Change

by Donna McDonald

  When another louder knock occurred, he yelled to let his visitor know he’d heard.

  “Be at peace. I’m coming.”

  His mind was still on his nightly checking ritual, so he forgot to ask the com unit to identify who it was. Something kept interfering with his senses on the Guardian 13. He could energetically tell it was female at his door, but not readily identify who it was unless it was Ania. The weak energy was reticent which ruled out the possibility that it was Gwen or Boca. Those females carried chaotic, albeit transformative, energy everywhere they went.

  Expecting to be somewhat surprised by his visitor, Malachi was still taken aback when he opened the door to see Rena Trax’s wide-eyed gaze drop from his eyes to his chest and then lower until she drew in a sharp breath.

  Glancing down to where hers had landed after it had dropped, he saw a rising response from his bonding organ. Sighing over the annoying reaction happening again without his permission, he decided it was his arousal as well as his state of undress that alarmed the mentally damaged female who studied him. The body she inhabited always had at least a mild arousing effect on him. It was nothing he would have ever acted on, but after the life Rena Trax had led, it would probably be very hard to convince her of that.

  Malachi bowed his head to acknowledge her chagrin. “My apologies, Rena Trax. I was in the midst of my evening rituals. Did you need something urgent?”

  Rena raised her gaze, trying to find a focal point above the demon’s head. “Urgent? Yes. I would like to talk to you, but could you put on some clothes first?”

  “If it will make you feel better, I will dress when I finish my evening rituals,” Malachi said, huffing out a frustrated breath. “Come in and close the door if you want to stay. I don’t usually do my checking in front of random witnesses, but you can wait while I complete my task.”

  Rena stepped across the threshold. She had to work to keep her gaze off Malachi’s perfectly formed rear and trained instead on his naked back. High on one shoulder, the Creator’s symbol glistened. It was the demon’s required tracking mark. Her body bore the same symbol in smaller scale, even though she had no memory of having it inscribed on her arm. Maybe both of them bearing the same mark was just more proof she was acting correctly.

  To her utter disbelief, instead of dressing, Malachi went to the mirror and started looking at every part of his body. “You were serious. You really do check yourself every night.”

  Malachi nodded, not looking back at his alarmed guest. Her embarrassment over his nude form was not surprising. Making eye contact would only frighten her more. The real Rena Trax was such a timid thing. “Yes. I check my body every night. Has it been awhile since you saw a naked male?”

  Rena nodded, then realized Malachi wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was still fixed on the mirror and on himself. She cleared her throat and made herself speak. “Yes. It has been a while since I saw a naked male.” When he turned back to her, heat climbed her neck and face.

  Malachi smiled, hoping Rena would interpret it as a friendly gesture.

  “Forgive me. My nudity is necessary because I have been tasked with making sure this body is kept in optimal condition. Though I have some normal sensibilities about it, I find it expedient to just look in the mirror. Plus, doing this check allows me to enjoy the muscle growth I have instigated to this organic shell.”

  “I see,” Rena said softly, but she really didn’t.

  Malachi was completely unapologetic about his state of undress around her. Instead of being fearful though, she was laughing at his disgruntlement about getting an erection around her. There was relief, and perhaps healing for her, knowing she was not going to have to do anything to service the naked male in front of her.

  In fact, Malachi showed so little interest in her physically that she wondered why he had gotten aroused at first sight of her.

  “Muscle growth?” Rena asked. She covered her mouth with one hand to keep her more unworthy thoughts to herself.

  Malachi nodded, lifted his arm and flexed it to show her. “Yes. See this? I have been attempting to improve them. Do you think one of my arms is larger? That’s what was taking me so long when you first knocked. I was trying to decide. Visual assessments are not very accurate.”

  Rena felt her eyebrows go straight up into her scalp line. The tips of her pointed ears burned. The physical form the demon now occupied was about as fine a male as the Creators had ever made, yet the creature inhabiting it seemed unaware.

  “Your muscles look fine. You look . . . fine. Now would you please cover yourself? I’m not accustomed to talking to undressed males.”

  “You’ve obviously not spent much time with our ship’s counselor then,” Malachi said, tossing her a grin as he walked to his clothes chest.

  “Lieutenant Zade? Are you saying he conducts counseling sessions without clothing?” Rena exclaimed.

  The rest of her anxiety totally fled, leaving behind only more amusement. And perhaps some mild curiosity about the possibility of seeing the Siren male without his clothes. She found herself wondering how the Siren’s body would compare to the male’s in front of her. How odd. First it was interest in the demon’s reaction to the sight of her. Now it was potential interest in the Siren’s form.

  Maybe the healing she had come seeking had been miraculously accomplished just by walking across the demon’s threshold today.

  Her curious gaze traveled over the back of Malachi, only half as uncomfortable as before as she watched him shrug. The muscles he professed such interest in developing moved elegantly up and back down with the motion.

  “Perhaps I’m being indiscreet. It is possible Zade doesn’t get naked anymore. I haven’t kept tabs on anyone but you and Ania Looren lately. All I know is that Commander Jet ordered her mate never to undress in front of any female other than her again. Somehow I didn’t expect Zade to comply though. The randy Siren likes being naked as much as I do.”

  Rena heard herself make a sound that astounded her. Then another followed it.

  “Oh, go ahead and laugh. I am quite used to female amusement at my expense. Besides, I find your giggling quite pleasant. You should engage your sense of humor more often,” Malachi said.

  “Demon, I beseech you. Please put on some clothing. Your body is highly . . . distracting,” Rena said finally, looking for some safe word to describe her continued discomfort.

  Yet in the middle of that discomfort were a hundred questions, most of which were about her amusement. When was the last time she had smiled spontaneously, much less laughed at something? She couldn’t recall. The smile that took over her face as she envisioned the sharp-tongued commander lecturing her attractive mate actually hurt her cheeks.

  She used fingertips to massage her contorting face muscles, and then cleared her throat to speak. “Please get dressed so we can talk normally.”

  “Begging? I like begging. I suppose I should take that as a compliment.”

  Sighing in resignation for Rena’s benefit, Malachi pulled the loose shirt and pants Zade had loaned him from the clothes chest. Each time he cleaned them, he folded them for returning to the Siren, but he hadn’t gotten around to actually doing it yet. He enjoyed wearing them in the evenings.

  Malachi grinned when he saw Rena sneaking more looks at him as he slipped the clothes on. “I can always take them back off if you want to admire me further.”

  “No. Thank you. I’ve seen quite more than I expected of your physical form this evening,” she said.

  Malachi chuckled. “Well, that wasn’t much of a joke, but compared to your usual dourness, it was practically comedic.”

  Rena smiled again when his gaze returned to hers. “Thank you for putting on clothes for me,” she said, bowing her head in genuine respect. The Creators were at work in the being that faced her. She didn’t know what they intended to do with him, but she was starting to honor her part in the task. It had come to her today during her meditation.

  “I have come to ask you .
. . I’m sorry. This is very difficult. I don’t apologize well or ask for things easily,” Rena admitted. “May I sit?”

  Malachi nodded and pulled the desk chair out for her. He walked to his sleeping platform and sat on the edge of it. “Better?” he asked.

  Rena sat and then nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

  She looked into his eyes then, trying once again to see the true spirit of the being who lived inside the form. As usual, it was denied her. So if she did ask him for relief from her memories, it would be yet another act of faith. Her sigh was loud in the room.

  Malachi raised one eyebrow. “Are you waiting for me to guess the reason you are here?”

  “Can you actually do that?” Rena asked.

  Malachi laughed. “No. I have not been inside you, so I cannot read your shifting emotions. However, your body language is screaming about how uncomfortable you are.”

  Rena sighed. “I had a breakthrough during meditation this morning. It occurred to me that perhaps the trauma I suffered had somehow made me feel unfit as opposed to truly being so. Seta and I have argued about it many times. I thought if you were still willing to help . . . ,” she stopped, took a breath for the apology. “I’m sorry for my earlier reactions to you. I wasn’t listening with an open heart when you offered to help me before. I could only think of protecting myself from a demon.”

  “That is a very healthy and normal reaction,” Malachi said, shrugging away her concerns as well as her apology. “Yes. I am still willing to help you. It is not exactly something I can choose not to do, so I have been waiting for your change of heart. I find females often take a lot of time to learn to trust. Have you spoken to Kefira lately?”

  “About what?” Rena asked, trying to be polite.

  “Nothing, really. I was just making small talk,” Malachi said, bowing his head at her confusion.

  “Is there anything I need to do to prepare for you?” Rena asked.

  “No. Just allow me to come inside you in mist form,” Malachi said, deciding to help the Ethosian no matter what. If the emissary returned to the body, perhaps the entity would owe him for putting energy blocks over the dark memories. “Close your eyes now. It will reduce your fear of what’s happening. I hear my mist form causes a cold sensation. Do not be alarmed if that occurs.”

  Rena nodded and obediently closed her eyes. Her heartbeat was hard and rapid, raising the shirt from the center of her chest. “I think I’m ready now.”

  Malachi straightened, lifted from his body, but found the same wall around Rena Trax that was around Ania. Once again, he was blocked. He returned to his host form, reanimating it with a frown on his face. “You can open your eyes. It isn’t going to work because I can’t get inside you.”

  Rena blinked. “What do you mean you can’t get inside me? Why is that?”

  “I don’t know. I’m blocked from your body, just like I am from Ania’s. This is too large a coincidence unless . . . I need to see if I can get inside anyone else. Zade . . . he’s never hosted the emissary. Perhaps he will let me try.”

  Malachi rose from the bed to pace.

  “Or perhaps the commander. She trusts me. No—wait. I’ve been inside both of them. What if that doesn’t work either?”

  “I don’t understand what you are implying,” Rena said, interrupting his rantings.

  “Neither do I,” Malachi said. “Perhaps you should go now. I need to leave my body and do some tests.”

  “All right.” Rena rose and walked to the door. One she had made the decision, she had never considered any potential for failure.

  “Rena—wait,” Malachi ordered, walking to her. “May I touch you? I mean you no threat.”

  She swallowed hard, but nodded. “Yes. I guess I truly believe that now.”

  Smiling to reassure her, Malachi slid his hands gently across her shoulders and down her arms. “I am very old and very familiar with all kinds of pain. Healing yourself involves changing your thinking as well as taking action to change your situation. You made the decision to heal yourself before you sought me out today. What I would have done if it had worked was to put a block over all the memories to keep you from instantly seeing them every time a trigger occurred in your life. But the memories still would have been there. You began a better type of healing when you laughed at my naked form and stayed alone with me without fear. That better healing—when it comes to you fully—will be more permanent to your spirit than anything I could do for you. If you remain in your body, it would be best to seek more of that kind.”

  “I don’t understand you. You’re a demon. I feel your power. Why are you being so kind to me?” Rena demanded.

  Malachi laughed at her genuine confusion. “Let’s say that helping females has become a bad habit for me. I blame Ania. Please feel free to do so as well.”

  “In other words—you don’t really know why you are being kind,” Rena corrected.

  He lifted a hand and placed it carefully on her cheek. “No. I don’t really know why. I’ve lived for almost two thousand years, but only in the last one or two have I discovered that I don’t know anything. All I can say is that it pleases me to help you so I do it. I’m very self-serving that way.”

  Rena nodded against his palm. “Since you are so compelled to help me, perhaps I will come back tomorrow and watch you check your body again. It will undoubtedly help me laugh.”

  Malachi gripped her arms, squeezed, and then let go before he was tempted to hug her. The urge hovered in him like hunger. “Great. Just what I needed—another irreverent female that adores me,” he bragged, boldly running a finger along the lower curve of her ear.

  When Rena laughed softly once more, his smile grew wider. Not liking the happiness zipping through every cell and molecule of his form, he opened his door and pushed the Ethosian out through it. He did like getting an indignant reaction just before he heard more laughter echoing in the hallway.

  Then when her footsteps had faded and he could no longer sense Rena, Malachi headed to his sleep platform to liberate himself from his body.

  Chapter 11

  Synar paced around the giant conference table while he thought about the intricacies of dealing with his home planet. There were many reasons he had left Norblade for the unknowns in space, but one was the constant political upheaval on the planet. He was not looking forward to dealing with the officials while he sent his crew after the Allurean.

  “Lieutenant Warro will be joining the mission as pilot, but also serving as a much needed second male if we end up heading into the Outlier zone on Norblade. The communities in those remote areas hold to more ancient ways. The most serious one is their attitude about all non-mated females being available for courtship. Since we don’t have the luxury of playing their matchmaking games while we search for our Allurean, you will be assigned a fake mate who will remain with you at all times. Lieutenant Ador and Ensign Karr are a pair. Lieutenants Warro and Trax will be the other. My planet and most governments know my mate personally, so I have no need for the subterfuge. Hopefully this won’t even be necessary, but I wanted to cover it in case we have no luck finding her within the civilized zones.”

  “Captain, what would being a fake mate entail?” Seta asked, keeping her gaze off Ji’s narrowed one over her question.

  “Traveling together. Sharing a sleeping space. You want it to be believable to the community where you stay each night. Does this worry you, Lieutenant Trax?”

  “No,” Seta said. “I just wanted to be clear on the boundaries.”

  “How do they feel about females openly having weapons?” Boca asked.

  Synar laughed. “That will only raise your value to most of the males. Norblade females often choose to develop a submissive nature because it makes them less desirable. Less educated Norblade prefer fight in their females.”

  Boca snorted. “I will attempt to constrain my temper then. I have enough problems with dominant males.”

  “I’m sure you’ll conduct yourself in a worthy manner
, Ensign,” Synar said. “How’s the Doctor handling your away assignment?”

  Boca glanced around the room before looking back at her captain. “We do not speak of it. He said I had to choose how best to serve the ship.”

  “That’s a very enlightened attitude to cultivate, but sometimes hard for concerned mates to put it into practice. I congratulate you and Chiang for your efforts. Serving alongside one’s mate can be challenging,” Synar replied. “Okay, any other questions?”

  After the head shakes, he looked down the table at his other challenge. “Schedule your marking session Warro or you’re not going. Boca and Malachi are both quite talented at artistic renderings of most any design.”

  “Is the tracking mark completely necessary?” Warro asked.

  “Yes. I know Sirens avoid marking their bodies, but this is my personal requirement for you to join the mission. So suck it up and get it done. Zade’s got one and he’s been fine with his,” Synar argued.

  “I care not about getting defiled. I’ll just have the mark removed when I transfer off your ship,” Ji said, turning at the sound of female laughter. “You find my reluctance to mark my body amusing, Lieutenant Trax?”

  “Yes, I find your vanity amusing. Typical for a Siren, but still amusing,” Seta said, staring into the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen.

  Ji snorted over the insult of his species. He promptly decided to stare at Seta until she squirmed in her chair.

  “Stop distracting my tracker, Warro. Your energy is disturbing me as well as her. I need Lieutenant Trax completely focused on finding the Allurean,” Synar ordered.

  “I assure you I am not distracted at all, Captain,” Seta said.

  “Fine. Stay that way,” Synar ordered, willing himself not to sigh over Warro’s teeth gnashing. Soon he would likely regret letting the other Siren onboard. Things were escalating and the male was stressed. He was probably crazy to think the mission might actually cause them to work things out.