Ji pulled back. “Force you to service me? I would never do that.”
Seta made herself lift her gaze to his. It was the hardest thing she could ever remember doing. “You can call it beguilement or the Siren’s call or a pheromone response, but in the end it is the same. And I will know it is why I feel attracted to you, no matter what you say or do to me. I killed the last male that took that kind of advantage. Perhaps you should keep that in mind as you are planning your seduction campaign.”
Ji backed up, his hardened body in rebellion. But there was no other choice. “Fine. I will keep my distance until you come to me, but do not be expecting courtship then. You have spurned me too often. When you grow wise enough to ask me to meet your needs, you will have to beg for every scrap of adoration I bestow on you.”
Seta snorted. “When Helios freezes over, what you do to me won’t matter, will it?”
She turned away from the glaring Siren and began walking in the direction of the lodging. If she was lucky, there would be two sleeping surfaces. If not, she was going to be spending the night in the floor. There would be no rest for her beside Ji Warro.
Especially now that he’d shown her how much she wanted him.
Chapter 16
Malachi knocked and waited. When there was no answer, he knocked again. Ania had advised him to wait until after the sleep cycle and reminded him that the emissary Kefira now carried was not adverse to inflicting pain.
Obsessing about their encounter, he had been churned up and unable to rest during the sleep cycle. This morning he had no choice but to take a stimulant to ease the physical impact that the loss of sleep had caused.
The troublesome female he desired had doubled his tasks in taking care of his body.
When the door to Kefira’s quarters finally opened, the first sight of the female who greeted him sent a wave of depression crashing through every cell. He counseled himself on not showing it. He should have known she wouldn’t still be there.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I thought . . . well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. The emissary is obviously gone from your body,” Malachi said, turning on his heel to leave.
“Wait . . . please don’t run off. She has merely left my form,” Kefira said quickly. “Do not be so alarmed by her absence, Malachi. All is as it should be.”
His opinion of that was a little different than Kefira’s, but Malachi knew telling her was a waste of breath. “Is the emissary now in Rena Trax?”
Kefira shook her head. “No—or at least I don’t think so. You can check, but I don’t think you will find her.”
“Do you know where she is? I ask because it would save me time to not have to chase around the ship looking for her. Ania wants to know where she is as well.”
When Kefira shook her head again, Malachi turned his back again, preparing to leave.
“Are you always this impatient? Hasn’t your time as demon mist taught you how to wait for the timing of the Creators to be right?” Kefira asked.
“Yes. I have learned that time is irrelevant, even though those I serve insist on me tracking it anyway. I even concede that rather than trying to find her, it makes far more sense to avoid a creature who more often than not ends up harming me. Yet I’m stupidly compelled to seek her out regardless of how illogical it is.”
Kefira smiled. “That would explain why I’m extra anxious around you this morning. I’m guessing she has several of the same motivations towards you. What did you do to the emissary to provoke such a strong emotional response? She resents you.”
Malachi laughed without humor. “I have done nothing worth mentioning because she has never remained in one body long enough. I shared her breathing space a couple of times and demanded answers to hard questions. Beyond that the only other interaction I had was to kiss her once when she was in Rena Trax’s body. Her humiliation was a just punishment for the pain she inflicted on me beforehand.”
“Indeed. Well that might explain why she’s so afraid of you,” Kefira said, her smile growing wider.
“Afraid of me?” Malachi said in shock.
“As are most creatures,” Kefira exclaimed. “This cannot be news to you.”
Malachi shook his head. “Have you ever seen anyone on this ship cowering in fear around me?”
Kefira thought hard. “Well no, I don’t suppose I have.”
Malachi lifted a hand and turned away, but this time he started walking. “Thank you for the useless information.”
Kefira’s soft laughter followed him as he strode in the direction of Zade’s mediation room. His physical senses were dulled from the lack of sleep and from the stimulant.
***
Ania said goodbye to Jurek and the two ensigns he’d been training. Having the room alone to herself at last, she went to the center of the mat and started her favorite training exercise. As she moved through each pose, she paused and grounded herself in the reality of her straining muscles.
Soon sweat ran freely down her body, chased by her scattered thoughts about the events of her life lately. She let the concerns assail her without censoring them. Her body was tense and her senses stifled. She hoped the workout would release the strange mood that was on her.
When she felt two faint flutters in her mid-section, Ania froze mid-stance. The gentle stirrings came again and she put a hand over the area. Closing her eyes, she focused her attention inward, straining to see the source. The energy was faint, but there was no denying any longer that they were in her. Realization that she was going to be a mother finally took root and spread.
When Ania opened her eyes, it was to see three tall females of indeterminable species staring at her. Instincts flaring, she called out with a shocked war cry to summon power while she shrank back into a fighting stance. Each being seemed to be made of illuminant energy pulled into a mass. Their heads bowed to her slightly, but their neutral, almost expressionless gazes remained fixed and staring as if she was a surprise to them as well.
Moving from fighting stance to merely alertness, Ania lowered her hands and bowed back to acknowledge their presence.
“Who are you and what do you want?” she asked, keeping her tone firm.
Maybe they were surprised that she didn’t fear them. What did she have to fear? She was linked to a demon. Speaking of that. . .
Malachi. I need you. Come as mist, Ania sent.
When there was no instant reply, she knew Malachi was once again being blocked. Ania watched all three forms waver as they tried to speak. Obviously, they were not as strong as the one she had fought.
“We are messengers.” Their energy echoed together as they all formed the words. It reminded her of the mythical incorporeal beings in some of Liam’s Earth vids. Yet Ania knew them for what they really were. Emissaries and demons were not all that different. She’d had that epiphany when she’d met the first of them.
“Are any of you the emissary Malachi and I encountered?”
Ania saw them turn toward each other, taking their time to study each other’s misty forms while she stood there waiting for an answer to her simple question.
“No,” they all said in unison again.
Then their luminance flared. Two of the energy masses floated over the last until the three of them had merged into one. The form it still maintained seemed to swell before settling back into place. It was more solid and more substantial, much like Malachi’s mist form at its strongest.
“Much better,” the remaining emissary said. “This ship has too much chaos going on. It is a deterrent to the projection of any form.”
Ania nodded again. She agreed about the chaos, but in her opinion, they were the ones causing it. However, she would never engage in a distracting debate over their explanation. Silence seemed the best tactic to take with an emissary. She wanted to hear what they had come to tell her.
She didn’t have to wait long. The being lifted a finger and pointed at her.
“Hear our words Ania Looren, master of the Demon of Lo
oren, host of the Demon of Synar. We have come to tell you that you have been chosen by the Creators. When your death comes, you will become one of us. You must use the rest of your life to prepare.”
Ania shifted slightly, a hand going to her stomach. Liam would be fine without her, but she was concerned about the beings she carried. Who would care for them when she was gone?
“Can you tell me how much time I have to do so?”
“When you have doubled your current life, death will find you at last. Then your energy form will be released to serve a higher purpose.”
“Doubled my life? You mean I will live another two thousand years?”
The being wavered, swelled again, and seemed to draw a breath to speak. Ania could feel anxiety licking along her nerve endings as she waited for the answer.
“The future bows to the influence of a creature’s will on its own destiny. This concept is known to you through your studies.”
“Indeed,” Ania said, bowing her head to show she agreed. “I will endeavor then to double my life as you say.”
“Continue the pursuit of balance. It is critical that you come to us with no regrets,” the being said.
“What about Liam? And the children I carry?”
“Liam will pass and return to you in another form. Your children must follow their own path. You can only guide their way for a short time. The first two,” the being pointed her finger at Ania’s hand over her mid-section, “are the ones that matter most. One will be a demon’s partner. The other will have a harder task.”
Ania swept a hand around her middle protectively. “Am I allowed to know which is which?”
There was another swelling, another shifting of the mass, then a collective agreement.
“The female will train the Demon of Looren. It will be a heavy burden. Her sibling will help her be strong. The Demon of Synar will watch over both, as will their tutelary protector.”
“Tutelary protector? Why will they need a private guardian? They have me,” Ania said.
“You should feel honored to receive this support,” the being chastised.
Ania lifted a hand palm out. “What I feel is confused. No emissary I have met seems as spiritual as I was taught to be. Instead you invade beings, torment with puzzles, and do what you want with whomever you please. I almost killed creatures I cared about because of one of you trying to invade me.”
“Emissaries are not without fault, just powerful and motivated to do the will of the Creators. As you are,” the being said.
“Some would say the good in me is questionable,” Ania said.
“Seek more balance,” the being ordered.
Ania bristled at the chastising tone again. When the time came for her to become an emissary, she was going to straighten some of them out about their total lack of good communication skills.
“What about Malachi’s emissary? What is her agenda?”
“She is to be your tutelary protector,” the being said. “That is all we can tell you.”
With a flare of energy that had her covering her eyes, the three separated into distinct balls of light, all of which headed to the door and exited around the edges of it.
“Tutelary protector.” Ania spat the words. “No, thank you. I can guard my own children. I can train them too.”
Focus broken for the day, she stomped off the mat. She’d grab a shower, think about what they told her, and then she’d find Malachi to discuss what had happened.
***
In the meditation room, Malachi found Rena in her usual suppliant position on Zade’s most colorful meditation rug. At least he heard no weeping this time. His great relief embarrassed him.
“Rena?” Malachi spoke her name softly, trying to bring her out of meditation as gently as he could. A minute later, it was indeed Rena who exhaled with a large breath before turning around to him.
“I’m truly sorry to disturb you,” he said, surprised to feel so filled with genuine regret.
Rena’s face looked radiant. And peaceful. In fact, he had never seen a creature look so amazingly at peace. Her welcoming expression created a joy in him that couldn’t be refused or denied. What was even more puzzling was his complete lack of desire to disrupt it. If anything, he was being as still and as accepting as possible so her joy would remain.
After she had stared at him for several long minutes, Malachi heard Rena sigh as she rose and walked to him with a secretive but understanding smile on her face. When she lifted a stroking hand to his cheek, he automatically flinched from the contact, but checked the urge to pull completely away. Below his waist his body began to suffer its usual reaction to sight of the animated female body in front of him.
After his erection grew to the straining point inside his clothes, it was his turn to sigh. “The mere vision of you smiling causes me to experience a very painful arousal,” he confessed.
Despite his seriousness, Rena chuckled like he’d made a joke.
“Would you like to indulge that urge? I am sure you would be the most appreciative male to ever use me that way,” she informed him.
His face moved against her palm as he shook his head to decline. “No. I thank you for the offer, but I have no desire to use you at all. In truth, I do want a body-to-body connection, but would not do that at the expense of the spirit that now resides within it. The peace you have found has made you far too beautiful to hurt that way.”
It pleased him greatly when Rena smiled with sincere affection as she gazed up into his eyes.
“I would still like a kiss. Let me see what redemption tastes like on a demon’s lips,” she said.
“Well technically it would be my host body that . . .” His explanation drifted off as she laughed at him again. “What is so amusing?”
“It just occurred to me that if the Demon of Synar can change enough to hold such an enlightened view of my spirit’s needs, there is great hope for all beings,” Rena declared.
Malachi snorted. “That’s quite a lovely illusion, but my restraint is not enlightenment. It is bonding fear. If I make a mistake in taking a partner, I may never get another chance. Ania and Liam are finicky about what I do with this body.”
“You know I have bonding fear as well, which is why I would still appreciate that kiss. It will be my last and I want it to be with you,” Rena said.
“You could ask that of any male—now don’t look at me that way. I have almost no reserves against pleading females these days. Oh, very well. I will kiss you,” Malachi said gruffly.
He stepped into her and winced as his body hardened further.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for your trust, but you are condemning me to self-gratification today with your demand for a kiss. There is no pretty solution to fix my bonding organ on my own, and no—you will not be allowed to watch me take care of it merely for your amusement.”
More light-hearted than she could ever remember being, Rena giggled as her lips connected to his, a soft brush that left the male in her arms groaning. He stepped away from her quickly. She allowed it because any more of it would have her wanting to stay. She would wait and look for that level of gratification in her next life.
“Thank you, Malachi.”
“You are welcome Rena Trax, torturer of demons. One kiss is all I can handle. Norblade male bodies can’t take a whole lot of frustration without being reduced to rutting animals. Celibacy is a torture in more ways than I can ever describe.”
“I see,” Rena said. “Would you like someone more suited to you to kiss instead? Someone you might not be afraid of using to meet those rutting animal needs that assail you at the sight of this body?”
“You don’t have the right to tease me about my bonding problems just because I fixed yours,” Malachi said, stepping away. “I’m still a demon inside this skin suit I wear. I could get mean again very quickly.”
“Shush now. Hold me close again and shut your eyes. This is our perfect moment,” Rena ordered.
“Perfect moment?
Females are so strange,” Malachi lamented.
When his body connected to hers once more, Rena sighed and hugged him tightly. Alarms went off as he felt her sadness seep into all his cells.
“What is wrong now?” he said
“Nothing is wrong,” Rena said against his chest. “I am actually quite happy that I will take the memory of your kindness with me. Please help Seta adjust to my absence. My leaving won’t be easy for her.”
“Leaving?” Malachi said the word, and pushed her out to arm’s length.
“It is for the best of reasons and I sincerely welcome the chance to go back. I left a communication for her. Make sure she watches it. She will grieve for me, but the Siren can soothe her. All really is as it needs to be,” Rena said.
Then leaning back in Malachi’s arms, she smiled one last time. She spoke an ancient phrase in the language of the Creators that the emissary had given her. Its resonation was like an explosion inside of both of them.
Malachi groaned when Rena’s form went limp under his hands. A silver beam of light shot out of her body and streaked through the ceiling until it was gone.
“No. Why did you do this now?” Malachi shook Rena’s physical body in his denial, but he could clearly sense it was just an abandoned shell.
Not knowing what else to do, he swept it up in his arms. His instinct was that he had the save the form that could arouse him with just its existence. Memories of the mission on Lotharius came roaring back as he realized he could be losing the female in his arms yet again.
He carried her to the door and elbowed the com. “Contact Medical—NO. Belay that. Locate Doctor Chiang directly.”
Precious seconds passed in which he felt the body start to stiffen, but the voice he heard in answer was relieving. “Chiang here. What is it, Malachi?”
“Prepare the stasis unit. I need to put Rena Trax’s body in it.”
There was swearing in Greggor and a muffled “Aye.”
Hearing the affirmation, Malachi all but ran out the door and down the long hallways, turning down every offer he got to help carry her. The body in his arms was slight, just ungainly without animation.
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