Synar grinned. “Yes, I know it could go long, but Norblade gestations run less than nine Earth months. So how are we going to know which will be the case for our children?”
“Chiang said Medical will be able to estimate it fairly well once they have studied the growth over several months. It doesn’t matter to me. I am in the process of making my peace with the creatures I carry. I’m highly motivated after today.”
Ania knew Synar would think it was the movement that motivated her. She decided not to discuss her emissary visitation or the fact that she was pretty much told the children would be assigned a keeper other than her. She was still chewing on that one.
“I will let you go and rest now, Liam. I’m sorry that I called with such bad news. I hope Seta Trax takes it well when you have to tell her.”
Synar shrugged. “Seta was summoned to a call the first day we were here. She never said what it was about, but I got the impression it was Rena. Now I think maybe Rena was trying to tell her good-bye.”
“She was. We found a recording. Because of the nature of this situation, we listened to it. Rena was quite liberal in sharing information. She said some pretty interesting things about Ji Warro too. Is he really interested in a Ethosian? He’s full Siren. His parents have probably arranged a mating for him. I hope he’s not sworn to anyone.”
“He got a libido implant so he could serve on the same ship as Seta Trax. That’s pretty devoted,” Synar said.
“Indeed. Does she know his intentions?” Ania asked.
“If she does, I don’t think she’s interested. Personally, I think Warro will grow tired of the chase and want his career back before Seta comes around,” Synar said.
“I have one more question and then I promise I will let you get some rest for the night. How should I best prepare to meet your birth parent?” Ania asked.
“Ania, we talked about this. I’m not going to subject you to Zella’s venom. She’s a miserable female and chooses to remain so. I slept in the guest quarters at the Chancery with the rest of the crew because I did not feel welcome in my own home. No, you will not be meeting Zella until she gets some counseling and deals with her poor attitude.”
“So our children are to have no parent step-backs at all?” Ania asked. “That need not be the case, Liam. As an ambassador, I handled whole planets of people with hard feelings and resentments. Let me try to visit with her. Maybe I could help her see things differently.”
Synar shook his head as firmly as he could. “No. I appreciate your willingness to suffer her for my sake, but my compassion is more with you and the children. If she were to hurt your feelings or try to harm you, I would make her suffer in return. Peace is better kept when two quarreling factions remain separated.”
“You’re spending too much time on your planet. You’re starting to sound like a politician,” Ania said, her lip curling in distaste. She had spent a large part of her working life talking like that. Yet now she couldn’t handle hearing it out of Liam. She sighed at her own duplicity.
“Blame Ralak for how I sound,” Synar said, laughing and rubbing his face.
“Who’s Ralak?” Ania asked.
“Chancellor Ralak Bartoff. He fancies himself mating into my family one day, but that’s never going to happen. I’ve known the male all my life. He’s probably the only non-family person who understands the burden of Malachi. He also knows about you. No, I didn’t tell him. He looked it up and figured it out.”
Ania shrugged as she remembered. “I know Chancellor Bartoff. I knew his father better. This unique circumstance is even more reason for me to meet your maternal birth parent, Liam.”
“No. Give it up, Ania. Your finely honed negotiation skills aren’t going to work in this situation. Zella has chosen to be a bitter old female with no intention of changing her mind about anything. Now take care of yourself and wish for my safe return.”
“Indeed I will always do so,” Ania said, bowing her head to the male on the screen as he departed. When the com went black, Ania remained seated while she stared at the screen and sighed heavily. “Never mind that I’m an old bitter female myself and just may be able to relate to your mother.”
It was hard not to dwell on how little faith Liam had in any of her ambassador skills.
As an ambassador, she had settled many large disputes between the constantly warring factions of his Norblade planet. How difficult could the hurt feelings of one Norblade female turn out to be?
Her mate needed to learn to see her for what she was. It was a continued problem in their relationship. She was sure Liam would accept her logic if he’d give her a chance to show him what she could do.
First though, she needed to figure out a way to meet the forbidden Zella Synar. If the emissaries were so keen on helping, maybe they could do something about that.
Chapter 19
Something hummed with sharp energy over his head. The light emanating from it was also blindingly bright. If the noise and flickering kept up, his body would eventually be roused from its sleep cycle. Finally, when the humming and flickering light didn’t show any signs of stopping, Malachi abandoned his task to check the source of the annoyance.
Once out of physical form, all attention zeroed in on an energy signature that he recognized now as well as his own.
In case you were wondering, I can see you, he sent.
Good. I meant for you to see me, she sent back.
Malachi was trying to decide if the emissary had meant her words sarcastically when she zipped away from him and dove through the stasis unit lid. He saw the light of her energy disappear into the lifeless form there, and moments later Rena Trax’s body breathed again.
Back he went into his own form as quickly as possible, rising from the medical table as soon as awareness returned. He rose and walked to the stasis unit. His decoding work as he shut down the unit had Chiang opening one tired eye.
“Malachi, leave the body alone,” Chiang ordered. “The readings tell you it still lives. We’ll do a physical check again in the morning.”
“The body has started breathing on its own again, Doctor. I really think we need to get it out of stasis now,” Malachi said.
“What?” Chiang sat up and slid off the bed. “Shades of Kellnor. I just fell asleep moments ago. When did this start?”
Malachi paused and turned. “Just now, but it’s definitely the emissary this time. She made sure that I saw her in energy form before she went into the body. She wanted me to know she was here.”
“Slaggika,” Chiang said, running a hand over his face as he swore in Sumerian. His mate’s favorite swear word really was a more encompassing expression for his shock.
“Here—finish the shut-down process for me. I want to tell Ania,” Malachi said, heading to the wall com. He could have done it faster as mist, but com notification would be a less rude awakening for her. “Contact Ania Looren.”
There was a minute of waiting before Ania came on the line.
“Ania here.”
“Come to Medical. The emissary is now in Rena’s body. I don’t want to face her alone.”
There was a fierce yawn through the com. “Is there danger?”
“Not yet. The body is still half frozen,” Malachi reported.
“Lucky me. I’ll be there before she thaws completely. Need clothes first.”
Malachi snorted at Ania’s lack of concern and came back to see Chiang snapping open the lid. Inside, the female shivered with cold. Not stopping to think about the wisdom of his actions, Malachi scooped her out of the unit and held her cold body close as he carried her to the medical table he’d been using.
“What took you so blasted long to get back here? Rena’s spirit left yesterday afternoon and the body started to decay immediately. It’s your fault if things in it aren’t working properly. I did what I could. Don’t wait so long next time. I hate worrying.”
“Th-th-that is a pa-pa-pathetic wel-wel-welcome from a be-be-being who has searched for me every da-d
a-day. Co-co-could you ho-ho-hold me a-a-again? Body is very cold.”
Malachi laughed at her stammering statements and climbed onto the medical table to wrap her in his warmth. Chiang hurriedly tossed several layers of covers on top of the two of them. Her shivering reduced, but did not cease completely.
Coming out of stasis was miserable, he knew. The bitter coldness took a long time to leave. Reaching out, he ran a fingertip along one delicate ear lobe. He was rewarded by a harder shiver and a soft moan that made him grin. At least some of the critical sensory inputs were still very functional on the body. Lucky him.
“Welcome back, emissary. I truly have missed you.”
He could tell she tried to snort in disbelief, but her body was shaking too hard to have the necessary control over her expressions. It was cruel of him, but he laughed anyway.
“I liked seeing you in your energy form. You were very bright. I have to say, though, you animate a female body well. In my opinion, no one fills out an organic skin suit quite as well as you.”
“Effusive nonsense. Will you turn up the heat? I’m still freezing,” she said, teeth chattering.
Malachi watched Chiang punching codes into the medical table in response to her request and smiled at him. “How much heat can you stand? I’d love a chance to make you really hot.”
A shivering hand reached over and closed firmly around his rapidly growing erection. Her grip was confident and possessive. His body’s reaction to the pleasure she caused was swift and urgent. He pushed deeper into her hand before he could stop the motion.
His gaze went to see if Chiang had noticed their silent communication under the covers. Seeing the Greggor occupied with inputting content into portable com unit, his curious gaze finally came back to the still shivering female.
“Okay. You have my full attention. What am I supposed to glean from that aggressive move?” Malachi asked in a whisper.
“I wanted to see how you would react. I am considering the possibility of serving as your mate,” she whispered.
Malachi pushed away and was looking down at the wide-eyed female in puzzlement when Ania came striding into the room. Her walk halted and her mouth dropped open when she saw them lying on the table together.
His mouth twitched in response to Ania’s surprise. “Oh please, like I never saw you and Liam doing this. Everyone has seen you two. You practically live in Medical.”
Reaching down between their bodies, he reluctantly pried surprisingly strong female fingers away from his frustrated bonding organ. Fortunately, he was used to displeasing his physical form. That practice let him tuck the raging beast away one more time.
“I’m going to get out from under the covers now so I can talk to Ania. Chiang and I will gradually raise the temp on the medical table until you thaw completely out. If you’d come back to the body sooner, none of this would have been necessary,” he chastised.
“I came at my appointed time, demon. Rena Trax left at hers,” she said.
Malachi rolled his eyes as he slid to the floor, but turned to tuck the covers back around her.
“She certainly sounds like your emissary—cryptic as ever,” Ania said.
Malachi nodded. “Yes, but she’s acting most strangely in other ways. Please don’t ask for details. It would just embarrass me in front of Chiang.”
“I don’t need details in this instance. Perhaps I am finally ready to pretend we have some secrets from each other,” Ania said, inching closer, her senses all on alert. “Are you completely sure it’s not just Rena Trax having a grand delusion? The Ethosian was starting to favor you. I felt it very clearly. Zade did as well.”
Malachi snorted. “Yes, I’m very sure. I saw the emissary in her energy form first. Then I watched her enter the body. This spirit is not Rena Trax.”
“This spirit can hear everything you are saying. The oversized ears on this body hear exceedingly well,” a voice declared from beneath the edges of the covers.
“Shush now, my wicked angel. Rest and thaw out so we can have a little talk about your new attitude toward me,” Malachi ordered, patting her shivering leg.
“Your angel?” Ania asked, her mouth twisting into a smirk. She stepped out of the way when a grinning Chiang squeezed by to adjust the settings on the medical table again.
“Well, I can’t keep calling her my emissary,” Malachi said. He ran a possessive hand over her shivering hip. He very much liked her curvy outline and the idea that he might get to do what he liked to it soon. He smiled as the emissary’s body sighed beneath his touch.
“Maybe she has a name already,” Ania chastised.
“Do you have a name you prefer?” Malachi asked politely, glaring at Chiang’s snickering.
The covers moved enough to let out a frustrated grunt. “No. We had this discussion before, demon. You know I gave up my name so long ago that I no longer remember it. If you are trying to jest with me, it is not very amusing.”
“Amusement is subjective. Oh . . . damn you,” Malachi swore, bending from the middle in pain. He reached out and felt for her shivering fist under the covers. He flattened her hand to the bed with one of his. Apparently, his wicked angel could bring him both extreme pleasure and extreme pain with those hands of hers. The fact that such a fact thrilled him probably should have worried him far more than it did.
Ania snorted at the physical skirmish happening under the covers of the bed and shook her head at both of them. “What have I done to deserve this torture?”
“You?” Malachi exclaimed, raising his gaze to Ania’s in total shock. “I’m the one getting tortured here. She hurts me whenever I say anything that she doesn’t like.”
“Yes,” Ania said, grinning despite her consternation at having to deal with both of them in the flesh. “I often wish I could do that myself.”
They both turned when the emissary pulled the covers from her face to speak. “I will never hurt you, Ania Looren. I have come to care for your children. I am to serve as their tutelary protector.”
“No, you are not going to be their anything,” Ania said firmly. “I will never give over my children to the care of a being I cannot trust. Malachi will be their tutelary protector if the Creators are convinced they need someone better than their own mother to care for them.”
Ania snorted when the female glared at her, eyes glowing a silvery blue in her displeasure. And there you are in your true form, Ania decided, narrowing her gaze at the being who had almost caused her to kill Gwen. Protector of her children? Not in any life if she had any say in the matter.
“I see the churning in your spirit, Ania Looren. You are always so defensive when the Creators try to help you. Have they ever harmed you?”
“Let’s see. I studied and devoted myself to serving them for eight hundred years. As a reward for my faithful service, I am mated to the most obstinate male in existence and bound to two demons for the rest of my corporeal life. Does this sound like a reward to you?”
Ania watched the female in the bed pull the covers closer around her.
“It sounds like you and I are kindred spirits. The Creators have given us challenges that exceed our patience and make us angry. At least you’re only bound to the demon energetically. I’ve been sent here to be his potential mate in the flesh. I am still considering the situation.”
“Mate?” Ania exclaimed.
“You know, I didn’t believe it either until she put her hand in my lap. She has quite the grip for someone who just came out of stasis,” Malachi said with a shrug.
“Unbelievable. Helios really has frozen over,” Ania declared.
“Indeed,” Chiang interjected to lessen the tension, doing his best imitation of Zade’s voice. Of course, Zade picked that exact time to enter their area. The Siren glared at him for long moments. “I’m just never going to redeem myself to you, am I? Remember you can’t kill me for mocking you. I’m the doctor. The ship needs me.”
Dorian sighed. “If you’re going to mock me, at least practice un
til your mocking truly sounds like me.”
“Indeed,” Malachi said, doing a perfect imitation. The glare he got from the Siren had Chiang laughing long and hard.
“You are awesome times ten this morning,” Chiang declared, slapping a surprised Malachi on his shoulder.
“I was awakened by an energy shift on the ship. Is she the reason?” Dorian asked, pointing at the medical table.
“Yes,” Malachi said proudly, looking fondly at the bed. “The emissary has come back to be my mate.”
Dorian’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at the almost giddy demon. “Indeed,” he said, causing Chiang to burst out in laughter again, which he had to work hard to ignore. “Has she merged with Rena Trax?”
Malachi shook his head. “No. It’s just my angel in here. The body was empty before that.”
Dorian looked at Ania. “I don’t understand.”
“It is as he says. Rena is gone and the emissary has returned. Angel is not her name. It’s just what Malachi calls her,” Ania said.
Dorian frowned at the female in question. He was going to be keeping an eye on the duplicitous spirit. If she took any unfriendly action toward him or his mate again, the emissary wasn’t going to be keeping that body long. He’d hack it to pieces if he had to in order to get rid of her. He looked back at Malachi, but the emissary spoke before he could question the demon.
“Rena Trax could have stayed and lived out the life of her body with me. She chose to leave,” she explained.
Dorian sighed. “Well, that’s not going to go over well with our worried lieutenant. Speaking of the other Trax sibling, we just got a full report from the mission team. They have taken blood samples in an attempt to find the Allurean. Preliminary results are coming up with several confused samples. None of them point clearly to the Allurean. We may be taking on a few elderly females if they can’t figure it out down there. Ambassador Jilco doesn’t want Kefira going to the planet, so we’re going to bring our suspects here where we can all take a better look at them.”
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