“Malachi, go inside Zella and remove the memories of her physical abuse. Take all of it out of her until it’s almost too vague to be recalled. I also want you to amplify the memories of Bogdan’s love for her, even if you have to go back to their early mating days. Break through that damn wall that prevents the wretched female from grieving his death.”
What if Zella can’t assimilate all you ask me to do? It could break her mind, Ania. That is a lot of change to force on a being all at once.
Malachi came out of Ania, into the room. He hovered over the least of his contractual charges and searched his energy for any prohibition against doing what Ania asked. He could find none.
“Since when did you get so squeamish? You usually enjoy this kind of thing. At least a broken mind will create some kind of empathy between mother and son. Zella already believes many untruths. I see no wrong in reshuffling her past memories based on what you learned from Conor’s recall of the situation. Her spirit will process the absence of negative information however her nature chooses. If Zella is determined to be miserable, none of what we do will change that.”
Malachi found he couldn’t fault Ania’s reasoning even if he questioned her methods for changing the female’s understanding of past events. He hesitated for just a few seconds more, then dove into the unconscious form and got to work.
Ania stared at Zella’s body while she waited on Malachi to finish. The wait was longer than she expected and she grew nervous about how she would explain things if Ralak returned too soon. When Malachi finally exited, she nodded her head, feeling a great relief.
I have done all you asked, he sent.
“Thank you, Malachi. Now while I finish up here, why don’t you go ask your emissary if she knows what that giant energy surge was on the ship earlier?”
Malachi flexed in alarm, but fortunately Ania didn’t pick up on it. He knew precisely what the energy surge had been, but if she didn’t ask him, he saw no reason to volunteer it. Instead, he looked at Zella’s form again. You’re not going to harm her physical body, are you?
Ania leaned closer to Zella. “No. I’m merely going to tell Synar’s mother a story to help her start her new life, and then I’m going to go prepare for our dinner. Now be a good demon and go about your greater business. It is probably best you don’t hear what I’m going to say in case Liam asks any questions of you later.”
Deciding it was best to accept Ania’s offer to reduce his culpability, Malachi streaked out.
Chapter 29
Inside his storage closet sized office, Ji swiveled to face Synar. The space was miserably uncomfortable for face-to-face discussions. He really was going to have to find a better place.
“I think my mind was drifting as I was running the diagnostics for probably the hundredth time. I looked down just at the moment a strange series of codes started looping by. I had to copy them to a portable com the second time they appeared.”
“Engineering codes are not my specialty. I would have missed them,” Synar said.
Ji nodded. “They’re not mine either. Corporal Ott, one of Vetin’s troubleshooters, stopped by while I was trying to decipher it. He has been studying the Guardian 13’s improved codes since we got the ship. The corporal saw what I was doing and almost immediately identified the failsafe loop in the code. His opinion was that it was either a huge programming mistake or that it was intentionally created to be structurally similar to the self-destruct sequence. Basically, Meen’s heart implant runs the same code loop, plus it has an override to insert the self-destruct sequence when his heart stops. When he almost died and his heart blipped, the ship got confused and accepted the implant’s blasted out version of the code with the override taking precedence.”
“I’m glad there is some logic to what happened. Do we have to keep worrying that someone else with an implant could come on the ship and do the same thing? Tell me how to fix it,” Synar demanded.
“I think Ensign Ott already has. He re-programmed the failsafe to a unique series known only to me and him. We created a version of the old code and ran it against the new failsafe to see what happened. Nothing did. And no one knew we were running the test. We both felt that was a very positive sign.”
Synar snorted. “Indeed, and that’s the best damn news I’ve had in days. How sure are you that Meen’s death won’t cause the Guardian 13 any more problems?”
“Unless we missed something, the margin of error is nil,” Ji said.
“Good work,” Synar said. “You just made Meen expendable. Grant Ensign Ott the extended leave he’s been requesting for ages. He can start it when the whole crew goes on leave in a few weeks.”
“Are you planning to kill the general? If so, I respectfully request permission to help. Vetin’s death is on my hands,” Ji said.
Synar shook his head. “I’m not saying no because I want to, Ji. I’m saying it because there’s no need. Meen’s dead already. I’m just going to stop keeping him alive. You need some counseling?”
Ji snorted. “Possibly, but not about Vetin.”
“Really can’t hear about anything else right now,” Synar said.
Ji laughed at the Norblade’s insistence on being kept out of his interactions with Seta. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to cause any problems because of it. I just wondered when you’d like my resignation, Captain Synar.”
Synar grinned. “Can it wait until we go on the Peace Alliance sanctioned two week leave?”
“Indeed,” Ji said, bowing his head. When Synar laughed, Ji arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me. I sound like Lieutenant Zade, right?”
Synar didn’t answer the offended Siren. He just grinned and left.
***
Ania liked their new spacious dressing area. It was nice to have one place to store all of her and Synar’s belongings. Nicer still was the bench that allowed her to sit and try on footwraps. She stepped into her best set of evening robes, crisscrossing a thin jewel encrusted belt around the center to define her waist. The violet-gemmed dress wrap was a gift from her mate. It seemed appropriate that she wear it this evening. She lifted two sets of ear adornments to the side of head trying to decide which was the better complement.
“Wear the smaller ones, Ania. That robe color suits you so well that larger adornments would be wasted,” Synar said, enjoying the smile of pleasure that lit her face. Too bad he couldn’t let her keep it just a little bit longer. “Are they really still coming to dinner? Both of them?”
Ania sighed. “Yes, Liam. Both of them.”
“Fine. I’m not going to let that ruin my good mood. I’ll grab a quick cleansing and put on some clean clothing—if I can find any,” Synar said.
“I put that black outfit you like so much in our personal sanitizer earlier. It’s done and hanging in your chest,” Ania said.
Synar swiveled, pulled open his storage cabinet and saw it was there. “Wow. You cleaned my clothes just like a real mate would.”
Ania tilted her head to glare. “Yes. I’m also a real mate who can kick your ass anytime she wants—don’t forget that.”
Synar laughed again. “Yes, I know. I am a very lucky male.”
A knock on the door had Synar swearing at the interruption.
“Don’t start,” Ania said. “It’s just Chef delivering our dinner. He insisted on preparing it personally.”
“That male has a crush on you. If he wasn’t such a good cook, I’d fire him for trying to gain the favor of my mate,” Synar said.
“That talented male is devoted to yet another talented male, and both serve on your ship. Your jealousy of Chef continues to be ridiculous,” Ania said, stomping away as she went to open the door.
“Yes. I am ridiculous. It makes me highly unpredictable. That’s why most of the crew is afraid of me. You learn how to inspire fear in Leadership 101. It’s a fast, cheap form of respect,” Synar said to the clothes chest because his mate was already gone. “Too bad there’s no equivalency training for how to do it in a warrior ma
te.”
“I heard that,” Ania yelled.
Synar snorted as he headed to their spacious cleansing area.
***
With Ralak and Zella traipsing around the ship, Malachi resorted to wearing a head wrap that covered everything but his eyes. He looked like a sand raider from Averon, but the ruse was necessary.
Malachi glared down at General Meen’s body. Unfortunately, his irritation caused no problems for the being inside it. “Didn’t you hear? The problem is fixed now. The ship is safe. Warro has talked to Liam. It is done. I don’t see why you have to stay, Angel.”
It is not Meen’s time to die, she sent.
That can be fixed too, Malachi sent back.
You must learn true patience, demon. I know it is hard. I struggle with it myself, she sent.
Malachi shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. It was the only way he could keep from doing something drastic. I want you out of him.
Why would you phrase it that way? Do you assume I will just obey you when you speak?
He snorted. Why not? I obey you. Of course, I have no choice in the matter since you can hurt my host body if I don’t.
Would it help if I admit to you that I’m looking forward to going back to Rena Trax’s body so we can share a sleep space again?
Malachi thought about that for a moment. If that’s the only concession I can get, he sent.
Next time I let you touch my host body, will you promise not to leave it aching? It was quite uncomfortable when you did that, she sent.
His body’s sigh of longing echoed throughout Medical. The inevitable effect her words had on his bonding organ was just annoying since Meen’s body was thoroughly detestable as a host.
“That erection you’re getting is wrong in so many ways that I couldn’t begin to name them all. Why don’t you stop brooding about her and go see the Siren escorts? It’s clinical and for the good of Siren science,” Boca ordered. “You know you need to take care of that problem before you snap from frustration.”
Malachi growled from beneath his head covering.
Boca burst out laughing and had to set her portable com down to keep from dropping it. As she righted and picked it up again, she heard another male growling in her ear. Every hair on her body came to attention. She turned and put her finger under his nose. “I have warned you repeatedly to stop doing that. One day—I will hurt you.”
Chiang grinned and kissed the tip of her pointing finger. The portable com Boca carried was suddenly slammed hard into his chest.
“Here. You check him,” she ordered. “I’m going to our quarters.” Her action forced Chiang to catch the com as it started to drop, but she wouldn’t have cared if it hit the floor.
Malachi watched Boca storm out. “Why do you purposely provoke her?”
Chiang smiled. “I know the real source of her anger. Until she’s ready to let go of it, I cannot do anything except direct it at me. It keeps others safe.”
“Go on. I’m listening,” Malachi said.
Chiang’s gaze dropped to Malachi’s crotch. “That can’t be comfortable.”
“It’s not. Distract me with the secret behind the Sumerian’s violence,” Malachi ordered.
Chiang synced the portable com to the medical table. “The tables are connected to the primary network connection. So are the portable coms. Why would they make us sync information through such an archaic data transfer method?”
“If you don’t want to tell me, just say so,” Malachi said.
Chiang met Malachi’s dark, hooded gaze. “She is mad that Orem Sel still lives. She is mad that her Lotharian captor still breathes. I am angry about those things as well. Apparently, the Peace Alliance doesn’t care about real justice.”
Malachi blinked, pondering the information. “Maybe it is not those beings’ time to die. I’m learning there is sometimes a higher purpose for what seems at first glance to be unfair.”
Chiang raised an eyebrow. “The emissary really has gotten to you, hasn’t she?”
“I don’t know what you are implying. Neither of us has gotten much of anything yet. There have been too many crises going on,” Malachi said.
Snorting, Chiang smacked his arm as he left. “Goodnight, Malachi. Thanks for staying. One of the junior medics should be here to relieve you from duty soon. Any and all other relief you need to seek someplace else, preferably in your own room and not in Medical.”
“Goodnight, Chiang. Guard your appendages. If not, I’ll try to sew them back on straight tomorrow.”
Malachi looked back at Meen’s body after Chiang left.
Now where were we in our conversation?
You were right about what you said, she sent. How do you know there is a higher purpose for Orem Sel’s life?
I don’t. I don’t know anything. Orem Sel is one of the most abusive males I’ve ever encountered. I was just trying to make Chiang feel better, he sent back.
There was silence and then he felt her energy reach out and stroke along the front of him. The tingling caress caused him to harden further and suffer more, but he knew she meant well.
You were right regardless, she said. Don’t worry. Orem Sel will one day pay for his transgressions, just like you did. All creatures eventually pay, but sometimes it takes several lifetimes.
Malachi frowned at the comment. The past remained with him, but he felt like it was so far removed from the present that it no longer counted. Was that just a greater illusion than any he had participated in before?
Another stroke along the front of him had him wincing at the constriction of his pants. It scrambled his thoughts and made him groan as he spoke aloud.
“Please stop stroking me, Angel. It is not helpful to be aroused when you can’t do a bloody thing about it.”
“Sir? Do you need me to do something with the general’s body?”
Malachi’s eyes flared as they swung to the junior medic who was restocking the area with supplies. He calmed himself, but it took far more effort than usual.
“No. Finish your task and leave. I need another fifteen minutes here,” he ordered.
When the junior medic fled, Malachi shook his head, sending the black scarves swinging. “He was scared enough when he saw I was covering my face. Now he thinks I’ve become aroused by General Meen’s comatose body. Gossip on this ship spreads like a com virus. I hope you’re happy, Angel.”
The ruffling energy in the air was as prickly as any real laugh.
“I’m going to make you suffer and then I’m going to withhold your release until you’re reduced to screaming and begging. I’ve seen Zade do it often. I shall enjoy every moment of your deprivation. Get out of there, Angel.”
When I can, that is a command I will be happy to obey, she sent.
Malachi adjusted his bonding organ until he could walk unfettered. He might as well go check Angel’s host body. When things were back to normal, he was definitely going to make her help him fix this.
Chapter 30
Synar watched them both carefully, unsure of what he was observing. Zella looked on in concern as Ralak moved slowly from the levitating chair to a normal one. Afterward, his mother directed the chair along a wall and watched as it lowered into its storage mode. When she returned to the table, she slid quietly into a seat beside Ralak.
“Thank you both for coming,” Ania said, bowing her head. “It is our great pleasure to share this meal with you.”
“The food smells amazing,” Ralak said.
Ania smiled. “You look lovely this evening, Zella. I’m happy you chose to wear the jewelry I sent. The ear adornments are from Rylen. Liam told me you were fond of Siren things. I thought you might enjoy those as much as I have.”
Zella touched her ears, almost puzzled to find adornments there. She had put them on without thought and forgotten they were there. “Yes. Thank you, Ania. They are very comfortable. Is this Siren tea?” She lifted a cup and sniffed. “How wonderful. I’m feeling even more guilty now.”
“Yes. I did as well,” Zella said, her face stiff as she tried to smile. “My face is so tight. I probably need to do some rejuvenation therapy. It seemed such a waste of pay marks that I could never bring myself to indulge.”
Ralak reached over and covered one of her hands, pleased when she rolled it over to clasp his fingers. “You can do all those things now, Zella. I am a wealthy male. I want you to have whatever makes you happy.”
Zella froze and frowned. “Funny you say it that way, Ralak. After Ania left this afternoon, I slept for a long while. Then when I woke, it was like a thousand realizations flooded my mind all at once. It was quite disturbing when it happened.”
“Personally, I find that a good hissy fit is cathartic now and again. When that doesn’t help, I work out my bad moods on the training mat,” Ania said.
“Zella? What happened today?” Synar asked. He watched his mother pull her hand away from Ralak’s, her face infused with guilt. If he didn’t know better, he would say her expression was full of remorse.
Synar swung his gaze to his mate’s, but she seemed to be studying his mother like a scientist studies an insect. When they finally made eye contact, she shrugged a little.
Finally, he looked back to Zella. “What kind of realizations did you have?”
“It was the strangest thing, Liam. I think it must have been the trip here, coming to a strange place. At first, I was angry—in fact, I can’t recall the last time I didn’t feel angry. But I dreamed about Bogdan today. I dreamed about when we first met. I had forgotten so many things—good things—things that you never want to forget about the person who shared your life for so many years. Suddenly in the middle of all those memories, I realized that the anger and pain were not serving me,” she said. “I was so distraught. I don’t know how Ralak can forgive me for accepting his offer and not really appreciating the meaning of it. He deserves a worthier mate.”
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