The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series

by Donna McDonald

  “I was not referring to that curse,” Boca said stiffly, but her heart thumped hard when Malachi’s tortured gaze met hers. An apology was on her tongue, but Kefira broke in before she could get it out.

  “The journeys of natural mates are so interwoven that nothing can affect their destiny to be together. Your arrangement with the doctor is that strong, Boca Ador. And for the record, he felt no desire for me while he carried me from the cell. That was just your judgment of him when he was having a typical male response to a female. Such biological things are like short flashes of light. What he feels for you is a thousand times greater and as bright as a newly formed star,” Kefira said, letting go of Malachi to use the medical table for balance. She moved up it to peer at the entity currently using Seta Trax’s body.

  “Hello, Zorinda,” Kefira said, smiling kindly at the demon.

  “How would someone like you know the torture of a female who had never gotten to choose her mating?” Boca demanded, wanting to bite out her tongue when Kefira turned a shocked gaze to her.

  “Has the Greggor claimed you?” Kefira demanded. “No, he has not. Yet your energy surrounds him, Boca. You have already chosen. Why do you deny it?”

  “I did not choose. I had no choice,” Boca argued.

  “There is always a choice,” Kefira said sharply.

  The lecturing tone reminded Boca entirely too much of the emissary who kept interfering in her life. She turned and walked away before she was tempted to kick the female’s hurt legs out from under her. She had only herself to blame. After all, she had helped save the smart-mouthed devotee of her spiritual torturers. Maybe she should have left both Kefira and Chiang in the cell and just saved herself.

  Boca put her back to the wall and crossed her arms, determined to watch silently.

  “Since you and the Kefira wish to discuss our relationship in public, let me add to the record,” Chiang announced loudly enough to make sure there were plenty of witnesses. “I have refrained from claiming you precisely to leave you a choice. The last thing any male wants is be bound physically to an unwilling female for the rest of his existence. Creators forbid you might actually admit that you want me in your life.”

  “Mine persse,” Boca shouted in Sumerian, more afraid than she wanted him to know about becoming any more committed to him than she already was. She had decisions to make. Important decisions. Decisions that might not include him.

  “Oricand,” Chiang answered her oath harshly, using the strongest Greggor oaths he could think of. “Data viitoare am sa te mai legati de pat.”

  “Fascinating. You have no idea what the other just said, do you?”

  Malachi asked the question, truly hoping for an answer. The energy of the insults in two different languages fit together so perfectly. He had spent considerable time lately learning enough of Greggor and Sumerian to follow their fighting. While Boca was still just being disrespectful, the Greggor was stepping up his aggression. Chiang looked like he actually meant his threat about tying Boca to the bed next time.

  Kefira sighed at the distraction, turned, and raised her hands. One palm was aimed at Chiang. The other aimed at Boca. “NISME,” she said.

  Then she smiled as Boca and Chiang rubbed their foreheads.

  “You will find it more helpful to fully understand each other when you fight. Now, Malachi, will you stand on the other side of the medical table.”

  “Kefira? You didn’t do anything to keep them from fighting in the future did you?” Malachi asked, walking around the table. “Life gets really boring on this tiny ship. Listening to Chiang and Boca fight was my best entertainment.”

  “Fighting is merely the method Boca and Chiang are using to remake each other. One mate changes another. Have you not observed this pattern in energy as well?”

  “Yes, but it’s more fun to think they just irritate each other for no reason at all,” Malachi said, watching Chiang and Boca glaring at each other. Neither of them seemed to care about what Kefira intended. Kefira’s giggling brought his attention back to her.

  “Truly, you are amusing,” Kefira said. “I wish I could stay on the ship for a while, but my destiny lies elsewhere.”

  “I hope Ania gets here soon. I truly wish her to listen to you speak. You sound like she does. Or Zade—yes, Zade needs to hear too,” Malachi said, and then his gaze went to the empty medical table behind Chiang. His eyes and temper flashed before he could stop it from happening. “Where is she? What have you done with the body?”

  Chiang straightened at the venom in the demon’s words, pulling his attention from Boca’s at last. “Stop glaring. I put Rena Trax’s body in stasis. Decay was happening slowly, but I decided to completely stop it until we figured out what to do. You said you had no need of the unit anymore.”

  Malachi visibly wilted when all gazes fell on him. Okay. Maybe he’d overreacted just a little. “I. . .I apologize, Doctor. I don’t know what possessed me to react that way. It won’t happen again.”

  “Possessed you? Again you are amusing. You certainly have a way with words that keeps me jovial,” Kefira said.

  “I am under no illusions about what I am,” Malachi said firmly.

  “You are much more than that and just beginning your true purpose. And if you thought about your motivations for a while, I bet you could figure out why the emissary’s disappearance bothers you so much,” Kefira said, holding her hands above Seta Trax’s body to get a sense of where the true spirit resided.

  “What are you saying?” Malachi demanded.

  “I can see you need help, so here is a hint. The emissary is not in the physical form you cherish, but she is also not gone completely. You are simply looking in the wrong place for her. Now focus here with me for a few moments. I’m ready to begin.”

  “What exactly do you want me to do?” Malachi demanded, looking down into the now alarmed gaze of the Demon Zorinda. He had to deliberately soften his voice. “No harm will come to you, Zorinda.”

  But after he said it, he suddenly wasn’t sure. Zorinda certainly didn’t look convinced. His gaze lifted to Kefira’s. The young female was way too. . .he didn’t know what. Her perky attitude just bothered him. “We aren’t going to do anything to harm Zorinda, are we?”

  “We are going to help them both live a happier existence,” Kefira said with confidence. “You might say that we’re going to override the original plan. Don’t worry though. It’s been blessed by the Creators.”

  “So what are you…” Malachi began, only to see Kefira lift her hand to halt his question.

  “I am a conduit and happy to be one. Now your job in this task is to shield the medical table while I do my work,” Kefira said. She waited a moment. “Go on. Do it now.”

  Malachi looked across the room at Chiang since neither Liam nor Ania was nearby. Chiang nodded. Without further debate, he lifted out and surrounded the table. Inside the bubble he created, there was a sudden bright flash. Then Seta called out.

  Malachi dispersed and sent his energy back into Conor’s body. When his eyes focused again, he found himself looking into Seta Trax’s confused gaze. Zorinda was nowhere in sight.

  “Well there you are. Welcome back, Lieutenant,” he said.

  “What did you do to me?” Seta asked. “The last thing I remember is watching you go into Orem Sel. You’re a demon.”

  “Yes, I am, but I am not one you need fear,” Malachi said, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t remember Liam ordering you to find him a weapon?”

  “No,” Seta said. “Why is my head hurting?”

  Malachi looked at the mysterious Kefira whose energy was now completely blocked from his perusal. The only other entity he’d been unable to read was the emissary. He narrowed his gaze on the female who was smiling at Seta and patting her shoulder.

  “You are now completely merged with the Demon Zorinda. She is not allowed to have full sentience until she has learned the true meaning of service to others. The Creators have decided that she will serve you for th
e rest of your existence by healing you and enhancing your natural abilities. You must take care to maintain a calm demeanor. Demons like their hosts to be stirred up more often than is healthy. Anyway. . .upon your death, Zorinda will be released from her service to you. Keep her amulet close at all times. She will go into it because the Creators have ordered her to do so,” Kefira said.

  “What are you? Are you an emissary too?” Malachi asked.

  “No—at least not yet, but I aspire,” Kefira said with a smile. “I have received some amazing gifts since I’ve agreed to be their servant. Sometimes they need a physical body, and when they do, I act as a host. I felt one come into me recently. When that happens, it’s like there’s a little voice in my head telling me what to do all the time. The first time it happened I had a hard time not fighting with it.”

  Malachi’s eyes flashed. Kefira smiled sweetly.

  “So about Zorinda, her energy is still in Seta but just behind a block?” Malachi asked.

  “Yes—very good, Malachi. When you healed me, I suddenly knew how to heal your Lieutenant. I put Zorinda behind an energy block. The demon had already healed Seta Trax’s body. It is part of every sacred contract. Seta was never in danger of returning to the Creators so soon,” Kefira said. “Zorinda sought to deceive. She wanted to retain full control of her host. You might say she envied your situation a little too much.”

  “What about. . .what about the emissary that lived inside Rena?” Malachi asked. “Is that the entity residing in you?”

  Kefira shrugged. “I honestly do not know. They rarely identify themselves in any significant way. They tell me they have no names.”

  Malachi nodded. “I wish to know. . .I wish to know. . .”

  The question died on his tongue as he met Chiang and Boca’s stoic gazes. Their sympathetic thoughts were clearer to him than any energy he had ever read. Turning, he walked out of Medical, not even sure where he was headed. He just needed to get away.

  Seta rose and swung her legs to the side, aided by Kefira, who held out an arm to assist.

  “You look like you can barely walk yourself,” Seta said.

  Kefira shrugged. “Actually, I am healing quite rapidly. So are you now. How do you perceive yourself?”

  One sharp eyebrow arched. “How do mean?”

  “You just underwent a demon merging. I wanted to know how you are,” Kefira stated again.

  “A what?” Seta asked, her questioning gaze moving to Doctor Chiang’s as he walked to the bed. “What is she talking about?”

  Chiang sighed. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but you host a demon inside your body. Without it, you would have returned to the Creators. The demon’s energy is now a permanent part of you until your death, which will be quite some time because your demon will heal you until she can no longer do so.”

  “I see. Does. . .does Rena know about this?” Seta asked, putting a hand on her stomach. A demon. She had read about demons. Of all the wounds she had expected to receive fighting for the Peace Alliance, this had never entered her mind.

  Seeing her shock, Kefira put a hand on her shoulder. “Zorinda serves you in exchange for you hosting her energy. She does not have the darkness of demons of old. Zorinda is the result of the Creators loving correction. Captain Synar’s family, well at least Liam and his mate, have been given a great responsibility to oversee Malachi’s change. They will help you as well if you choose to stay in service with them.”

  “Did Orem Sel put the demon in me?” Seta asked.

  Kefira shook her head, holding up a hand to Chiang and Boca. “The Creators put the demon in you. If they had not done so, you would be no more. Your purpose has not been fulfilled, so they intervened.”

  Seta swallowed. “I see. I think I’d like to talk to Rena now. Where is she?”

  Chiang came forward. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Trax. We were not able to change Rena’s condition. We have put her in a stasis unit for the moment to keep her alive.”

  “There is no demon in Rena?” Seta asked.

  “No,” Chiang answered firmly. “There is little life in her physical form. But the body is not reacting like one that is beyond repair. At this point, we don’t know what to do about her. I’m sorry to add to your shock.”

  “It’s okay, Doctor Chiang. I must know the truth, mustn’t I?” Seta said. She rubbed the center of her chest. Emotional pain. She hadn’t really felt it so strongly in a very long while. Maybe not since they left Ethos. “Rena has been my constant companion. I don’t know what to think. I feel myself fighting grief as if she is already gone.”

  “Zorinda was stopping you from feeling your own emotions, but she will not do that any longer. When you want to rid yourself of the trauma caused by the Ethosian mate you were sold to, ask Malachi to help,” Kefira advised.

  “Malachi. . .he. . .he favored Rena,” Seta commented, thinking now how appalled Rena would have been to know a demon had desired her. Yet he had never seemed to her to be the kind of evil entity the academy had described demons being. He obviously wasn’t a severe threat or he’d never be allowed to roam so freely.

  “Malachi grieves her loss from his life as well,” Kefira said softly. “I’m sure you both are suffering for her.”

  “I was taught that demons have no compassion. Why would a demon grieve over a female?” Seta asked.

  Kefira shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers, but I know this ship carries a lot of beings who are not what others assume.”

  “What are you?” Seta asked.

  “Most of the time I’m a rather quiet young female given to spiritual study. My father thinks loaning out my body to the often aggressive emissaries that visit me is the highest form of foolishness, yet he watches over me when I must do so. Each time one departs, they leave a gift of great value, which I use to help the Peace Alliance of course. The only downside is that I must not bind myself to a mate—ever,” Kefira said. “It is a limited life, but I have learned to adapt to it.”

  “Are you hosting an emissary now?” Seta asked.

  Kefira nodded. “Yes, but even she can only do so much. Doctor, I now require you to carry me again. Healing the lieutenant took a greater toll than expected on my physical form.”

  Chiang walked over and scooped up the fragile female, grinning at the hiss behind him.

  “Do not enjoy your mate’s jealousy too much,” Kefira whispered. “Boca’s doubt in the fidelity of any male spirit is one of her greatest weaknesses, dwarfed only by her doubt in herself. On the other hand, Boca has no true doubts about you at all. She’s just afraid to admit how much she wants to please you.”

  “Helios will freeze over before she confesses to that,” Chiang whispered back. “Boca’s resistance to what is best for her is strong.”

  “I am not without ears, Chiang. Cease discussing me or I will cut out that forked tongue of yours,” Boca said behind them, but her remark only elicited a laugh from Chiang as he lowered Kefira to an unused medical table.

  “When I look at your future together, I see that your children will be extremely challenging in nature. I see them being all males,” Kefira said tiredly.

  “What future?” Boca demanded, stepping to the bed. She automatically started tucking the sheets in around Kefira, who looked like a young child to her now.

  Chiang looked down at the female he desired and growled intentionally. He heard Kefira laugh at them.

  “Stop growling. I want to know if the children will be more Greggor or more Sumerian,” Boca demanded, “and how many are in this alleged future.”

  “I can never see all the details. That future is only a possibility for you and Chiang,” Kefira said, closing her eyes. “You both still have to choose to have it, Boca Ador. I must rest now.”

  Boca looked between Chiang and Kefira. “Fine. While the oracle rests, I’m going to go look for Malachi.”

  Chiang sighed as Boca ran out of Medical. She had avoided being alone with him since they had returned. Of course, none of
the rescue team had slept much in two days, but Boca hadn’t even stayed in the same room with him more than was required to render aid to their patients.

  It had become clear that whatever had happened to Boca’s hands when he’d been unconscious was not going to be discussed until he talked her into revealing it. He wondered if anyone else knew. Looking down at his patient, he saw his most likely source for that information had gone to sleep.

  Boca was off chasing the only other being who might know.

  Chapter 25

  “How sure are you about this?” Synar asked, talking to the male’s back because he was still staring into the darkness towards his ship. Or at least it was still Warro’s ship for now.

  “My only other option is to return to Rylen and commit myself to energy reconditioning. Siren healers would attempt to make me forget her. I’d rather first rule out that she will indeed never. . .” Ji paused. The thought of never receiving her compassion was more distressing than he cared to admit to Liam Synar. “I’m not ready to give up yet.”

  “You would have to stay on libido control drugs. I can’t have you attacking everyone she interacts with while performing her duties,” Synar said.

  Ji turned away from his view of the Paladin, which was hovering a safe distance from the Liberator. The Dread Nought had ended up leading the ground force invasion. His commander had assumed temporary command. He was still on the Liberator because he knew a compromised captain had no place serving on a Guardian level ship.

  “If you let me remain, I would even consent to the more concentrated implant. Its effectiveness is far superior to the temporary one of Rylen ale.”

  “Your cooperation is noted, but your conduct with my new lieutenant is not my only concern,” Synar said, walking to stand nearer the Siren male so he could meet his gaze, male to male. “You outrank me, Warro. You have more time in service and more time in a captain’s chair. Frankly, I don’t like the idea of having someone more qualified than I am serving under me. You don’t seem like the kind of person who takes orders from others very easily.”