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

by Donna McDonald

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  ~ Donna McDonald

  KEEP READING in this ebook to read an excerpt

  from “The Demon’s Change”, Book 5

  in the Forced To Serve series

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  Excerpt from THE DEMON’S CHANGE

  He hadn’t been able to stop himself from checking on her multiple times a day. This time he had tracked her to Zade’s meditation room again, one of her favorite places to hide. Glad he’d left his body in his quarters so he could spy discreetly, Malachi seeped around the door edges until he was inside the sacred space that Zade guarded with his very life.

  Near the front, his Ethosian quarry knelt in the middle of the Rylen meditation rug.

  And she was weeping. Again. How her melancholy frustrated him.

  Weeping seemed to be all Rena Trax had done since Kefira had left the ship. The Ethosian female wandered the halls feeling a despair greater than an unlinked demon with no host body. Rena’s spirit in energy form floated above her physical one most of the time, in the way that most creatures used depressed states to escape their lives. It was like she sought the disconnection.

  Rising higher, Malachi floated his energy all the way to the ceiling, ignoring the symbols there warding off all manner of wicked actions. Zade’s energy in the space was strong, but Malachi no longer feared the male’s spirituality. If anything, he had developed quite the envy for the Siren who had willingly suffered a long-term, unnatural celibate state for his beliefs. He was appreciative since he was currently subjecting his host body to similar circumstances.

  It had not missed his scrutiny that the former Captain Warro, now Lieutenant Warro and their newest crew member, used stimulation videos for self-gratification while he dreamed of bonding with the unsuspecting Lieutenant Seta Trax. The obtuse Ethosian female had rather remarkably resumed her duties within a day of Kefira merging her with the Demon Zorinda.

  But her sibling had not done so well.

  No, the entity still only identifying herself as Rena Trax spent her days, and many of her sleep cycle hours, either in silent meditation in this room or weeping heart-wrenching tears in any private space she could locate on their tiny ship.

  “I feel you behind me,” Rena said finally, sniffling. “I refuse to be afraid of you.”

  Drifting down nearer the floor, Malachi pulled himself into his old form—what he considered his original form—though after the many years of his existence, he wasn’t quite sure his recall of his original physical body was even accurate anymore.

  “Why do you weep?” he demanded, the voice he generated causing his misty form to quiver. It took a lot of energy to convert demon mist into something tangible. Speaking tended to dissipate it quickly.

  “Today I remembered my death. I remember feeling a light inside me and then watching Seta lift a knife. She coldly killed our—mate—or whatever you choose to call the male who purchased us from our father,” she said.

  “You weep for his death?” Malachi asked.

  “No,” she replied, her tone adamant. “I weep because the Creators sent me back to my body and all its memories of him. I do not understand what good they seek from forcing me to remember that he traded the use of my body for material goods from random traders.”

  Malachi’s form wavered. He reminded himself her past meant nothing. She was here, whoever she was. And the males that had hurt her were out of his reach. He too found himself pondering why she was having to go through all the pain of remembering.

  “Joke?” he offered as an answer. Perhaps also as a distraction from her distress.

  The wet-eyed female turned a tortured gaze on him. His form wavered as her gaze was nothing more than kind as she looked at him. “I do not find it funny if that is the case.”

  “Obviously not a good joke,” Malachi replied.

  She snorted at his attempt to cheer her, but did not laugh. “Why do you pursue me, Demon? You know I am not the one you seek.”

  “Let me check for sure,” Malachi suggested. “I can help you forget your Ethosian mate.”

  “No—your sympathy for my trials is appreciated, but I bow to the will of the Creators,” Rena answered, lifting her chin. “And though I am not the one you seek, I wish she were here instead of me. Her energy has left its mark in this body, making me miss my own energy form. It is torturous to be returned to corporeal life, but the Creators must have done this for a reason. I am ashamed to not be bearing it better.”

  “Nothing is your fault,” Malachi said, streaking out and leaving her looking after him, likely wondering what he meant.

  Perhaps it was odd that he so happily embraced Conor’s physical body and the chance to participate in real corporeality instead of just affecting it energetically. Equally odd that both the emissary and the real Rena Trax hated the exact situation he had come to appreciate.

  No sooner was he back in his body than the com unit on the wall of his quarters blinked. He rose to press his finger on it. “Malachi here.”

  Chiang’s animated voice came booming over the line, the Greggor’s energy sharp and as cutting as any laser knife. “I need you in Medical. Come at once,” he barked.

  Malachi noted Chiang cut the connection before he had been able to answer back. Rolling his eyes at the Greggor’s dramatics, he laughed at the mannerism nearly every officer on the ship had adopted, compliments of their Earthling Commander. He strolled to Medical, deliberately taking his time. He wasn’t about to let the doctor start demanding his presence every time the least little crisis occurred.

  Coming in humming, Malachi’s mirth ended when he saw Ania strapped to the bed and unconscious. On tables around her were ensigns, Zade, and Gwen with various wounds. Liam lay on another medical table letting a semi-smiling Boca treat his wounds.

  Frozen in place, Malachi surveyed the damage, unsure how his master and his host could both have been harmed without his knowledge. His eyes flared red.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  Chiang shook his head. “Ania and Gwen were sparring. Gwen said there was a bright light and then Ania seemed to lose her mind. Fortunately, Zade and Synar were nearby. It took all of them to restrain her from attacking Gwen. Zade had to knock her out.”

  Malachi looked at Zade in surprise, clearing his throat of tightness before asking his question. “What’s wrong with Ania?”

  “I can’t tell. That’s why we needed you,” Dorian said. “Did you not feel anything when she did this?”

  “Nothing,” Malachi said. “I was in mist form until moments ago.”

  “Find out what happened,” Gwen ordered flatly, wincing as a senior medic tightened her arm bandage. “She almost broke my arm. Her eyes went red and then bright blue. She looked at me in shock and then lost her freaking mind. That’s all I know.”

  “Blue?” Malachi repeated in alarm, already
lifting from his body to head into Ania.

  Only he couldn’t. There was a block. He tried all he knew, but whatever was keeping him out of his host was strong.

  Returning to his body, he moved to check Liam. “Liam? Can you talk to me?”

  Synar opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling. “Something is inside her.”

  “The emissaries’ energy makes their eyes blaze blue,” Malachi said, not drawing any conclusions yet, but offering what he knew. “I regret I wasn’t there to help.”

  Synar shook his head. “I called and you didn’t answer. You were probably being blocked from knowing what was happening. That’s the only explanation. Go inside her and see what you can find out.”

  “I already tried. I can’t get in,” Malachi said, feeling his jaw harden and his gut clench. He hated failing. And he didn’t let it happen often.

  “What can we do then?” Synar asked, blinking into eyes like his own. Sometimes—sometimes seeing the concern in the entity bending over him, he could almost pretend the demon truly was his family.

  Malachi looked away from the vulnerability in Liam’s gaze. His master’s compassion for his family was his greatest weakness, but his feelings for Ania could incapacitate. He remembered the compassion Liam had offered him on Lotharius. He tried his best to return it, even though he didn’t completely understand it.

  “Keep Ania’s physical body subdued. The entity might leave her when it realizes Ania isn’t able to be used.”

  “What about everyone else?” Synar asked. “I can’t let Ania hurt people.”

  “No, but I don’t know what else to do if I can’t get in her to find out what’s going on.” Malachi paused, then got an idea. “Rena Trax once hosted an emissary—we can ask her. I also suggest we contact Kefira to ask if she left something behind on the ship. Kefira draws emissaries to her.”

  Synar nodded, reaching up a hand to let Malachi pull him up to a sitting position. “A part of me never believed Ania’s stories about her past. I met the ruthless warrior in her today. Ania held off all of us. Finally, I surprised her and Dorian was able to subdue her. She screamed in rebellion, but crumpled to the floor anyway.”

  “Yes—I discovered what she was like over those two years we were alone together. Liam, this is bad timing, but there’s something else you don’t know about Ania,” Malachi said, wishing he had confided in Liam when he first felt their stirrings. “I don’t think Ania even knows this yet, but she carries your children. There are two faint life signs within her.”

  “Children? We created children?” Synar declared in amazement, his gaze swinging to the female on the table.

  Malachi nodded. “I have felt two other energies within her for a while now. She was not ready to deal with the reality, so I said nothing. Perhaps I did wrong in hoping it would unfold in a more joyful manner.”

  Synar was shaking his head. “No, you were doing the right thing. I agree Ania is not ready. I just wish. . .”

  He looked up to see Gwen and Dorian looking at him.

  His gaze swung to Chiang. “Would it hurt the gestation to put Ania’s body in stasis?”

  Chiang nodded. “Yes. It would put the children at risk. I don’t recommend it.”

  “Sedation?” Synar suggested.

  “Better option than stasis. Are you thinking simple restraints won’t work?” Chiang asked.

  “No,” Dorian said, looking between the two men. “Even complicated restraints would not hold her long. Ania can escape anything. She is Khalsa.”

  “Can she escape the trance state you put her in?” Synar asked.

  Dorian nodded sadly. “Yes. She is the only warrior I ever knew who could. Even now, I feel her fighting the hold I have on her. When she remembers to cease her struggles, she will be released.”

  Synar swallowed hard as he looked at Ania once more, before looking at the best of his crew which Ania had almost defeated without any help. He couldn’t let his compassion for her keep him from his greater obligations. Hopefully, she would understand.

  “Call the Paladin, Chiang. They’re still within hailing distance. See if they have some of the sedative her captors gave her on Terris Rein. We know that will keep her under for at least a few days. Maybe we can figure out what the Helios is going on in the meantime.”

  “Captain? I don’t know what kind of long-term effect the sedative will have on her—or the children,” Chiang said.

  “There is no other choice,” Synar said sadly, sliding off the table to the floor. “Gwen, call Warro. Bring him up to speed and tell him he has the bridge tonight. Then you and Dorian go get some rest. You’ll both be on the bridge for the duration of our trip to pick up the Guardian 13.”

  “Maybe the weepy, creepy Trax sister can tell us something,” Gwen said, flexing her sore arm. “I don’t buy Rena’s story about coming back from the dead. I got a feeling there’s more going on with her than we are seeing.”

  “I agree. That’s exactly why Malachi and I are going to have a little chat with both Trax siblings right now,” Synar said, looking over his shoulder to see Malachi frowning down at Ania’s unconscious form. “You can do whatever you feel you need to, Malachi.”

  “Be careful how much control you offer me, Liam. You may have to put me in Zorinda’s amulet after all. Because if the emissaries are doing this, I’ll make sure they suffer pain greater than hers,” Malachi said.

  “I know how you feel, because I feel like that too. However, Ania attacked Gwen on reflex, which is second nature to her—as I have painfully learned. It’s possible that Ania had no idea what she was doing. It’s also possible that the entity—emissary—or whatever it was, just over-reacted to being in Ania. Or I could just be trying to think objectively so I don’t over-react myself,” Synar said.

  Malachi closed his eyes, nodded. “You are right, Liam. Over-reacting will not help. Calm thinking is required. Let’s begin with the Trax sisters. I think we need to talk to both.”

  ## Coming in late 2013 ##

  Contemporary Books

  NEVER TOO LATE SERIES

  Dating A Cougar (Book One)

  Dating Dr. Notorious (Book Two)

  Dating A Saint (Book Three)

  Dating A Metro Man (Book Four)

  Dating A Silver Fox (Book Five)

  Dating A Cougar II (Coming 2013)

  ART OF LOVE SERIES

  Carved In Stone (Book One)

  Created In Fire (Book Two)

  Captured In Ink (Book Three)

  Commissioned In White (Book Four )

  Covered In Paint (Coming 2013)

  NEXT TIME AROUND SERIES

  Next Song I Sing (Book One)

  Next Game I Play (Coming 2013)

  Next Move I Make (Coming 2014)

  SINGLE TITLE (NON-SERIES BOOKS)

  The Right Thing

  Quickies Volume 1

  Paranormal/SciFi/Fantasy Books

  FORCED TO SERVE SERIES

  The Demon of Synar (Book One)

  The Demon Master’s Wife (Book Two)

  The Siren’s Call (Book Three)

  The Healer’s Kiss (Book Four)

  The Demon’s Change (Coming 2013)

  SINGLE TITLE (NON-SERIES BOOKS)

  The Shaman’s Mate (Fantasy)

  About the Author

  Donna McDonald is a best selling author in Contemporary Romance and Humor, and lately has been climbing the Science Fiction list as well.

  Science Fiction reviewers are calling McDonald “a literary alchemist effortlessly blending science fiction and romance”. Contemporary and humor reviewers often write to tell her that the books keep them up reading and laughing all night. She likes both compliments and hopes they stay true forever.

  McDonald’s idea of success is to be sitting next to someone on a plane and find out they are laughing at something in one of her books. This would of course be while she was heading off on her next adventure to feed her creative soul.

  r />   Donna McDonald, The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series