“I am not questioning the creators’ wisdom or the sacred contracts, but all slavery creates a cycle that only begets more. Eventually the masters become slaves to their need to control those who serve them. Cruelty and fear replace honorable service and the drive to do good. Enslaving is a cycle without a good end,” Ania said sadly.
“A short while ago I would have agreed with those statements, but at the moment I think you have found a good way to break the Synar cycle,” Malachi said, smiling at Ania’s troubled gaze on him. “Here I sit, and using real legs to do it no less. Good thing I practiced in mist form. Imagine my lack of control right now if I hadn’t.”
Ania snickered at his bad joke. “I can tell you’re being very gentle with my sensibilities. It will take me a while to stop looking at your form fearfully. Conor had very little good in him.”
“Conor’s spirit will learn humility in the amulet,” Malachi said softly. “It is a necessary first step. Do not regret your actions. You may have saved the best of him by what you did. I’m starting to think you might be in the same process of saving the best of me. I’m not quite to the point where I would say I understand the decision of the creators, but I’m glad to be mostly alive.”
“I feel no regret for what I did to Conor,” Ania said, pulling her hand from his. “But you were right about Liam. He will probably never forgive me, and now he will blame me for his decision to put you in Conor’s body. Even if it was physically possible, how could I start a family with a male who chooses others over me—over what is good for us? Yet he calls us mates. We are not mates.”
Malachi shrugged and looked uncaring. Ania realized it was the first action that truly seemed like the being she had come to know. Malachi could only handle so much drama not his own. She hadn’t yet decided if it was advanced age or his selfishness that made it true.
“Liam is adjusting to the truth of what has happened. He is grieving for Conor, but also for not being able to change the destiny of the Synar family himself,” Malachi said. “He will come around. This is the resistant nature of the mate you chose.”
“Liam Synar is not my mate,” Ania said harshly. “I wish everyone would stop calling him that.”
“I predict you will still be declaring you are not his mate even after all your children are grown,” Malachi said. “Accept him as he is, because it is doubtful Liam will ever handle change as gracefully as you do.”
“Go away, demon,” Ania ordered, her voice teasing though. “I find your positive attitude annoying when I’m trying to resist my own fate.”
Malachi laughed at her words. “You are the first being I have truly cared about other than myself in my entire existence, and still you mock me. You should fear me more, you know.”
Ania reached out her hand again and he took it laughing. Malachi rubbed her fingers thinking how pleasant the sensation of touch was when you cared.
How was it that he did not appreciate this when he was alive in his original corporeal form? Had all those years without form truly changed him so much?
Malachi sighed and let go of Ania’s hand again. There was plenty of time to explore it later. Right now, there were more important things to look into. He was actually looking forward to hunting down the slave traders. Maybe he could kill them in hand-to-hand combat instead of using his other skills. It was something to look forward to testing.
“Come on, Ania, we have to go do good again. You must get out of the bed and come with me to medical. We have to go help the delectable Commander Jet find the very sexy Lieutenant Zade and his mother. The supply ship crew turned out to be black market traders. We’re guessing they intend to sell both the Sirens as sex slaves,” Malachi said. “I can’t believe Zade’s claiming of Gwen didn’t wake you. The vibrations were strong enough to shake the Liberator.”
“Raging fires of Helios, how long was I out?” Ania demanded, swinging her legs to the ground. “And why do I feel so awful?”
“Demon withdrawal,” Malachi said, laughing. “Lean on me until it passes. I’ll help you down the hall.”
“Demon withdrawal,” Ania said scathingly, rolling her eyes at his description.
“That was not a joke, though I do find your disbelief very amusing,” Malachi said, looking down on her. He could almost see the top of her head. “You know, I think I’m going to like being tall. I was barely your height in my original form. Do you hate being so small?”
“Tell me again what the rules are about me hurting your body,” Ania demanded, opening her door.
Malachi smiled and walked out as she held it open for him. “You’re going to have to command me to answer that question.”
Ania smiled as they headed to medical, but at the same time also marveled again at how dramatically her life had changed in such a short span of time.
***
“Here comes another one,” Gwen said, grabbing Chiang’s hand again. When the wave had passed, she felt nauseated but calm. “As soon as we rescue Zade’s Siren ass, I’m going to kill him for putting me through this.”
Chiang laughed as he let go of her hand. “I’ve heard a Siren’s claiming can last for days, but I didn’t know it could work long distance. And wasn’t Zade unconscious in your vision?”
Gwen closed her eyes and focused on seeing Zade again. She saw him moaning in the floor, still handcuffed. Then as she watched, someone put a pressure syringe at the back of his neck. He went still again almost immediately. Nearby, Sarinnea was awake and glaring at her captor, who only smiled at her.
Gwen opened her eyes. “They drug him and this stops. When he comes around, it starts again. You’re right, he’s trying to make sure we have a complete connection.”
To her humiliation, her eyes filled with tears. The idea of Zade hurt and captured wrecked her. One moment she wanted to kill his captors, and the next she was filled with helplessness. Gwen rolled to her side and into a ball to sob.
Boca walked up to the medical table. Shocking everyone watching and not caring, she climbed onto it to wrap the weeping Commander in her strong arms. She chanted softly and Gwen wept more and louder. Boca rocked her gently, soothing the suffering female.
Chiang looked on feeling out of his element with what was happening.
Boca held Gwen, but looked over her shoulder. “Her human side needs affection to survive this. Her body grieves her mate’s absence and it is like a wound. I will lie with her until her hormones settle. She is at her most vulnerable now. Have you never witnessed a full claiming?”
Chiang shook his head. “I read about it in textbooks. My medical experiences were mostly on my own planet. She will be okay, won’t she? What she’s going through is not fatal—just sexual and obviously not comfortable. Right?”
“Females don’t compartmentalize their sexuality like males do. The first few vibrations she was probably able to handle well enough on her own. Once the cord began to grow, those that followed began weaving themselves into the frequency of her spirit’s energy. To see her mate in her mind and not be with him right now is a torture. To be helpless and unable to go to him is another. Also, I’m sure the commander does not take feeling helpless well,” Boca said.
“No. Gwen doesn’t. Tell me what to do to help and I will,” Chiang said quietly.
“You are already helping by being present even though it is uncomfortable to witness. Your former bond with her is useful in this case. It reminds her that Lieutenant Zade is a choice. It is important that she continue to feel like she has some control of this. We must protect her mind from feeling possessed as she passes through this process,” Boca said softly, petting a whimpering Gwen’s hair as if soothing a child.
Chiang nodded, thinking the much smaller female petting Gwen looked like a child soothing an overwrought adult. He walked over to sit facing Gwen and took her hand in his. “I sent for Ania and the demon. My intuition says they can help us.”
Gwen nodded, sniffling. “I hate crying. The controlling bastard is going to pay for making me cry.
”
Chiang smiled. “Hold on to that vengeful thought. We have to find the controlling bastard first.”
Gwen laughed through the sniffling. “He better hope I’m over this by then.”
Ania and Malachi walked in, both stopping to stare at the two women cuddled together on the table.
“Wow—two women in bed together and I’m instantly ready to bond,” Malachi said, looking at Ania. “This is turning out to be a great male body after all. Have I said thank you? Let me do so again.”
“The male with the smart mouth who looks like the captain is actually Malachi. The demon has another host body now,” Gwen said, bawling through the explanation. “You’ll have to wait until later for a full explanation.”
Ania smacked Malachi’s chest with the back of her hand. “Get control of your bodily functions. Gwen needs real help. What can we do?”
“You can’t stop the claiming. Well, you could, but Gwen would go insane with craving Zade. The Siren’s call is an imprinting of his energy into hers. Only Zade will do. She might go so far as to try to kill other males just because they’re not him,” Malachi said. “Sirens typically lock themselves and their mates away together until the cord in complete. Zade’s lucky Gwen has all of you to help her.”
“Yes thank you for the analysis of the problem, but what do you suggest we do?” Ania demanded, impatient with Malachi’s calm. “Look at what Gwen is reduced to over a male. I feel like killing Dorian myself.”
Malachi laughed. “Just so we’re clear on our newly separated states, that bloodthirsty thing you have going on is not all my influence. Calm down now and let me think.”
Malachi walked over to look at Gwen, his eyes glowing as they scanned her body, lighting on the cord. He could travel the mating cord to Dorian Zade, but he could not do so in physical form.
Malachi turned to Ania. “I’ll have to go inside her to help. I can follow the cord to Zade and see what’s happening. If the distance is too great, I won’t be able to leave the cord completely on the other end, but I can maybe use Zade’s body enough to figure it out,” he said.
Ania thought about it for only a couple moments before she walked closer to Gwen. “How about it? Are you willing to let the demon go inside you to help?”
“It is not so bad,” Boca said softly. “The demon—Malachi, I mean—he treated me well.”
“He is in the room and has perfectly good hearing in this form,” Malachi said dryly, his voice full of irritation at their debate. He had never done a thing to these creatures to make them think he would harm any of them.
“Come on—you can trust me, commander. I wish only to help you. You were wise to answer the Siren’s call by the way. The cord is about two thirds done. I should be able to follow it to Zade,” Malachi said.
“You mean he’s not done with me yet?” Gwen asked weakly, shocked to hear there would be more torture to come. “That controlling, long-haired piece of Klageldon dung walking on two legs is going to pay for this humiliation.”
Malachi laughed. “You’re as enchanting as an Earth baby throwing a tantrum. Are you able to remotely view him?”
Gwen gritted her teeth. “Oh yes. He’s knocked out on the floor of the supply ship and his hands are bound. Every so often they sedate him and I get peace from this for a while.”
“That explains why the cord isn’t finished. Perhaps I can help with that as well. I think I’ve been in every creature except an Earth female, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Normally human minds don’t handle possession well,” Malachi said, making a face to indicate his concern.
“More good news,” Gwen said, closing her eyes as another wave of helplessness washed over her. “Well my body might be primarily Earthling, but I guarantee you my mind is Thelorian. I don’t care what my medical chart says.”
Malachi smiled, deciding not to further tease Commander Jet in her weakened condition. “Since Thelorian minds can’t be controlled by any creature, you have a good chance of tolerating my possession without any bad side effects then.”
Synar walked in and over to the growing group now surrounding Gwen on the table. He was still emotionally numb, but he was too busy trying to find the supply ship to dwell on his own problems.
“You look horrible, Jet. You still letting Dorian call all the shots? That’s not like you,” Synar teased, hoping to lighten her spirit.
“Billiards analogies? That’s all you got, Synar? We’re talking about letting your demon possess me so he can look for Zade, and you’re making jokes,” Gwen said, angry with her leader for his teasing. “Your spiritual counselor is not on my good list right now. I’d leave him with his captors, but I feel like I’m dying without him.”
Synar turned his exasperated gaze towards Ania. “Can you translate this into something less emotional? I’m fighting the urge to tune out Gwen’s complaints.”
Ania explained Malachi’s plan, ignoring the disapproval she saw on Synar’s face. “Unless you have another way to find them, it is all we can think to do.”
“Dispatch tracked the supply ship for a short time, but then it disappeared. They’re probably cloaked and trying to wait until we give up looking,” Synar said.
He turned to look to look at Malachi. “Can you really do what you suggest?”
Malachi shrugged. “Not sure. It’s not a complete chord yet, but I think there’s enough of it to follow. Someone will have to care for my physical body while I am out of it. Without me, it will become defenseless again.”
Synar’s sigh of resignation could be heard throughout medical. “Is there no other way?”
“We can wait and see if Zade can send his location to Commander Jet later,” Malachi answered. “This might help find them sooner. I will do as you ask.”
Ania put a hand on Synar’s arm in entreaty, dropping it when he turned to glare at her. She lifted her chin.
“I have a sense we need to act urgently,” Ania said.
“Fine. Do what is needed,” Synar said. “You can guard the host body for him. I have other things to see to.”
Ania sighed internally as Synar walked away. It wasn’t hard to see he was still angry at her, still hurting every time he looked at Malachi. But she couldn’t fix him or hurry his grieving along.
She looked at Malachi and nodded. “Let’s try it.”
Malachi walked to the nearest empty medical table and lay down on it, taking great pains to arrange his body comfortably. Finally, he was satisfied and lifted out.
Tell Boca to move away. I find her tempting, which makes her distracting. My energy wants to go into the wrong female, Malachi sent. The Sumerian is quite delectable.
“Boca, move away from Gwen for now. Her body needs to be isolated,” Ania ordered, not mentioning why and hoping Boca wouldn’t challenge her.
Ania watched with relief as Boca nodded and slid off the medical table, patting Gwen’s shoulder as she did so.
Malachi entered Gwen’s body quickly afterwards.
Gwen’s body shook and she glared at Ania. “You could have warned me how cold it feels when he does that.”
Ania shrugged. “Never bothered me much. I didn’t think of it.”
“Malachi didn’t affect me much either,” Boca said quietly. “Are you okay?”
“Is there any female on the Liberator the demon hasn’t been inside of?” Gwen demanded.
“Calliope,” Chiang said without thinking, then he looked at Boca guiltily, his face flushing as she turned away.
Gwen rolled her eyes at Chiang when Boca’s back was turned. The Greggor was never going to get far if he kept mentioning other females every time he saw Boca.
“When I can stand to look at you again without wanting to kill you, we’re going to have a little chat,” Gwen told Chiang, reaching out a hand to him again.
She felt Chiang sigh as his large hand enveloped hers. Guilt for her mean thoughts about him was swift and immediate.
Tears followed and streamed down her face. “Shades of K
ellnor—I’m sorry, Chiang. I’m not myself,” Gwen said, ashamed of not being able to control her emotions or her tongue.
Chiang drew closer to the bed and put his free arm around Gwen to hug. He leaned over and kissed the top of her hair. “When you are yourself again, I’m going give you bloody hell every time I open my mouth. If you say anything in retaliation, I’m going to remind you that you cried endlessly over every small thing that happened today.”
Gwen laughed, sniffled, and closed her eyes as more tears ran down her face.
When Chiang lifted his gaze, it was to be gifted with the most approving look a female had ever bestowed on him. He watched Boca smile and bow her head respectfully. All the while she did so, both his hearts pounded inside him, the rhythm calling her name.
If Gwen hadn’t held his hand so tightly, Chiang would have risen and gone to Boca. His spirit committed itself to her so instantly and completely, Chiang never even saw it happening until the image of them locked in the Greggor mating bond flashed through his mind. He had avoided a mate for one hundred forty-two years, hadn’t wanted to be committed and responsible to any one creature, and had wanted the opposite in fact.
Now he had one anyway—or at least, he was facing the strongest possibility for a mate he’d ever come across in his life.
His frustrated sigh bounced off the walls of medical louder than Captain Synar’s had.
Chapter 32
The energy cord was a direct link, and Malachi found Zade’s unconscious form easily enough. Getting it to cooperate in its drugged condition was a problem. He finally did manage to get the head turned towards Sarinnea.
The Demon Master's Wife (Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance) (FORCED TO SERVE) Page 28
