Demon Possession

by Kiersten Fay

  Sonya wasn’t even exaggerating. Anya had a way of enchanting everyone she met. She had a warmth and a brightness about her that drew you in. Marik was already treating her with the same big-brother-like affection that he bestowed on Sonya. Most shocking, was that Calic was becoming less irritable than usual. He would sometimes come into the pub, after their training session, to gloat about Anya’s progress.

  Sebastian’s growing protectiveness was something to worry about,where Xandar’s safety was concerned. Hopeful y the man had a little more sense than to try anything with Anya. Sonya didn’t know him wel enough to be sure. He’d only joinedMaradaa few years ago.

  “So how does it work?” Anya interrupted her thoughts.

  “How does what work?”

  “A date. Xandar said we would spend the evening together and maybe dance. Is that it?”

  “Wel he’l probably want to walkyou there, I would think anyway. He might offer tobringyou a drink, or something.” Sonya stumbled. She’d never real y been on a date herself. “You would sit at the same table and talk. At the end he’l probably want to walkwithyou back to your room. That’s the part you have to watch out for. That’s when he might lean in for a kiss. If you want him to kiss you”—Sonya hoped for Sebastian sake she didn’t—“then you’l let him. If not, then just say good night and duck into you room quickly.”

  Anya was silent for a moment. “And I am in charge?”

  “Yup, what you say goes.”

  Anya woke the next morning a little sluggish. She worried al night about the date. She understood now that Xandar was asking to start a relationship. She didn’t know how to feel about that. He was nice,but she didn’t feel anything for him. His eyes didn’t draw her in. His scent, though nice, didn’t make her heart race.

  As long as she can remember she yearned for someone who would love her, someone she could love, but was she even ready for a relationship?

  Her slavery already seemed like a dark memory but she hasn’t been free for very long.How long should she wait beforeal owingherself to live? Anya wanted to experience everything life had to offer. Though she was a little nervous, she was also excited to try dating, kissing, maybe even more—with the right person.

  Sebastian’s face flashed in her mind and her stomach tightened. She imagined what it would be like to dance with him. What would it be like to be kissed by him? At that thought her heartspedand her skin grew warm. As a test, Anya imagined what it would be like to kiss Xandar.

  She felt nothing.

  Thedate of thecelebration had been announced and was scheduled four days from now. She considered rescinding her acceptance to go with Xandar,but decided to honor her commitment,though shepromised to tel him that she wanted to remain friends.

  Herdays were becoming routine. Mornings with Cale learning defense,and every now and again he would show her some attack moves. Afternoons with Marik and the lunch crowd, she was enjoying trying every new dish Marik created. Trying new foods was quickly becoming one of her favorite things to do.

  Evenings with Sonya, who was giving her lots of advice on how to manage people, males in particular. Out-of-control drunken males wereSonya’sspecialty.

  Though Sonya had admittedly never dated in her lifeshe stil held a vastness of information,Anya soaked up every word.

  Sonyadescribed the male ego as a fragile, their competitive streak fierce. If left unchecked, some can become control ing and overbearing. In the case of demons,they are protective to a fault where their loved ones are concerned.

  Sonya admitted that the extent of her knowledge came from watching her brothers and other males on the ship,and that her interpretation ofmenis loose at best.

  When she wasn’t working Anya would spend her free time exploring the ship, learning the layout. Sonya’s room, she found, was just around the corner from hers. Most rooms,in fact, were located on the same floor as hers, or one floor below, and the control room was two floors above. Aside from the elevators, stairwel s were also available but no one seemed to use them.

  Sometimes she would visit the training room and practice on her own. She wanted to be strong,and strove to impress her teacher,as wel as Sebastian, if she ever saw him again.

  Mariktold her that theyenteredthe warring zones and Sebastian was spending much of his time on duty, only stopping in for dinner near closing time.

  Anya worried about the warring zones and kept her fingers crossed that it was the right path to take.Shefelt a little guiltyabout her opinion on the subject.

  Surly she wouldn’t have swayedSebastian’s decision on the matter.

  The fact thatSebastian only came in for one meal a day gave her concern. Marik informed her that everyone working in the control room was pul ing double shifts, and with Cale training her Sebastian was often working longer hours.

  Guilt swel ed insideher andseemed to be making a permanenthome in the pit of her stomach.Not only had she taken Cale away from an important job, they were going through the warring zones—which was putting the ship at risk every second—and her mere presence was a danger to everyone.

  “There must be something I can do. Since they can’t come here couldn’t I bring some food to the control room? So they can at least eat lunch?”

  Marik nodded with approval. “That’s a great idea.” He pul ed a rol ing cart from a closet and fil ed it with a variety of foods. “You know where to go?”

  “Yes. I’l be quick about it.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve survived years without you, I can manage for a little while.” Marik’s smile lifted her heart.

  It was only the second timeAnya hadbeen in the control room and she was awed anew as the great domed window, darkened by space, came into view.

  The room was ful of people with every console occupied. Sebastian sat to herrightat the command center. As if sensing her,his gaze snapped up, mouth partedin surprise.Trained only on herSebastian’samber gaze was intense as ever,Anyastifled a shiver as the energy of it flowed through her.Then, noticing the cart of foodSebastian nodding with approval,but didn’t say a word.

  Thesweetsmel of food consumed the roommaking many heads turn to find the source. Some shouted with glee and hurried over to grab what they could.

  “Anya you’rea lifesaver,” one of the men cal ed. She thought his name was Jackson,or James.

  The feeling of genuine usefulness fil ed Anya with satisfaction. “Come andtakewhatever youlike. I’l bebringing a lunch cart everyday around this time.” Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sebastian. He was unreadable—as usual—and showed no intention of taking the food she offered.

  Maybe if she gave him some room he’d grab a bite or two. She real y wanted to get a closer look atthe control roomanyway. Beyond the large window was a colorful array of space-dust gathered in tight clumps. A smal star in the middle il uminated the tiny grains into amistof multicolored hues. “That’s beautiful.” She muttered.

  A man sitting close to her commented, “That’s one of the mining clusters.”

  Anya eyed the man thoroughly. He was tal and of strong build, the majority of his attention was on the console in front of him. “What is your job?” She asked, ever curious.

  He glanced at her, caught slightly off guard by her question. “I monitorand distributethe ships power supply. From the lights to theengine,I al ocate the amount of energy used in each area and divert it to areas that need more power at certain times.”

  Kind of like what she used to do. Only she didn’tmonitorthe power of the ship,she supplied it. “Do you mind if I watch you for a bit?”

  Her request delighted him. Straightening his posture he replied, “Not at al , look as long as you like. My name is Nikolai by the way. Nick for short. I don’t believe I’ve hadthe pleasure of meeting you yet.”

  “It’s nice to meet you Nick, I’m Anya. Tel me, does this ship have warp drive?” It was something Anya contemplatedduring long nights ful of worry. IfThe Hel Ship showed, the only wayAnyacould conceive of a clean escape was throug
h warp drive. TheHel Ship could only warp for about ten or eleven seconds before too much of the energy was consumed.Maradawas smal er than theExtarga, which would give it the freedom to use less energy andthe ability togo farther.

  “Unfortunatelywe’ve never been able to get the warp drive working.I’m sure there’s something wrong with the code but I can’t figure it out.”

  Damn.

  “I’ve always wondered howwarp works, you said it uses a code?” She knew how it worked, but Anya needed to lead him into showing herthe code.

  “Wel ,when it’s functioning properly, warpuses a ton of energy so, on most ships, it’shardly ever used. It’s pretty complicated. The short version is that there’s a specific algorithm programmed into the ship that sets things into motion. The algorithm is different for most ships, depending on engine type and the size of the ship.”

  “Algorithm? Is it possible for me to see what it looks like?”

  “Sure but you won’t understand it.” He flicked a few buttons and a string of digits and letters appeared.

  “Is this the algorithm for the warp drive?” She knew it wasn’t.

  “No, this is one of the simpler algorithms.”Afew moreclicks of the keyboardand the screen switched. “This is the warp.”

  She quickly browsed the code. It was indeed different from The Hel Ship, but within seconds she spotted the mistake. Only a few numbers out of place and the entire system wasuseless. She filed the information away, hoping she would never need to use it. “Hmm, that does look complicated.”

  “Not when you learn how to read the code. Only, this one has me stumped.”

  “Keep trying, I’m sure you’l figure it out.”

  “Have you heard about the party coming up?” He suddenly asked. Anya nodded. “I just thought if no one has asked you, I would love to go with you.”

  A little stunned, Anya gave him a grateful smile. “I’m sorry, I’m going with Xandar. From what I’ve learned one shouldn’tagree to more than one date per night.”

  Nick laughed,a hearty thick laugh that shook his shoulders.At the same time Anya noticed Sebastian’s head snap in their direction.

  “I figured someone had already asked you but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. Maybe next time.”

  She nodded,andbegan to movefreely around the rest of the room, eagerlylearning everyone’s name and job.Beingconstantly surrounded and interacting with people,Anyawas learningthere is anotherside to her gift.She seemed to be reading the emotions of others without meaning to.Nick had been genuinely happy.After meeting Aidan, the pilot, she felt his energy was … mournful? He hid it wel though.

  Then she focused on Sebastian who seemed to be in turmoil, almost angry. Was it because she was here? Did he want her to stay away from him? Is that why she hadn’t seen him for days?

  Marryel i, the navigator—a tal blond woman with almost feline like features—cal ed out coordinates and the crew fel into a steady rhythm.

  Deciding she’d been here long enough Anya returned to the cart, which was nowalmost empty. Sebastian, she noticed,hadn’t taken anything. “Captain?”

  She cal ed. His eyes darted to her. “Would you like something before I leave?”

  The look he gave told her that what he wanted wasn’t on the cart. Slowly he moved toward her,she suddenly felt like prey in the path of a predator. With his eyes locked on hers Sebastian leaned in close, and snatched a sandwich. She couldn’t stifle a shiver as his body came closer and hisgazedipped to her lips.

  Then he seemed to snap out of it. “Thank you, my crew appreciates your service.” With that, Sebastian returned to his station. A mixture of emotions fol owed her out of the room.Half in a daze,and oddly giddy,she pushed the cart forward until she reached thegal eyonce again.

  Marik greeted her and asked how it went. Marik had never provided ana-la-carteservice before and was visibly excited about it. Anya was too,and couldn’t wait to go back the next day. The energy of Sebastian’s emotion had confused her,and she wanted another chance to figurehimout. At first, she felt his surprise at her entrance, which turned into agitation as she interacted with the crew. But it was the lust in the end that almost knocked her off her feet.

  Why so many emotions so quickly.

  Sonya had told her that demons emotions were natural y intense. Was that it? Or was there more to it?

  Anya needed to understand and if he wouldn’t come to her,then she would go to him.

  The end of Anya’s shift came swiftly and she started toward the pub. When Anya came near the plant nursery she couldn’t resist stopping in the doorway.

  The energy of the room seemed stronger today than it did yesterday. She could smel the life pouring from the doorway, it tingled her skin. Leaning in she inhaled the sweet air.

  “You can come in if you want.” A familiar accent cal ed from within the room. Anya peeked around the corner and spotted the woman with her glorious tattoo of blue and green shades. “Come in little Analia.”

  Hesitating, “I was told these plants are extremely valuable.”

  “Indeed, they are rare and hard to come by.”The woman waved her forward, “Come in come in.”

  Reluctantly Anya stepped through the threshold. Immediately she was engulfed, the tingling in her skin grew to a tingling through her whole body.Theenergyflowedleisurely through her at its own pace. Anya caught herself smiling and schooled her features.

  “I am Raka.”

  “It’s nice to see you again. May I ask why these plants are here? They are beautiful, but what is the purpose on a ship?”

  “They help to clean the air and provide peace to those on the ship.”

  Anya cocked her head. “Peace?”

  “Have you not visitedsanctuary?”

  Anya shook her head, intrigued, but a brightly colored flower caught here attention. She moved to get a closer look. The flower’s thick stem rose through a forest ofbrightlygreen leaves. Countless petals decorated the head, colors fading from yel ow at the center to deep red near the ends. Smal tendrils peeked out from the center donning yel ow bal s of fluff. The scent was indescribable as it fil ed her nostrils.

  “Would you like it?” Raka asked.

  “What?”

  Before Anya could protest, Raka snipped the flower from the plant and handed it to her. Shockedinto silenceAnya took the stem. While gazing at the beautiful mixture of colors, she wondered what Sebastian would think if he saw her with this flower. He’d threatened her with a life of servitude if she disturbed the plants in this room.Awave of sickness rippledthrough her.

  As if her thoughts had summoned him, Sebastianappeared behind her,leaning against the doorwith an odd expression on his face. Her stomach lurched into her throat. Gulping a bal of airthe stem dropped from her grasp, and in a panic shepushed her way past him. Without a backward glance,Anyaraced for the pub.

  Anya hadn’t meant to take the flower. She only meant to look. What was Raka thinking, snipping the flower like that? Clearly, Anya couldn’t be held responsible.

  Safely behind the bar she nervously busied herself. A drink here and there, she hardly noticed. Her thoughts were jumbled. Sonya kept asking ifeverythingwas okay and she could only nod in response. It took several hours for her to calm enough to notice Sebastian hadn’t fol owed her to demand reparation.Anyadidn’t know what to make of it.

  When her shift ended she didn’t want to leave,knowing Sebastian might be waiting for her. And though, at any other time, the thought might have caused a flutter in her stomach, now she was reluctant, fearful of his anger.

  Why did she take the flower? What would possess her to do such a thing?

  With nowhere else to go in the late hours of the night, Anya took her time walking back to her room. She stood outside her door for many minutes gathering her courage, but final y she entered.

  Darkness greeted her. Lights flared as shecal ed them to life and she found the room empty.A shimmer of color drew her attention tothe coffee table.

  The flower!Sitting i
n a slim vase half fil ed with water.

  Cautiously Anyasurveyed the room. Nothing else was out of place. No sign of Sebastian. Suspicious, Anya peeked back out into the hal way. There was no one there.

  Truly confusedAnyasank into the couch watching the flower with puzzlement. Its petals seemed to glow in the dim light. Staring at it for a long while Anya’s eyelids began to grow heavy, eventual y she found herself curled on the couch,drifting into slumber.

  Chapter 11

  Anya woke with a stretch and a yawn—another night of deep satisfying sleep. She al owed herself to linger in the warm cocoon made by the blankets and cushions. It seemed she couldn’t get enough of their softness. When she opened her eyes she was fil ed with euphoria as the vase and its vibrant counterpart came into view. Overnight the bloom had flourished. Adrowsygrin fluttered around her lips.

  Had Sebastian put it there last night? Orhad it beenRaka? The euphoric feeling drifted away.

  Please let it have been Sebastian.

  Rising,Anya leaned forwardsniffing in the sweet scent of the bloom.The Pungent aromafil ed her nostrils and enveloped her senses. Over the years she’d heardrumorsof the smel s of flowers. Until now, she had never even seen one that she could recal . It was al cold metal and empty dark rooms for her.

  No Longer.

  With what Anya could only describe as giddiness she showered and dressed, taking another moment to appreciate the flowers beauty, before tearing herself away—Calic would kil her if she was late. The door glided open at her approach. A pair of heavy black boots came into view. Anya froze in midstep, taking in the rest of the hefty body.

  Sebastian was standing casual y against the wal , arms crossed over his chest. Barely visible horns peeked out of black as night hair. Deep golden eyes trained on her. He wore a short-sleeved shirt, revealing thick arms rippling with muscle. Just below that was a pair of—what had to be—the best fitting pants ever made. He was like a god. His energy screamed confidence coupled with lethal danger. His lips twitched at her gaping and she closed her jaw, which had fal en open without her permission.