Demon Untamed

by Kiersten Fay

  Movement behind the shuttle’s front window caught his attention. He spotted Marik, alive yet covered in blood. Sonya saw him too, and her tail flicked in what he assessed as nervousness.

  Finally, the door to the room slid opened. Sonya zipped inside, pulling what looked like some kind of gun out of a holster at her hip.

  The shuttle hatch cracked open, and a bloodied stranger, sword sheathed around his waist, filled the opening.

  Sonya raised her weapon as Ethan tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade.

  The unfamiliar male took a step before he noticed they had weapons drawn on him.

  His eyes flashed red, and his horns began to warm in color. Ethan paused, surprised by the realization that this stranger was a demon.

  Undeterred, Sonya raised her gun.

  With a snarl, the strange demon pulled his sword and leapt from the shuttle entrance, his boots landing on the metal floor with a hard thud. Then, rising to his full height, he pointed the tip of his weapon at her.

  Ethan’s gift went into overdrive. He sensed the male ready to dodge Sonya’s shot before countering with his blade. He rushed in front of Sonya and hurled himself at the other male, their blades clashing.

  A sharp pain laced Ethan’s side. He looked down to see two arrows penetrating his abdomen. From the corner of his eye, he spotted his attacker: a petite redhead covered in an array of animal hides. She had a bow trained on him as she drew back another arrow.

  Faster than he could visually comprehend, Sonya sprung at the female, gripping her by the neck and slamming her against the hard surface of the docking bay floor. Brilliantly sharp fangs peeked from under Sonya’s full lips. She let out a terrifying snarl as her horns blazed the color of fire.

  Ethan couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate the wild frenzy unleashed. Apparently, neither could his demon opponent.

  With her tail whipping the air, she was like some glorious preternatural creature.

  Extraordinary.

  Marik appeared from within the shuttle, looking equally formidable. His eyes and horns blazed as bright. He dove for Sonya, slamming into her and sending them both crashing across the room into the bulkhead. The protesting wail of crushing metal made Ethan wince.

  Marik pulled back to bare his fangs at Sonya and let out a harrowing roar.

  Ethan blinked, stunned by the similarity of both attacks.

  Sonya’s eyes cleared, and she tilted her head at her attacker. “Marik?”

  Sebastian emerged from the shuttle and stepped between Ethan and the strange new demon, his arms arranged in a peacemaking gesture. Both Ethan and the strange demon still had their weapons at the ready, but were too bewildered by what had just occurred to use them.

  Anya raced down the steps and hunched over the redhead, her face drawn tight with worry. Ethan should have felt relief at seeing Anya alive and well, but Marik’s unwavering rage toward Sonya distracted him. He stepped toward the two, sensing Marik was ready to rip her to pieces.

  Sonya’s gaze darted to Ethan. She shook her head and gestured for him to keep his distance.

  “Hey, Red,” she called steadily. “Call off your boy.”

  The odd request sent Ethan’s attention back to the redhead. It was then that he realized who she was. Her appearance hadn’t changed all that much over the years. She was still quite pretty with ice-blue eyes and a fiery mane that framed her face.

  Nadua sat up, rubbing her head and giving Sonya a cold glare. Then she softened at the sight of Marik in his rage-filled state. “Marik, it’s okay,” she cooed.

  Marik didn’t move as his blazing gaze continued to bore into Sonya.

  “Marik, look at me,” Nadua pleaded, her tone soothing. “Eyes on me.”

  Marik’s head shifted toward her and the red in his irises slowly faded. Using his gift, Ethan scanned Marik and determined the threat had passed.

  Sonya shoved Marik. “Get off me, you jackass.”

  Marik shook his head as if clearing it and then pushed to his feet. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  Sonya reached a hand up to massage her shoulder. “It looked as though you had been hijacked. Why is everyone so bloody? And who the hell is that?” She motioned her head toward the new demon.

  “This is Rex,” Marik answered while looking over Nadua. “He’d been stranded on Undewla for years and was a great help to Nadua and I. In return, we agreed to give him a ride.”

  “Maybe you should have mentioned that in your transmission! What am I supposed to think when everyone is bathed in blood?” Sonya pointed an accusing finger at Ethan. “And you! Don’t ever get in my way again. I brought you here as back up, not protection.”

  Ethan bristled. “Perhaps you should take your own advice and inform me ahead of time. It would be nice to know what I’m getting myself into.”

  She flushed and opened her mouth to speak, but then seemed to notice the two arrows in his side. Her eyes flew to Nadua with renewed wrath.

  Ethan canted his head.

  Sebastian spoke then. “Let’s just get everyone mended and cleaned up. Anya, you can take your sister to our room to wash up and lend her some clothes. Marik, show Rex to one of our empty compartments. He appears about my size, so I’ll provide something for him to wear.”

  “Thank you,” Rex said, still warily gripping the hilt of his blade.

  Sebastian nodded. “But first, everyone give me your weapons. I won’t have you walking my ship armed as you are. Sunny isn’t the only one who would jump to the wrong conclusion.”

  Sonya handed over her weapon and grumbled, “Don’t call me that.” Then she stormed from the room.

  Anya led Nadua away, followed by Sebastian, leaving Marik to shut down the shuttle while Rex waited for him.

  Ethan turned to the newcomer. “No hard feelings?”

  Rex moved forward to take hold of his entire arm in greeting, hand to elbow. “Not as of yet. Who was that female?”

  “Her name is Sonya. A real pain in the ass.”

  “I can tell.” Rex smiled.

  At the demon’s apparent interest, a flurry of emotions ransacked Ethan’s brain.

  Rex’s gaze swept to the arrows still embedded in Ethan’s side, and he pointed to one. “Those are deeply wedged. I’m no medic, but I have extracted my fair share if you need.”

  Ethan imagined the pain he was going to feel when they were removed. “No thanks,” he replied. “I know of someone who should revel in the privilege.”

  Rex replied with a shrug, then turned back to the shuttle to await Marik.

  Ethan found Sonya behind the bar in the tavern, busily scrubbing the counters. As he approached her, one of the patrons called out, “Hey Ethan, nice accessories.”

  Sonya stilled and then turned to face him. “What are you doing?”

  “I was going to get back to work.”

  Sonya gaped. “Are you just going to leave those where they are?”

  “Of course not,” he replied. “I can heal instantly, but since you’re the reason they’re in there, I figure you should be the one to pull them out.”

  “I’m not pulling them out! Go to the doctor.” She waved him away.

  “You get me injured, and you won’t even help me?”

  “I didn’t tell you to jump in front of me and get yourself shot, pirate.”

  Ethan ground his teeth. And we’re back to pirate.

  His reply came out just as cutting as hers. “Maybe if you had proved you could fight—”

  Sonya’s hand whipped out, and she wrenched one arrow free. Caught off guard, Ethan cried out and slammed his hand down to grip the bar for support. His other hand went to cover the now open wound. His vision blurred.

  When he was able to focus, he could almost swear he caught concern in her eyes, but he must have imagined it because when he blinked, that look had vanished.

  The room had gone silent as patrons watched the odd scene.

  “There,” Sonya said. “Now go have Doct
or Oshwald do the other one.”

  “No, just get it over with,” he managed, his head still swimming as blood leaked down his side.

  “Why aren’t you healing?” she spat.

  “I can’t heal till the other one is out.”

  “Damn you.” Gripping the other arrow tight, she yanked back as mercilessly as the first.

  Though he was prepared this time, the removal of the second arrow was no less painful. He straightened his spine and met Sonya’s gaze full on.

  “Was that supposed to be some sort of gesture?” she asked in an offhanded tone.

  He lifted one shoulder in answer, growing worried. Was it not enough?

  “Just heal yourself and get out of my pub.” Sonya turned away, but when Ethan didn’t move, she snapped, “You’re getting blood all over the place! Heal already!”

  “Not until you agree that we’re even.”

  Sonya’s jaw dropped, and she remained speechless for a moment. “How does this make us even?”

  “I hurt you. You hurt me. Hence we’re even.”

  “Is that a pirate thing?”

  He shrugged again.

  “Well, there’s nothing to make even. I’m a big girl, and I knew what I was doing.”

  Frustration hacked a path through him. Maddening female!

  He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close. “Well, I didn’t! If I had known I wouldn’t have...I would have been—”

  “Enough!” She pulled away, blushing furiously as her gaze darted around the room. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. So fine then, we’re even. Go away.” She paused and pointed to the blood-soaked ground. “But clean up this mess first.”

  With that, she gave him her back and began washing a set of glasses that he had already cleaned earlier in the night. He suppressed a smile, realizing that was what she did when she was unnerved. She obsessed over her tavern.

  Ethan called his gift, and moments later, his wounds stitched together.

  Chapter 16

  Healing such a significant wound drained much of Ethan’s energy, and he could feel the strain in his muscles all the way back to his quarters.

  He eyed the soft, inviting mattress of his bed for a moment. Then he ripped off his ruined shirt, stepped out of his stained pants, and entered the washroom. He could rest later.

  In the shower stall, the warm spray massaged the tightness in his neck and back as he scrubbed the excess blood from his body. He ran his fingertips over the newly healed flesh at his side. There wasn’t even a twinge of discomfort, not in that region, anyway. His lower half was a whole other matter.

  With his magic fully evoked at the time Sonya had attacked Nadua, he’d read her intention clear as day. Her fierce protectiveness not only piqued his mind’s curiosity, his shaft stood at full attention as well.

  He hoped his gesture with the arrows was acceptable restitution for his careless taking. It was the best he could offer…for the moment.

  Perhaps now they could start anew. He would show her a little more courtesy, and she? Well, her disdain should be diminished, if only a little. After all, she had chosen him alone as her backup. Counted for something, right?

  After drying, he dressed in fresh clothing and headed back to the pub where the others were gathered to discuss the plan to retrieve Cale and Kyra from Earth. Gods willing, Cale had been successful in finding her and both were safely awaiting Marada.

  Just after Ethan took a seat at the table, he discovered there was another problem at hand. Somehow, Marik had inadvertently claimed Nadua while stranded on Undewla, and neither appeared to be happy about it. They had decided to seek help from the Serakians, whose magic was a mystery even to the Faieara. But if anything could reverse an unwanted matebond, they would know of it.

  Ethan should have been furious that yet another of the king’s daughters was out of his reach. He waited for a bout of irritation over the fact, but it never came. Curiously, neither did relief when he learned of the plan to break the bond between the two.

  Perhaps because he could tell that Marik did not wish to be parted from Nadua. And though his ability to read Nadua was slightly better than his ability to read Anya, he couldn’t glean a clear indication of her feelings.

  Typically, the longer he associated with an individual, the easier it became to read them to some varying degree. Naturally, some proved easier than others.

  Reading Sonya was becoming second nature.

  Right now, he picked up her lingering aggression toward Nadua. Whether because of what had happened in the docking bay or because of the unwanted matebond with Marik, he wasn’t sure. But at least she wasn’t acting on her desire to throw Nadua across the tavern.

  The other demons were fairly easy to read as well. They were all deeply worried for Marik. Knowing that, and what he did of demons, he could surmise they feared what might happen to Marik if the bond was truly severed. Losing a mate, for whatever reason, has been known to send a demon to the Edge, permanently. Aside from that, the bond was considered sacred.

  When Nadua asked if the Serakians had been contacted yet, tension surged among the demons. Sonya let out a soft hiss before pushing away from the table.

  As she stomped toward the bar, Ethan’s gaze was drawn to her backside. The sway of her hips coupled with that saucy tail of hers was possibly the most enticing thing he had ever seen.

  Her skirt looked particularly soft, and he couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel against his fingertips. After a moment, Ethan realized he wasn’t the only one interested in the blend of that fabric, and what lay underneath. Rex’s eyes were transfixed as well.

  A storm of irritation settled over Ethan, but he tamped it down as best he could. Sonya wasn’t his. Didn’t even want to be. So even if a thousand males appraised her with lust in their eyes, it should be none of his business.

  And yet…

  As Sebastian took his leave from the group, Ethan caught the sight of Jade passing by the pub. “Jade!” He waved her over.

  Her gaze traveled the room till it landed on him, and she sauntered over to greet them. “Good evening, Ethan.” She surveyed the table, her eyes coming to rest on Rex like an animal sniffing out fresh meat. “Please introduce me to your new friends.”

  “This is Princess Nadua and Rex,” he offered, gesturing to the demon who was now eyeing Jade with open interest. “Rex hasn’t seen the whole ship. Why don’t you show him around a little?”

  “I would love to.” Jade moved closer to slide her hand down Rex’s arm before taking his hand and leading him from the room.

  Ethan leaned back in his chair and grinned at his own genius. His lips fell when he noticed Nadua’s scrutiny. She raised a knowing brow at him. The young princess had always been astute.

  “So, Ethan,” Nadua said, when only he and Anya remained at the table. “Anya tells me you were involved with a band of pirates.” Her tone indicated she didn’t find that fact as deplorable as Sonya did.

  Anya beamed at him. Ethan smiled back, perceiving a strange sensation coming from her direction. He could only describe it as genuine, heartfelt affection—a bit of her magic seeping into him.

  “I was,” he replied. “It was your father who put me on that path.”

  “Is that so?” Nadua tilted her head.

  “Yes. Just before I left our planet, he gave me instructions to contact the Serakians. Unfortunately, they are a secretive people and it took me years just to discover a way to pass a message on. To earn a living, I joined what I assumed was a small mining crew ship, but I found myself on a mercenary craft instead.”

  Sonya returned to the table, bringing with her a fresh round of drinks for everyone. “You couldn’t tell the difference?” She gave him a dubious look.

  “I was tricked, actually. When I realized what was happening, I tried to back out, but it was too late. It was how that particular group recruited new members. You either agree to work for them, or you die.”

  Anya placed a hand over her he
art. “Did they make you do terrible things?”

  Ethan shrugged. “I did what I had to survive. There were about ten of us who’d been abducted. We were considered expendable and were assigned some of the more dangerous missions. I was only with them for a few years when a pirate ship attacked and overtook us. The leader killed most of the others, but I saw an opportunity and convinced him to allow me into his crew.”

  “And how did you do that?” Sonya asked, surprising Ethan with her untainted curiosity.

  “I showed off my gift.”

  “So you cut yourself and then healed it?” Anya guessed.

  “No, I healed one of the men they thought was already dead.” One that still owes me a debt.

  The table went quiet for a moment. Then Nadua broke the silence. “And our father sent you alone?”

  Ethan averted his gaze. “There had been four others, each with their own transport off of Evlon. Mine was the only one to escape the atmosphere intact.”

  Ethan often wondered if the king had known which ship would survive the Kayadon attack. Had the others merely been a diversion so that he could get through? If it were true, Ethan wouldn’t judge the king poorly because of it. Not after the things Ethan had been forced to do over the years just to survive.

  Oblivious to his musings, Nadua continued. “Father told me once that his visions are never set in stone. That the future is always changing, and even the smallest alteration can carve out a new course.”

  “That’s true. You must have experienced that with your own gift.” Ethan recalled Nadua’s magic had shown the potential of following in her father’s footsteps.

  Nadua cringed. “A little. Mine works differently, though. I can see someone’s future, and now apparently their past, but I must have some kind of physical contact with the subject first. I haven’t had a lot of practice because the people I was living with had skin so cold it would burn me on contact. Needless to say, I didn’t touch a lot of people.”

  “I see.” Ethan leaned back in his chair. That meant she probably wasn’t as in command of her power as she should be.