The Demon's Change

by Donna McDonald

  Taking her silence as agreement, he rolled up and closed his lips around the same hardened nipple and tugged. Flicking the end with his tongue, he felt her back arch as he brought it deeper into his mouth. Chiang was better at flirting, but he was really grateful now that he’d spied on Gwen and Zade so often. The Siren really did have some amazing moves.

  Malachi rolled off his sweet female’s body, but tucked his face into her neck, more happy with life than he could remember being in a while. “We are going to be amazing together.”

  “I don’t know if I can sleep now. What did you do to this body? Malachi? Did you hear me? I don’t think I can sleep in this condition.”

  Sighing in frustration, Angel put her own hand over her sensitive breast. It didn’t feel nearly as good as when Malachi did it, but it would have to do. She pulled her light down into a ball and focused it on repairing the rest of the damage that had been done to the host body by its time in stasis.

  Chapter 23

  Captain Synar. Report to the dock immediately.

  Urgent Repeat.

  Captain Synar. Report to the dock immediately.

  Urgent Repeat.

  Captain Synar. Report to the dock immediately.

  This message will be repeated in two Earth minutes until named entity checks in at the area. It cannot be canceled from your com unit.

  Ania reached over and shook the male beside her. “Liam. It’s a high alert coming through the com. You’re urgently needed at the dock.”

  Synar groaned and rolled off the edge of the bed until he was standing. Grabbing yesterday’s clothes from a nearby pile on the floor, he yanked them back on. When he was mostly dressed, he noticed Ania was nearly done as well.

  “You don’t have to go with me,” he said.

  “Yes, I do. My gut is churning. Since your children will not let me sleep, I might as well go with you.”

  “How could spirits no bigger than the tip of my finger be so demanding?” Synar asked.

  “I’ve been asking myself that for a few days now,” Ania said as they headed out of their quarters.

  ***

  Malachi felt the humming above his head again. She was supposed to be resting and working on the final repairs to her host body. He swatted at the air, wishing Angel would leave him in peace just a little longer so he could get this one last memory uncovered. He was almost done.

  Come demon. We are needed, Angel sent. Danger has come to our charges.

  Malachi came out of his body and flexed in mist form. Where? I feel nothing. Why do I feel nothing?

  I will explain later. Just follow me, she sent.

  They zipped through the hallways of the ship, two masses of blurred energy.

  Can you pass through solid surfaces? he asked.

  Not and retain my form enough to do any good in protecting. But I know how to navigate my way through the openings between levels, she sent.

  Is Ania in trouble again? Or Liam?

  It is all of them. Greed has corrupted another spirit, Angel explained.

  Kefira? She is the evil? Malachi exclaimed, Kefira’s image coming clearly to him as he plucked it from the light zipping along beside him.

  Not in the way you think, Angel said. Just trust me. And hurry.

  ***

  When they arrived in the dock, Synar saw a Peace Alliance shuttle docked. His first thought was to wonder why no one had let him know. In the distance, General Meen was talking animatedly with Kefira who was shaking her head.

  Ania skidded to a stop and threw up her hands. Meen turned a glare to her. “If you say any words or lift a hand to fight my warriors, your crew will be no more. I coded the self-destruct mechanism of this ship to detonate at the cessation of my heartbeat. The failsafe has been activated, Ania Looren. I commend you on retaining your legendary prowess after all the years you masqueraded as a peace-loving ambassador. You’re quite the bloodthirsty female, if what happened on Terris Rein was any indicator. I detest most female warriors, but have to admit that I found your sealed records quite impressive. I doubt any male warrior could claim more kills than you have.”

  Meen looked at two of his men. “Bind her mouth and her hands. Be careful. If she tries anything, kill a dock worker.”

  Synar looked across the way. He saw Warro and Trax naked and bound, as well as most of the docking bay crew. He looked at Meen, but also at Kefira. “It was your people who followed my team on Norblade, wasn’t it? What do you want, General?”

  “Just the Allurean,” Meen said. “A certain tavern owner told me you have her on your ship.”

  “We don’t know that for certain yet. We took several older females and were planning to have them tested further. That hasn’t happened yet,” Synar said.

  Malachi? Where are you?

  While he waited for an answer, Synar mentally played through where everyone was. Karr was at the bridge. Dorian and Gwen were probably still asleep. Chiang and Boca were asleep. Warro and Trax were rendered helpless.

  Malachi. Come to me. I need your help, he sent.

  When there was no answer to his panicked summons, it was the first time in years Synar could remember really feeling afraid.

  “You know Synar, Counselor Bartoff was most helpful after we persuaded him to talk. He’ll probably pull through, but at his age . . . well, you never know. He said you shunned your hereditary demon. Bad call making that decision. If I had more time, I wouldn’t have minded forcing you to retrieve him.”

  “What else of my private business did Ralak share?” Synar demanded, pretending to be furious. He watched Meen strutting as he gloated. Internally, he prayed Ralak was okay.

  “Don’t worry about your birth parent. We didn’t feel there was any reason to interrogate her since nothing else very important left Bartoff’s tongue. Though honestly, the counselor wasn’t speaking much when we left him on his office floor. It is possible medical help arrived in time. I did leave one guard alive enough to report the attack.”

  Malachi, is that you?

  Yes. We are here, Liam, Malachi sent.

  We? Never mind. Meen says he’s physically connected to the ship. Can that be true? Synar asked.

  It is true, Angel said, sending her answer directly to Liam Synar.

  Great. What can we do about it? They have bound Ania to keep her from stopping them.

  I see that, Malachi sent. If I get the chance, I will free her mouth. She can disable their weapons with her Khalsa skills. I would do it myself, but then they would be aware of me.

  I’m going into Ania to protect the children. I can help keep her alive if they try to take her life, Angel said.

  A cold dread swept over Liam at the words. Would they try to kill his mate to make him do as they asked? He turned a fierce glare to Kefira. “What is your part in this?”

  “I have no part. Meen says the Peace Alliance has overridden my authority. He has the paperwork that proves it to be true. It seems the Guardian 13 was a trap I set for you, though I did not see it as one. They wanted you to find the Allurean, but don’t think you’ll hand her over. I regret my involvement in your current challenge,” Kefira said, bowing her head.

  “Where are your interfering emissaries now, Kefira? We could sure use one,” Synar said angrily, his tone bitter as Meen laughed at him.

  “Do you really believe all that nonsense, Synar? Oh, I suppose you do—being a demon master and all,” Meen said. “Perhaps if you had kept your demon available, this might not be so easy a task for me. Ah . . . there they are.”

  All eyes swung to the elevators. Out walked Karr and all the elderly females from Norblade. Karr’s jaw was clenched.

  “Who’s minding the bridge?” Synar asked.

  “Ensign Dre,” Karr said tightly. “The general killed Ensign Vetin while I watched. He wanted to make sure I knew he would do the same to the rest of the Engineering crew if I didn’t do what he asked.”

  “Understood,” Synar said, nodding.

  “Sorry to let you down, Ca
ptain,” Karr said.

  “You haven’t done that yet,” Synar said softly. “The worst is yet to come.”

  “Remarkable,” Meen said, walking around the group of females. “Now how am I supposed to know which one is the real Allurean. They’re all equally old and strange.”

  Synar watched with growing dread as Meen looked over the females carefully.

  “I recognize your species and you most definitely are not her,” he said to one.

  Then Meen lifted his laser weapon and blasted a hole through the female, listening to the shrieks of the others as they backed away in shock.

  “Quiet! Anyone caught sniveling will become the next experiment. What did you sacrifice to have your records all destroyed, I-eeta? I couldn’t find your likeness or your history. All I found was the test results from your life force. You know I have no time to look for you. There are too many crew on this ship to contend with and the risk of being overpowered is too great. So either you come forward right now, or I’m going to have to shoot each one of these other old females until your self-preservation kicks in.”

  Meen grabbed the next closest female and lifted his laser to her chest. “You’re not her either.”

  “No. No more,” she said, hobbling forward. “Take me. I’m the Allurean.”

  “Dayena—no,” Karr said, stepping toward her until he found himself staring at laser weapon and had to stop. “She’s not the Allurean, General. She’s lying to save the others. She’s an escaped prisoner. There’s a prison mark on her arm.”

  Meen laughed. “Is that what she told you?” He walked to the female and rolled up her sleeve. “Read me the number, Nen.”

  A male who was obviously Meen’s second in command rattled off a sequence. Meen laughed, ecstatic to have found the valuable female so easily.

  “But you said you were a prisoner,” Karr said, realization of how he was duped flooding his face with color. Dayena—or rather I-eeta—had used him. He had risked his career for her and she had not told him the truth. His gut turned inside out, wanting to rid itself of his last meal. He swallowed the bile along with the hurt.

  “Karr, what I told you was truth. I am one of many prisoners the Peace Alliance holds captive. The organization has corrupt members. This is the way it has always been. You tried to keep me safe and wanted me to be happy. It was the first kindness I have known in a life so long and lonely that I no longer want any part of it.” I-eeta turned from Karr’s shocked gaze to face her captor. “I will go peacefully with you, General Meen. Just leave these beings alone and do no further harm to them.”

  Karr watched the general grab her arm and start dragging her across the floor. She stumbled and almost fell twice. Shades of Kellnor, she was already limping. Didn’t the male care that he kept her in good condition?

  “Stop doing that. You’re hurting her,” Karr ordered, his anger flaring out of control when she stumbled a third time. He launched himself at the general’s back, knocking the male to the floor. Too late, he saw the laser pointed at him again. Facing it made no difference to his motivation until his body was sent flying backwards off the male.

  Synar yelled and rushed to the fallen ensign. There was a hole blasted through Karr’s shoulder. The younger male was alive, but unconscious, and likely in shock. This had gone too far. He couldn’t let anyone else suffer for the sake of one female.

  He stood and walked forward, glaring at Meen. “You’re not taking her away and you’re not going to hurt any more of my crew. Release the Allurean and maybe I’ll let you live.”

  Meen raised his laser, pressed the trigger, but nothing happened. “What power is this?” He looked at his crew. “Shoot the two naked lieutenants. Let’s see how Synar feels about that.”

  “Malachi?”

  I am listening, Malachi sent.

  “Kill all Meen’s warriors, both those on the ship and those threatening our crew,” Synar ordered. “Leave their bodies. I want General Meen to see them.”

  Screams abounded for a short while and Synar did nothing more than stare at Meen dragging the Allurean around in circles as he growled about Malachi’s raid. Outside the ship, the last of Meen’s warriors called out in alarm as they dropped one by one dead to the floor of the dock.

  Deciding that they might need help, Synar walked quickly to Ania and ripped the tape off her mouth, flinching at her yell of pain. Two of Meen’s crew lay dead on the floor beside her. “Sorry. There was no gentle way to do that. Free yourself and then work on freeing the others. Malachi and I will take care of Meen.”

  He looked at the rest of the elderly females huddled in a small bunch. “Go to the elevators and return to your quarters. Do it now.”

  They scrambled to obey as he walked slowly toward the wild-eyed male. Synar saw Meen’s hand shake on the useless laser weapon he still gripped.

  “Let go of the Allurean, Meen.”

  Meen make an even louder growling sound as he lifted the female and threw her across the floor. Synar winced as she hit hard and lay unmoving. When he turned back to the crazed general, Meen smiled at him. There was death in the Ler male’s eyes. Synar just wasn’t sure which of them was going to find it first.

  “Well, if I can’t have her, neither will anyone else. I probably broke the old crone’s neck when I tossed her. Do you know what that female was worth alive, Synar? A million bloody fortunes, that’s what. Now you’ve made me kill the Allurean and sentenced your whole crew to death as well. All you had to do was let me take her. Have you not learned to surrender with grace yet?”

  “The Allurean may be dead, but you’re not going anywhere, except to face the High Ambassadors for your treason. You don’t get to die as easily your warriors did,” Synar said.

  Meen growled again. “Looks like the good Counselor Bartoff lied to me after all. The Demon of Synar is here with you, isn’t he? Well, no matter. I will show you what it’s like to be a true warrior. I fear nothing—not you or your demon. If I die, it will be the way I desire.”

  He threw his useless laser at the stoic Norblade, regretting only that Liam Synar’s was the last face he would see in his life. Reaching up, he yelled as he twisted his own head until he heard the pop of his spinal cord severing. Then with a final scream, he twisted one final time until the blackness came and his strength left.

  Synar watched in horror as Meen’s dead body hit the floor. It was only a few moments before he heard the ship’s self-destruct mechanism engage.

  That was when he realized Meen hadn’t been bluffing. The Ler male truly had some sort of heart implant that was linked to the Guardian 13.

  “Malachi, go inside him and force his heart to beat,” Synar said, speaking out loud mostly because he needed to hear the words over the ship’s voice announcing death and destruction were imminent.

  I can try, Liam. It will be nearly impossible since his spirit is almost completely gone, Malachi sent.

  Synar watched the black mist disappear into the body. He looked at Ania. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. The rest of the crew are free now. Warro is trying to shut down the self-destruct. The ensign they killed was the one who was the most familiar with the codes. Warro said we have twenty minutes to fix this.”

  “See to the Allurean, will you? She may be dead,” Synar said. “Call Chiang.”

  “Already did. He and Boca just got here,” Ania said.

  While Chiang went to the fallen female, Boca went running to where her captain stood over a body. She knelt and ran hands over the fallen male. “The damage is too extensive for my skills. His heart beats no more.”

  Synar put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t bother with Meen. Go help Chiang save the Allurean. Then you’ll need to attend to Karr. The laser cauterized the wound, but it’s sent him into shock.”

  Boca nodded and hurried to where Chiang and Ania were kneeling over a female.

  Alone again, Synar closed his eyes. Ignoring the blaring warning of the ship’s communication voice about the direness of their c
ircumstances, he felt around with his higher senses until he located the energy that had spoken to him along with Malachi’s.

  Angel, are you still in Ania?

  No. The danger to her cannot be avoided by my presence. I am waiting to know what to do.

  I think I know what to do. If Meen dies, we all die. I don’t think we know enough about this ship to save it without more time, Synar sent.

  I see your intentions. You want my help instead of the demon’s?

  Synar nodded, then wondered if she could even see him. Malachi is trying to make his heart beat again, but I can tell he’s failing. I know you brought Rena Trax back. Can you bring back Meen?

  Yes, she answered. But he does not deserve life. He is a completely evil, self-serving being. He is as bad any demon I have known.

  I know, Synar said. But the evil being is also the key to life for many good beings. We will constrain his evil. I swear by the Creators. This is not his time to die.

  There was more than a minute of silence while Synar waited for Angel to make her decision. She was powerful, but not his to command. He couldn’t force her to obey him.

  Will you put my female host body in stasis and try to save it? The demon will not be able to handle its demise without causing you great anguish. I tried to slow its decomposition tendencies, but that doesn’t always work, she sent.

  Whatever you want. We will protect the body for you if I have to stand guard over it myself, Synar promised.

  Order the demon out, she demanded. I refuse to be in there with him.

  “Malachi, I command you to come out. We’re going to do something else. Hurry,” Synar said.

  The ship announced final count-down was happening. Ten more Earth minutes and it wouldn’t matter if the emissary was successful or not. Black mist rose from the body. Moments later, Meen’s broken form lifted from the floor as light flooded it instead. Synar had to turn away from the process of seeing the damage reversed. It made him want to kill the male all over again.

  What is Angel doing, Liam?

  Synar looked deep into the black mist hovering in a cloud above Meen. Without Malachi, they would have had a whole slew of warriors to fight.