The Demon Master's Wife (Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance) (FORCED TO SERVE) (17 page)

“I will miss you, Gwen,” Dorian said. “Please take care of yourself. It has been my experience that attending political dinners and other such celebrations can sometimes turn out to be the most dangerous missions. If my mother was not here, I would ask to accompany you.”

“I don’t need full support, and it would probably look bad to take another high ranking officer along. Synar assured me all the details are ironed out and Fener Sel is being benevolent in his gratitude,” Gwen said. “I’m not concerned at all, which means I’m not going to have much to think about. So I’ll probably miss you too—some.”

Dorian laughed. “Tomorrow you can ride me until we both pass out. You can think about that when you’re listening to boring speeches at dinner.”

“Get some good rest tonight, Zade. You won’t be getting much tomorrow night,” Gwen said, smiling as she closed the door.

***

“Do you want to have dinner first? Or find someone to hold your hand? This is not going to be easy. It’s still early in the evening,” Malachi asked.

“Quit stalling. I’ve made the decision and now I just want to get the change over with so I can move on with other things,” Ania said.

“You should probably remove your clothes then,” Malachi said, laughing at the look of surprise on Ania’s face. “When your body starts to change, it’s going to need some expansion and contraction room. Especially get rid of those blasted hygiene straps. Those things are true torture devices. Anyone who can survive wearing those all the time ought to be able to survive a demon host healing.”

“You’re only making me more apprehensive,” Ania said.

Malachi looked away from her gaze. “I’m excited. Do you recall our initial conversation where you compared me to a djinn?”

“To a genie in a bottle—yes I remember,” Ania answered cautiously.

“Well I feel compelled to tell you that after this, I’m going to be able to come and go out of you at will. And I’m hoping we’ll be able to communicate without speaking. If it works, you will be able to send me to do things and I will return. It’s really is a pretty good deal for you—if you don’t mind looking like my child for the rest of your life,” Malachi said.

“Child? I would have thought sibling since next to you I’m the oldest creature on the ship, but fine—child it is. Not often that a nine-hundred-year-old gets thought of as anyone’s child,” Ania said.

“Perhaps in my weakness, I have grown slightly attached to you as a host,” Malachi said. “Instead of relishing it, I find I am dreading the pain I must cause you. But if you are ready, we will begin.”

“Malachi, I intend to use what you give me to do good,” Ania said softly. “If you get some pleasure out of hurting me, I will punish you by making you do good deeds until it sickens you.”

“Yes, I know all about your intentions. Don’t remind me,” Malachi said. “I have to go back into you now. See you when it’s all over.”

He disappeared from the mirrors. Ania stood then and started taking off her clothes. She had gotten all but one hygiene strap undone when the demon fire consumed her and she fell burning to the floor.

“
Solra Kokum Ynati
,” she chanted in her native tongue, repeating the sacred names of the creators of all over and over. If she was going to meet them, Ania wanted their names on her breath.

The burning continued and she thrashed on the floor, but no matter how badly her body hurt or how tempted she was to call out, Ania just kept chanting.

Then her mind went dark and she saw herself walking through the void inside her to the other side where there was light.

Then there was a brilliant flash and the burning started again, only this time worse, and she forgot the chant, remembering it only when she felt herself crying and pleading for it to stop. Gritting her teeth against the agony, she rolled from side to side until her skin glowed in the dark.

Slowly she picked up the chant again and felt the burning start to recede at last.

Then she heard Malachi calling to her, speaking in her mind.

We are almost done,
he sent.

Thanks to the creators of all for that
, Ania replied, not sure how she answered, but pleased that she could do so.

It was even more surprising when she was aware of his laughter.

How is this level of communicating possible?
She opened her eyes to see the ceiling of her room and had the realization she was lying naked on the floor. Well, mostly naked. She touched the last hygiene strap, went to pull it off only to rip it off instead.

I am stronger,
she thought.

Of course you are. I do good work,
Malachi answered matter-of-factly.

Ania groaned and rolled to her side. “Is the change over?” she asked the question out loud.

Well, we are aligned. You are healed now. I’m coming out into the room to check how you handle us being separated. Do not be worried about my presence as mist
, he sent.

Ania rose to her knees and used the desk chair to pull her aching body up. In the bottom mirror, she saw a dark-haired female with azure eyes. Not too bad, she thought, noting the sleek texture of her hair remained. Could have been worse, she decided.

Then she noticed above her floated a dark black cloud.

“My appearance is not such a shock to me, Malachi. I used to look like this, you know,” she said, looking up at the cloud above her head.

“Yes, but I improved on it. Those eyes really work with that hair color,” Malachi teased, his voice quivering but distinguishable from the mist. “You were never meant to be blonde and fair. I was glad to undo those terrible enhancements. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I wanted to look soft and kind,” Ania said, dropping to her knees to crawl to the bed because she doubted she could stand. “I’m really tired now.”

“Yes, but you’re not dying. Not even close. Looks like it worked,” Malachi said. “Did you feel me leaving you?”

Ania shook her head. “I’m too exhausted to be aware. I feel like I did the first day of my Khalsa training. I saw my death then too.”

“Look, I left as much of the other eight hundred years as I could. I made a bridge inside your mind. On one side is the warrior, and on the other is the rest. To access, you just need to walk across the bridge,” Malachi said. “You will always have that choice, but I couldn’t stand looking at that spiritual stuff all the time.”

“Thank you,” Ania said, and then she fell sideways on her bed and into a solid sleep.

Malachi sighed at his growing weakness for caring about Ania Looren. It exceeded the normal concern he felt for most hosts.

Then he went back inside her to double-check that all was well.

Chapter 14

Dorian and Sarinnea were having dinner when Dorian felt the first tremor inside himself. “Something is wrong. I am suddenly filled with dread.”

“What is it?” Sarinnea asked, closing her eyes and opening them again quickly. “I feel nothing.”

“Sarinnea, I have to check on someone. Will you be okay alone?” he asked.

Seeing Chiang come in, he motioned him over, ignoring the Greggor’s reluctance.

“Sarinnea, this is Chiang. Chiang, this is Sarinnea. She is my guest, but I must leave her. Will you keep her company until I return?” Dorian asked.

“Of course, Lieutenant. It would be my honor to spend time with someone so lovely,” Chiang said, bowing over the hand she offered him. “Let me collect my food and I will return shortly.”

After Chiang left for food, Sarinnea waved her child away. “Go do what you must. I can see to myself. You didn’t have to appoint me a keeper.”

“There are a lot of unmated males on our ship and only a couple of females. It is not safe for you to be alone. I will return to collect you later if I can. If I do not return, have Chiang walk you to your room,” he ordered.

“Dorian, you worry too much. Go—
now
,” Sarinnea ordered in return.

Finally, Dorian gave in and headed to the door, almost running over everyone in his haste to get to Ania.

***

Ania heard the pounding on the door and pushed her body reluctantly upright. She looked at her arms and her legs. They still seemed mostly normal. She palmed her chest glands, gasping in shock at the increased size of the mounds.

“Malachi, why did you make my chest glands larger?” Ania said out loud.

Synar likes big ones
, he sent back.
Answer the door. Dorian Zade is worried
.
It is delightful to have my energy be this free from yours.

Ania snorted, but pulled on her bathing robe, wrapping it around her, annoyed to find it barely fit anywhere.

“I’m coming,” she yelled at the door, pausing at the mirrors to check the back of her.

It looked like Malachi had increased the size of several parts of her anatomy.

She pulled open the door, still frowning about her body.

Dorian stared open-mouthed at the dark haired beauty with deep blue eyes glaring at him.

“Come in,” she said. “I survived the change.”

“Indeed,” Dorian said, coming across the threshold. “How are you?”

“I don’t know yet,” she said honestly. “I just woke up. What time is it?”

“Still early evening. I was having dinner with Sarinnea and got a strong sense that something was wrong,” Dorian said, amazed that he sensed nothing amiss even though his eyes bore witness to magnitude of changes that had occurred.

“Sarinnea is here on the ship? Oh of course, she heard you’d chosen another mate and decided to deliver the organics for Gwen herself. It will be good to see her again,” Ania said.

“Ania, I got a sense of dread. Terrible dread. I thought something had gone terribly wrong with you,” Dorian explained. “How can you sound so normal when I felt that way?”

Ania looked inside herself for problems, but saw none. It was remarkably easy to see what was going on. She could even see Malachi floating around inside her.

None of what she was aware of happening really bothered her other than the liberties Malachi had taken to convert her body into a more voluptuous version of what she had once been.

“I think I am fine, Dorian. You may read me if you wish. Do you still feel concerned?” she asked.

Dorian turned, saw himself in the series of mirrors, and suddenly had flashes of Ania talking to Malachi. His intuition was functioning at panic level, everything happening instantly. “Is that how you talked to the demon?”

Ania nodded. “Yes, but I won’t need them anymore. I can hear Malachi, and he can hear me. We can talk at will by projecting our thoughts. I am finding it much easier and oddly comforting.”

“It does not seem wise to be on such friendly terms with a demon,” Dorian warned.

Ania pulled out the desk chair for him and pointed at it while she went back to the bed to sit. “I know, but I have a sense that this was meant. As soon as I’ve fully recovered, I will think about this some more. I may try to meditate on it.”

Dorian held a hand over his stomach. “There it is again. It’s very strong.”

“Have you checked on Gwen?” Ania said, starting to get a bit alarmed herself because she trusted Dorian’s intuition more than her own. She was not experiencing what Dorian was, but she wasn’t yet sure she was back to functioning at peak levels.

“Gwen reported in again just a little while ago right after she arrived at some political dinner she’s attending. She’ll report in again in a few hours,” Dorian said.

“Just a moment—I want to try something,” Ania said.

Malachi, can you see if Gwen is okay?

Only if I am allowed to go inside Dorian Zade. He has the connection. I could follow that to her,
he sent.

“If she doesn’t report in after a couple of hours, Malachi said he could read you if you would let him,” Ania told him.

So bad was his response to the idea of the demon reading him, Dorian thought Ania might as well have asked for his blood to drink like those who worshipped creatures like Malachi. He was going to have to work on adjusting his opinion of the demon.

“We’ll monitor her progress, but Gwen told me it was all worked out,” Dorian said, willing his gut to settle. He would need to go meditate to shed this feeling. Maybe the mediation would reveal the source of what he felt.

***

Abandoning her uniforms until she could get bigger ones, Ania pulled on a pair of pants that were made of expandable material and a tunic top that gaped at the fasteners but still covered her.

“Thanks for bigger assets, Malachi. It’s not like there’s any place on the ship to buy new clothes,” she complained out loud, staring at her rounded figure in the mirrors.

You look like the most voluptuous female of your kind
, Malachi sent.

“I liked my thin body. I worked hard to keep it that way,” Ania said sadly.