Demon Possession (11 page)

At another table a woman with red skin shared stories with two women with larger than normal eyes that seemed to glow multicolored.

She also noticed how happy everyone seemed. Everyone smiled at her and were mostly polite. The atmosphere was easy-going and relaxed. There was a comforting energy al around her.

Maybe she didn’t need to find her own kind. Maybe there was a place for her, like this, where different species lived in peace together. Maybe there was a place for her on this very ship. What if she could stay?

The thought was heady. After only a day of mingling with the crew she had al owed herself to feel like one of them. Even though she knew she would never be like them, not real y. Not with her ability, ever-present and threatening her peace. But if she could keep it hidden, buried, there would be no reason for any of them to covet her for her gift.

Two more females entered. They looked young, teenagers maybe. One looked similar to the woman with the intricate tattoo. She had the same swirl pattern that framed her face, only hers varied in color from oranges to yel ows and deep reds. Analia thought it looked beautiful.

The other girl had bril iant blue hair that cut off just above the shoulders, and her skin was a silky pale color. They stood for a moment surveying the room that had fil ed rapidly with patrons, until one had spotted her and pointed for the other. They stood on tip-toes to get a better look atAnaliabefore grabbing a table near where they entered.

Analia weaved through the crowded room to reach them, they whispered intoeach other’sear as she came close. “Hi,” Analia said and introduced herself for the thousandth time that day. Then came the questions in such hurried rushes,that she didn’t have time to respond to al of them. She looked around the room and pondered the crowd. Many faceswouldglanceher way, then quickly turnaway.Hushed whispers fil ed the room. It seemed al were focused on her in some way. She was a curiosity of sorts, Analia realized.

She almost laughed out loud, after so many years in isolation she almost felt crowded. The feeling was so foreign to her, she reveled in it.

Analiaturned back to the girls and tried to answer their questions adequately, nearby conversations died down to listen in. The teen’s questions continued to flow from them like water,andAnaliawas beginning to enjoy the enthusiastic interrogation, while stil skil ful y evading certain questions. Then Analiaasked a fewquestionsof her own, wanting to know everything about the people on the ship.

“How long have the two of you lived on the ship?”

The one with the pattern etched skin spoke first. “I was born on this ship. My mother works in the plant nursery.”

“Do you like it here?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” She shrugged.

The other girl was eager, “I wasn’t born here but I’ve been herefor five years. My dad is one of the engineers.” She said proudly. “Have you seen the ship?”

She asked. “There are lots of thing to do here.Before me and my dad came here we were on a ship that didn’t have anything, it was so boring.”

“Sebastian showed me around a little.”

They both sniggered at that.“He’s so cute.” Blue hair said.

“I like Calic better.” The other blushed slightly. “By the way my name is Spectra, and this is Edenya,” Spectra pointed to the blue haired girl.

“I’m glad to meet you both. So, are you hungry or did you just come in to interrogateme?” After taking their orders Analiawalked back into the gal ey, a few plates of food had piled up and she hurried them out to the tables.

When she returned Marik asked how she was handling everything.

“I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“They seem to be coming in by the dozen,” he said. “This is an unusual crowd for this time of day. I think they’re al here to see you Anya.”

She nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”

“Are you feeling overwhelmed? You can cal it a day if you want to go back to your room.”

“Thanks, but I’l stay. It is overwhelming,but it’s also a relief.” She said while gathering more plates. If she worked real y hard, maybe she could convince Sebastian to let her stay.

Fuck.

How could she have been a slave? It couldn’t be possible. However, it did explain her appearance when he’d found her, and her timidness. The thought had briefly occurred to him then,but her beauty quickly scraped it away, he had instantly dismissed slavery as a possibility for such a stunning creature.

The thought of her being a slave made his gut retch.

Sebastian’s bad mood was obvious to everyone within close proximity. The hal s parted as he passed and after he entered the control room the silent tension grew as thick as a fog. For the crew, total avoidance was the game. Keeping out of thrashing distance,and avoiding a demon’s rage was key to survival.

Usual y Sebastian was slow toanger, but when it did happen,it was difficult to calm him. It was like a flood gate opened inside of him. Only Calic remained undaunted by his angry demeanor.In fact, he often enjoyed provoking him for his own sadistic amusement.

Calic was watching him now,smugness painted his features,enjoying Sebastian’s loss of control. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Cale barked.

Sebastian growled and fought the urge to introduce Cale’s face to his fist. Cale noted the gleam inSebastian’seye and it only drove him on. Some of the crew shook their heads at Cale in warning. Cale either didn’t notice or chose to ignore them.

“What?” Cale continued his baiting. “Looking to take it out on someone, yeah? I’m game, we can spar right here, I haven’t had a good crack from you in years. Starting to think you’re going soft big brother.”

Quick as lightning Sebastian whipped his arm out and snaked his hand around Cale’s neck, squeezing tight to hold him in place. Cale just smiled and al owed the contact, though Sebastian knew he could easily squirm out of his hold. Hazily Sebastian realized Cale was al owing him to take out his rage,and wouldn’t retaliate if Sebastian decided to beat the living shit out of him right now … wel not at first anyway. Cale always loved a good fight.

Sebastian softened his grip andafter a moment of contemplation,he let go.Though he real y would like to take out his rage on someone, he should be ableto control his baser instincts.

Cale gave his trademark arrogant laugh and muttered, “Soft,” under his breath, stil posturing for a fight. “Better watch out, you were almost about to act like a demon.”

Ignoring Cale, Sebastian returned to his brooding.

Analia was an escaped slave who admittedly knew nothing of cooking, cleaning, or serving. Fists clenched, the dark recesses of his mind knew al toowel what a slaver would want from her. His stomach retched as the thought pushed him closer to the Edge.

Then his stomach tightened even more as the memory of last night crept its way into his mind. The way he’d behaved toward her, nearly attacking her, with little regard for her. He’d almost taken her out of mindless lust. She had asked him to stop with such fear in her voice, he remembered her body shaking with it. No wonder she was so frightened of him. He’d acted, as many races expected of his kind, like a monster.

Now more than ever he needed to stay away from her. Every time Analia came near him he was compel ed to touch her, to stay near her, to taste her.

Even now, during one of his worst rages since the war, he felt the need to go to her for relief. As if she would accept him after the way he’d treated her. His demon instincts were compel ing him to, not only go to her, but to protect her. That was laughable,she would need protectionfrom him.

Keeping himself away from her was one way of protecting her, but what of the other males on the ship? The thought drove his fury.

Right now it was a very good thing she hadn’t told him where she’d come from, because al he wanted to do was forget the contract with the Serakians, find the person who had hurt her, and rip him to bloody shreds. Screw the wards!

If he didn’t release this rage somehow,he knew he would do something he’d regret later.

“Cale!” Sebastian barked his name like an order.

Calic recognized the tone inSebastian’svoice and smiled with malevolence. “Let’s do this.”

Sebastian was barely able to make it to the sparing room—without knocking Cale’s head off—a room where a number of practice weapons lined the wal s. But for this, he wanted to use his body as the weapon. Cale positioned himself across from Sebastian in his natural fighting stance. It was a deceiving stance making Cale look too relaxed and unprepared for a fight. When an enemy would attack him, thinking to catch him off guard, Cale would strike with almost invisible speed. Sebastian knew this wel , had seen him in action, and wanted the ful force of it.

Without a sign that the battle had begun, Sebastian lunged. Calic was quick but so was he. Sebastian caught him in the jaw. Without missing a beat,Cale lashed out with a kick to the gut and, in a twisting move, a hard elbow to the ear. Sebastian hardly felt it through the festering wrath inside him—his fangs descended as his mind ventured closer to the Edge—Sebastian countered with a bashing punch to Cale’s abdomen. Cale stumbled back, but quickly regaining balance he kicked wide,catching Sebastian in the chest.

Although Sebastian could have dodged the move, he didn’t. It was as if he needed the pain to calm him in some way. He was closer to the Edge than he’d been in decades and below the muddiness of his mind he knew his own crew was in danger from him if he couldn’t regain control. Either fighting or sex helped to focus a demon until the madness eased. It was either fight Cale or go to Analia, his instincts screamed for Anya, but he knew if he went to her now,he would hurt her. With Sebastian lost to rage and lust she wouldn’t survive it, even if she wanted him,which she didn’t.

Cale was the perfect opponent. He understood a demon’s rage, having been to the Edge himself a number of times.Caleespecial y understood Sebastian. If the situation were reversed—as it had been in the past, many times over—Sebastian would be doing the same for Cale.

Another hard hit to Sebastian’s skul fol owed by two swift punches to his gut and a move from Cale that took his legs out from under him. His big body slammed into the mat.

The boy was fast. Sebastian felt a twinge of pride slice through his rage.

Sebastian rol ed out of the way just before Cale’s elbow landed on his windpipe. Both of them on the ground Sebastian kicked out, booting Cale in the stomach, and then flipped to his feet.

Cale laughed, coming to his feet as wel . “It’s about time I got a good fight out of you!” With a smile on his face Cale lunged again, faking a punch, spinning his body,he was now behind Sebastian grabbing him in a chokehold and landing a barrage of punches and kicks to his body. Sebastian rol edCaleover his back and flipped his own body so that he landed hard on top of Cale, Sebastian’s elbow connecting with his chest. Cale’s breath rushed out of him. Pushing away and staying low to the ground Cale spun his leg out, landing another perfect kick to Sebastian’s skul , whipping his headto the side, as blood fanned away from the cut on his lip.

They went on like this until both were panting and exhausted, bodies pressed wearily to the mat, and Sebastian’s storm of fury had abated. After a long while of catching their breaths Calic was the first to speak.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

Sebastian swal owed hard and after a few moments told him everything that had happened between Analia and himself.

Without humor, Cale laughed. “I have to meet the chit that’s got you so worked up.Youof al people!”

“What do you mean me of al people?”

Cale rol ed his eyes. “I’ve seen you with women. You don’t give a fuck about their pasts or their futures either beforeorafter you’ve slept with them. You don’t care about any woman.”

“Neither do you.”

Cale was silent for a moment, “No arguments there.”

“I care about Sonya.” Sebastian retorted.

“As do I, but she’s different. She’s family”—pause—“the trustworthy kind. She doesn’t count. What’s more, you lose interest in any woman who has ever set foot on this ship, but this woman is under your skin in a bad way. Why?”

Shaking his head, “I don’t know.”

“Wel I’m curious. I have to see this girl.” He gave Sebastian a mischievous smile. “Hungry?”

“I’ve vowed to stay away from her remember.”

“Be realistic, no one can stay away from anyone on this ship. Let’s go”

Calic couldn’t wait to see this. Sebastian was never affected by a woman. He’d taken the betrayal of their mother and Velicia almost worse than he did.

Sebastian kept himself clear of women, only taking a woman to his bed when he absolutely needed to, and never on the ship.

Luckily,Cale didn’t have that problem. He enjoyed sex more than ever, of course rarely with the same woman. He had sampled many on the ship without getting attached. None compared to hisVelicia, his mate. Thememory of herfil ed him with regret,but he quickly stamped it down.

Cale was wary of the stowaway who had unwittingly driven Sebastian to the Edge. She was of questionable background,and her intentions unknown. Cale had to assess the situation firsthand, to figure out if he needed to protect Sebastian from her or the other way around. She could be nothing more than a spy,sent by one of their countless competitors. He would meet her and make his judgment before voicing his opinion to Sebastian, but it was a very likely scenario.

They entered the salon and chose a table in the corner,overlooking most of the room.

Sebastian’s eyes went wild when he spotted her. She was conversing easily with a table of men. Some of the men were known for their treatment of women—not so different from Sebastian and himself—a low growl reverberated from deep within Sebastian. He looked as though he was fighting the urge to get between them and make his claim on her known. It was how Cale would have acted, had acted, with his own mate before he had claimed her as his.

It hurt now to think of, to remember the love he had forVeliciabefore she cal ously betrayed them to their enemy. Even with her betrayal he missed her deeply, her touch, her taste, her hands on his body and her soft cries in his ear as he drove into her. He had loved her completely, would have done anything for her. Pain spiked in him and he looked at Sebastian. Surely it wasn’t as serious as that. Sebastian couldn’t be so stupid as to want to claimthe chitas his only mate.