Demon Possession (44 page)

A dress? A finer material than had evenexisted on theMarada. She looked back up at Darius, venom in her eyes.

“Be grateful Analia. I’m about to give you a present.”

He ordered her to put on the dress, watching as she did, with a wretched smile on his lips. She wasn’t going to ask about the present,though heobviouslywanted her to.

“Not curious?”

Silence.

“Oh come now, you might like to know?”

More silence.

“Very wel , I’l tel you. The demons are on their way, I suspect a misguided attempt at a rescue.”

Anya’s muscles stiffened. She forced herself not to react. He was watching her intensely.

“Fortunate for them no one here needs rescuing. Isn’t that right?”

Anya stared right through him.

“Because if someone did need rescuing, then I would have to fight them.” His tone was laced with significant meaning. “I might even be forced to kil them.”

Anya bit her tongue to keep from showing a reaction. A sick feeling crept into the pit of her stomach. She fingered the expensive gown, waiting til she was sure her voice was steady before she spoke. “You want me to tel them to go away.”

“I want you to convince them that you are perfectly happy where you are,and wouldn’t want to leave for the life of you.”

Bile rose in her throat.

“I need them one-hundred percent convinced. Can you do that sweetheart?” He raised a hand to brush her cheek. Swiftly she turned her head away. “Or I could just kil them, whatever you wish.”

“No,” She breathed. Her voice hol ow, “I can convince them.”

Sebastian barreled his way onto the ship, demanding access. With little persuasion their smal shuttle was permitted to dock. In the back of his mind he found that strange but his thoughts were on finding Anya.

Calic was the voice of reason, along with Ethanule. They’d determined their easy admittance was the beginnings of a trap. Sebastian agreed but he had to get to her. Was she okay? Sebastian’s chest tightened with worry.

They were led into a medium-sized room, a viewing room of sorts. Underfoot was a platform, and above was a balcony lining the wal s. The moment he spotted her up there his heart sang with relief, until he registered the look on her face.

She looked … smug?

A stunning red gown draped her body. Her hair was up, exhibiting the soft curve of her neck, with light tendrils fal ing around her face. Her stance was lax, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She seemed … wrong.

“Anya?” He cal ed to her. He thought she stifled a flinch, as if he’d slapped her with the use of her name.

“Demon,” She said coldly.

Now he felt like he’d been slapped. “What is this?”

Her laugh was sharp,the sound of it was horrid. Sebastian’s stomach tightened with fear.

“I fear I’ve played a nasty game with you demon. You believed it al toowel .”

“Believed what? Are you unwel ? Did they do something to you?” For a split second he saw his Anya in her eyes, only for a moment then it was gone.

“They’ve done nothing to me that I didn’t want.”

Cale jumped in, “So help me I wil gut you wench!”

Sebastian growled him back in line then turned back to Anya. Her expression was amused, cutting at his heart.

Not you love. Don’t betray me.

“Give me a sign Anya. Are you being coerced?”

Tossing her head back she laughed at them once more. “And stil you believe it. Oh, how this wil amuse me for years to come.”

“Anya please!” It couldn’t be true. Darius had to be making her say these things. Yet she looked so at ease in her expensive gown, hand leisurely resting on the banister at her front. She looked as if she’d never known a day of suffering. Could he have been so stupid?

“Anya please,” She heartlessly mimicked. Her eyes turned to Ethan. “You too were fooled. Too bad I didn’t have more time to play it would have been fun pitting the two of you against each other.” Looking at her nails she added, “Do what you wil with the book, it’s no concern of mine.”

To his back Sebastian felt the heat of Ethanule’s rage. Sebastian swal owed the building lump in his throat. “Just give me a sign. We can make it out of here. Just give me a sign.”

He noticed her throat working hard, she waited a moment before speaking again. “Forget it demon, it’s over. I’m tired of you. Leave now before you irritate me further.”

Cale shouted, “I’l kil you, you bitch!”

Anya gave a gesture as if to say, wel here I am.

Sebastian placed a palm on his chest, in no way enough to stop him if Cale trulywanted to get to her. He suspected Cale was hurting as badly as he was right now. Facing Anya, Sebastian tried one last time. “This is your last chance. Come with us now or stay here forever.” His tone was harsh but his emotions were threatening to break him down. He waited, breath held, for her answer—hoping beyond al hope that she would drop this facade, reveal the old Anya, and run into his arms. “I love you.”

Her eyes grew cold as she stabbed him in the heart with her words, “I don’twantyou.”

Anya’s heart died each time she had to speak. Horrible things were spewing from her mouth, hateful untrue things that stuck in the back of her throat like acid. Cale was quickly a believer, swift to relinquish his trust. Hatred seethed through him. But Ethan was stil suspicious and Bastian …

She was running out of time, needed to convince them to leave.

Pain from the beatings stil laced her body—the bruises were coved by the lie of a dress. For a moment she became dizzy, and had to grasp the banister to keep from fal ing over.

Just go. She pleaded with her mind.Save yourselves.

Sebastian wasn’t giving up. He was going to fight for her. So she had to say something that would make him hate her forever.

Her throat worked feverishly to keep down her sob. Her eyes strained to hold back the tears for what she was about to say. “I don’twantyou.” She spat.

The hurt she saw in him just then replaced her pain with something far worse. But when she actual y felthim switch, felt that hewas starting to believeherlying words she couldn’t take it any longer. “Leave this ship now or die!” Quickly, just as hot tears streaked her cheeks she left the room, and her love behind.

None of them wouldknow what she’d done for them, and Sebastian would hate her for eternity.

Dumbfounded and heartbroken, Sebastian stood motionless. Staring at the empty spot where Anya had been standing. She’d looked at him with disgust as she effortlessly ripped his heart from his chest.

Memories of his own Mothers betrayal flashed in his mind. Anya has sported that same cal ousness look on her face, with not an ounce of remorse.

Betrayed again, by his own mate!

Now he truly understood Cale’s pain. How could he have lived through such a thing without plunging over the Edge forever? Even now, Sebastian felt his mind going. He wasn’t strong enough to endure this. His stomach twisted in his gut.

A faint voice cal ed to him, “Sebastian, you’re losing it man. Hold it together.”

Anguish and rage fil ed him at the words, he wanted to grab whoever had spoken and wring his neck until it popped. Anya was gone! He had nothing to hold on to; nothing to live for without her.

“Let’s get back to the ship and regroup.” It was Cale who spoke. Cale wanted him to leave his mate behind!

She doesn’t want you!

She’d been cold, distant, and heartless. Not his Anya. But there had been flashes, he recal ed. For tiny moments her old self had shone through.Had her hands been shaking?His mind went to work, evoking every detail. Blond hair washed over her face, shadowing shiny red eyes.Had she been crying?Her voice had been nearly empty until the end when it faintly cracked on her last words. She’d grabbed the wal —for support?—as she’d rushed through the door.

He refused to believe Anya could be so uncaring. She was always so self-sacrificing. Then it clicked. Shewassacrificingherself, thinking she could save them. That had to be it.

“Sebastian, we should go.”

“I’m not leaving without her.”

“I know what you’re going through—”

“She was lying!”

“Yeah,I know.”

“No,just thenshe’s was lying.”

Cale just gave him a sad look, opening his mouth to say something more. But Sebastian interrupted.

“I know her. I know her heart. She only said those things because she thought she had to.”

“I want to believe that too, but …”

“Calic I’m not leaving her.”

His shoulders dropped as Cale acknowledged the resolution in his tone. To Ethanule he said, “If you value your life pirate, you should get back to the ship.”

“If my princess needs me, I am here.”

Cale nodded. “Then let’s rip this crap-hole apart.”

Suddenly masses of bodies poured into the room, each with a weapon pointed straight at their heads.

Humorlessly Ethanule quipped. “Go ahead Cale, rip away.”

Another week in the dark chil ed cel , manacles in place. With a profound emptiness, she stared at nothing. Drained of al their moisture her eyes were dry, frozen in a constant state of shock.

Her father had come to her once, she recognized him now for who he was. But she refused to look at him. She didn’t need him anymore and there was nothing he could do. He sat next to her for a time, in his ghostly form, pretending as though he could provide some measure of comfort.

He should leave her be, she’d served her purpose in his ploy. Sebastian was gone, perhaps they’d found Nadua and were on the way to retrievehereldest sister. As he’d said in his letter, her father needed to be strong for their people.Think of them now.

“Go Away! I am finished!”

When her father final y left she hoped he never came back. There was no need for him to see her like this—wasted, resigned,and final y broken. Her heart weeping for what it has lost.

For the last week she’d been alone with her thoughts, like parasites eating at her brain.

She didn’t care that she was hungry. If they brought food, she wouldn’t eat it.

The rumbling ship taunted her from every angle.

A repetitive noise in the distance formed into footsteps, stopping outside her door. The lock clicked and the door swung opened, flooding the room with light. She didn’t flinch, thoughthe lightstung and burned her dry eyes.The figure moved to unlock the metal from her wrists and ankles.

“Rise,” A voice commanded.

She didn’t move, didn’t blink.

Strong hands lifted her off the floor, forcing her to stand on her own two feet. Then he pushed her out into the hal way. Anya didn’t wonder at where they were headed. She didn’t care. There was nothing they could do to her that was worse than what she’d done to herself.Bring it on you bastards!

As they walked, her mind drifted in and out. The man at her back steered her by moving her shoulders in whatever direction he wanted her to go. Turn, walk, turn, walk.

They came to a door and the man lightly knocked. Darius’s voice bade them enter and Anya was shoved inside.

“Leave us,” Darius said to the guard.

The scene at her front had her swaying with nausea. She blinked rapidly to make it disappear but it wouldn’t. Darius was smiling at her! Actual y smiling as Ethanule, Cale, and Sebastian stood strapped against the wal . Blood tricked down their bodies. Her voice caught when she tried to scream.

At the sight of her Sebastian wentwild, straining violently against his bindings.

As her heart jumping into her throat she final y found her voice, “What did you do!” She tried to move toward them but Darius wrapped a thick arm around her waist and held her back. She was on the brink of hysteria unable to reach him. Pushing against Darius’s vice like grip.

“Calm yourself my sweet.” He whispered in her ear. She jerked away and continued struggling. “I’m warning you!”

That gave her pause. That tone was too familiar.

He wants something from me. He wants something. What does he want?Her mind went into overdrive.How can I stop this? I need to stop this.

As soon as shecalmed as best she could, Sebastianrelaxedslightly, though his eyes were wide and wild. In the back of her mind she knew he was on the Edge, probably has been for days. What had Darius put them through?

When Darius felt she was under control he let her back away from him. “You said you would let them go.” She said through clenched teeth, while studying their injuries.

Al of them were beaten and bloody. Scratches and cuts al over their exposed skin. Their hands were strapped at their sides. Thick metal around their necks held them firm against the wal .

Ethanule had a thick gash down the left side of his face, the mark continued under the color of his sweat drenched shirt. She couldn’t see where it ended.

He looked tired. They al looked tired.

Cale’s face was mangled and swol en. One eye was swol en shut, the other was deep crimson. One of his horns had been sliced at the base,and hisblond hair was matted with dried blood.

Eyes glowing red with anger Sebastian’s face was general y free of cuts or welts, but by the look on his face she feared the damage was lower. She looked at his feet and let out a helpless whimper. Blood was pooling there, a lot of it. There was a gash in his clothing near his stomach, the red stain stil growing. She spotted a blade dripping with blood on a shelf behind Darius.

Darius’s eyes twinkled with amusement, “I never said I would let them go. I just said I needed them to believe you.”

To Darius, this was a game. And he was winning.

“You bastard!” She lunged. Forgetting her training,and mad with rage she went for his neck.

Crack!

Dazed she found herself on the floor, her cheek pounded from the hit. The inside of her mouth tasted metal ic. A defining roar echoed off the wal s.

The guard, from before peeked his head in at the commotion and laughed when he saw Anya on the ground.

Darius let out an annoyed sound, “I said leave us! Do not come back in!” the guard quickly obeyed.

Anya picked herself off the floor, meeting Sebastian’s crazed eyes. Something flashed between them, love and sorrow,and a wish for something different.