Demon Possession (46 page)

Cale stood at his doorway, Anya tucked in Sebastian’s bed. For three grueling days he refused to leave her side.

“Do you have al that you need?”

“I believe so.” He replied curtly.

Just after they’d arrived, Ethanule had thrown himself into decoding the rest of the book. His way of copingperhaps—just as Cale coped by closing himself off and donning a cloak of coldness.

Hours ago Ethanule had rushed to tel them that he’d discovered the location of Anya’s eldest sister. A lowly planet cal ed Earth, supposedlyteaming with life, though unevolved.

There had been an urgency in Ethanule’s tone. “The book declares thatthe Kayadon have been searching for her, and are close to discovering her location.” He’d said. “We must leave now to retrieve her, or lose her forever.”

An argument ensued. Marik was stil lost,and none of them were wil ing to leave a fal en brother. So a plan was realized. Calic would takeashuttle tothearchaic planet Earth—he could stock enough fuel for a one-way trip—while they stayed to rescue Marik and hopeful y Nadua along with him. Once they did, they would meet up with Cale once more.

“Are you coming pirate?” Cale had asked Ethanule.

Sebastian noticed that the titlepiratewas no longer sneered. Sebastian had to admit, he too felt differently about Ethanule after al they’d been through together.

“No,” He’d said. “I feel responsible for Marik’s situation, and I cannot leave Princess Analia like this, not when I can stil be of use.” With a withering look he said to Sebastian, “I pray she comes back to you.” In response Sebastian could only give a tight nod.

Sebastian sat beside Anya, looking as though she were in nothing more than a restful sleep. In the doorway Cale lingered, as if expecting something more from him, or maybe just silently contemplating the abrupt shift in al their lives.

“Take Sonya with you.” Sebastian ordered.

“Unnecessary? You can’t take down that tribe by yourself.”

Wry smile in place, “Do you honestly believe Marik would al ow himself to be captured for long? I’l bet he’s already freed himself and is just waiting patiently for a ride.” He paused before adding, “We know little of this Earth,and Sonya’s skil s may be needed.”

“Earth wil be easy. According to our records, the people are stil running around with sticks and rocks as weapons. They’l probably revere me as their god.”

“Just do as I say.”

“She won’t be happy.”

Sebastian shrugged. Then Cale was gone. Later Sebastian would find that—in perfect Cale fashion—he’d defied Sebastian and went alone.

Sebastian knew he couldn’t delay much longer. If Anya refused to wake he would be forced to leave her in the care of Dr. Oshwald, while he started the search for Marik.

Aidan was constantly scanning the surface for any sign of Marik, with no results. Too much fresh snowfal quickly covered any clues that might lead to the location of the tribe that had taken him. They neededsomeoneon the ground.

He would go in the morning.

A blanket of white peeled back. Her body was like air and smoke, there one minute and then gone, flickering. Breathing was impossible, and also unnecessary, so she stopped trying. She had the faint recol ection of pain, but couldn’t remember what pain felt like. Absently she reached for her stomach but her hands passed right through, which was perfectly natural to her, though she felt it shouldn’t be.

One second she was looking ahead, then behind, nearly at the same time. Looking around she was surprisingly accepting of the instantaneous movements. Al around were blobs of white melding with greens and blues. She tilted her head at a flash of orange, seemingly out of place.

When the orange began to grow in size she strained to focus on it. Then like a wave, al things came into focus. Blob’s of green melted together and took shape. Streaks of blue swirled, fanning out above her. Tendrils of green rose up below her sprinkles of light blue snaked around her, churning toward the val ey below. With it, she should be hearing the sounds of water trickling. As soon as she thought it, it was so. The scent of fresh grass enteredher nostrils.

A bird began to sing its loving song as the orange blob came into focus, smiling at her with recognition and love.

Who is she?It was almost like looking in a mirror.Who am I?

The answer came in a flash: Anya. Analia. Princess. Sister. Daughter. Slave. Lover. Friend.

“Mother?” Anya spoke, her voice was out of sync with the movements of her mouth, the sound of it dying off slowly into a faint echo.

“Hi my baby, I’ve been waiting for you.” Her mother’s lips hadn’t moved, but her voice was like a harmony of bel s. Her blond curls and blue eyes matched her own. A long orange and yel ow sundress covered her smal frame.

“Why? Where are we?” Again Anya’s voice came out before she could get her lips to work. She decided to stop using them.

“We’re in the fields of Porthina, goddess of transition.”

Which means we are dead.

Though she only thought it the words came out, as clear as if she’d intended to speak them aloud.

“Not entirely,” Her mother replied. “You can stil go back.”

“Go back?” Anya couldn’t remember what there was to go back to. Then an image flashed in her mind. A face: horns, fangs, red, no … gold eyes.

“Sebastian!” Her heart screamed.

“Yes.” Hermother’slips quirked, “You have a fine male for yourself. I couldn’t be more proud of your choice, and of you.” Warmly she embraced Anya and Anya felt through their connection how much her mother loved her. “Things are set into motion. You have much to do stil . The longer you linger in the fields, the harder it wil be to return.”

“Can you come with me?”

“No my love, I have been here a very long time.”

Desperately Anya clung to her mother. “What happened to you?”

“Betrayed by one of our own, we were given to the wrong ship. Darius saw something in you from the start, and I was in the way of his ambition. I won’t say more than that.” She paused. Blue eyes that mirrored her own gazed down at her softly. “We were never intended to board theExtarga. Though now I see, it was always meant to be.”

“He’s dead now Mother. Sebastian kil ed him.”

“I know sweetheart. Sebastian waits for you now. Tel your father I love him, and have never blamed him for what happened. Tel your sisters I’m sorry I could not be with them.”

“Why did you come with me instead of them?”

“You were the youngest, barely five years old at the time. I want you to know that I don’t blame you either.”

“But you would stil be alive …”

“When it is your time, fate wil find you wherever you are. You must go now my love, before you forget the way.”

“How? I don’t know how to get back.”

“Your soul knows where it truly wants to be. Think of your demon and fol ow your heart.”

Sebastian’s face popped into her mind. His eyes were closed and withered looking, beating back and forth as if in a dream. Darkness shaded his face and she realized she’d never seen him unshaved before. She wanted to feel his skin against hers once more. To be embraced in his warmth, to touch his whiskery cheek and ease his worries.

Then she was fal ing.

The ground ripped from under her. The orange of her Mothers sundress faded into nothing. With a heavy whoosh she couldn’t breathe, or she’d forgotten how. After fighting through the horror of suffocation, air was forced into her lungs and she inhaled a deep breath. Chest heaving, everything felt heavy and tight.

A frantic sound beat in a steady rhythm. “Anya! Anya! Breathe! Anya!”

Comprehending her name Anya saiddimly, “That’s me.” Her throat was horse, as though she hadn’t used it in weeks. Eyes cracking open she saw a blurry Sebastian. He looked panicked. Anya reached up to stroke his cheek. “No more worrying okay?”

He fel on her then, burying his face in the crook of her neck, looping one arm tightly around her. “Are you truly awake? Or am I dreaming?”

“You’re not dreaming.” She wrapped her arms around him and they stayed that way for some time. When he leaned back he hovered over her watchful, as if she’d disappear, his gaze eating up her every feature.

“Gods I thought I’d lost you. There was nothing I could do. I’ve never been so helpless. Never again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I’l be keeping this one. I’m not taking you into war.”

“Oh yes you are.” She said sternly, shocking both of them with her tone. “Things are set into motion and I have much to do stil ,” Sheechoedher mother words.

“What more should you have to do?”

She told him of her mother and the conversation they’d had in the fields of Porthina. Anya had promised to get her mother’s message to her father. “He didn’t send me to that ship, Sebastian. We were betrayed.”

“That may be so, but you’ve been through enough. I won’t risk losing you again.”

“This isn’t your choice Sebastian. It’s mine. I’m going to do what I can to help my people.” She sighed. “I love you, but you can’t keep me in a protected box for the rest of my life.”

Shoulders slumped he bowed his head and held her tight once more. “I know. We’l do what we can to help your people. But I have to know you’l be safe.”

“You can’t know that for sure. Anyway, I thought I did pretty wel against Darius,” When Sebastian gave her a withered stare she added, “Besides the fact that I nearly died and al .”

“There is that smal detail.”

“I just need more training is al .”

Sebastian grumbled. “We’l talk more of this later. Right now I don’t want to argue when I just got you back.” He swooped down for a smoldering kiss, lighting her blood on fire with a stroke of his tongue.

His fingers caressed the length of her side, trailing down over her hip and back. Anya could tel he was going slow, worried about hurting her. But surprisingly she felt great, and more than a little hungry for Sebastian, so she urged him on with a pump of her hips. Her tactic had worked because Sebastian palmed her behind and thrust back with an almost inaudible groan. But then he slowed once more.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Actual y, I can’t believe how great I’m feeling.” Realizing there was no stab wound Anya looked down at her body, covered in one of Sebastian’s large shirts. Lifting the hem she felt where the wound should have been.

“Ethanule healed you. That’s his ability.”

“How convenient. I wonder how much of this is luck and how much is myfather’sdoing.” It was possible her father had seen a glimpse of her future and realized she would need Ethanule specifical y.

Sebastian dipped his head and kissed where she had been stabbed. Her body quivered under the soft touch of his lips. “Luck or not you’re here with me and that’s al that matters.” Once again he kissed her bel y while his strong hands traveled up her thighs. Al thought left her when Sebastian slid a thick finger over her heated core. His lips stayed on her bel y only a moment longer before they made their way to where she needed them most. When his tongue replaced his finger Anya could no longer hold in the moan that had been gathering in her throat.

Anya didn’t have time to feel guilty for taking pleasure while so many other things needed to be done because her climax came swift. As she cried out Sebastian did too. Tightly he gripped her hips and didn’t let go until the pleasure trickled out of her body.

In a breathless husky voice he asked, “What was that?” At her confused look he began to grin mischievously. “I think I just felt yourorgasm.”

“Y … you did?” Shewent instantlyred from embarrassment.

Sebastian just nodded and smiled, she could see he was ecstatic about this. He crawled up her body circling one taught nipple with his tongue and using his finger to once again caress her wetness. When her body jerked with the building pleasure so did Sebastian. Her embarrassment almost returned but then he said, “Gods I love you so much.”

She could only respond with a moan as another climax shook her body. Then Sebastian was removing his clothes and she could only wish she had the powers to make them disappear faster. Anya marveled at his bare chest rippling with tight simmering muscles. When he hovered over her she couldn’t help but to feel every ridge and val ey. Final y he slipped inside her, Anya closed her eyes at the connection she felt, the absolute rightness. When she opened them Sebastian was staring at her with a look of worship in his liquid gold eyes. She knew he was feeling it too. With every thrust they both cried out. In and out, they marveled at each other. Sebastian’s climax ripped through Anya and she came instantly. Both orgasms crashed into each other, mingling in the air and flowing back through them. Neither could tel whose pleasure belonged to whom.

When it was over Sebastian held her against his chest, thick arms surrounding her. “My mate is a goddess.”

Anya laughed, “That’s one way to come back to life.”

“And I’l be showing you al the other ways too.”

Coming Soon…

DEMON SLAVE

(Shadow QuestSeries -Book 2)

By

By

Kiersten Fay

You can learn more aboutKiersten Fayonline at

www.kierstenfay.com

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