Demon Possession (22 page)

There was more; an explosion had brought them al to a halt. A sour smel fil ed the air. Someone had grabbed her hand and pul ed, rushing them away.

The memory became fuzzy as chaos fil ed the last of it.

Tears fil edAnya’seyes as she covered her mouth in shock.What had happened?She was sure that was her home planet. Were they under attack? And who were those children. She felt connected to them somehow.

Anya sat alone pondering the memory and finding no answers.

The sound of metal grinding jerked Anya awake. An explosion rocked the ship. Pushing through her sleep drugged mind she jumped upfrom the couch.

Was she dreaming? It could have been part of a nightmare brought on by her recovered memory. In silence Analia waited.

Another explosion.

Instantly her mind went to Darius. He must have found her. Her head pounded painful y and her breathing was clipped. Panic was quickly taking over. She needed to think clearly? What could she do? The only way they could escape him was if the warp drive was working. She could fix it but then they would need a large stockpile of energy to feed it, and the only place to find that, at the moment, was in her. Could she reveal herself to Sebastian?To the entire crew? If she did,Darius would know instantly what she was doing. Like a signature, he would read her through the energy of the ship. She would have no more secrets, and even if they escaped Darius, she would be in danger of being exploited once again.

Pacing back and forth Anyawondered what Sebastian would do with her when he found out about her gift? Would he become like Darius? Using her forhisown gain?

Another explosion, this one was louder and stronger.

Anya was out the door before she realized. She would do anything to keep the people on this ship safe. They were in danger because of her. How could she let anything happen to them when they had shown her nothing but kindness?

Anya raced down the hal s, moving so fast that the control room doors didn’t have time to ful y open before she was squeezing through the crack of an opening.

The control room was laden with commotion. Sebastian was there,yel ing out orders to the crew. The huge floor-to-ceiling window revealed a foreign ship with sharp cut corners and almost no curves. Her relief was tremendous.

It wasn’t Darius.

At Sebastian’s commandMaradaopened fire and berated the other ship with a stream of explosions. The opposing ship sent only one last blast at them before they were crippled byMarada’s sheer firepower. The offending ship hung in space, quiet, like a piece of space garbage. Eventual y, it came back to life only to attempt an escape.

“Let them go.” Sebastian cal ed. “They’re harmless.” The room erupted in cheers. Until they al noticed her standing there. The cheering abruptly stopped.

A growl erupted from Sebastian so fierce it caused Anya to jump.

What was wrong?

Sebastian practical y dove at her. He had his jacket off and around her in seconds flat. “What are you doing?” He grated. “Why are you here dressed like that?”

Oh.

In her frenzy she hadn’t realized she was wearing one of the short silk sleeping garments. Her cheeks heated. “I … I was concerned. I heard the explosion and I thought …”

He pushed her from the room and guided her down the hal way. “You thought what?”

“That we were under attack.” She edged. She wasn’t going to reveal that she had a specific attacker in mind. “I was frightened.”

“And you had to go running about the ship with almost nothing on?” Once they entered her room Sebastian’s grip suddenly tightened on her shoulders.

“Who is it Anya?”

She shook her head at his question.

“Who are you afraid of?”

Anya looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

“You thought whoever attacked us tonight was coming for you, right? Tel me who it is.”

“I can’t,” she whispered. “Please don’t ask me.” When her body shook with emotion Sebastian pul ed her into him, wrapping her in his arms. She instantly felt protected, safe, and she buried her head in the crook of his neck while he held her.

“I won’t let them get you. I promise.”

“You can’t promise me something like that Sebastian. But I thank you anyway.” He tightened his hold on her but didn’t argue. How could he. She would leave the ship soon and he would be nowhere near to protect her … from anything.

“Are you okay to be by yourself? Should I stay?”

“I’l be fine.” She lied. He held her for a moment longer before he released her to leave. After that, Anya curled onto her couch and lay awake for the remainder of the night.

Sebastian was fuming when he reentered the control room. The crew took care to avert their eyes, knowing he was a demon on the Edge. Seeing lust in many of their eyes when they had looked upon Anya had instantly driven him there. Nothing had ever pushed him to the Edge so quickly.

And who could blame them for looking. Sebastian himself wanted to steer her into a darkened room and make waste of the thin material that sheathed her body. By her reaction in the sanctuary she might have let him. Sebastian shook the thought from his head.

Only when he had Anya in his arms was he able to calm, almost as quickly as he’d become enraged. A mere touch from her had pul ed him away from the Edge.Amazing.

Anya seemed oblivious to al this.

Her refusal to tel him who his first target was once the wards came down was irritating. But he was sure he would find out eventual y. Did she refuse to tel him because she was stil frightened of going back?Did she stil think him capable of that?She’d scoffed at his promise to keep her safe, though she was right. How could he keep her safe when he planned to leave her in order to hunt down her pursuer? He would charge Sonya and Calic to watch her in his stead, maybe even Marik. But Anya was right, he wouldn’t be there to keep his promise. And once Sebastian destroyed whoever was after her, it didn’t guarantee her safety. Anyone with eyes would want her.

A growl reverberated through him,al who stood nearbysubtlyinched away.

The only way to keep his promise was to keep her with him, and that wasn’t an option. The effect she had on him was dangerous. He already craved her.

Already he would give her anything she asked for. He had no intention of al owing the attachment to grow any stronger than it already had. It was a good thing she hadn’t wanted him to staywith her this night. If he had a whole night with her, Sebastian feared he would be lost … addicted. And then he might never be able to let her go.

Marik watched Anya cruise through the salon like a zombie. Either she’d slept poorly or her mind was on other things. Probably both. Like everyone else, he’d heard the explosions last night and knew if they were in any real danger they would have heard about it over the intercom. But Anya had definitely been frightened by the event. Sebastian was here earlier,and told him what happened. Marik could understand her fear. Long after he’d gained his freedom he’d been just as jumpy.

Though Anya had been enslaved longer, she was coping a lot better than he had. Marik envied her strength. Two hundred years of torment could have broken him completely but she was like a bright bal of energy,eager for her new life, and ready to forget her old one. Perhaps Anya had an easier time of locking away the bad and forcing it out of her mind. It had taken him a long time to be ableto block out his own memories,he stil struggled with it at times.

“Anya.”Marik cal ed after her, as she prepared to carry out an order of food.

“Yeah?” Stopping inmid-doorshe craned her head to lookbackat him.

“Don’t forget the soup.”

“Oh. Right”

She had been like this al day. She wasn’t herself. She was forgetful and less attentive than usual, her features drawnin constantworry.

The party tonight should cheer her up. Marik quirked his lips and went back to cooking.

Before Analia’s shift was over, Marik had sent her away to get ready for the party tonight. Sonya joined her in her room to fuss with her hair and help her pick an outfit. The dress she wore was aV-neck with straps that crossed in the back, which was low and sloping. The color was an off white—which Sonya said set off her skin tone, whatever that meant—andthe hemended just above her knees.

Before, the pair of shoes she was wearing would have scared the hel out of her, now she slipped them on like an expert.

Sonya was kind enough to show her some dance moves andevenpracticed with her a little. They laughed themselves to the floor as the moves became sil ier and more exaggerated. Anya was nervous for the date-that-real y-wasn’t-a-date, but Xandar didn’t know that yet. She hadn’t seen him since the day he asked her out.

A ringing in the room let her know he was here and her nerves became flat out panicked. Sonya let out a smal giggle. “It’s okay. Remember you’re in charge.”

“I’m in charge.” Anya repeated in a ghostly tone.

That made Sonya laugh even harder. “Next time say it like you mean it.”

Anya, sticking out her tongue, moved to open the door. Xandar stood there in a pair of nice pants and a button down shirt. His hair was spiked. He looked

… like he always did.

“Hey Xandar!” Sonya cal ed from inside the room. “We’re almost ready.”

Xandar rol ed his gaze slowly over Anya, stopping for a moment at her breasts.Awkwardly,Anya shifted her stance. “Hi.” She said lamely.

“You look … I mean … good. You lookreal ygood.” He final y met her eyes and smiled.

“Thanks.” She said,and then raised her voice so Sonya could hear her. “I thought this was a dress up thing.”

Again Sonya laughed and came up beside her, dressed in a tight red top that laced up the center,and a flowing skirt to match. Her black hair was in waves down her back. “It is. Xandar is just a slob.”

“Hey.” He said,in a mock hurt voice. “This is as dressed up as you’re ever going to get me.” He winked at Anya. “Dressing up is not what I’m into.”

Sonya threaded her arm through Analia’s and walked her out of the room. “Down boy.”

As soon as they came close to the salon, Sonya practical y bounced with glee next to Anya.She must real y like parties.

Then they entered the salon where Anya had herfourthmajor shock in two days. A huge banner that readHAPPY BIRTDAY ANYAhung on the wal .

It looked as though everyone on the ship was gathered here,and they were al smiling at her. Clapping and cheers erupted through the room. Anya had a sudden irrational urge to turn and run away.She gaveSonya,whosesmile was radiant, a questioning look.

“It’s a party for you.” She offered with warmth. “Consider it a belated birthday slash freedom slash just because party.”

Anya’s throat instantly tightened and she struggled to bite back a brewing sob, while her eyes pricked with what promised to be a river of tears. “This is …

so wonderful Sonya … I can’t believe you did this.”

Xandar pul ed her against him with one arm. “It was nothing. You deserve the best.” His touch sobered her, actual y helped her to put a damper on her emotions.

Pul ing away from Xandar Analia hugged Sonya with al her strength. “Thank you.”

Xandar interjected, “Hey, the three of us should take this love fest to another room.”

Sonya punched him in the arm and led Anya deeper into the crowd of people.

Spotting Marik, Anya leaped into his arms. “You knew about this, didn’t you!”

“Of course I knew. I made the cake.”

“Cake?”

Marik’s eyes lit up. “That’s right. You’ve never had cake.” He pointed to a long table fil ed with a mixture of food and drinks. At one end was a thick rectangular blob. Anya leaned her head on Marik’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me til you try it. Oh, and let me know when you’re about to so I can watch. I have a feeling it wil be similar to the chocolate incident.”

Anya giggled at him. “Oh, we’re turning that into an incident? That was more like an ambush.” Looking around the room, Anya noticed that there were two people missing from the crowd. “Where are Calic and Sebastian?”

Marik looked at Sonya for the answer. “They’l be here,” was al she offered. Music began to blare through the room and Anya found herself being pul ed through the crowd again, waving at familiar faces as she went. “Come on Anya, let’s dance.” Sonya began moving her body to the beat of the music, Anya fol owed suit. Though Sonya was obviously more experienced, Anya thought she was keeping up nicely. Suddenly, Xandar was dancing next to her. When more people joined in she relaxed a bit, noticing many of them danced as poorly as she did.

After a few songs, people left the dance floor and started to gather around the food. Anya remained on the dance floor with Sonya and Xandar,and a smal surroundingcrowd. Dancing was great! It was fun and freeing getting lost in the beat of the music. Xandar seemed to be playing a game where he would mirror her moves, when she tried to match his moves as wel Xandar took that as his cue to wrap his arms around her waist. As much fun as she was having, there was something amiss in his touch. Just when Anya was about to pul away, she spotted Cale and Bastian enter. After spotting her with Xandar, Cale kept a watchful eye on Sebastian as if at any moment he would have to tackle him to the ground. Sebastian had a look of … unmitigated calm. But at closer inspection his fists were clenched and his jaw was tight.

In one hand Cale wielded a sword—why would he bring a sword?—Anya had a sudden inkling that Bastian might snatch it to take off Xandar’s head.

For the sake of Xandar’s safety, she broke away from him and continued dancing with a little less enthusiasm. Xandar didn’t take the hint, staying close to her.

Sonya hadn’t noticed their entrance, until Anya asked her why Cale had brought a sword.Sonya’seyes flashed to the door and she waved them over.

“Hi guys! Isthatwhat you’ve decided on? Figures.”

Bastian answered, “What could possibly be a better gift than a sharp and deadly sword.” He said the last part with a sneer in Xandar’s direction.

Anya only heard the wordgift. It was the sword she practiced with every morning. “What do you mean by gift?”

“This is for you,” Cale said, handing her the hilt. “To keep.” He added, noting her expression.