Demon Possession (24 page)

“It’s just me.” Sebastian carried a tray of food toward her and then pointedly eyed the forgotten pastries. “I brought lunch. Did I wake you?”

Lunchtime already?Her stomach growled as she nodded at him. “But it’s okay. Obviously my stomach is happy to be awake.” The food smel ed delicious and she dug in without another word. As she chewed she closed hereyes, enjoying every flavor. It was already making here feel better. When she was done she noticed Sebastian watching her.

“I enjoy watching you eat.” He said. “It’s like you savor the last bite as much as the first.” Sebastian seemed a little different today, softer. He was smiling and relaxed. His usual mask was nowhere to be found. She smiled back at him and set the finished tray aside.

“I can’t help it. Al the new flavors are too good to ignore. I want to commit them al to memory so I never forget them. So the next time I taste something similar it wil always remind me.”

“Remind you of what?”

“My time here with al of you. No matter what happens to me I’l always remember how happy I was, am, on this ship.” She settled back down and cuddled into the pil ow.

Sebastian’s smile had faded slightly. “I hope wherever you end up you’l be happier than you are here.”

That made her smile. “That’s a nice thought.”However hard to believe.

Sebastian walked to the door. “Do you need anything else?”

“No. Thank you.”

When hewas gone Anya felt his absence like a heavy weight. She liked it when he was near and was starting to think of him constantly when hewasn’t.

In chunks,her memory of the night before was returning. Soon after Sebastian had carried her from the party she hadbegunto feel—besides dizzy—an almost maddening desire to be touched. But she couldn’t get the words out,or even get control over her body. If she had the usual control over her body, Sebastian would have had to fight her off of him.

She remembered asking him to stay with her. He’d given little, almost no protest at al . Only, she didn’t mean for him to sleep on the couch. She had almost outright invited him into her bed. Luckily she had the sense—or was it the degenerating vocal skil s—not to push the issue. She must have passed out at that point.

She should be thanking the gods for that.

Should be.

By the evening, Anya started to feel better and was getting restless. She felt wel enough to put in some hours at the pub. After a long shower, that washed away the last of the effects of the alcohol she dressed in a white blouse, fabric light and airy, and a patterned skirt that fel just above the knees. Her blond curls were left to flow free.

Anya thought of Sebastian, knowing he’d bring dinner and find her room empty. She was certain he’d show up at the pub, if only to complain about her working instead of resting. But Anya didn’t feel right about taking a whole day off, and she was embarrassed that she hadn’t been able to last until the end of the party. Her own party at that. Disappointed in herself, she hadn’t even had a taste of Marik’s cake.

Exiting the room she was immediately pushed back in by a pair of strong hands. At first she thought it was Sebastian butthe energywas wrong. “Xandar?”

“Anya, I’m sorry our date got interrupted. You truly are a lightweight.” He continued to guide her further into the room as he spoke.

“Uh … That’s okay, Xandar I … What are you doing?” The backs of her legs hit the edge of the bed.His energywas darkandmuddy, it reminded her of…

Darius.

It felt like Darius was in the room with her.

“I thought you would want a proper ending to our date.” She watched in despair as the door closed behind him. Then he was on her. Pushing her into the bed,covering her with his body,whileholding her arms on either side of her. His mouth latched onto hers.

Turning her head Anyacried out. “Xandar! Stop!” He didn’t. He released one hand only to fist the material of her blouse and pul . She heard a rip and her mind went wild, fol owed closely by her body. Struggling like a crazed animal Xandarhad to restrainher arms once again as she continued to squirm.

“You’l like it, I promise. Though you would have liked it better last night.” His lips pushed into hers again and she bit him as hard as she could.

“Ow! Bitch!” A heavy hand came fast across her face,and for a moment she saw only splotches of color. His strike put him off balance and left her right arm free. Without thought, she drove her palm into his nose, causing his head to bow backward, giving her time to pul her body out from under him.

Before he could regain himself, and lunge for her, she smashed the heel of her foot into the part of him that would render him nothing but a puddle on the ground—good thing she was wearing a pair of spiked heels. The sound that poured from him was one of pure anguish.

Cale’s words rang through her head.“Never hesitate. When your opponent is down either kil him or run.” She knew she couldn’t kil him so she ran out the door in a flash. Anya glanced behind her to make sure he wasn’t giving chase, and ran into a solid wal of muscle. The impact threw her backward and she landed hard on her ass. Quickly pul ing herself up Anya fixed her position to defend herself again.

Sebastian was staring at her, brows drawn together. “Where’s the fire?”

Xandar stumbled from the room and Anya changed her posture preparing again to fight him off.

His nose and lip were gushing blood. “Fuck!” He growled,while holding himself between the legs, and pinning her with a stare that promised suffering.

She’d seen that look many times before.

Sebastian’s head moved between the two of them. Then his eyes dropped to her cheek—which made her notice the sting there, she was probably bleeding—and then to her torn blouse. Only now did Xandar notice Sebastian, painful y he tried to straighten himself.

Anya felt the change instantly. One minute there was Sebastian, and then, poof, something else entirely stood in his place. Only a second had passed for her to notice the energy shift, a thickening pulse that seemed to push at her.

So fast, faster than even Calicmoved, Sebastian had Xandar around the neck and slammed him against the wal with so much force that the metal let off a vibrating ring. Xandar’s feet were dangling and his face was quickly blanching from the sudden lack of oxygen. Sebastian’s horns shifted to crimson,lookinghot to the touch, and his fangs seemed to grow, doubling in size before her eyes. The sound that came out of him shot a stream of pure terror through her heart. She wouldn’t cal it a roar, it was far more than that, with terrible promises of gruesome and agonizing pain buried through the layers of it. What she saw before her was no longer a man but a primal beast in his place. She couldn’t help but back away from the sight, trembling worse now than when Xandar had attacked her.

When Sebastian finished with Xandar,what would he do to her?

Her frightened movement caught his attention and he ripped his infuriated gaze from Xandar’s struggles to focus on her, stil holding him in place. His stare made her blood run cold. Xandar’s flailing slowed, becoming weaker and weaker attempts at escape.

Something in her eyes must have snapped Sebastian out of his rage because his features softened and he loosened his grip on Xandar, al owing him to suck in a straggled breath. But just as quickly, the beast was back in ful control, focusing on Xandar again, who was straining for breath once more.

Torn—heart racing—Anya could either watch Sebastian kil Xandar or she could risk herself to intervene. The death of Xandar wouldn’t bother her, he deserved no less, but she couldn’t bear to be any part of it. She’d seen too many deaths already.

“Sebastian,” She breathed. “Don’t kil him. Okay?” Sebastian only tightened his grip and bared his fangs at Xandar. Terrified, she moved to touch him,but before she could he looked at her hand as though he would bite it off. Hesitantly her hand clamped over his muscular arm. “Let him down.”

At first she didn’t think he could even comprehend her words, his face twisted into a mix of emotions. As though he wanted to do what she asked, but he also wanted to squeeze until he popped Xandar’s head from his body.

“Please.” Her hand was stil perched on his arm, tremulously holding his gaze with hers. The sound of another breath being sucked in gave her mixed emotions, to say the least, but she persisted. Final y, she felt him switch. The beast, or whatever it was, was retreating somewheredeep within Sebastian.

Witha firm grip on Xandar,he pointed to her room andina harshgratingvoice asked “Is anyone else in there?”

“N … No.”

“Get in there and don’t leave until I return. Don’t open the door for anyone.” He didn’t wait for her to obey, dragging Xandar by the neck, kicking and screaming down the hal .

She entered her room with a new kind of fear soaking through her.

Fear of Sebastian.

Sebastian dug his claws into his palms, needing to regain control. Cale wasn’t near to act as a release for the violent rage seething inside him. Beating the living shit out of Xandar, before dropping him in the cel ,had helped a little, although it would have felt better tohavekil him.Why had Anya asked him not to?The man had bloodied her. Tried to force himself on her.How far did he get?Sebastian’s roar reverberated, bouncing off the metal of the cel wal s.

Peering down at Xandar’s broken body Sebastian slammedshutthethick metal door. This is where he wil stay until his fate is decided. The bastard wil wish he’d died this day.

Rushing back, Sebastian needed to get to Anya. To make sure she was okay. He’d seen the fear in her eyes.Fear of … him?Her touch had been abashed. Who knows how he might have looked to her. She’d been terrified of him, Sebastian could smel her fear, but stil she braved it to bring him back from the Edge. He needed her now, could feel himself slipping back. Soon his control would be gone once more, fury’s grip was tightening.

Anya.

Eyes wild, he raced through the hal s to where she’d be.

He’d reworked the lock on her door so that it would only openwith a code from the outside. Xandar must have been waiting outside the door. Then realization hit him, almost forcing him back to Xandar’s cel to truly make him suffer. Xandar must have slipped something in Anya’s drink, planning to take advantage of her last night. Slamming his fist into the wal , Sebastian could feel his fangs elongating once again. He was losing it. The only thing that could calm him now is Anya.

Stomping through the hal s he came to her door, entering in a rush. At the sight of her he felt instant relief. She was standing in the middle of the room with her arms wrapped protectively around her torso. She had changed her ruined shirt, replacing it with a black top with white fril , the sleeves blossomed out at her wrists, and the col ar showcased the sculpted delicacy of her neck. If she meant to look less appealing, then she failed. Her features were drawn tight, watching him warily. When he moved toward her she backed away.

“Don’t be frightened.” He eased toward her again, and again she moved back, almost against the wal . He didn’t want her to feel cornered. With his hands up he assured her, “Okay. I won’t come any closer. I just need to know that you’re okay. He didn’t hurt you did he?”

Reaching up to touch her cheek she dabbed at the smal track of blood that lingered there. “I’vehad worse.” She said, as if that were meant to reassure him, it only made his hackles rise. Her gaze dropped to his tightening fists and she gasped. “You’re hurt!”

Sebastian hadn’t realized until now that his knuckles were cut from the beating he’d given Xandar—and possibly from using the ship as a punching bag.

Forgetting her fear Anya reached for his hand,examining the cuts with concern.

Before she could protest he pul ed her into him, wrapping both arms around her. “I’ve had worse.” Breathing in her scent he felt the last of his rage dissipate.She is safe.

“Did you kil him?” Her tone was hol ow.

He pul ed back to look at her. “No.” He said, unable to tel if she was relieved or distressed by that. Her bruised cheek was starting to swel . “Come,” he commanded. Pul ing her into the bathroom he lifted her onto the counter. She made no objections, but he could stil sense she was frightened. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. After retrieving a washcloth,Sebastiandampened it with cool water and began dabbing at the blood on her cheek.

Silently Anya watched Sebastian from the corner of her eye as he went to work cleaning away the blood. He was focused and intent on his task, but couldn’t seem to stop touching her in little ways. Softly touching her hair, her shoulder, her hip. Was he checking her for further injuries? It seemed more intimate than that. It was almost as if he didn’t even realize he was doing it. His gentleness with her was astonishing. While he was focused on wiping the blood from her cut, Anya al owed herself to study him closer. He seemed calm now, though his energy was stil erratic.

When he had first returned stil resembling the monster, it had terrified her. He’d stil been enraged, much more so it seemed, and she expected violence from him. His energy was screaming for it. Notfor the first time,she’d thought he might hurt her. But when he saw her he’d visibly relaxed, instantly morphing back intoherBastian. With a gentleness contradictory to the man standing before her, Sebastian cleaned her wound. By his soft pats and concerned looks, she knew he would never hurt her. She felt sil y for ever thinking otherwise. He’d shown her nothing but kindness from the beginning.

“You’re not frightened of me anymore?” He asked without averting his gaze from the cut on her cheek.

He was almost completely back to normal now. Horns returning to their original dark black and his fangs had receded. Thinking back to his other form, she couldn’t muster the terror it had inspired in the first place. “No.” She said simply.

“So easily?”

“You make it hard to fear you Sebastian, when you treat me the way you do.”

“And how’s that then?”

“Like you would never hurt me, no matter how angry you are, or how much you might want to.”

His golden eyes locked with hers, with such intensity it stole her breath. “I would never want to hurt you.” Cupping her face he rubbed his thumb along her unmarked cheek. “I could never hurt you. If anything ever happened to you, I fear I wil be trapped on the Edge forever.” Leaning in, he lightly kissed her bruise. “I think of you constantly.” He kissed her forehead. “Always.” Then with the lightest touch he kissed her lips.