The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series (34 page)

He looked back to see Malachi staring silently at the comatose form of Rena Trax. Amazed to feel sympathy yet again, he softened his voice before asking for help.

“Malachi, the Paladin has a pulse generator. Any idea what frequency could be used to scramble the electronic signals on the planet’s surface?”

Synar noticed Malachi didn’t bother looking in his direction. He just quietly rattled off a series of numbers.

Warro punched a code into the com device of the shuttle. “Commander Hornex, this is Captain Warro. We’ve completed the rescue but need to provide a little more time for the ground troops to assemble and be disbursed. Set the pulse at the following frequency and begin broadcasting it planet-wide.”

Warro repeated the numbers Malachi had provided.

“Captain Warro, the pulse will disrupt everything on the planet that communicates or sends signals of any sort,” the Paladin’s commander answered.

“Precisely,” Warro said. “Make it happen as quickly as you can, Commander. Be prepared to cut it when the first ground troops land.”

“Yes, sir,” the Paladin commander said, signing off.

Warro looked to Synar. “What now?”

Synar glanced over his shoulder again. “Let the Guardian vessels handle the rest. We need to save our Ethosians.”

“Agreed,” Warro said, relieved to see the docking bay of the Liberator open to welcome them back.

Chapter 23

“I have run all the tests the Liberator has the capacity for, but the poison is not showing up on the list of known toxic substances. Both the Paladin and the Dread Nought have searched their databases as well. My guess is that the poison is something Orem Sel’s black market healers concocted. We could send physical samples to the nearest Peace Alliance planet for further evaluation, but I don’t know if we have that kind of time. Without knowing what they ingested, there is not much we can do to fight its effects,” Chiang said.

Synar and Warro leaned against the wall, watching Chiang work on the Trax siblings.

“It would take days just to transport the med samples,” Synar said. “With what’s about to happen on Lotharius, we can’t leave until the surface has been secured.”

“The invasion will take weeks, even if the Lotharians concede without fighting back,” Warro said.

“Boca came back from Lotharius with some new healing skills, but they have not been effective on either of the Trax females,” Chiang said, frowning as he remembered that Boca had been avoiding him as much as she could since their return.

Boca and Medic Wu were at the moment removing Kefira’s wires in the Medical area of the doctor’s quarters. She had insisted the young female be given a sedative so when she awoke she would have no memory of the pain of the procedure.

Chiang’s concern was more about Boca fearing to have her own wires removed, which was definitely going to happen as soon as he could see to it. And the damn controller was coming out of his hand as well. He was planning to talk to Zade about doing some energy clearing on her afterwards—maybe even on both of them. Chiang wanted no reminders of that past lingering as they got on with their lives.

“Is Malachi with Boca?” Synar asked, sensing it was true, but he wanted to see if Chiang had any opinion about the demon’s strange behavior.

“Yes. I sent him to help with Kefira,” Chiang said. “Though I have trouble believing my instincts, I have accepted that Malachi has been traumatized by what happened.”

He had concluded the demon was of no use in Medical when all he did was stare at the body of Rena Trax with so much sadness that Chiang actually felt sorry for him. It was still difficult to believe that Malachi had a sincere compassion for any female.

“What is the state of Rena Trax?” Synar asked, dreading to hear the answer.

Chiang sighed in frustration. “There is still no sign of consciousness within the physical form.”

“So there is no hope the emissary’s host body will recover?” Synar asked.

“Not necessarily,” Chiang said softly. “There’s no sign of real life, but there’s also no sign of death yet either. Normal decay is happening, but the rate is only traceable with instruments. It’s like the body has entered a form of stasis.”

Synar pushed off the wall and started walking. “I’m going to the conference room. Dorian and Ania are on the Dread Nought. I’ll ask them what they think.”

“What about Seta, Doctor?” Ji asked when Synar had disappeared, crossing his arms as the creature inside Seta’s body lifted her head and looked at him. “No. I don’t want to hear your opinion of her imminent death again. I want to hear the doctor’s views of the matter.”

When Seta’s body lay back down on the table without speaking, Ji sighed and worked to soften his voice.

“I want the real Seta back. I want the female that served on my ship. This is important, Doctor,” he said firmly.

“Indeed, I can see that it is to you,” Chiang said quietly, not really seeing at all. What was Captain Warro’s relationship to his former lieutenant? From his observation, Lieutenant Trax had not felt anything for the Siren. In fact, the Ethosian female had seemed particularly immune to the allure of the male. The only male she’d shown any interest in was Malachi.

“Answer the question, Doctor.
Please
,” Warro added as an afterthought.

“I’m sorry, Captain Warro. I have nothing new to share about Seta’s situation either. There is no sign of decay or that the body is expiring. Obviously it is Zorinda who is talking to us now. It is as if the illness has caused Seta to give over control of her body to the energy that is keeping her alive.”

“Being powered by a demon is not the same as being alive,” Ji said firmly.

Hearing the frustration in his own voice, Ji took a couple deep, calming breaths, telling himself the doctor was sharing all he knew. He refused to accept that housing a demon was to be Seta Trax’s fate. Death or demon possession? Never. Both were unacceptable.

“There has to be something we can do for her,” Ji insisted.

Boca walked into medical and around the emotional Siren. She was quite proud of herself for not chastising Chiang for his lack of sympathy. Anyone with eyes could see Ji Warro was Seta Trax’s natural mate, but Chiang seemed oblivious to it. She looked calmly into Chiang’s questioning gaze, waiting for the questions she saw there to be given voice.

“You disappeared when we returned,” Chiang declared, unable to stop himself.

“I went to my quarters. I needed a cleansing and some time alone to think about things,” Boca said calmly, though she did not feel calm.

And time alone had not helped.

“Kefira’s body is now free of the wires. Malachi volunteered to stay with her until she wakes from the sedative. I don’t think he can handle working on the Trax siblings. May I examine Seta’s body again?”

In answer, Chiang held out a hand to the medical table where the body with the Demon Zorinda in it lay. Oddly, the existence of another demon didn’t even faze him. The energy signature was not nearly as strong as Malachi’s.

Boca walked to the bed, nodded to the entity calmly watching her, and then spoke the words that had popped into her mind while she was dressing.

“You will not be allowed to keep this body if you don’t work to save the spirit within it. If Seta Trax completely dies, they will take you out and move you into the amulet. Rena Trax has been bargaining for that eventuality since coming on board the Liberator,” Boca stated. “It is imperative that you save your host.”

“Who are you to command me?” Zorinda asked.

“I am no one. And this is not a command. It just an explanation of what will be your fate if Seta Trax does not continue to live,” Boca stated. “Tell us the effects of the poison on the body.”

When Zorinda turned away, Boca turned to Chiang. “May I?” she asked, pointing to his wrist com.

Chiang lifted his arm to her mouth and held the button.

“Contact Captain Synar,” Boca ordered.

A few moments later, Synar came on. “Synar here.”

“Captain, this is Ensign Ador. Please inform Zorinda about what Rena Trax wanted from you.”

“Who is present to hear this besides you?” Synar asked.

“Captain Warro, Zorinda, and Chiang,” Boca replied. “The room is secure from those who don’t know what’s going on.”

“The emissary was seeking the amulet I took from Ania’s captors on Terris Rein. She said it was meant for Zorinda,” Synar said.

“Thank you, Captain. I believe Zorinda is convinced now,” Boca said, seeing Zorinda turn to face her again.

“I’ll be in conference with Lieutenant Zade and Ania for a bit. Synar out.”

Chiang lowered his wrist as Boca turned back to the bed. She raised her palms over Seta’s body.

“No—stop,” Zorinda said, not wanting the energy of the Creators so close to her again. “She. . .what my host ingested was a compound that affects the mind. It is causing a state of permanent unconsciousness, like sleep, but much deeper. There appears to be no reversal. I do not know if its effects will wear off naturally or not.”

Boca reached out one hand. “I must touch you to determine if you speak the truth. I will not change anything without telling you.”

She put one hand in the middle of Seta Trax’s chest. Her palm burned. And then she saw what Zorinda told them was the truth. With her new skills though, Boca also saw that it was temporary. The length of the sleep was just unknown.

“She speaks the truth as she understands it,” Boca recited, stepping away.

Chiang reached out a hand. “What happened to your hands on Lotharius? You have a new energy within you.”

“Yes. Unfortunately,” Boca admitted, walking around Chiang to be nearer to Warro. She looked up to meet the Siren’s worried gaze. “Seta Trax will return, but I do not know when. With a custom developed drug, one can never be sure of outcomes. However, my instinct is that the Demon Zorinda can make Seta’s return happen faster if she chooses.”

Warro nodded, his throat suddenly tight with relief. “Thank you, Ensign. At least that is some good news.”

Boca bowed her head to him and walked out of medical to check on Kefira. And to give Malachi the news. She hoped that knowing it would prompt him to have a demon-to-demon chat with Zorinda. She had no doubt Malachi could persuade Zorinda to be more helpful.

She wasn’t sure what it meant for Rena Trax.

Emissaries were unpredictable, as she had learned painfully.

***

Synar met Ania at the foot of the landing ramp shortly after the Dread Nought’s shuttle docked. “Where’s Dorian?”

“Coming on the next shuttle,” Ania said, reaching out to put her hands on Liam’s arms. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so concerned.”

“I could order him to do it, but. . . “ Synar paused at his mate’s understanding nod. “He is defeated. I have seen Malachi be many things, but never emotionally depleted.”

“We must assume he is more connected to Conor’s body than we suspected. How would a normal Norblade male react when grieving such a loss?” Ania asked as they moved towards the elevator.

“The same,” Synar admitted. “Though I can’t even imagine how I would bear your death as well as Malachi seems to be handling the emissary’s.”

“You would force yourself to recover because you have the ship and its crew to care for even in my absence,” Ania said firmly. “All Malachi has is the sacred contract. He is forced to serve it out, but that is not a whole life, Liam. I don’t understand what connection he had to the emissary, but I never doubted it was a powerful one.”

“Malachi isn’t the only problem. Chiang is trying to determine what kind of poison they all ingested. Conor’s body seems unaffected, so it’s likely only the females were given it. Warro has taken up residence in Medical to make sure Zorinda does nothing obscene to Seta Trax’s body. I did talk him into drinking another round of Siren ale to calm himself down.”

Synar ran a hand through his hair.

“Raging fires of Helios, I need Dorian back here too. I can’t order Warro to leave completely. He’s been a captain longer than I have. If he reacts to another Siren poorly, at least his slugging Dorian will give me a blasted reason to eject him from my ship.”

Ania laughed. She couldn’t help it. Her stoic mate was frazzled. For some reason, it pleased her to see him that way. “I’m sorry you are having so many difficulties. I will help any way I can.”

The elevator doors closed, sealing them in privately for a few precious moments.

“Kiss me then,” Synar ordered. “Distract me for a few moments so I may again know peace.”

Ania laughed but walked into her mate’s welcoming arms. She lifted her mouth for a kiss, unsurprised to find herself swept up against an already vibrating male. His tongue in her mouth spoke volumes about his neediness.

She ran hands over his hair, grabbing two handfuls to hold him to her. When the vibration hit, he groaned in response. Ania made sure she echoed it back to him until there was nothing left.

Calmer now, Synar let her feet slide down to solid surface again, looking beyond them to the audience of Jurek’s ensigns standing outside the elevator with politely averted eyes.

“Ensigns,” Synar said in acknowledgement, hearing Ania snicker beside him.

“Greetings, Captain,” Ensign Karr said, fighting hard for his lips not to twitch. Laughter would have to come later. His gaze slid to Peace Keeper Looren, favoring her with an interested sweeping glance. The Pleiadian woman had an awfully nice moan when being pleasured. His opinion of Captain Synar rose several notches when the Norblade male dragged his laughing mate out of the elevator and down the hallway with him.

“We need more females on this ship,” one of the ensigns he sparred with complained, watching Captain Synar walking away with his mate.

“Indeed,” Ensign Karr said, rubbing his chin as the three of them entered the elevator. “That is a profound truth, as Lieutenant Zade would say.”

The males all laughed at his joke. Their resident Siren counselor was bit stuffy at times, but no one would have dared to act amused in his presence. Or Commander Jet’s for that matter. She didn’t tolerate disrespect of any sort, but she was especially intolerant of anything said about Lieutenant Zade.