The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series (25 page)

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time,” Seta said, bowing her head in return. “I’m certain reflecting on our discussion will fill my remaining duty hours well enough.”

“Please—call me Malachi. Though I like your respectful address, I greatly prefer the use of my name, especially by beautiful females,” he said, giving her a smile.

“Very well. Thank you for your time—
Malachi,
” Seta said, feeling his name resonate through her as it left her tongue. “Even your name has a strange energy. You are a most intriguing male.”

“I will choose to take that as a compliment, Lieutenant Trax,” Malachi said, fighting not to laugh. “Please give my best to Rena.”

Seta surprised him by smiling back before she turned and quietly headed back to the bridge.

Chapter 15

Chiang watched Boca’s eyelids open reluctantly, smiling when she put out a hand to touch his face as he loomed over her. Not so long ago, she would have stiffened in his arms and flinched away from his touch. He was nothing but grateful for all the progress that had been made between them.

“I must go to my quarters soon. The bursar has left my slave clothes there,” Boca said quietly. “If I had known this was coming, I wouldn’t have destroyed the ones I was wearing during my escape.

“You were very attractive in the clothes, but I would rather see you entirely covered than wearing any symbol of servitude again,” Chiang said, letting himself toy with her very long, very sexy, unbound hair.

“Captain Synar said he would finish our briefing on the flight down to the planet,” Boca whispered.

Chiang put his hand over the one touching him as he held her gaze. “I don’t blame you for being afraid. Healthy fear can save you. Just know that so long as I have breath, you will never again be a Lotharian’s slave mate. I would give my life to make sure that doesn’t happen.
II dau lui razboinic juramint
.”

Boca didn’t answer his promise, or even ask to know what he had said in Greggor. His intentions were in his gaze. Instead she nodded, pretending to accept Chiang’s statements, which appeased him as she had known it would. He rolled away from her and rose, his glorious body marred only with his family’s distinctive mark. Possessiveness rolled through her in waves, so it would have been hypocritical to rebuke the Greggor for having emotions she couldn’t help having herself.

Chiang’s protective feelings for her enslaved her far more than any pain device could ever do. How was she ever going to leave him for her Peace Alliance training? Her compassion for him grew exponentially with every night she spent in his arms. Watching him pull his Greggor military clothes on, her pride was an additional source of consternation to her. She had yet to see him fight, but Jurek had told her not to worry. He had said Chiang’s skills were more than sufficient and merely needed a good reason to be used.

Oddly, it wasn’t worry about his skills that plagued her. It was curiosity. It was something in her reaching out to his spirit, trying to find more in common. It was still a surprise to her how much she actually liked Chiang. At least, she liked him when he wasn’t bossing her around. But thinking about how much she was going to have to concede to him over the next few days had her frowning at the utility pants stretched tautly over his firm arse as he fastened them. Why did such thoughts immediately ignite her desires again?

She was mentally swearing at her lustful thoughts when Chiang’s com device called his name. Sighing, Boca rose from the bed herself. The mission was going to happen no matter how confused about Chiang she was.

And it was nearly time to go.

***

In the shuttle, Malachi sat in the co-pilot’s seat while Chiang and Boca sat near the back. Liam was flying, of course, which normally made the stoic Norblade almost giddy with pleasure, but not so today. Today Liam was frowning, and his thoughts were on the couple in the back of the shuttle who sat silently next to each other not even speaking.

“I have a bad feeling, and it keeps growing,” Synar began. “There was little resistance to the shuttle’s landing near the city. This is also not a good sign. While they think Chiang is coming to represent Conor, they shouldn’t be treating Boca and him like honored guests. I can’t imagine my brother was on that kind of terms with anyone he did business with regularly. He travelled with bodyguards and left dead bodies in his wake.”

“I share your concerns,” Malachi admitted. “But there is little that we can do now that this course of action has been set. Chiang and Boca are expected by Orem Sel. If they don’t show up, the ruler will know something is not right. Lotharians are not intuitive, but they are instinctively mistrustful. I can accompany them in mist form if you wish. I will obey the Greggor. I have grown accustomed to doing so.”

Chiang’s eyebrows rose. He looked at Boca, who shrugged.

“No,” Synar said. “As much as I want them safe, my instinct says to keep you in your body in case an appearance from Conor is needed.”

“As you wish,” Malachi said, nodding.

“It is not what I wish, but it is what we will do for now,” Synar said, maneuvering the shuttle into place on flattest ground he could manage to find.

While the ramp lowered, Chiang and Boca both stood.

Reaching into his pocket, Chiang pulled the remote for the Xendrin collar out. “Ready for this?” he asked.

At Boca’s nod, he powered the collar on and saw her straighten, pulling her energy and strength around her like a shield. She looked small but defiant, which was the perfect attitude to convince the Lotharians of her captive status.

They would survive this, Chiang promised himself, fighting his protective tendencies, and his urge to make her more promises. It was not what Boca needed at the moment. But they would survive this ordeal, and then he and Boca would decide about the rest of their life together. Chiang had been careful to keep his thoughts about it to himself, but one day soon, he was going to declare his intentions. May the Creators have mercy on them both when he did. The argument he anticipated had played out in his imagination dozens of time.

“Report your status to the Liberator as soon as you can,” Synar ordered, watching their curt nods. “May the Creators see you safely returned to us.”

“Thank you, Captain. We will take care,” Chiang promised.

After Boca and Chiang exited, Synar raised the ramp and lifted the shuttle for their return. During lift-off, he and Malachi saw a set of guards walking towards the couple.

“They are more afraid of each other than they are of Orem Sel,” Malachi said flatly, watching concern flickering in and out of Liam’s gaze. “I can always go with them. No one would ever know but us.”

Synar frowned but shook his head. “I want you to stay in Conor’s body in case we need him.”

“Do
you
need him?” Malachi asked. “You can always have Ania put Conor back in this form. Perhaps his time in the amulet has already changed him.”

Synar shook his head again. “Since the emissary has been with us, I’ve come to see the situation with Conor in a very different light. Ania and I will deal with him in due time. I’m actually glad it’s you and not Conor in his body. I don’t see my brother agreeing to help or being willing to go along.”

“I believe I heard a flattering comment in that soliloquy. You can be assured I will endeavor to play the role of Conor well, if I have to do so,” Malachi said.

Synar looked at the male sitting next to him. Normally, he would have mistrusted such a promise from the demon, but at the moment he felt nothing but sincerity.

“I am still able to read your thoughts, Liam. Yes, you can trust me. This concern for Boca and the Greggor is annoying though. How do you entities live with this constant fretting for each other? This must be a punishment from the Creators. I don’t think Conor ever had a caring moment for anyone but himself. Well perhaps your mother. . .he did favor her now and again,” Malachi observed, staring off into the darkness of space and the ship they were speeding towards at a rapid clip. Then he turned to a familiar face staring at him in shock from the pilot’s chair. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No. I just hope the mission proves as redeemable as the Demon of Synar,” he answered.

“Redeemable? You’re starting to sound like Ania with her wishful thinking,” Malachi said, smiling at the only male he could ever remember caring for outside of his old host, Jonas. “I am still a demon you know. Nothing will ever change that.”

“Indeed, and my instinct is screaming that we’re going to need your demon skills before this mission is done,” Synar said.

“Liam, your thoughts are getting more and more blood-thirsty these days. One would think we’re changing places,” Malachi said with a grin.

Synar snorted and turned his attention to landing the shuttle inside the Liberator.

***

Chiang glanced at Boca, who was already frowning at the guards approaching them.

“Walk behind me,” he ordered, using a tone that he hoped she would just obey and not debate for once.

Boca started to argue but saw the four guards coming to greet them were all armed with laser weapons. Chiang had talked her out of hiding knives in her skirt, not that there was much room to do so, but she didn’t like being unarmed.

A short distance from the guards, Chiang spoke again. “We’re here to see Orem Sel. Conor Synar sent me.”

Two of the guards stopped, keeping their weapons pointed at Chiang. The other two walked past him, each taking one of Boca’s arms.

“I’m first,” one said, prompting Chiang to spin and glare.

“The female is not for sale or trade. She is mine,” he said quietly. “Touch her and face your death.”

Grabbing the edge of her top beneath the Xendrin collar, the second guard ripped one shoulder completely, until it fell open to reveal her chest on one side. “Smaller breasts than I usually like,” he said.

Chiang took a step towards them before feeling the laser weapons sticking him. Turning faster than either guard could see, he grabbed them by their necks and slammed the two males together, hearing their heads crack as they fell.

“Can I kill them?” Boca asked, even as the guard still holding her laughed.

“No,” Chiang barked. “We have to talk with Orem Sel first. Then we will see. I didn’t kill the other two. I merely stopped them from killing me.”

“Semantics,” Boca declared, stepping away only to hear the rest of her top rip as well.

Chiang sighed as the guard who had ripped her clothing swore and swung his laser in his direction. He held up his hands. “Leave my female alone and I won’t hurt you.”

Boca looked at the hygiene straps still covering her, happy for once to be wearing the support. If she hadn’t been wearing them, she’d be nude now.

“Can I kill them—
please
?” she asked, not surprised to hear Chiang laughing at her pleading, despite the dilemma they were in with the Lotharian guards.

Mostly she wanted him to know that she wasn’t afraid of these men. This type of humiliation was nothing new to her. Females were too valuable to kill. Only kingdom rulers could order the death of one. She had endured far worse during her previous captivity, even after she had been awarded to one of Fener Sel’s officials.

“Not yet,” Chiang said to Boca, then immediately shifted his attention to the males. “I’m going to ask you once more to do as I bid you. If you continue to refuse, I am going to let her kill both of you.”

When they laughed, Chiang growled low in his throat as a warning. Boca sighed at him.

“Please let me defend myself,” she said through gritted teeth, growling herself when Chiang shook his head and glared at their laughing tormentors.

“If I answered yes, you would be wishing the two of you had been the ones I rendered unconscious. Boca is not as merciful as I am.”

They looked at each other and then at Boca. Chiang hoped they weren’t seeing what he saw. She stood regally in just her hygiene straps, all glorious defiance with a dare in her eyes that any male would want to take on. Not even their circumstances stopped his male organ from twitching with want of her. The warrior in her called to all of them, but she was his.

“What is the female to you other than property?” the first one asked.

“The female is my mate,” Chiang declared. “Now leave her alone.”

The second one snorted at Chiang’s pronouncement. Keeping his weapon level on Chiang’s gut, the male walked around Boca, swearing as he did so. He reached out a hand, putting it on the back of Boca’s shoulder, and then pulled it back quickly as if burned.

“He speaks the truth. She bears the Greggor’s mark, and it’s protected by a force field. She is walking death.”

Chiang’s eyes widened when Boca rattled off a solid stream of Sumerian that went on for a full minute. She finished the tirade with a hand gesture at the second guard, who swung his laser weapon from Chiang to her. She was reaching over her shoulder, trying to feel what the guard had found. What had Malachi done?

“What did your female say? Is she being disrespectful?” he asked, directing the demand to Chiang. “I don’t speak Sumerian.”

“Neither do I,” Chiang said coldly. “I had almost broken her of the habit of using that tongue. Now I will have no peace again. If I didn’t need you to find your ruler, I would beat you until your life force ceased for disrobing her.”

“Perhaps you need more control over your woman,” the first said on snicker. “If she were mine, I’d cut out her tongue if she didn’t please me.”

“If you are done flattering me, can we go see Orem Sel now?” Chiang asked sarcastically, telling himself not to reach out and snap the man’s neck for threatening Boca.

The female in question snorted at the first guard. “Touch me and I will feed your bonding parts to you and laugh while you gag on them.”

The second guard laughed then, and the first ordered him to shut up.

Chiang sighed heavily, rolling his eyes at the two males on the ground who were starting to return to consciousness.

“If I do not report back to Conor Synar soon, he will send his demon to investigate the matter. You’ll all be micro-dust for trying to stop us, and your ruler will no longer be a coveted customer,” Chiang said.