Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay Page A

varied to the extreme. Neither table seemed to have placed an order yet. The man who had just ordered a moment ago sat alone atatable in the corner.Analiaapproached the table of three.
    The female had short spiky brown hair, and a smal frame. Near her hairline started an intricate deep blue tattoo that swirled in a tight pattern, growing larger and gradating to green,as it traveled along her hairline and down her neck, disappearing where her clothing hugged her shoulders. Her dress was a deep blue that skated down her body past her ankles where a pair of black open-toe shoes peaked out. Both men were blond, handsome in different ways and dressed in the same clothes, tan button down shirts with dark brown pants and heavy black shoes—A uniform, perhaps, to identify their jobs.
    None of them featured the horns that Sebastian, Marik, and Sonya did. Out of habit Analia looked at their ears—constantly seeking her own kind—they were nothing like her pointed ones. She fought the usual twinge of disappointment.
    It wasn’t until they noticed her approach that they stopped their conversation and looked at her. Her nerves caught up with her. She had no idea what she was doing. She almost forgot why she had approached them to begin with. Marik said totake their orderso she would start with that.
    “Hi, my name is Analia.” Her voice only slightly quivered. “May I take your orders?”
    Al eyebrows rose as they gaped at her. The two men at the other table stopped talking and focused on her as wel . She tried to smile but was sure it looked forced. Final y, one of the males spoke.

    “Hi Analia, I’m Xandar. You’re that girl aren’t you? That stowaway?”
    “I am.”
    “You’re cute.” He stated. The other two let out a short laugh.
    Analia tried not to blush, and kept her face blank. “Thank you.”
    “You’re working for Marik?” She nodded. “Don’t let him boss you around too much. He can be a tight ass.”
    Analia didn’t know what to say to that so she focused on her job instead. “Are you ready to order or should I come back?”
    Xandar’s gaze didn’t waver, his staring started to become uncomfortable. She told herself it was because being stared at was entirely new to her. Xandar leaned back in his chair and studied her from head to toe. “Technical y you’re not part of the crew are you?”
    “No,” she offered. “I’m not. I’l be leaving the ship once the current commission is completed.”
    “So that means you’re not against the rules.”
    The women snorted and spoke with a strange accent that Analia had never heard before. “Like you fol ow the rules anyway, leave the poor girl alone and just order already. Little Analia I’l have the shroomeak salad.”
    Analia nodded and turned her attention to the other male who hadn’t yet spoken.
    “Rake stew.” He said.
    She then focused on Xandar who was stil looking at her likeshewas on the menu.
    Final y, he spoke. “I’l do the rake stew as wel .”
    She nodded and turned away, walking to the other table to take their orders. The two men were both slightly dusted with black stains on their clothing and skin. Analia decided that, by their messed appearance, they must be mechanics or work closely with the engines of the ship. One man had an upturned nose and a set of long thin horns,nestled just behind ears that rose slightly above his bald head. They were nothing like Sebastian’s short stubbly horns.
    The man’s demeanor would look menacing, if it wasn’t for his kind eyes. The other man seemed to be made of wrinkles—his face, arms and neck, even his eyelids had wrinkles on them—though the wrinkles didn’t make him look old.
    Both men ordered rake stew. Analia reentered the gal ey to relay the orders to Marik,then asked, “What is rake stew?”
    “It’s made up of whatever meats I have available when I begin to make it, combined with vegetables and my own special blend of spices. It slow-cooks for three days before it is ready