The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series by Donna McDonald Page A

with their blessing. The field merely slowed their vibrations and took them out of their participation in time. No harm was ever done.
    Why were those actions wrong with these creatures?
    And why were the Creators supporting and harboring one of the walking dead? The Pleiadian’s immunity was another surprise she hadn’t been expecting, not to mention further chastisement from those she served. Who was this female with power over her? She had been promised no being’s power would ever be greater than hers.
    “Now release the rest,” Ania ordered, seeing Malachi quickly recovering.
    “No. Not yet,” Rena began, shaking her head, too late registering that it must have been some sort of sign the unholy female had been waiting to see. The Pleiadian had the audacity to whisper the Creators names, followed by the ancient words of restraint that even she could not control.
    Rena gasped in shock to discover that she could not move her host body’s arms or lift her hands. She made a frustrated sound that was just short of a scream. “What power lets you restrain me? Do you have any idea what I can do to you or those you care about?”
    “Seems to me the Creators don’t approve of your actions towards us anymore than I do,” Ania said with great relish, pacing around her trapped quarry. “I’m not going to ask for what I want so nicely next time.”
    “Release me, Warrior of Darkness,” Rena ordered.
    Ania crossed her arms. Warrior of Darkness? Well, it wasn’t the first name she had been called since she’d merged with Malachi. At least ‘Warrior of Darkness’ sounded respectful rolling off the angry female’s tongue.
    “Why should I release you?” Ania demanded, waving an arm at all the frozen people around her. “You refuse to release them.”
    “It is for their protection…and Seta’s,” Rena said tightly.
    “Yes, what about Seta. She hosts a demon,” Ania said. “Do not lie. Malachi and I are both aware.”
    “Yes. But the entity only keeps her alive. It does not serve her like Malachi serves you,” Rena declared.
    “Malachi serves the Synars. He does not serve me. Malachi and I are. . .friends,” Ania said with a shrug.
    Malachi laughed. “Good to know, especially now that I see the Creators favor you over their own kind,” he said, walking slowly to Ania and poking her with one finger, not stopping even when she looked at him strangely.
    “A little busy here for your jokes,” Ania said hotly, yanking her arm away. “Why are you poking me?”
    “Why are you not affected by her power?” Malachi asked with a frown. “I made you. You’re the copy, not the original.”
    When he would have started poking again, Ania smacked his hand away hard, making him yelp.
    “Cease the poking! I do not know why. I bow to the will of the Creators,” she announced fiercely, annoyed further when Malachi laughed harder. She turned her irritation with Malachi’s poking into irritation at the still restrained Rena Trax. “Be truthful. Are you indeed an emissary of the Creators?”
    Rena hissed her displeasure. “By what right do you ask me anything? You are not a creature of any world. You are the walking dead.”
    Ania narrowed her gaze and turned to Malachi. “That does it. I’m tired of her disrespect. Toss her over your shoulder and bring her along to Dorian’s meditation room. If she won’t answer my questions, I’ll ask the Creators myself. It is not just her energy filling the ship. They are near to us.”
    “No. Don’t do that. Please—I was not to interfere with your fate,” Rena said quickly. “Indeed, I am one of their emissaries. I do not understand why they have made one of the walking dead my equal.”
    “ Your equal? ” Ania repeated happily, ignoring the ‘walking dead’ insult she was all too used to hearing by now.
    Testing Rena’s words, Ania turned and held out her hand towards Dorian. She spoke the Pleiadian words of release. Slowly Dorian resumed moving and looked