Baelon remained silent, his crystalline form glowing a deeper sapphire, as if in satisfaction. “I believe adaptation is your species’ most valuable trait,” he murmured. “We must preserve this attribute.”
Too bad the liquid didn’t erase the chill in her veins. Or somehow take away the oppressive weight of the cage. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glowered at him. “You think this changes anything?” she rasped, her voice gaining strength. “You can’t just... fix me and then expect me to lie down and let you experiment on me.”
Baelon’s crystalline lips curled into a thin, unnerving smile. “I expect nothing from you but existence, human. It is in your nature to resist. That will not change the inevitability of your purpose.”
With that, he vanished, leaving her alone in the dim, pulsing glow of her new prison. The gnawing pit in her stomach turned to acid. “I swear to God this isn’t over,” Toni whispered, her voice now steady. First things first. She’d finish the stuff shards-for-brains gave her. Then she’d figure out how to get out of this mess. Whatever twisted plans Baelon had in mind for her, he could shove them into the deepest void of space. Nothing was going to happen to this lady.
No way in hell.
Azazel followed Vaeloryx through the labyrinthine corridors of Baelon’s private sector, keeping his focus razor-sharp on his surroundings. Because he had to keep his psychic talents hidden, he’d forced himself to rely on his five senses.
Along with his trusty AI companion resting on his shoulders.
Since he couldn’t use his psionic powers, Azazel created something to defend himself with. Before they left the protected chamber, he used his powers to make a katana, identical to the one he’d had on Earth. He kept the blade in the scabbard attached to the sash wrapped around his waist.
He moved behind the gemstone male through the low light of the crystalline corridor, his every step deliberate and silent.
JR14 clung to his shoulder, the faint hum of his wings the only sound he made.
Behind him, Laytrii and Kyrix moved with silent stealth. Their crystalline forms shifted in hues of emerald and opal.
Around them, the walls pulsed in ominous shades—deep purples and bruised blues—that cast eerie, flickering shadows.
Azazel clenched his fists, keeping his mind sharp on everything around him. The nerves in his body screamed caution the farther they headed into Baelon’s private sector. Thank the goddess his inner beast remained still.
“We are close to the Nexus Core,” Vaeloryx murmured. The aquamarine crystals and mirrors on his body had a faint glow. “Prepare yourselves. Once we disrupt it, this area will destabilize.”
Azazel nodded, his jaw set. “Let’s hope this diversion works. We can’t afford to be pinned down here.”
Something about how easy it was to get to Baelon’s private sector didn’t seem right. There weren’t any guards. Nor did the rebels have a problem gaining entrance. What kind of maniacal dictator left himself open like that?
Either the guy was an intense egomaniac who never doubted his hold on his subjects—or
this was all a trap. But what he couldn’t figure out was, if it was a trap, why go through all this? Wouldn’t it be easier to either hold Azazel… or kill him?
Keeping his eyes open, he continued to follow Vaeloryx down the elaborate crystalline doorway toward the end of the hall.
“Observation,” JR14 interjected. “Probability of encounter with hostile forces has increased to 79.6 percent. I advise implementing tactical readiness.”
“Noted,” Azazel muttered. So, therewereguards. But why hadn’t they come to stop the intruders? Once again, he puzzled over the notion that Baelon didn’t have a huge contingency of troops controlling this sensitive area. Another question popped up. If it was this easy to get here, why hadn’t Vaeloryx and his crew done this a long time ago? Lips thinned, he brushed his hand over the hilt of the blade strapped to his side.
Vaeloryx stopped at a crystalline console embedded in the wall, its surface etched with shifting glyphs. He placed his hand on it, and the glyphs flared to life. “Laytrii, cover the rear,” he commanded. “Kyrix, assist me with the override.”
With a low hum, the door rippled and slid apart, revealing the heart of what Baelon kept in his private sanctum. The core chamber was vast, its walls lined with intricate crystalline conduits that pulsed with blinding energy. At the center stood a towering structure of translucent glass and shifting light.
That had to be the Nexus Core they’d told him about. It thrummed with raw energy, its vibrations resonating deep in Azazel’s chest.
Laytrii moved into position, her emerald body refracting the dim light. “We’re exposed here,” she hissed. “So, we’d better make it quick. Kyrix will take you to the place where Baelon is holding the human female. Once you’re in, it’ll sound off the alarms.” Her grin was infectious. “And that’ll give us a chance to take this damn thing out.”
Azazel glanced at the opal male before scanning the corridor, keeping his senses on high alert. “Okay, which way?” He grimaced as the air grew heavier, charged with a subtle vibration that set his nerves on edge. “Wait.” He held up his hand. “JR14, are you picking up anything unusual?”
JR14’s bulbous eyes flickered as he inspected around them. “Anomalous energy signature detected. Hostile entities approaching from the eastern corridor.”
“Son of alilit,” Azazel hissed. The guards’ approach didn’t surprise him. What shocked him was there weren’t more guards loitering around inside.Ezeru, he didn’t like any of this. With a smooth and deliberate move, he drew his blade. Its edges mirrored the gleam from the crystal corridor. “Change of plans. If you disrupt the core first, it’ll give me a better chance to get Toni.”
Vaeloryx’s expression hardened. “That’s not what we agreed on,” he hissed. After a silent beat, his clear crystal lips creased into a frown. “But… fine. Looks like I don’t have a choice.” He turned to his Krystalii companions. “Laytrii, Kyrix, begin the disruption.”
The two Krystalii nodded and moved to opposite sides of the chamber.
