Azazel’s jaw clenched. “Not for long.”
Ahead, JR14 paused at the edge of what looked like a sheer drop. The small AI turned back, his soft blue eyes focused on Azazel.
“Access point located. Ventilation shaft is ten meters below. Maneuverability required.”
“Great,” Azazel muttered. “Hold on, Toni.”
“Hold on to what?” She didn’t have time to wonder how he knew her name. Questions for him died as he leaped into the shaft without hesitation.
Toni screeched as the air rushed past them, cool and sharp as they fell. Her heart pounded, and her eyes widened with fear in the darkness.
Azazel twisted midair, his movements precise, as he grabbed a crystal outcropping. His grip steadied them for a moment before he swung into a narrow opening on the side of the shaft.
She gasped, her pulse racing.
“Are you insane? Who do you think you are? Tom Cruise doing his own stunts?” In real life, she never dreamed anyone would or could do something so reckless without extensive planning. Not even the craziest stuntman in the business would attempt to do anything like that until he and his crew planned everything down to the nth degree.
“No,” Azazel said in a flat tone. “Just experienced.”
Experienced? In what? If this guy claimed he did this sort of thing all the time, he couldn’t be real. He had to be something the sparkle-tyrant dreamed up from her mind.
JR14 landed on Azazel’s shoulder with a soft flutter of his wings. “Pursuers have paused at the shaft’s edge. Likelihood of continued pursuit: 41.2 percent. Recommendation: immediate removal from this area.”
Azazel adjusted his grip on Toni.
She watched his gaze sweep across the cramped space. At least there was more light here.
“Where does this lead?” he asked his AI companion.
“To a secondary junction near the resistance’s safe zone,” JR14 said. “Probability of our continued safety increases in that direction.”
Azazel didn’t say a word. He moved, his steps sure despite the cramped conditions.
Toni felt every jolt, every shift, and couldn’t help but marvel at how he carried her without breaking into a sweat. Damn superhero holding her wasn’t even breathing hard. “I don’t know who you are,” she kept her voice low. “But... thank you.” Even if he was some kind of decoy from the Krystalii, it didn’t hurt to let him think she was buying into this whole charade.
He glanced down at her, his expression unreadable. “We will have a clarifying discussion when it is safe to do so.”
“Can’t wait,” she mumbled.
Behind them, the faint echoes of the enforcers’ pursuit faded into silence.
For the first time, Toni took a deep breath and sagged against Azazel’s chest. Whatever this madness was, at least she was free of the blue-boulders’ grip—for now. And it was all because of the man holding her. Maybe later she’d get a chance to figure things out.
To decide if she was in the arms of a possible betrayer or not.
Chapter Three
Finally.ThemanholdingToni put her on her own two feet. It took a moment for the room to stop spinning, but soon enough, she crept behind him. Staying close to his powerful body, she moaned when a smidgen of his warmth touched her. Taking a fearful look behind her, she shivered and folded her arms across her chest, hoping to ward off the relentless chill.
She might be grateful he’d put her down, but the keen loss of his body heat made her shiver. Damn, she sure missed that human heater. She studied the firm muscles of his back, and the mesmerizing swing of his ankle-length silky braid tied at the nape of his neck. Wait, what kind of man grew his hair that long? And, if she wasn’t mistaken, the exposed tips of his ears had a slight point.
She considered the rest of him. The almond-shaped of his eyes gave him the look of an ideal Asian elf. Yeah, a muscular stuntman from Hong Kong who’d fit nicely on the set of any Lord of the Rings franchise. He even had a sexy accent to go along with the exotic vibe.
Shaking herself out of her musings, she glanced around and noticed the faint hum of the ship buzzing in the background. The strange sound rose and fell like a hypnotic chant.
Okay, enough walking behind a man like some kind of damsel in distress from an old silent movie. Gritting her teeth to keep them from chattering, she trotted to Azazel’s side and studied his attractive profile. Shimmers of the violet lights around them highlighted his sharp features.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” She grimaced at the impatient, whiny tone of her voice. She sounded like a petulant child. But dammit, she couldn’t help it. At least she didn’t demand to know if they were there yet.
