The breathtaking colors of his aquamarine-and-silver scarred body somehow radiated a calm authority.
He tapped a jagged hand against a console that appeared in front of him, and a holographic display flickered to life. He indicated a map of what he called the galactic seat of the Federation Consortium. He called it the chancellor’s palace, an immense space station shaped like an elegant, sprawling city that orbited the planet Zerin.
“Baelon has made his move. The dimensional invasion has begun. His forces have concentrated on the planet Zerin and at the chancellor’s palace. The Elites are dismantling the Federation’s government as we speak.”
Toni’s breath hitched. She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs so hard it squeezed the air from her throat. She gripped the chalice hard enough that some of the liquid swished over the rim.
Vaeloryx continued.
“Added to that, the first wave of his fleet has already deployed to most of the secured strategic outposts across the galaxy.”
Azazel lifted the goblet he held to his mouth and drained its contents. His expression remained impassive.
Toni’s stomach churned at the image the Krystalii projected. She wasn’t a soldier or a strategist, but even she could see the Consortium didn’t stand a chance if Baelon’s forces gained total control. She glanced at Azazel. He’d put the goblet on the floor next to him and studied the hologram with quiet intensity. His eyebrows slanted into a deep furrow.
“Do you know what Baelon’s endgame is?”
Azazel’s voice might be calm and measured, but Toni watched his jaw clench and his eyes narrow.
Vaeloryx’s gaze darkened, making the silver color darken to a dull gray. The rest of his crystalline face remained unreadable. “Control. He seeks to absorb the Consortium’s genetic and psychic resources. What the general population of the Krystalii is unaware of is that our birth cycle is weakening and has been for several millennia. This is why Lord Baelon’s prime directive has been an obsessive need to capture a human to use your species’ adaptability. He feels this is the key to reversing our decline. Therefore, he intends to harvest the material he deems necessary. At any cost.”
Toni shivered and crossed her arms.Time to join the conversation instead of sitting on my ass while myspeciesis on the chopping block.“Harvest necessary material? You mean… my people?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended. “He’s planning on harvesting humans from Earth?”
“Yes,” Vaeloryx answered. “As I have stated, he has a particular interest in your species. In addition to being adaptable to producing young for an alien race, it’s your resilience, your psychic potential that is notable. All of which makes Baelon view humans as a threat as well as a resource.” His shrug was stilted and unnatural. “He sees no difference.”
Toni’s hands clenched as a wave of anger surged through her. No one had the right to reduce someone to a resource. “Why not start here, then?” She waved at the planet Zerin and the chancellor’s orbiting palace on the hologram. “Why not go straight to Earth and gobble all the humans up?” She snorted. “It’s not like we could fight against him.”
“Earth may be the endgame,” a bulky-Krystalii announced in a rough, gravelly voice.
The voice came from an imposing male made of obsidian crystals standing off to the side. His glossy black crystals carried glowing, violet iridescent streaks, which made him quite intimidating.
“But Baelon is astute enough to take out the biggest threat to his invasion first. That way, all the other systems in this dimension will fall in line with whatever he wants.”
“That’s correct, Kaelith.” Vaeloryx made a halting gesture with his palm up. “However, we need to allow the organics some time to re-energize before we discuss what to do next.”
The sneer on the inky Krystalii’s face made Toni’s face heat.
“Organics.” The brute snorted. “Creatures with no power or strength. I don’t see the value of bringing them into our group. What do they have to offer besides needing us to waste time as we take care of them? We’d do better on our own.”
“Yes, well, about that.” Azazel looked at his hands before glancing back at the Krystalii. “I have certain, ah, talents that align with yours.”
Toni had drained her own cup and now frowned at Azazel’s announcement.What did that mean? How could he possibly be like the Krystalii?Her eyes widened.Wait. He never denied being a psychic when she teased him about it. Had she been right all along? Did that mean he was some kind of plant from shards-for-brains Baelon?She straightened and put her own goblet on the floor. A surge of unease sent acid burning up her throat. Trying to go unnoticed, she scooted away from Azazel.
She didn’t get too far before he put his arm around her waist. “Hebat,” his voice caressed in a soothing tone. “Whatever has put that fear in your eyes, I assure you it’s not what you think.”
Toni jerked in his hold and turned to him.
“Yeah? Isn’t that what people say when they’re hiding something?”
Azazel straightened, his back ramrod steel. The slight upward tip of his ears darkened.
“Antonia—” He held his opposite hand up. “—I am not the villain here. My priority was to rescue you and take you back to Earth.” He glanced at the still and silent Krystalii. “But now things are much more dire.”
He turned his attention back to her.
Toni’s heart raced at the pleading in his mahogany-colored eyes.
“However, you are correct that I purposefully held a part of myself from you. And it’s time I confess that I’m something more than what I appear.”
