Toni’s pulse hammered as she glared at Azazel. “All right, what do you mean by something more?”
His shoulders straightened, and his face tightened under her scrutiny. He looked at her as if weighing the best thing to say. After a quick glance at the Krystalii, he exhaled, then he spoke in a soft, but steady tone. “I’m like them, Toni.” He nodded toward the Krystalii rebels. “I have psychic abilities like they do.”
Toni blinked. Her head felt light as a chilly wave of disbelief washed over her.
“Psychic?” Her voice cracked. “Like reading minds and all?” She gulped. “Moving things with just a thought?” She clenched her fists at her sides, knuckles white. “And you didn’t even consider that was something I should know about?”
He glanced away from her with thinned lips.
“It was never my intention to hide anything from you.” Throwing his shoulders back, Azazel continued. “Believe me, I want nothing more than to share with you who I really am.” He waved a hand around him. “Ever since I came aboard, I’ve had to suppress my psychic abilities to keep the Krystalii from finding me.” His grin was self-deprecating. “And since we’ve met, all we’ve done is run around this ship to avoid getting caught.”
Toni rubbed her arms and hung her head.Fair enough.She looked up at him.
“Okay, but we sure could’ve used some extra mojo a couple of times back there.” She gave a nervous chuckle.
JR14 chimed in, his metallic voice precise and matter-of-fact.
“Clarification: Azazel’s psychic capabilities are substantial, ranging from telekinesis to telepathic resonance. He applied those abilities when the Federation Consortium tasked him with locating and extracting you.”
Toni’s jaw dropped. “They sent you to find me?” She paused, her mind reeling. “Only because I’m… a target for Baelon?”
“No.” Azazel frowned. “I mean, yes, you and those other women who were taken from the exchange. All of you were more important than you realize, Toni. Your resilience, intelligence, and adaptability are everything Baelon seeks to exploit. I… I couldn’t let that happen to you.”
She frowned as an alarming thought occurred to her.
“Have you been reading my mind all this time?”Jen-Jang! She thought in Korean.Did he know she mistrusted him?
A flicker of hurt crossed his face, but he looked straight into her eyes. “Of course not. I assure you, I avoid invading anyone’s privacy without being invited.” He shuddered. “I consider that no better than violating someone physically.”
Vaeloryx leaned forward, and his crystalline form glinted under the dim light.
“With Lord Baelon remaining unaware of Azazel’s presence, his abilities may be our greatest asset,” he said in a measured tone. “Let us go forward in establishing trust between us. Without it, this mission will fail before it begins.”
Toni’s gaze darted between Azazel and Vaeloryx as her heart pounded.Ah, moment of truth.Though doubt clawed at her, she couldn’t look away from Azazel. Something in the depth of his gaze—raw, unguarded—held her spellbound. Beneath the sobering darkness in his eyes, a quiet sincerity glimmered. A flicker of vulnerability, so real it pushed her fear aside and gave her room to reconsider. With a sigh, she slumped against the pad.
Taking in a lungful of air, she looked up at him and exhaled.
“Okay, fine.” She flipped her hair behind her. “But if you so much as think of going anywhere near my mind, I’ll figure out how to make your fancy-schmancy psychic brain regret it.”
Azazel’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
That smile made her tense shoulders relax. That is, until her eyes caught on the glorious display of his naked, muscled chest right next to her. The warmth from his body reached out to her, making her tingle all over.
Lifting her chin up to meet his eyes, she gave him a mischievous smirk.The only way she could continue to work with him was if he’d put a damn shirt on.He had no right to prance around and distract her all the time. “I may be tired, but do you think we can find some clothes to put on before we do anything else?”
It wasn’t like they were in some kind of rom-com where the leading hunky man ran around half naked all the time. This was more like a high-stakes sci-fi thriller, and darn if she’d let the well-built leading actor get in the way of the main plot of this screenplay.
After all, a girl’s gotta keep her priorities straight.
Clothes. The woman wanted clothes. Azazel glanced at his bare chest. His ability to regulate his own body temperature made him forget he only wore loose pants and boots. The katana and sub-node strapped to the sash on his waist didn’t count.
She shivered and rubbed her arms. “You gotta admit, it’s freezing in here.”
“Oh, I can help you with that!” Tharion snapped his fingers. “Follow me, darlings.” He turned with a sway of his trim hips to the opposite side of the chamber. “I’ve been dying for ages for someone to try these on.” He looked over his shoulder and glared at his crystal companions. “The naysayers here have no sense of what decent invaders should clothe themselves in before going into battle.” He huffed. “These heathens ignore the nuances of psychological combat that give an added edge to any conflict.”
“Only primitive creatures require coverings over their inefficient bodies.” Kaelith’s gravelly voice echoed in the large room. “That, at least, is something I can agree with Lord Baelon on.”
“Oh, posh!” Tharion waved a dismissive hand. “You are a primordial brute who doesn’t have an iota of sense of civilization. Or what civilized people should wear.” He stood in front of Toni and looped his arm through hers, hauling her to her feet. “Trust me”—he patted her hand—"you’re gonna love this!” He snuggled up to her and giggled.
