Azazel’s eyebrows lifted when she giggled back. It was light, unguarded—an amazing, carefree sound. He watched them with a sense of unease, their heads together in whispered conversation. Her leaning toward the citrine Krystalii like he was her best friend unsettled Azazel. What the hell could they be talking about?
“I assume what Tharion provides will meet with your approval.” Vaeloryx stood next to him with his hands behind his back. “He is quite talented with the visual arts. I’m sure he won’t choose something that would make you uncomfortable.”
Uncomfortable? Azazel glanced at him before turning back to watch Toni and Tharion disappear through an open doorway. Maybe it would be prudent to have a say in whatever those two concocted for him.
“You may be right, but I’d still better go with them to see what they have in mind. Hey, Toni!” Without a backward glance at the tall aquamarine Krystalii, he sprinted after her.
“Wait up.” He skidded to a stop and froze when he took in the supply area almost as wide as the outer chamber. Stacks of clothes sat beside weapons he couldn’t identify. And the rest looked like alien junk—or maybe tools? He couldn’t tell. Half the stuff buzzed or blinked when he got too close, and none of it made any damn sense. “What is this place?” he whispered.
“This is the Vault of Forgotten Worlds.”
Azazel startled when Vaeloryx spoke behind him. He’d been so caught up in the unusual sight of so many things crammed into one place. Vault of Forgotten Worlds. What a fitting name. The room was a cavernous expanse, and its glinting crystalline walls were filled with spider veins that pulsed in time with the ship’s energy flow. From floor to ceiling, shelves carved from the same shimmering material were stacked with artifacts that gleamed under the pale, flickering light. To add to the strangeness, a low hum vibrated through the air, tapping against his temples.
In the center of the room stood a massive circular platform, its surface etched with intricate patterns he couldn’t decipher. Objects hovered above its surface, suspended by some invisible force—blades, orbs, and small devices that radiated an alien energy he knew not to touch.
Toni moved ahead, her footsteps hesitant. She paused before a rack holding what appeared to be uniforms, running her fingers over the smooth, metallic fabric.
“It’s like armor,” she murmured, glancing at him. “But… if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear they were alive.”
Azazel gave her a brief nod, but his attention was fixed on a nearby shelf where several weapons hummed in faint tones. He cast a wary glance at Vaeloryx, whose aquamarine crystalline form reflected the soft glow of the vault.
“Our ancestors attuned everything in here to theNyrlith,” Vaeloryx explained, his voice steady but firm. “Tools, clothing, weapons—it’s all designed to resonate with our energy. Your organic forms may find it… unpredictable.”
Azazel frowned. “Unpredictable how?”
Vaeloryx’s crystalline face tilted, the gesture unreadable. “Anything here could amplify your abilities—or destroy you. It depends entirely on your will.”
Azazel studied Toni, chatting with Tharion as they pulled out swaths of material and clothing. “Are you saying we can use anything in here that conforms to our unique signatures?”
“Yes.”
Interesting. “And is it possible those items couldhideour presence?”
The ridge above Vaeloryx’s eyes furrowed. “I suppose so.” His answer came out slowly. “No one has taken the time to test anything in here. To be honest, the proximity to this place is why we set up our headquarters here. Our people have forgotten its existence for thousands of years. None of the Krystalii has an interest in a collection of curiosities from alien races we’ve already conquered.”
“Observation,” JR14 interjected. “The neglect of such a repository indicates a severe lapse in resource optimization. Thousands of years of untested alien technology could provide significant tactical advantages if analyzed and adapted in a concise, methodical manner.”
“That is a valid suggestion,kalu.” Azazel said, turning to Vaeloryx. “While Toni and I uncover suitable clothing and weapons to use, why don’t you have one of your people take a look around here to see if there is anything you can use to help sabotage the Nexus Core?”
The crystal male’s humanistic smirk matched the droll look in his silver eyes as he glanced at Tharion chatting with Toni. “Yes. I agree with your valid suggestion.”
Chapter Five
Forthefirsttimesince waking up in this godforsaken hellhole, Toni breathed a sigh of genuine relief. She’d been cold for so long, she was pretty sure her bones had frostbite. With any luck, her teeth chattering in a castanet impression had taken their last bow.
She flexed her fingers and marveled at how the strange material of the suit she had put on responded like a second skin. The deep midnight blue fabric gleamed with a subtle incandescence, as if it generated its own light. Gold veins traced intricate patterns along her arms and torso that pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. When Vaeloryx explained earlier that the suit was alive—or something close to it—she had doubts. Now she shivered for an entirely different reason. The idea of wearing something alive made her throat tight. But she couldn’t deny how the warmth or how perfectly it fit, as if it had been created just for her.
Glancing next to her, she studied Azazel. Now there stood the poster boy for tall, dark, and dreamy—on steroids. His suit mirrored hers, but instead of navy blue, his was a deep obsidian black, the gold accents bolder and more pronounced.
The suit highlighted his powerful physique with every movement. Hard, masculine muscles rippled under the fabric, leaving little to the imagination. Around his shoulders and chest were faint, crystalline plates that shimmered in jagged patterns, a stark contrast to the smooth texture of the rest of the suit. His already commanding presence magnified.
If she concentrated, she sensed some kind of energy coming from him. Contained, but humming with potential. She smiled, watching JR14 settle onto his normal perch on Azazel’s left shoulder. The slippery-looking material didn’t seem to cause the little droid any trouble. He hung on just fine.Guess having eight legs has its advantages.
Looking at the arms of her suit, she was once again awestruck. She hadn’t known what to expect when she went into the Vault of Forgotten Worlds with Tharion earlier. But now she was glad she’d taken the chance to wear something so alien. She loved the soothing sensation of the suit against her skin. She turned to Vaeloryx, who was watching them with an unreadable expression.
“Are you sure…” She hesitated, searching for the right word. “Since these suits are… um, alive, that they won’t mind us wearing them?”
“In the general sense, yes, they are sentient.” Vaeloryx’s crystalline body reflected shattered images in the chamber’s dim light. “I find it fascinating that the suits you’ve chosen are ancient Krystalii creations. They were made to attune to the wearer’s energy and amplify their abilities. Trust me, if they didn’t want to bond with you, you would not have been able to put them on. But,”—he warned, his tone stern—“they can be unpredictable. We are not sure if they only magnify your strengths, but they might also heighten your weaknesses. I suggest you use them with caution until you are in sync.”
