Vaeloryx’s crystalline face shifted, and the hard line of his lips softened as he gave him an understanding nod. “Agreed. So, we’d better not waste any more precious time. If you allow, I will create a temporary coating over your psionic abilities without being intrusive, to increase your camouflage abilities. Will that be alright with you?”
Azazel hesitated. “If I feel you violating my genetic makeup, I will retaliate.” He braced himself when his internal demon stirred, threatening to wake up. It took everything he had to keep it at bay while maintaining the psychic concealment he’d put in place to keep anyone from knowing the beast was there.
“I assure you, delving into anything deeper in an organic alien would be abhorrent to me.” Vaeloryx held up a hand. “I offer no offense.”
Azazel couldn’t help the grin. He couldn’t agree more. “None taken.”
Without another word, Azazel sensed a warmth envelop him, like walking into a room with a higher temperature. He breathed a sigh of relief as it settled around him. The Krystalii was true to his word and didn’t violate him internally.
JR14 fluttered back onto Azazel’s shoulder, his mechanical limbs clicking in rhythm. “Observation: partnership formed. Must now proceed with outlined objectives.”
“Good.” Vaeloryx turned to lead the way. “If you would follow me, I will take you to a haven in order for us to develop a successful plan of action.”
Azazel followed without a word. For better or worse, the Krystalii resistance had gained a couple of unlikely allies.
Azazel trailed behind Vaeloryx, his footsteps soundless against the crystalline floor, as the passages of theNyrliththrummed with a low, steady pulse. The smooth walls they passed were lively with shifting crystalline colors of green, blue, pink, and even midnight black.
JR14 kept a steady perch on his shoulder. His red-and-gold metallic forelimbs gave small clicks as he scanned their surroundings.
Azazel had so many questions it was hard to focus on just one. The silence between the three of them stretched.
Vaeloryx stopped at an unremarkable section of the wall. He raised one translucent aquamarine hand, his movements deliberate as the crystalline surface of the wall rippled and parted, revealing a narrow corridor lit by a swirling pale light.
“This way.” The Krystalii’s voice was low and steady.
Azazel hesitated, his instincts prickling. He didn’t dare psychically reach out to Vaeloryx, so he had to rely on conversation to get a better understanding. “I admit I’m still nervous about all of this. How do I know you’re not leading me into a trap?”Like the alien would admit it if that was the case,he thought.
Vaeloryx turned, and his bright-ivory eyes met Azazel’s gaze. “If I were, I would not have taken you this far. Trust me,Adamou.”
“Observation,” JR14 responded. “Probability of survival increases when surrounded by individuals invested in mutual success.”
Azazel glanced at the bot.
“However,” the droid continued in his dry monotone, “trust remains a statistically unreliable factor.”
Well, wasn’t that the literal truth?
Gritting his teeth, Azazel followed the Krystalii and kept his senses sharp. The air here felt different—denser, quieter. As they moved farther in, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. The space was unlike the sterile, lifeless halls of theNyrlithhe’d seen so far. Crystalline structures in a rainbow of colors jutted from the ground like trees, their surfaces etched with intricate designs that pulsed with energy. A group of Krystalii stood in the center, their bodies in a variety of translucent shades.
One stepped forward, a shorter Krystalii with a feminine-shaped body of deep emerald that glistened under the pale light. “Well, look at you, Vaeloryx. I see you’ve located the outsider.” Her voice was sharp, almost accusatory, as her glittering gaze fixed on Azazel.
“Yes, this is Azazel,” Vaeloryx stated in a smooth voice. “The organic individual who appeared on our sensors. He too seeks the human woman Baelon has taken. I have verified his mission aligns with ours.”
The female’s emerald gaze flicked to JR14. Her crystalline form moved in a subtle shift. “And the construct?”
JR14’s wings flicked out and buzzed before sliding back into their protected panel under his back. “Designation: JR14. Function: support unit. Current objective: ensure survival of biological entity.” For the first time, the bot’s voice came out sharp and unrelenting.
Azazel smirked, one corner of his mouth lifting. “This construct aligns perfectly with my purpose.”
Another Krystalii, taller and slender with a male shaped body of pale amber, stepped close. His voice was softer, tinged with curiosity. “Organic called Azazel, are you agreeable to work with us?”
“I will do my best,” Azazel said in an even tone, his arms crossed. “If you’re as eager to stop Baelon as Vaeloryx claims, I believe we can help each other. But my priority is to rescue the human woman, whose name is Toni, from him.”
The emerald Krystalii let out a faint hum, her tone skeptical.
“And what happens once you have her? Will you abandon us to fight Baelon alone?”
Azazel’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Vaeloryx stepped between them.
