Chapter 2 #4
Baelon’s multifaceted eyes glinted in the dim light as he raised his crystalline hand.
With a subtle movement, the walls of her cage shimmered.
The glow changed from its blue-green to a red-yellow, a warmer, faint hue.
The oppressive cold eased enough to make the pervasive chill melt away. She sighed at the welcome warmth.
“Human physiology is distastefully delicate.” Baelon’s voice resonated like glass shattering on a hard floor. “But I will not allow such trivial limitations to compromise your value.”
She wanted to spout a scathing retort, but forming the words was beyond her.
Her dry throat burned, causing her tongue to swell.
Thought she lacked the strength for a contemptuous retort, she could still manage a good glare.
Maybe that would distract the walking-chandelier from noticing her trembling knees.
Baelon gestured again, and a faint mist formed within the cage. It swirled like an ethereal tornado, condensing into a small, crystalline vessel that hovered just within her reach. It shimmered with liquid—a pale lavender substance that refracted the light like a mirrored lilac flower.
“Drink.” Baelon’s tone left no room for argument. “You require hydration, and this will suffice until your condition stabilizes.”
Toni hesitated, her gaze darting between the goblet and the angular alien figure before her. Was it a trick? Another form of manipulation? It was hard to decide, between her parched throat and spinning head.
“Is this how you’re going to kill me?” she croaked. Wow, look at her with the gift of gab after all. Even if her intended scorn came out as a hoarse whisper.
Baelon tilted his head, his expression impassive.
His crystalline form flickered in various blue hues.
“You misunderstand.” His tone was tinged with condescension.
“This is not an offer. It is a necessity. Your continued survival ensures the fulfillment of my purpose. Therefore, if you refuse, I will have no choice but to force it upon you. And I assure you—” he sneered. “—you will not enjoy the experience.”
The pulsating light within the crystalline walls intensified, as if the ship itself urged her to comply. Unable to fight off the mounting pressure, her legs gave out. She sank to the ground, clutching her stomach as it twisted in hollow pain.
With blurry vision, she extended a trembling hand for the chalice.
The liquid inside sloshed as she brought it to her lips.
The first sip felt strange, cool and weightless like water but with an odd, electric sharpness that tingled against her tongue.
It slid down her throat, quenching the fire and spreading warmth through her chest. Her body absorbed it, as though hungry for what it offered.
Baelon remained silent, his crystalline form glowing a deeper sapphire, as if in satisfaction. “I believe adaptation is your species’ most valuable trait,” he murmured. “We must preserve this attribute.”
Too bad the liquid didn’t erase the chill in her veins.
Or somehow take away the oppressive weight of the cage.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glowered at him.
“You think this changes anything?” she rasped, her voice gaining strength.
“You can’t just... fix me and then expect me to lie down and let you experiment on me. ”
Baelon’s crystalline lips curled into a thin, unnerving smile. “I expect nothing from you but existence, human. It is in your nature to resist. That will not change the inevitability of your purpose.”
With that, he vanished, leaving her alone in the dim, pulsing glow of her new prison.
The gnawing pit in her stomach turned to acid.
“I swear to God this isn’t over,” Toni whispered, her voice now steady.
First things first. She’d finish the stuff shards-for-brains gave her.
Then she’d figure out how to get out of this mess.
Whatever twisted plans Baelon had in mind for her, he could shove them into the deepest void of space.
Nothing was going to happen to this lady.
No way in hell.
Azazel followed Vaeloryx through the labyrinthine corridors of Baelon’s private sector, keeping his focus razor-sharp on his surroundings. Because he had to keep his psychic talents hidden, he’d forced himself to rely on his five senses.
Along with his trusty AI companion resting on his shoulders.
Since he couldn’t use his psionic powers, Azazel created something to defend himself with. Before they left the protected chamber, he used his powers to make a katana, identical to the one he’d had on Earth. He kept the blade in the scabbard attached to the sash wrapped around his waist.
He moved behind the gemstone male through the low light of the crystalline corridor, his every step deliberate and silent.
JR14 clung to his shoulder, the faint hum of his wings the only sound he made.
Behind him, Laytrii and Kyrix moved with silent stealth. Their crystalline forms shifted in hues of emerald and opal.
Around them, the walls pulsed in ominous shades—deep purples and bruised blues—that cast eerie, flickering shadows.
Azazel clenched his fists, keeping his mind sharp on everything around him. The nerves in his body screamed caution the farther they headed into Baelon’s private sector. Thank the goddess his inner beast remained still.
“We are close to the Nexus Core,” Vaeloryx murmured. The aquamarine crystals and mirrors on his body had a faint glow. “Prepare yourselves. Once we disrupt it, this area will destabilize.”
Azazel nodded, his jaw set. “Let’s hope this diversion works. We can’t afford to be pinned down here.”
Something about how easy it was to get to Baelon’s private sector didn’t seem right. There weren’t any guards. Nor did the rebels have a problem gaining entrance. What kind of maniacal dictator left himself open like that?
Either the guy was an intense egomaniac who never doubted his hold on his subjects—or
this was all a trap. But what he couldn’t figure out was, if it was a trap, why go through all this? Wouldn’t it be easier to either hold Azazel… or kill him?
Keeping his eyes open, he continued to follow Vaeloryx down the elaborate crystalline doorway toward the end of the hall.
“Observation,” JR14 interjected. “Probability of encounter with hostile forces has increased to 79.6 percent. I advise implementing tactical readiness.”
“Noted,” Azazel muttered. So, there were guards.
But why hadn’t they come to stop the intruders?
Once again, he puzzled over the notion that Baelon didn’t have a huge contingency of troops controlling this sensitive area.
Another question popped up. If it was this easy to get here, why hadn’t Vaeloryx and his crew done this a long time ago?
Lips thinned, he brushed his hand over the hilt of the blade strapped to his side.
Vaeloryx stopped at a crystalline console embedded in the wall, its surface etched with shifting glyphs. He placed his hand on it, and the glyphs flared to life. “Laytrii, cover the rear,” he commanded. “Kyrix, assist me with the override.”
With a low hum, the door rippled and slid apart, revealing the heart of what Baelon kept in his private sanctum.
The core chamber was vast, its walls lined with intricate crystalline conduits that pulsed with blinding energy.
At the center stood a towering structure of translucent glass and shifting light.
That had to be the Nexus Core they’d told him about. It thrummed with raw energy, its vibrations resonating deep in Azazel’s chest.
Laytrii moved into position, her emerald body refracting the dim light.
“We’re exposed here,” she hissed. “So, we’d better make it quick.
Kyrix will take you to the place where Baelon is holding the human female.
Once you’re in, it’ll sound off the alarms.” Her grin was infectious.
“And that’ll give us a chance to take this damn thing out. ”
Azazel glanced at the opal male before scanning the corridor, keeping his senses on high alert. “Okay, which way?” He grimaced as the air grew heavier, charged with a subtle vibration that set his nerves on edge. “Wait.” He held up his hand. “JR14, are you picking up anything unusual?”
JR14’s bulbous eyes flickered as he inspected around them. “Anomalous energy signature detected. Hostile entities approaching from the eastern corridor.”
“Son of a lilit,” Azazel hissed. The guards’ approach didn’t surprise him.
What shocked him was there weren’t more guards loitering around inside.
Ezeru, he didn’t like any of this. With a smooth and deliberate move, he drew his blade.
Its edges mirrored the gleam from the crystal corridor.
“Change of plans. If you disrupt the core first, it’ll give me a better chance to get Toni. ”
Vaeloryx’s expression hardened. “That’s not what we agreed on,” he hissed. After a silent beat, his clear crystal lips creased into a frown. “But… fine. Looks like I don’t have a choice.” He turned to his Krystalii companions. “Laytrii, Kyrix, begin the disruption.”
The two Krystalii nodded and moved to opposite sides of the chamber.
Laytrii’s emerald form shimmered as she extended her arms, sending a wave of energy into the conduits.
Kyrix followed suit, his opalescent body emitting a bright glow as he channeled his power into the core.
The room shuddered as the hum escalated into a deafening roar.
Azazel’s eyes narrowed as he felt the shift in the ship’s energy.
JR14’s voice cut through the chaos. “Alert: Elite enforcers’ response imminent.”
Dammit! He should have left when he had the chance.
Positioning himself between the console and the approaching threat, Azazel focused.