Chapter Three #4
Her fingers twitched, brushing against the bottom of the smooth console she’d been working on moments ago.
Pain radiated from her chest, sharp and unrelenting.
Not that she’d let that stop her. She had to finish what she started.
For some weird reason, the console had responded to her touch, to her desperation.
She wasn’t sure how or why, but damn if she’d let the effort go to waste.
“Toni!” Azazel’s voice sliced through the haze, sharp and commanding. His boots slammed against the floor as he moved toward her, his katana flashing as it caught the light. “Stay with me.”
“I’m fine.” Toni gasped, doing her best to swallow the trembling in her voice. She forced herself to sit up, rubbing her eyes to clear away the blur. Even with the dangerous tilt to the room, she focused on Azazel.
“You don’t look fine,” he observed in a quiet tone. “Can you move?”
She braced her hands against the floor, her arms shaking as she pushed to stand. “Yes, just give me a minute.” With a grunt, she staggered to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her.
Azazel gripped her arm to help her.
Every nerve in her body screamed, demanding she sit down.
Not gonna happen. No way would this girl let that crystal-creep Baelon get his hands on her again.
Clenching her teeth, she pulled herself up to the control panel, slapping the surface to steady herself.
Narrowing her eyes, she struggled to focus on the glowing symbols.
The sound of stomping crystal feet told her more guards had found them.
“Just keep those freaky crystal assholes away from me,” she demanded as Azazel released her. She didn’t look at him, instead focusing on the console. “Come on,” she muttered, her fingers skimming over the alien interface. “Whatever you are, whatever you did before—I dare ya. Do it again.”
The lights on the console flickered, pulsing at an erratic pace under her touch. A low hum built in the air, growing louder, deeper, until it vibrated in her bones.
The Krystalii soldiers paused, their crystalline bodies twitching as if sensing the shift in energy.
Azazel seized the moment, cutting through the nearest Elite with a precise strike. Shards rained down around him as he spun to face the others, his braid whipping through the air. His naked, masculine torso shone in the low light.
“What are you doing?” he called out, glancing at her over his shoulder.
Toni jerked her head away to stop from ogling the impressive sight of the man’s imposing physique.
Damn, girl. Get hold of yourself. Pay attention.
Life-and-death situation here. “Improvising.” She croaked and forced her fingers to move faster.
At first, nothing happened, but then the symbols shifted and aligned under her hands.
She didn’t understand it, not fully, but instinct guided her—like solving a puzzle she didn’t know she could solve.
The hum reached a crescendo and shook the chamber.
The remaining Elites faltered, their movements disjointed.
Azazel didn’t hesitate, cutting through one with a swift, decisive blow before turning to the last. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!” he shouted. With one high-powered swing, his katana met another Elite’s weapon in a clash that sent sparks flying.
“Of course, Commander Chaos!” she snapped, her voice raw. Sweat dripped down her temple as she pressed her hand against the blinking surface.
While she worked on the alien console at a frantic pace, JR14 buzzed by her head and landed on a nearby surface. He observed her movements with keen, luminous orange eyes. His metallic limbs twitched as he turned his attention to the console’s response to her touch.
“Observation,” he intoned, his voice precise and clinical.
“Human female’s interaction with the console exhibits an anomalous pattern of resonance alignment.
Hypothesis: her bioelectric field synchronizes with the interface at a molecular level.
Likelihood of this being a random occurrence: statistically negligible. ”
She glanced at him but didn’t stop her fingers from flying across the console. “What in the hell does that mean?”
JR14 tilted his small metallic head. The orbs of his eyes turned from orange to sky blue. “Clarification: your physiology appears uniquely compatible with this technology. Probable cause: genetic markers or latent psychic potential currently unidentified. Further study required.”
She had no respose to that shitload of crazy. “Holy cow. Now’s not the time for scientific research, Mr. Wizard!” Toni snapped, her voice strained. “Just let me know if I’m about to blow us all up, ‘k?”
“Probability of detonation: low,” JR14 replied, unperturbed. “Probability of successful activation: increasing. Suggest continuation of current actions.”
Azazel dispatched another Krystalii, then spared a brief glance at JR14. “Can you simplify that assessment?”
JR14’s legs clicked in a way that Toni suspected was how he displayed exasperation. “Simplification: the human female is the key.”
A symbol lit up under her hands, catching her attention. The blazing crimson light erupted in a surge of energy.
The Elites froze mid-motion, their crystalline forms cracking as if struck by an unseen force.
Azazel leaped back, shielding his eyes as a shockwave rippled through the chamber.
The light faded as quickly as it came, leaving an eerie silence.
She slumped against the console, her chest heaving. Her vision swam, but she forced herself to look up.
The Elites were gone, nothing but glittering shards scattered across the floor.
Azazel turned to her, his katana still raised, his expression unreadable. “Are you all right?” His soft voice was hesitant.
Toni managed a shaky nod. “I think…” She swallowed. “I guess so. Did… did I do that?”
His gaze flicked to the console, then back to her. “Yes, whatever you did worked.” He stepped closer, his hand hovering near her arm as if unsure whether to touch her. “Are you hurt in any way?”
JR14 flew up to land on Azazel’s shoulder.
His glowing sky-blue eyes scanned Toni as she leaned against the console, her chest heaving.
The tiny spider-like droid tilted his metallic head.
“Observation: subject Toni exhibits no critical injuries. Superficial abrasions and minor contusions detected. Bio-signals remain within acceptable human parameters. Conclusion: the subject is physically fine.”
She raised an eyebrow, still catching her breath. “Gee, nice supportive bedside manner, Doctor Gizmo.”
JR14’s iridescent wings twitched before sliding inside his exoskeleton. “Statement: emotional reassurance is not within my programming.”
“I guess what you’re saying is, I’ll live.” She grimaced. Live, yes. Not suffer any consequences, no. She swore every part of her body screamed in protest. Even breathing was a chore. But she refused to let it show. “So, what do we do now?”
Azazel’s jaw tightened as he glanced around. “We’d better move. What happened here must’ve alerted every Krystalii where we are. It wouldn’t surprise me if reinforcements are on their way.”
JR14 clicked his claws as the luminescent blue of his eyes flickered in rapid succession.
“Observation: current energy discharge levels have triggered proximity alerts across at least three adjacent sectors. Confirm Krystalii reinforcements will arrive within two minutes.” The bot swiveled his head toward Toni, scanning her again before turning back to Azazel.
“Recommendation: immediate relocation to minimize encounter risk. Pathway analysis is underway. Suggest avoiding primary corridors to evade patrol convergence.”
Azazel nodded, his grip tightening on his katana. “Can you determine an adequate way for us to depart, JR14?”
Toni couldn’t help her wide grin. Darn man talked like a history professor she had in college. Except Azazel had the sexiest accent to go with his killer body.
JR14’s iridescent wings gave a faint hum as he processed. “Observation: secondary ventilation shaft located thirty meters northwest. Probability of route being unmonitored: 68.2 percent.”
“Another vent?” She groaned. “Wonderful. Yippee Ki-Yay.”
“Disclosure: survival rarely aligns with preference,” JR14 replied with his normal bluntness. “Initiating route guidance.”
“Well, when you put it that way,” Toni muttered, pushing off the console with a wince. Her body protested like an eighty-year-old’s. “At least we’re consistent.” She flipped her hand in Azazel’s direction. “Okay, lead on, Rescue Ranger. Take us to the next disaster.”
Azazel’s lips quirked into the faintest hint of a smile. “We are still free, no?”
She aimed a pathetic glare his way. “Listen. Do me a favor and don’t quit your day job. Your and your droid’s talent as motivational speakers suck.”
Sheathing his katana with a sharp click, he offered her his hand. “Come on, hebat. Let’s find a way out of this room.”
She hesitated, her eyes locking with his.
There was something in his gaze that made her relax.
Something steady and unyielding she’d give anything to trust. Maybe she’d allow that trust to grow when death wasn’t lurking like a door-to-door salesperson refusing to leave the porch.
With a sigh, she accepted his hold. “Fine. But if I die running around this stupid ship, I’m making it my afterlife mission to haunt you. ”
Azazel’s smile widened, just a fraction. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”