Chapter Seven #2
Even with the force of his vast psychic abilities blazing through every nerve, Azazel couldn’t move—trapped in place by an invisible weight so crushing it stole his breath. His focus was shredded with icy precision.
“She’s where she’s always been on the Nyrlith. Safe and sound in the regenerating room where I put her when she was first brought aboard. It’s you, my friend—”
Baelon sneered mere inches from Azazel’s face, close enough for him to smell the Krystalii’s putrid breath of metal and dirt.
“—who is not aware of where he is.” The Krystalii stood back and crossed his bulky arms with a taunting smirk.
“Or how he hasn’t accomplished a damn thing since boarding my ship.
Pity.” His shrug was stilted and unnatural.
“You were quite adept at creating an entertaining example for my troops on how organics in this dimension react. But now that we’ve learned all we need to know, it’s time to put you back where you belong. ”
Baelon turned and walked away. Each step made the blue colors from his body wink across the mirrored and glass walls around the room.
The last thing Azazel felt was JR14 lifting off the back of his neck from where he’d been hiding under his hair.
Not looking back, Baelon waved his crystal hand as if he was dismissing an errant child.
Azazel found himself engulfed by… nothing.
Toni woke with a start, blinking at the feeble gleam of the crystal cage and its towering, faceted, blue-green walls.
Swallowing a moan, she draped her arm over her eyes.
She’d rather go back to sleep and continue that exciting…
wonderful… heart-pounding dream that had been so real than wake up to this nightmare.
That fantasy man… Oh my god, her mind had to have worked overtime to make that hunk-a-luscious up.
His male beauty surpassed that of anyone she’d ever met or dreamed of.
His soothing masculine voice sent chills down her spine, as did his calm, sharp, intellectual mind.
But most of all, she admired how he showed patience when dealing with others.
Just look at how he handled that little spider-robot thingy of his.
Even after that dream adventure ended, her heart pounded when she thought of him.
Her imagination had concocted a classic working-with-a-hero-along-with-some-rebels-to-escape scenario that was everything she could’ve hoped for.
A dull ache settled in her chest as she realized it’d all been a dream.
Like a beautiful illusion that slipped through her fingers.
Damn, what she wouldn’t give to be like that heroic protagonist she imagined she was.
Someone bold. Fearless. Everything she wished she could be.
But in real life, it didn’t take much to make her fold.
She nodded along with whoever was around her.
Biting her tongue, doing her best not to rock the boat or bring attention to herself.
That was her shameful secret. She was a coward, and that made her life miserable.
The only thing she was good at was running errands, not chasing dreams. Yep, good ol’ reliable Toni.
Steady enough to get the job done, but not strong enough to stand up for herself and demand the credit for all the hard work she busted her ass for.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was why she’d never advanced in the movie business.
At least she could admit she’d let people walk all over her for far too long.
That weakness was exposed here, raw and ugly.
Like a scar that festered under her skin.
Joining the alien exchange had been her desperate, last-ditch effort to become someone stronger, someone new.
She grunted. Yeah, as if leaving Earth could scrub out who she really was.
She hadn’t left her flaws behind—she’d just packed them up and brought them along for the ride.
Toni’s lips twisted. Sitting here sinking into self-reproach wasn’t getting her anywhere.
Maybe that blue-crystal-creep Baelon spiked her drink with something that triggered an allergic reaction that created that realistic, lucid dream.
Look at her, grasping at anything to keep from thinking about the stupid mess she found herself in.
Expelling her held breath, she watched it roll out in a plume. The room was still chilly. She sat up and rubbed her arms. Damn, what she wouldn’t give to have that suit she had on in her dreams. Maybe if she got up and walked around, she’d make herself warmer.
The now familiar, sharp, echoing sound of the wall sliding open caught her attention.
Instead of the hulking figure of Baelon, in stepped a Krystalii with different coloring than Baelon’s.
It was more of a moonstone laced with a notable iridescent shimmer.
This one was in female form, complete with feminine features and perky breasts topped with darker nipples.
She even had a smooth, human looking vulva.
“Ah, you are awake.”
The musical sound of the Krystalii’s voice made Toni frown. How could something so beautiful belong to something so monstrous? And why did this creature seem familiar? Like she’d met her before.
“I am Lyrentha. I am assigned as your healer to assure your optimum health.”
Lyrentha? Wasn’t that the name of the rebel in her dream? How odd was that? She cocked her head and studied the alien. Healer? For her? Toni snorted. She wasn’t an idiot. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that once she was at ‘optimum health’, they’d start the genetic experiments on her.
“Here, drink this.” Lyrentha held another container like the one Baelon had given her. “It carries all the nutrients and liquid your physiology needs.”
Toni stared at the translucent chalice with the pale-lavender substance inside. Even though the first one had been tasteless, her mouth watered as if she’d been offered a succulent treat. With a resigned sigh, she took the cup and looked up at the Krystalii.
“Thank you.” Putting the glass to her lips, she muttered, “I guess.” She took a quick sip. The same tasteless concoction made her grimace. But at least the rest of it went down easily enough.
“I have also observed the temperature here is uncomfortable for you, therefore I brought this for you to cover your fragile frame.”
Toni’s jaw dropped when she saw what Lyrentha held up.
It was the suit… the formfitting one she wore in her dream.
She shivered. It even had the same shimmering gold veins threaded through the deep-midnight-blue fabric.
Their intricate patterns ran along the sleeves, legs, and torso.
She jerked her head to study the Krystalii. How was this possible?
Her mind in a jumbled fog of questions, Toni stepped off the platform she’d slept on, reaching out with her fingers to rub the fabric with one hand while holding the chalice in the other.
A comforting warmth radiated from the material.
“Here, hold this.” She shoved the empty cup into the Krystalii’s hand to grab the suit.
Tempting warmth overrode everything else.
The cream-colored Hanbok short-sleeved blouse she’d donned with slacks for the alien exchange seemed like a lifetime ago.
And the wear-and-tear she’d endured since then showed.
Dirt, smut, and God-knows-what-else had torn most of what she had on.
To be offered something new and clean was a temptation she’d be an idiot to refuse.
“Where did you get something like this?” She eyed the naked-looking crystal alien. “You don’t look like you wear clothes.”
Lyrentha jerked her head to the side, the movement stiff and strange.
“The Krystalii have no need for such primitive accouterments. We have complete control of our bodies to self-regulate when necessary. This—” She gestured to the suit in Toni’s hand.
“—is part of the relics we’ve kept in The Vault of Forgotten Worlds. ”
Toni startled. Vault of Forgotten Worlds?
Wasn’t that the name of the place she visited in the dream?
Her lips thinned. Hard to believe that was a coincidence.
Something funny was going on here. And she didn’t need a laugh track to tell her that.
“Why would you keep relics from species you’ve taken over? ”
“We are an inquisitive species by nature.” Lyrentha’s shrug was stilted and unnatural.
“We investigate everything about our adversaries for the benefit of the Krystalii race.” She stood with her shoulders back, in a posture so perfect Toni would never dare copy.
“It is how we uncovered this dimension and the riches that rightly belong to us.”
Toni swallowed a snort. Arrogant bullshit aside, she had better things to do.
Like getting warm. Who gave a crap about modesty?
She couldn’t wait to put the suit on. Whipping off the grody shirt, she didn’t hesitate to slide everything else off as quickly as she could.
Even her shoes. Her shivers increased, making it hard to hold on to the soft material.
She checked the suit out front and back—it was obvious it was a onesie.
Hopping from one foot to the other, she pulled her legs into it one at a time, nestling her feet into the footies.
Once she put her arms through the sleeves, the seam melded over her torso and sealed itself closed. Right up to her neckline.
Opening her arms wide, she examined the formfitting material and let out a whoosh of relief.
She threw her head back with her eyes closed, pressing her gloved hands against her skin, savoring the heat like a lifeline.
Damn, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like not to be shaking like a leaf.
Once her shivering settled, she opened her eyes and looked down at herself.
There didn’t seem to be any way to open it.
“Hey.” She glanced at the crystal woman. “How do I take this thing off to go to the bathroom?”