Chapter Nine
Stupid, stupid, spider-friggin’-bot. Toni clenched her fists, crossing her arms over her chest. The damn idiot could have smashed into smithereens when he bashed into what looked like hard crystal holding Azazel.
I assure you, Sensos whispered in her mind. The android analyzed the vibrational makeup of the barrier before attempting such a feat.
Her suit's reassurance made her feel better. But… still.
Great. She had to rely on the small droid to be an interpreter. She sighed and dropped her arms to her side. What she wouldn’t give to talk to Azazel face-to-face. Watching his calm expression drew her closer.
His eyes stared straight ahead, his brows furrowed, and the muscles in his neck tensed. After a hard blink, his face once again relaxed. All at once, he zeroed in on her, and the mahogany color of his eyes deepened to a rich dark chocolate.
The profound depth of desire etched in the dilation of his eyes caught and held her. Heat flared from deep within her core as she responded in kind to his silent entreaty. What she wouldn’t give to be with him, touch him, flesh to flesh.
Well… squishy-hot dammit! It took every inch of control she had to keep from stomping her foot like a toddler.
Why were there always barriers between them?
God, what she wouldn’t give to explore this extraordinary man in the flesh.
She shivered just thinking about how that would feel. She licked her lips.
And, who’s to say what they did in those dream worlds weren’t as real as real could get? If so, then watch out, bitches!
Azazel jerked his head toward her with an unfocused gaze. He frowned.
She gasped when she saw his neck bloom into a rosy shade of red. What in the world was he embarrassed about? She crossed her arms and glared at the bot, pressing her lips into a hard line. If that darn JR14 said anything to upset Azazel, she’d… well… she’d do something.
As if the small droid heard her threat, he lifted off Azazel’s shoulder, his wings buzzing before he raced to the cage barrier and floated through the clear, hard-looking wall. Then, he flew back to her, slick as you please.
Toni’s mouth dropped open. “What in the world are you doing?” She snipped at the bot. Not waiting for an answer, she glanced at Azazel, who had the weirdest expression on his face as he looked over her shoulder.
He’d recoiled with his mouth wide open, and his upper lip curled back.
What in the heck made him look like that?
“I suppose you’re the helpless human female I have to work with.”
An unfamiliar voice behind her made her jump. This one was distinctively female, with a diva tone worthy of any Kardashian.
Spinning around, Toni faced someone she’d never, ever in her wildest dreams think she’d face on the Krystalii ship. Well, not someone. More like a something.
A sexbot.
A bright, neon-pink-like-Barbie sexbot android. Complete with dark-fuchsia nipples that reminded her of erotic cherries topping size 40DD breasts. An impossibly thin waist over hips wide enough to tempt any male to grab onto.
The darn thing even had her feet encased in four-inch stiletto platform heels. Toni’d get a nosebleed if she wore anything that ridiculous.
The mere sight of one of her previous prison guards from that gangster planet FiPan made her see red.
Her fingers clasped into tight fists, and her knuckles cracked as she cocked her head, glaring at the thing under heavy lids.
Heat flushed through her. Breathing became a second thought as memories of the physical and emotional neglect she suffered while a prisoner there overrode any sense she had.
She only took one step toward the sexbot before she couldn’t take another.
What the hell? She looked down at her feet as if they’d give her some kind of clue why they refused to move.
I apologize, Toni. Sensos intoned in its non-gender mental voice. I am keeping you in place so you may discover that the entity before you is an ally.
“Yes, darling.” The sultry feminine voice of the sexbot matched the seductive smirk on her damn face.
“What Sensos is telling you is true. I am a valuable ally sent here by my latest ardent admirer, Arakiba.” Her breathy sigh was as phony as believing she took in a breath at all.
“I’m afraid that darling hasn’t realized yet my heart belongs to another.
But—” She shrugged and waved a nauseating-pink hand in the air.
“—that sensitive male’s feelings are the least of my concerns.
I just cannot allow this dimension to be taken over by those ugly crystal-like brutes.
” She shuddered. “None of them have enough intelligence to be in complete wonderment about my awesomeness.”
Toni had no idea who this Arakiba might be, but he had to be an imbecile if he thought this bubble-headed sex-toy could somehow combat the Krystalii.
“Interjection,” JR14’s mechanical voice interrupted. “Elemi, please explain to Antonia your purpose here and your role in achieving that goal. As you accomplish that, I will keep Azazel apprised.”
“Oh, very well.” The sexbot pivoted her head to focus on Toni.
“I am Elemi. While my true nature is not this outer casing—” She gestured up and down her form.
“—my original form is that of a sentient organic, sleek 11-15 spaceship engineered by the Warriors of Light, once funded by the disgraced Chancellor U’unk to take over the galaxy.
” Throwing her slender shoulders back, she put one of her hands on her hip and tilted her neon head.
The bubble-gum color of her eyes narrowed.
“I have since survived being gutted by the Krystalii and re-created in two forms. One as my glorious ship, and one as you see here. I am literally in two places at one time.”
The android tapped a gleaming pale-pink fingernail against her lips while she walked around Toni as if judging her.
Toni crossed her arms and returned the favor, keeping eye contact with the absurd automaton.
Elemi stopped walking in circles and continued. “While my 11-15 body is in a nearby orbit not too far from this ship—” Her full lavender-rose lips lifted into a slow smirk. “—I am here in my second glorious form as a loyal citizen of the Federation Consortium to save the day… as only I can.”
Azazel couldn’t believe there was an actual sexbot standing there on the Krystalii mothership—one JR14 declared was a collaborating ally working with them against the invaders. He narrowed his eyes, studying the nauseating-pink android’s interaction with Toni. Where had he seen that one before?
Bro, you there?
A faint masculine voice in his head startled him. It was odd, since the path the voice came on wasn’t a psychic one. Cocking his head, he unfocused to concentrate on the sound better.
Bro? Answer me, dammit!
Bro? The only person who called him that was his brother, Arakiba. But… that couldn’t be him. It had to be Baelon playing some kind of trick on him.
I know you. All cool and aloof... You act like some great igigi who believes he shouldn’t bother with us mere namlugallu trying in vain to keep up with your superior divinity.
Look, Arakiba. I’ve asked you more than once not to call me that.
He tightened his gut to hold back the rumbling as his inner beast struggled. He’d spent a lot of time trying to keep the damn thing in check so he didn’t end up hurting his blond, smart-ass brother. Good thing Arakiba was nowhere in sight to make things worse.
Yeah, well. Someone should knock you off your self-imposed pedestal so you can join the rest of us mortals. A chuckling snort. And of course, we all know I’m the best one to do that.
It took several heartbeats before Azazel believed he might be talking to Arakiba.
No one went out of their way to be a bigger pain in the ass than his younger brother.
And no one, but no one, could mimic that annoying personality.
No matter how powerful a psychic they were.
But it didn’t hurt to ask. Azazel narrowed his eyes.
How can that be you? This isn’t our normal psychic path.
This isn’t a psychic path at all, you dork. A bark of laughter. Boy, for such a brainiac, you sure can be clueless sometimes.
Dork? What’s a dork? Azazel shook his head. Never mind. If we aren’t talking on a psychic pathway, how are you talking to me?
It’s adorable how impatient you’ve become. Can’t wait to tell the bros about it.
Azazel’s chest tightened with helplessness. Trying to get Arakiba focused was a constantly hopeless cause.
You know that thing JR14 injected into you? Well, it opened a slight path to my JR12, who snapped one in me. Hurt like a mofo, didn’t it?
It took everything Azazel had not to roll his eyes. One tiny scratch made Arakiba whine like a little baby. The injection JR14 gave him on the neck only pinched for a second. He resisted the urge to tell the petulant ass to grow a pair.
And I endured all that pain just so I can talk to you. Now the mental voice had the same tone and inflection his brother had. As if using this means of communication made it easier for him.
Okay, instead of talking so much, why aren’t you here to get me out? Let’s at least start there.
Working on it, bro. Came the annoying reply. You just gotta sit tight. I promise things are cookin’ for sure.
Sit tight. Yeah, I’ll get right on that…
bro. He swallowed his annoyance with a sigh.
Not surprisingly, Arakiba’s remark about Azazel’s fraying patience hit the mark.
Glancing out of his cage, he clenched his hands into fists as he watched Toni and JR14 leave the room with the neon-pink sexbot.
Where were they going? It dawned on him where he’d seen that android before.
Son-of-a-lilit! Was that the sexbot from FiPan you liked so much? Pervert. And why is Toni going with her?