Page 41 of Asmodel

Once again, Izzy sat at the massive u-shaped rock table. But instead of being weary and starving, she was wide-awake and ready to take part. She gave the man next to her a quick glance. Just being next to him with her hand in his ramped things up to a whole different level.

Across from her, Talira took a seat next to Praetor Vorlok. The previous participants filed in and joined them.

“Esteemed colleagues,” Praetor Vorlok stood and gestured to Asmodel. “It is my great pleasure to introduce the emissary Chancellor E’etu spoke of. This Earth man’s name is Asmodel. As you can see, there’s no need to rescue him from Panterion Prime.”

Laughter and chuckles mixed with murmurs of welcome from around the table.

With a gentle squeeze, Asmodel let go of her hand and stood, with a regal nod to the room. “Thank you, Praetor Vorlok.” He shifted his shoulders back and clasped his hands in front of him. “While I appreciate that you’d let me and Izzy leave CeluriaVO, we have a bigger problem than keeping her out of the Krystalii’s hands.”

His concerned glance at her made her warm. She beamed and nodded her encouragement with a smile.

“The Krystalii by the name of Prisma-Solara already has a human male and has threatened to come and not only eliminate you here in Nekojin, but will destroy all of CeluriaVO.”

Angry growls and hissed filled the air.

“How could you possibly know that?” Madam Fexa crouched, the fur on her backside raised.

Asmodel expelled an audible breath. “I know you all witnessed how I came here. Correct?”

“You mean as that massive beast?” Calin’s gold eyes narrowed. “How could we miss that?”

Asmodel sat and grabbed Izzy’s hand under the table. “Just as I’m able to do that, I can get a sense of what others are thinking.”

The group’s angry growls grew louder.

“You can read our minds?” Calin stood, his claws extended as he leaned on the rough rock table surface.

“Believe me, I don’t go around reading people’s minds.” Asmodel’s tone was smooth. “It can be annoying and painful.” He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes. “I usually have to fight to keep everyone out.”

For some reason, Izzy could feel his unease. She rubbed his upper arm with her free hand.

“Calin, sit down. Let the human speak,” Praetor Vorlok commanded.

With a low snarl, Calin sat, his bright eyes fixated on Asmodel.

Asmodel opened his eyes with a confident look at the Praetor. “As I was saying, the last thought I picked up from her was that as soon as she had the human man in her ship, she planned on eliminating all life here on CeluriaVO.”

At once, Izzy saw what Asmodel did, in her mind. It was a violent image of the lush jungle planet under volcanic flames and massive earthquakes that no one on this planet could survive.

Izzy had a hard time getting the image of CeluriaVO being destroyed by massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions out of her mind. She shivered and gripped Asmodel’s hand tighter under the rock table. She blinked and took a moment to get her bearings. Glancing around, she took in the now-familiar scene of the council chamber of the pardalions. The first time she was here, she hadn’t bothered to notice much.

It was an awesome sprawling, circular room with intricate murals depicting the lush jungle of their home planet. A soft glow from the luminescent lights gave the place a spacious feel, as if they weren’t in a cave deep inside a mountain.

The heated discussion of the pardalions drew her attention. They were discussing where the human called Raxx might be at Panterion Prime. Some argued he was in their maximum-security facility. While others, including Talira, believed they put him in a stasis pod for the Krystalii to take to her ship.

“Yo, organic man.”

For the first time, Izzy didn’t have any trouble hearing JR13’s sotto voce as he spoke to Asmodel on the man's shoulder next to her.

“Yes?”

Asmodel's absent tone told her he wasn’t listening. Instead of looking at the bot, his eyes narrowed on Praetor Vorlok. Izzy tilted her head and checked out what the praetor was saying. Right now, he wasn’t saying anything. Just letting Calin argue with Talira about who was going to lead the small group they’d agreed on.

“Excuse me—” JR13’s impatient tone was obvious. “—I have something to say here that might ease this ridiculous guesswork you organics seem to enjoy.” Now the bot’s irritated voice came out high enough to grab Asmodel’s attention.

Asmodel’s dark eyebrows rose as he glanced at the bot. “Oh?”

JR13 wiggled his rotund hind end and tapped a foreleg as if to emphasize his importance. “Yes! I know where Raxx is.”

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