Page 56 of Asmodel

Talira’s fathomless dark blue eyes were clear as she responded. She covered his paws with hers. “I’m honored to claim you as my ever-mate, Jaltaar, my love.”

“Long live the Supreme Regent Jaltaar Zarvix and his Queen Regina Talira Cyndor!” Viscount Syrin announced, flinging his arms wide.

Most in the room growled, roared, and shouted their approval.

Others were noticeably quiet.

Asmodel chuckled. “At least one male is smart enough to know how to keep himself in power.”

Izzy grinned. “Oh, hush. Let’s not politicize this beautiful moment.”

“Why not?” JR13 asked. “The ramifications of what Jaltaar is proposing are more political than romantic.” The small bot snorted. “No need to claim it as anything else.”

“Oh pooh.” Izzy dismissed JR13’s cold assessment. “There’s nothing like romance.”

“And on that note—” Asmodel waved at Raxx to come close. “—you ready to take down the villain of this plot?”

Raxx batted his eyes with a palm over his heart. “Oh, you smooth talker, you. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than be part of a blooming romantic tragedy.”

Asmodel jerked when a psychic wave of malevolence rushed through him. He waved for Raxx and Izzy to step closer. Keeping their heads together, he whispered, his tone urgent. “We’d better hurry.” He glanced over Izzy’s shoulder and watched a small group of scikvak congratulating Jaltaar through light scratches from their claws on his back. Around them, other felines rubbed the sides of their snouts together as happy purrs filled the air. So the danger wasn’t from them.

“I can sense the Krystalii is gathering her strength to release another strong psychic blast. If we don’t stop her, she’ll destroy the entire planet,” he stated.

The pinched look on Izzy’s face made it clear she understood what he was saying. Damn it, he couldn’t let her go into this unprotected. There had to be something he could… wait.Oh, for the love of a motherless goat.He should’ve done this when Raxx first told him about the PsyShields. He could hold his own against the Krystalii, but Izzy couldn’t.

Asmodel reached into his jacket pocket and pull the small disks out. “Quick, Izzy. Put these on.” He looked over at Raxx. “She just puts one on each temple, right?”

Raxx nodded. “Yeah, they’ll work right off the bat.”

Asmodel placed them on her palm.

She brought them close and studied them. Her teeth worried the lips on the side of her mouth.

At her concerned expression, Raxx chuckled. “Don’t worry, chica. They don’t hurt.” He snorted. “In fact, you won’t feel a thing.” He winked at her. “Trust me.”

Izzy’s dubious look made Asmodel grin. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “While I haven’t used them myself—” He nodded to Raxx, who rocked back and forth on his heels with his thumbs hooked through the loops on his belt. “—I do trust what he says about the PsyShields.”

“But what about you?” Izzy tucked a panel of her baby-fine hair behind her ear. “Won’t you need these to fight her since you’ve got psychic abilities and I don’t?” Her bright-amber brown eyes carried a mix of worry and excitement.

Ah, his little human loved to try out new things just like he did.

A condescending snort from JR13. “He doesn’t need help from some alien tech. He’s got some serious abilities to protect himself with.”

“JR13’s right. I’ll be fine.” He reassured her. “I’ve had a lot of practice guarding my psychic senses from others.” Namely, his brothers. Especially when they were in a mischievous mood to play tricks on one another. If he could protect himself from their pranks, handling the crystal entity should be easy enough. “Go ahead. Put them on, and I’ll teleport us to where the Krystalii is.”

“You’ll find her at the city center.” Jaltaar came to them with Talira’s paw looped through his elbow.

Her dark-blue eyes assessed the area as if to keep her mate safe.

“Our security forces are scattered, trying to save as many citizens as they can. I’m afraid they won’t be much help.”

Asmodel nodded. “Actually, that’d be a good thing. The fewer people around, the easier it’ll be for us to handle her.” The last thing they needed was to cause more scikvak deaths. “If you and your people will coordinate the rescue operations, the three of us will handle the Krystalii.”

Talira’s whiskers drooped as her eyes narrowed. “You think you can handle her?” She leaned close. “We won’t be able to help, even with my people arriving soon. We’ll have our hands full trying to keep the two races from killing each other as it is.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got this.” Raxx jumped into the conversation. He patted the Echo device on his belt. “With me and Echo here, the Krystalii bitch is history. Nothing can stand in our way.”

Asmodel hoped Raxx’s arrogance was justified. He sighed. They’d find out soon enough. “Izzy, please put the PsyShields on.” He rubbed her back. “I’ll be here to make sure nothing happens when you do.” He sent out a small tendril of energy to her, ready to act if necessary.

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