Asmodel (Alien Legacy Brotherhood #2)

10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

A smodel swallowed a groan as he eased his semi-hard cock from the grip of Izzy’s body. With barely enough sense to keep the Dreamwalk going, he tried to control his careening emotions. The last thing he wanted to face was reality. Especially when her sweet, silken flesh spasmed around his semi-hard member as he retracted.

He collapsed beside her, putting an arm over his eyes, and took in a deep, satisfying breath. The air was a heady mixture of the musk from their union. His erection twitched, as if signaling it was ready for round two.

With a grunt, Asmodel forced himself to sit up. Draping one of his arms on his upraised knee, he swept a hand through his hair with the other. He couldn’t help but stare at the woman sleeping beside him. His chest clenched as he watched her.

Her luscious dark hair fanned behind her, and her lips parted as soft breaths went in and out. Her eyes twitched in REM sleep, and a sultry smile curved her full mouth. “Asmodel,” she whispered.

A dreaming Izzy saying his name solidified his sense that he belonged to this woman. The instinct burrowed deep in his soul. She was a missing part of him that had finally found its way home.

The urge to share everything about him with her overrode his common sense. Here in this Dreamwalk, he had the freedom for them to get to know one another. So, why leave?

Then she took in a lungful of air. The movement caused her full breasts to wave up and down, her pert dark nipples puckering as if begging for his kiss.

He moaned. Not one to ignore such a blatant invitation, he leaned down, determined to capture the alluring nub with his watering mouth…

A painful pinch at the back of his neck jerked him awake.

Asmodel blinked until the blurry vision of JR13 hovering in front of him came into focus. The small black-and-silver spider-bot’s iridescent wings kept the bot steady.

“What the hell, JR13?” Asmodel growled. The droid shouldn’t have been able to yank him out of a Dreamwalk like that. “You know you’re not supposed to interrupt me when I’m in a psionic mindset.”

“Yeah, well, cataclysmic events make us all do things we’d rather not, organic man.”

On that note, the ground shook, causing dirt and dust to rain down on them from the cave roof.

Asmodel covered Izzy with his body, wincing when several small rocks bounced off his back.

Shouts and cries from the large chamber caught his attention. Rising from Izzy’s warm body, he glanced over his shoulder. Smoke billowed out of the entrance as groups of pardalions sprayed a section of the cave engulfed in flames with wands that spewed some sort of dousing agent.

“What’s going on?” Izzy coughed beneath him. “Do I smell smoke?”

Asmodel scanned her to make sure she was okay.

She rubbed her eyes, then looked up at him. Her eyes were dilated, and her rounded cheeks flushed a rosy pink. She licked her lips and focused on him.

He tightened his grip.

“Hey, Asmodel!” JR13’s voice raised. “We’ve got to get out of here before the entire mountain drops on our heads.” His wings buzzed faster, as if he was ready to take off.

“What?” Asmodel tore his gaze from Izzy and scooped her up in his arms. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the bot was right. Holding Izzy tight, he raced out of the alcove into the almost-deserted cave. “JR13, grab on to me, and I’ll get us out of here.”

“About time,” the bot grumbled.

Making sure his little AI friend was secure on his shoulder, Asmodel teleported them out of the cave. He put them a few feet away from the entrance, near a thick group of pardalions gathered at the base of the towering cliff.

“You okay?” Asmodel asked Izzy.

The ground rumbled.

He planted his feet apart so he wouldn’t drop his precious cargo.

Izzy shivered and clasped her arms around his neck. Her wide eyes darted around. “What’s happening? Last thing I knew, we were in my office…”

“That was the Dreamwalk I told you about.” Asmodel sent a quick probe into her mind, making sure she wasn’t upset at what happened between them. Instead of anger or regret, her soft, feminine aura wrapped around him with no hesitation. The burning tension in his stomach eased. She was more than comfortable with what they did in the psychic realm. And, judging by the emotions crossing her face, she didn’t like being interrupted, either.

“When the earthquake happened, JR13 woke me up so we could get out of the cave before it collapsed.” As Asmodel uttered the last word, another hard rumble erupted. He clutched Izzy tighter as the ground beneath them heaved like the chest of a waking giant.

Around them, the jungle trembled, and feathery leaves shivered off branches in flurries of greens, reds, and blues. As the tremors intensified, the massive cave before them groaned, its ancient mouth gnashing as if in pain. With a thunderous roar, the entrance crumbled, boulders tumbling like the bones of the earth, sealing away centuries of pardalion traditions.

Dust mushroomed into the air, painting the sky a grim gray.

The pardalions’ haunting cries echoed through the chaos, a sorrowful cry of loss and displacement.

Asmodel’s heart hammered against his ribs, each beat a reminder of the time he and his brothers escaped a similar situation on ancient Earth. How life teetered between the thin line of survival and obliteration.

“Oh no.” Izzy’s amber eyes filled with tears. “I hope everyone is okay.”

“JR13, analyze,” Asmodel told the companion on his shoulder.

“On it.”

While JR13 probed the surrounding area, Asmodel did the same with his psychic sense. He breathed a sigh of relief when he sensed all the pardalions were with him and Izzy in the clearing.

“All clear and accounted for,” JR13 reported.

“That’s good.” Izzy sighed. She looked up at him with a grin. “You know, you can put me down now.”

Asmodel couldn’t resist. “But I don’t want to.” He nuzzled her close, breathing in the delicate scent of her hair.

“Yo, organic man.”

What was with JR13 interrupting all the time? “Yes, JR13?” With a grimace, he let go of Izzy’s legs to let her stand, but kept his arm around her shoulders to keep her close.

“Echo tells me she and Raxx escaped Panterion Prime.”

Asmodel’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Did she tell you where they are?”

“Right here, dude!” Raxx sauntered through the thick jungle with his arms wide open. “As if I’d sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for your sorry ass to rescue me.”

Izzy’s eyes widened as she locked her gaze on the man Asmodel spoke to.

So this was Raxx Jorlen. The guy who was supposed to be confined in Panterion Prime had somehow escaped not only the technologically advanced zaltrixan, but the powerful crystal lady. There he stood, chill as a polar bear’s toenails, in the middle of the craziness as the jungle continued to rumble with small aftershocks.

His attractive, rugged, handsome features told the story of a hard life in every line and scar his face carried from the piercing intensity of his dark eyes, to his strong jawline. The playful smirk on his full lips radiated confidence. His weathered, dusty leather jacket was layered over a dark, formfitting shirt. The crisscrossing of scratches and gouges on the jacket had to be trophies of his many adventures.

Durable cargo pants, loaded with pockets holding a bunch of gadgets, clung to his hips as he strolled toward them over the uneven terrain. On his feet were scuffed, sturdy boots that bore the marks of countless expeditions, making him look at ease even in the wild. At his belt, a strange device that looked like an old beeper with a sleek metallic finish emitted a soft, pulsing glow. Maybe it was some kind of smart-phone doohickey that guided Raxx through the jungle. If nothing else, the guy looked right at home in the current chaos.

“Somehow, I feel like this is all your fault.” Asmodel waved to the non-existent opening of the collapsed cave.

Raxx shrugged. “Maybe. Probably.” He put his fists on his trim hips. “I had to get out of there before that stupid crystal chick woke up.” He chuckled. “Dude, I was so totally not into her. Ya know what I mean?” He turned his dark gaze to Izzy. “Well, hello there. And who are you, besides the most sought-after woman on the planet?” He came close and extended his hand.

Izzy pressed her lips together to stop the laugh threatening to escape. “I am Isabella Torres. But you can call me Izzy.” She put her hand out to shake, but he instead turned her hand over and kissed the top of her knuckles.

He rubbed his palm over the skin he’d kissed and raised his head with a mischievous grin. “I am very glad to meet you, Izzy.”

“All right.” Asmodel broke their connection, moving to stand between them, and crossed his arms. “That’s enough.”

While Izzy didn’t have any trouble taking care of herself, she found Asmodel’s caveman tactics quite adorable.

“Chill, my man.” Raxx put his hands up and stepped back. “Just payin’ my respects to this bodacious chick, is all.”

Izzy giggled behind her hand. This guy sure had a strange slang, like something out of an old 80s movie. She glanced at the stern expression on Asmodel’s perfect profile. Maybe now wasn’t the time to delve into anything about Raxx Jorlen.

“Tell us about the Krystalii.” Asmodel’s no-nonsense tone and narrowed eyes focused on Raxx.

Raxx threw his shoulders back, and his own expression mirrored Asmodel’s. “I’m afraid that after I left, all hell broke loose.” He ran a hand over his short, thick hair, making the top ends stick up. “Echo told me that bitch used her strong psychic mojo on Panterion Prime in a blinding rage, demanding they hand me over.”

Several gasps and growls filled the air from the pardalions listening to the conversation.

Talira rushed to Raxx’s side and grabbed his arm, swinging him around to face her. “Were there any survivors?”

The stricken look on her face made Izzy’s heart drop. Talira had to be thinking of Jaltaar.

“Maybe?” Raxx drawled out his answer, and his sharp cheeks turned a soft red. “I really don’t know. I was deep into the jungle when the first tremor hit.”

“We’ve got to go to Panterion Prime,” Talira announced. A mulish scowl creased her snout. She looked at Praetor Vorlok with a hard glare. “We’ve got to go there, since there isn’t anything left of Nekojin. If there’s a chance any of the zaltrixan survived, we’ve got to see if we can help.”

“You’d be willing to save people who wanted to commit genocide on you?”

Asmodel’s question might have been harsh, but Izzy agreed, taking time to really study the destroyed entrance to the massive cave.

The mountain had torn itself apart, leaving behind a yawning chasm filled with shattered boulders and fractured rock faces. Jagged edges jutted out from the hole's mouth, the collapse having stripped away the once-majestic stalactites that adorned its entrance.

Debris scattered the jungle, feather-leaves and twisted branches were strewn around like the aftermath of a violent storm. Dust lingered in the humid air, taking its time to settle as the jungle grew eerily silent. The usual cacophony of wildlife hushed.

In the hazy light, Izzy put her hand over her aching heart at the sight of the rubble. Here was the profound history of a proud people now lost among the rubble, their legacy buried beneath the weight of nature's indifferent hand.

Talia snorted. Her whiskers fanned up. “What choice do we have? All of us have family there, and we can’t leave them at the mercy of that disgusting crystal alien.”

Praetor Vorlok raised his paws, his claws extended. “You are right, Talia. With Nekojin gone, we’d better find shelter before nightfall.” He lowered his paws and glanced around the jungle ahead of him. “If we’re left out here in the open, the skalderbeasts will be the least of our concerns.”

Izzy put a hand on Asmodel. “Can you use your psychic senses to see if anyone is still alive in the city?”

Asmodel nodded and gripped her hand back. “I’ve been doing that.” He glanced at the Praetor. “Most of the citizens of Panterion Prime survived. Only a part of the city suffered the earthquake. But many remain trapped under fallen buildings. The citizens are in a panic.” He closed his eyes, as if concentrating on something eluding him. “I also get the sense their leadership is missing? Maybe just unresponsive?” His distinctive eyes opened, clear and focused. “They aren’t getting any direction from the Supreme Regent, which is causing panic.” With an absentminded air, he tucked her arm under his. “I also sensed that the Krystalii is spiraling out of control. And if we don’t intervene, CeluriaVO will face total annihilation.”

“What do you mean, out of control?” Talia demanded. “And what’s this about annihilation?”

“It means if we don’t stop her, she’ll blow up the planet.” Asmodel clarified.

Izzy clutched his firm arm. “How can we stop someone that powerful?” She glanced around and watched the scikvak talk in small groups. “Especially since I doubt Madam Fexa got her machine completed in time.”

She eyed the elder pardalion speaking adamantly with a group, a hissing snarl propelling spittle from her curling lips.

Asmodel raised his head, his chin tilted, his hazel eyes bright. “That leaves you, me, and Raxx to take care of things.” He blinked and focused on the praetor. “You and your people need to find whatever provisions you can and meet up with us at Panterion Prime. Hopefully, when you get there before nightfall, we’ll have gotten rid of the Krystalii threat.”

“And if you can’t?” Praetor Vorlok growled.

“Then it won’t make much of a difference, will it?”

The praetor didn’t comment on Asmodel’s announcement, but his calm demeanor didn’t fool Izzy for one moment. As Talira and he walked off to join the circle of council members, Izzy sucked in the side of her bottom lip. No sooner did they join the group than a heated argument erupted among them. She couldn’t hear what was said, not that it mattered. She snuck a quick peek at Asmodel and Raxx. She couldn’t get what Asmodel proposed out of her mind. It was a pretty tall order for just him and her. Even with Raxx’s help.

“So, how’re we gonna do this?” Raxx spoke in a low tone, his dark eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Asmodel.

Asmodel nodded at the small spybot on his shoulder. “JR13 has been communicating with Echo to determine the best way to neutralize the Krystalii.”

“That’s right, organic one.” JR13’s bulbous head nodded. “We’re still considering several options.” His head cocked as if listening to something. “Yes, quite right, Echo.” He once again focused on them. “But we’d have a better chance to come up with a solution if we get close enough to analyze her specific brain-wave patterns. That way, we can come up with a viable solution.”

“Alright, that sounds easy enough,” Asmodel said. “Since I’ve been through the area between here and there, I’ll just teleport us to the edge of the city, and we’ll go from there.”

Raxx crossed his arms and cocked his head. “Sounds righteous, dude. But what do we do once we get there?”

“You’re not going to make it if you don’t take me with you.”

Izzy jumped at the sound of Talira’s voice. Holy cow! The female was quiet as… well, as a cat.

“Oh?” Raxx barked with laughter. “And why’s that, pussycat?”

“You need someone to guide you, and I’m the best choice.” Talira’s firm tone accompanied her pounding the end of her weapon on the dark jungle grounds. The tips of her claws gleamed in the shadowed light under the jungle foliage.

Izzy watched the blank expression on Asmodel’s face. Not sure if he agreed with the scikvak or not, but she had to make sure it was safe first. “Can you handle transporting the four of us?” She stared at Asmodel, then held her breath as he hesitated. He had to say yes. Talira quivered, probably with her need to find Jaltaar.

Asmodel’s handsome face softened when he glanced at her. “Yes, that’s not something you need to worry about, alma gemela .”

“Yeah, organic female. He’s got enough psychic energy to…”

“JR13, have you finished conferring with Echo?” Asmodel interrupted his spybot.

Izzy pursed her lips. Hopefully he was hiding stuff from Raxx and Talira, not her.

I am, as your people say, an open book to you. Asmodel’s voice was soothing in her mind. A nd I want you to know everything about me. But you are right. Not in front of others.

Doggone it, Izzy loved the sound of his voice. In or out of her mind. She giggled. Out of her mind. She sighed. Wouldn’t it be great if she could talk to him like that? Yeah, talk about intimate.

You can, my Bella.

His masculine tone gave her shivers.

Just feel this pathway that I’ve created for you in our dreams. Now you can reach me anytime.

Izzy searched her mind until she was sure she found what he described. I think I’ve got it. She gave him a mischievous grin. You know, you’re not going to get away from me so easily now.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her cheeks heated at the sincerity in his mental tone.

“I believe you’re right, Talira. You’d better come with us.” Asmodel addressed the stiff-necked scikvak. At his words, her stance loosened.

“Do you think you know where the Krystalii could be?”

Talira shook her head. “No, but I think we should go to the Regent’s private chamber. He should know where she is.”

“And do you know where that is?” Asmodel tilted his head.

“I do.” Her midnight-blue eyes narrowed. “Here…” She kneeled on one knee. “The rooms are…”

As Talira intoned various ways and options to access the palace, Izzy watched Asmodel. He closed his eyes and his face lost all tension. She touched the part of his mind he’d shown her and got caught up in a myriad of images that were hard to follow. Endless corridors led into opulent rooms, with short-furred zaltrixan mingling back and forth. Some with a self-absorbed air, while others were obvious servants waiting on their masters. Some were long-furred pardalions, handcuffed and gagged being dragged away by guards. Their heads hung as if in defeat.

Unable to keep up without getting a severe case of vertigo, Izzy physically as well as mentally took a step back. She’d let the professional, Asmodel, do whatever he was doing.

“Do you think you can get us there?” Talira stabbed an extended claw into one of the dirt outlines she’d created.

Asmodel opened his eyes and looked where she’d indicated. With a brief nod, he replied. “I can. But, I’d rather we went somewhere in the open first. That way we can make sure we don’t appear in a part of the building that collapsed.”

Talira stood, leaning her weapon on her shoulder as she dusted her paws off. “I doubt the palace suffered any damage. The reinforcements in the building, as well as the shields around it, would have kept it standing. But I do know somewhere we should go first.” She pointed the bottom of her spear to the side of where she indicated the royal quarters were. “It’s a place only I and one other know about.” She kept her eyes downcast.

It must be where she’d meet Jaltaar in secret.

“Yeah, but what are we gonna do once we get there?” Raxx asked. “I gotta tell ya, I’m not looking forward to being a guest of the zaltrixan again. They have a totally heinous way of treating a guy, ya know?” His dark gaze landed on Talira. “Any chance that’s where the crystal chick will be?”

“They don’t allow outsiders near the private part of the imperial palace. My guess is she’d be closer to the royal gardens, site of the richest soil on CeluriaVO. I’m sure they offered that to her to rejuvenate.”

“Ah, that’s right. I read somewhere that one of the best ways to revive crystals is to put them in rich soil,” Izzy mused aloud. She glanced at Asmodel. “If she’s rejuvenated, I wonder why you sense she’s out of control now.”

“Let’s find out. Talira,” Asmodel addressed the scikvak. “Tell Praetor Vorlok we’re leaving and let him know where we’re headed. Do your communication devices still work?”

She nodded.

“Good. Ask him to let you know when they’re close so we can tell them it’s safe to enter the city or not.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Talira strode away.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of her—” Raxx thumbed behind him, where Talira scurried off. “—but I have something that might help you with the psychic mojo the crystal bitch might throw at us.”

Asmodel’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? What’s that?”

Raxx reached into an inner pocket of his leather jacket. He pulled out two round disks no bigger than a quarter.

Izzy leaned closer for a better look at the translucent, almost invisible objects. “What are they?”

“These, my friends, are something that just might save whatever sanity you have left.” Raxx bobbed his hand up and down. “Or at least save one of us.” He studied Asmodel. “Since you have the same psychic stuff she has, these little babies should protect you better than us mere mortals.” He nodded to Izzy. “These are called PsyShields. I, ah, acquired them from an alien species called the Crichian. You just slap them on, and whammo… all the psychic crap around you gets blocked right out of your mind.” His grin was infectious. “Cool, eh?”

“Don’t you have more than one pair?” Izzy asked.

“Ah, no, chickie poo.” His cheeks flushed. “I tell ya, it wasn’t easy to get these when I did.”

Oh, he must have taken them without the Crichian knowing.

“All you gotta do is to place one on each temple, and you’re totally righteous.”

Izzy frowned. “Why don’t you use them?” It was awfully nice of him to offer them to Asmodel.

“I don’t need to ‘cause I have Echo here.” He patted his belt where his doohickey hung.

“Okay, thanks. It’ll be good to have a backup.” Asmodel put the shields into his inner jacket pocket.

“Ready?” Talira joined them. She slung the long weapon-pole through a harness strapped to her back, making the tip of the spiked ball swing in a lazy pattern.

“As much as we’ll ever be,” Raxx intoned with a smirk.

“Hold hands, and I promise to get everyone there.” Asmodel’s expression carried a hint of mischievousness in it. “Mostly in one piece.”

“Mostly?” Raxx squeaked.

Izzy couldn’t hear Asmodel’s answer if he gave one. She became numb, as if every cell in her body fell asleep. Unable to move or speak, the world around her became a conglomerate of light sparkles interspersed in a black unknown.

And then nothing.

It’d been a while since Asmodel teleported more than just himself. Especially with people who didn’t have any psionic abilities to help. Before he began, he sent his mind on a quick astral projection to ensure the place Talira described still stood. No reason to teleport into a pile of rubble. Good thing she was right that the palace withstood the violent earthquake.

Thankfully, they reached the inner sanctum of the royal palace without a hitch. The images of the area had been quite clear in Talira’s mind, even other ways to enter it. Some paths known to the public. Some… not so much. Seems like the fiery little scikvak had snuck in on more than one occasion to meet the zaltrixan male, Jaltaar. How interesting.

As he suspected, there was more to that scikvak than he let others see. He glanced at Talira. Maybe their desire for each other was the catalyst they needed to get the two scikvak races to work together.

The four of them ended up in a dark chamber large enough for fifty people. Asmodel took a psychic sweep to ensure they wouldn’t get attacked by other scikvak or that yellow Krystalii. The large group of scikvak in the room didn’t notice them.

“You still with me, JR13?” Asmodel whispered to the bot resting on his left shoulder. He could feel the light tips of the bot's feet scraping across the back of his neck.

“All good, organic one,” the bot’s tinny voice was whisper soft. “Echo and I are analyzing the surrounding structure. Looks like it’ll hold for now, but if that changes, I’ll give you a shout-out.”

Asmodel grunted in acknowledgment. He glanced around the room.

A group of scikvak were focused on a massive bed that dominated the room. Or rather, they were focused on the prone figure laying on the angle-shaped structure.

The head of the bed was made of dark hardwood bent in a circular shape that ended in a round overhang over the top. Littered around that dome and the frame were intricate carvings.

The bedding was some kind of plush material that reminded Asmodel of sheepskin mixed with silky fur.

The tapering open front allowed plenty of room for the large male scikvak, Supreme Alpha Regent Korvex, lying motionless on it. His eyes were closed, and his large paws were tucked under his chin. His muscular frame relaxed as if in sleep, his tail slightly twitching.

Even in this position, it was easy for Asmodel to sense the power and grace of the leader’s inherent strength. While there wasn’t any outside evidence of a mortal wound, he didn’t need his psychic ability to determine the male would soon take his last breath.

“Jaltaar!” Talira rushed to the side of the bed where the young male kneeled beside the monarch.

At the sound of her voice, Jaltaar’s head jerked in her direction. Without hesitating, he stood and caught her as she threw her arms around his neck, nuzzling her head against his neck.

As if a switch was thrown, Asmodel, Izzy, and Raxx were surrounded by growling zaltrixan guards pointing various weapons at them.

“Talira.” Jaltaar wrapped his arms around her waist, his eyes closed.

The grief coming off him in waves was palpable and hard to ignore.

“How did you get here?” Jaltaar’s voice was muffled against the female’s neck. He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Oh, Talira. He’s dying and I can’t do anything about it.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Asmodel ignored the sharp spear mere inches from his neck.

“We don’t know.” Painful sorrow laced Jaltaar’s voice. He pulled away from Talira and glanced between Asmodel, Raxx, and Izzy. “When the Krystalii woke up, she was out of control. She screamed at him—” He nodded at the prone monarch. “—and he suddenly collapsed.”

Another zaltrixan continued. “Then the alien floated in the air, and the next thing we knew, she hit us with massive earthquakes.” The elder wrung his paws. “Half the population of Panterion Prime perished in the rubble while the other half are trying to save those they can.”

“Everyone from Nekojin is coming to help.” Talira ran a paw across Jaltaar’s whiskers. “If you’ll let us.” She glared over her shoulder at the weapons the guards leveled on Asmodel, Raxx, and Izzy.

A different elder rushed to Talira. “We need nothing from you, you disgusting zihu …”

“Viscount Syrin!”

The crackling command from the intricate bed rang out loud enough for everyone to hear. Complete silence followed.

“Father!” Jaltaar rushed back to the bed and grabbed the elder zaltrixan’s hand. “Are you…”

“Listen very carefully, son.”

Asmodel winced at the sound of the monarch’s painful rasp.

“Father, save your breath.” Jaltaar placed a paw on his father’s. “The healers…”

“Pay attention, boy.” The firm note in the monarch’s tone didn’t leave any room for argument. “No one can do anything for me now. That Krystalii tore me up inside, so I only have a few moments.” He took in a rattling breath. “It’s up to you to save CeluriaVO from her.” His cloudy green eyes looked over Jaltaar’s shoulder at Talira. “How did Nekojin fare?”

Talira stood straight, but kept her paw on Jaltaar’s shoulder. “We all survived, but our village lies in ruins. Our leader, Praetor Vorlock, is bringing the pardalions here to aid in rescue as we speak.”

“Good.” Regent Korvex nodded. “Good.” He sucked in a rasping breath. “By royal decree I lift all sanctions against the pardalions and welcome them with open arms.”

“Your majesty!” Viscount Syrin’s outraged roar echoed. His ears flattened as he blinked. “We can’t allow…”

“Enough!” Korvex sliced a paw through the air, his thick claws extended. “I so have decreed, and my will be done.”

The elder zaltrixan sputtered, but bowed and stepped back.

“Guards, stand down.” Korvex’s voice was weaker, but no less commanding.

Without hesitation, in unison, the guards pulled their weapons back and stepped away from Asmodel and his two companions.

“Cowabunga. ‘bout time, dudes,” Raxx grumbled under his breath.

“I agree.” JR13 intoned.

“Jaltaar, stand before me.” The next command from the dying regent.

“Father.” The anguish in Jaltaar’s voice matched the tears gathered in his eyes.

Asmodel often wondered what it would have been like to have a parent, but witnessing the pain Jaltaar experienced as his father lay dying changed his mind. He glanced at Izzy, noticing her pinched lips and tear-filled eyes. Her hands were clasped in front of her, knuckles white. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close.

Korvex grasped Jaltaar's paws in his own. His emerald-green eyes, so like his son’s, blazed as he bared his fangs. “In the presence of our ancestors and the timeless stars, I, Supreme Alpha Regent Malstyr Korvax, bestow the mantle of sovereignty on you, my son, Jaltaar Zarvix. With this edict, you inherit the wisdom of our lineage, the strength to guide our people, and the resolve to uphold our sacred laws. May your reign be just, and may our realm flourish under your leadership.”

Korvex released his son's paws and flopped back onto the lavish bed. “It is done.” His deep sigh rattled deep inside his chest. “I now join with the mighty Solithar in the majestic hunting grounds.”

The sovereign king of CeluriaVO closed his eyes and rumbled an exhalation, signaling his final farewell.