Page 42 of Asmodel

“How can you know that?” Izzy leaned to the bot and made sure she whispered.

“Easy. I asked Echo.”

“You echoed?” Izzy searched the room. How could an echo tell them where someone was?

“No, my baffled friend.” JR13 huffed. “Echo is a self-aware artificial creation that can process an unlimited amount of data and perceived emotions. She is a discerning system, not a sound.”

Izzy scratched the side of her head. “Huh?”

“Echo is the name of Raxx’s AI system.” Asmodel chuckled with a playful glimmer in his dark eyes. “And JR13 has interfaced with Echo to keep the lines of communication going between us.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’d forgotten that.”

JR13 snorted. “And that’s why I’m here. To pick up your slack.”

“Well, golly gee JR13. That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Izzy’s face flushed. Oh lordy. How arrogant of her to step in and defend Asmodel like that. It’s not as if the man couldn’t take care of himself.

Asmodel squeezed her hand as he leaned over and placed a light kiss on her neck. JR13 squeaked and scuttled out of the way.

The feel of his lips on her skin created a sudden flush of warmth spreading outward from deep inside her.Oh my stars, he was one dangerous man.

“Don’t worry about him.”

Asmodel’s low rumble ramped up the goosebumps on her arms.

“But I appreciate you standing up for me.” His gaze lingered on her before he pulled away. “Okay JR13. What did Echo tell you?”

Izzy swore the bot muttered “organics” under his breath as he moved back to his place on Asmodel’s shoulder. His six legs orchestrated a complex ballet across the hilly surface of Asmodel’s body, his joints flexing like tiny hydraulic pistons.

“Echo has informed me she and Raxx are fine but are in some kind of holding cell. They’re waiting for you to ‘hurry your happy ass up and rescue us’.”

Asmodel chuckled. “Reassure Echo we’re working on it.”

“Already did. I’m going to keep the line with her open so she can hear what’s decided here.”

Asmodel nodded. “Good idea.”

He turned his attention back to the council, sitting back as his brow furrowed.

Izzy shifted in her seat and did the same. She rested her hand on his firm thigh, and his warmth eased the tension gripping her since she’d witnessed the destruction in his vision.

“The zaltrixan are notoriously secretive and well-fortified,” Calin pointed out. His tail flicked in irritation. “Penetrating Panterion Prime won’t be easy.”

Madam Fexa raised a paw for attention. “We must consider stealth over sheer force. The zaltrixan might respect strength, but they are vulnerable to cunning.”

Izzy thought of the man they were supposed to rescue. They had to get him back, not just for his sake, but to prevent the potential destruction of the entire race of scikvak. “What if we used a diversion?” Her voice cut through the murmur of the council. All eyes turned to her. She met their stares head-on, her heart pounding. “If they’re stronger than us, wouldn’t it be best if we create a disturbance outside the city limits—something to draw their forces out?” That type of scenario was quite popular in Earth literature throughout the ages.

Asmodel nodded in support. “Excellent idea.” He brought her hand up and applied a brief kiss to her knuckles. “That way, a small team can slip into the city under the cover of the chaos. Grab Raxx before they know he's gone.”

Talira sat back and put one of her paws over the other on her stomach. “I like that idea. We have enough ammunition and weapons ready to create a massive decoy just outside the city parameters that I and my team can detonate. Now who do you propose goes into the city to rescue the human?”

Before Izzy could respond, Asmodel spoke up. “That’d be Izzy and me. Since I’ve an open communication with Raxx, it’ll be easy enough for us to get him.”

Izzy suspected he had other tricks up his sleeve but wasn’t willing to share it with the group. Hopefully, he’d fill her in when they were alone.

Asmodel’s proposal hung heavy in the air. Every second stretched as the pardalions exchanged glances, communicating in their silent, feline way. Finally, Praetor Vorlok nodded.

“Very well.” He pounded his fisted paw on the table. “And just how are we to stop the Krystalii from destroying our planet when she finds the human gone?”

“As usual, Echo and I have already come up with a viable solution to that.” JR13 spoke with a raised voice so all in the chamber could hear.