Free Crystal Tomb (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 3) by Melanie Nilles Page B

his opinion of what Surik had done
to the prisoners? Lorel had been the one monitoring their life
signs and seemed to take a special interest in the humans'
well-being.
    {"I warned him they were weak."} Her
voice hushed as they passed through the corridor. {"He went too far
with them."}
    {"He learned, though. This one lives
longer."}
    {"This one is hardier than
the others. He pushed this one near death while you were gone. I
fought to revive him. It's good for us that human anatomy is
sturdier than Inari. He will kill them too, and we will be no
closer to finding the D'Nuvar ."} A snort blew from distended
nostril slits and she halted, her spines flattening. {"He will
listen to you."}
    Kalas glanced back down the
hall through which they had walked without passing anyone. No one
approached. {"He listens to no one but his clan. Once he has
the D'Nuvar , the
Nakor will be powerful again."}
    Her eyelids sank with her head and her
body took on a posture of attack. Perhaps he had said too
much.
    Or not. The gurgling growl from her
throat indicated a foul mood, but against him or the Nakor? She
made no move to attack him.
    {"It should benefit our whole world,"}
he whispered.
    Lorel straightened and fell silent.
{"You believe this?"}
    {"Many of us do."}
    The padding of feet came from the end
of the corridor.
    {"I will speak to you later."} Kalas
parted with her as a guard strode past, his gun holstered at his
waist.
    Kalas had either given himself away as
a traitor to Lorel or gained another supporter. She was wise to use
caution, and he had tried, but one of them had to speak up. Now he
could only hope Lorel shared his feelings about the Nakor, although
he would be surprised if she supported the clan who had eliminated
most of hers.

Subtleties and Instigations
     
    Darkness filled the room,
defined by the pinpoints of lights organized in sections, some
blinking while others shone steadily, until a piece detached and
approached.
    A nightmarish face
materialized in the faint light, and spines shifted on a face with
four slits beneath the eyes and a lipless mouth stretching beneath
that into what appeared to be a smile. The spikes along the face
shrank to almost nothing. Fingers tipped with short claws partially
enclosed the view, touching it but not, as if separated by a
barrier.
    The Risaal carried the
viewer; the scene shifted with movement, until a cloth thrown over
hid all sights.
    Images blurred, until
after some time, a voice hissed and clicked and the scene opened to
a…forest? Giant alien trees filled the scene, interconnecting
branches forming walkways upon which other Risaal crossed. Orange
fan-like leaves spread about the tops with green blotches forming
bumps along the height. Clusters of artificial structures and
lights attached to the trees.
    {"We have to hurry."} The
translation of the strange language made it easy. The speaker
sounded worried. {"The consular ship is almost ready to leave. The
dead guards will be noticed soon."}
    {"The Nakor will soon
fall,"} another voice replied. {"We will be free."}
    The scene shifted and
bounced, voices mingling. It settled once again, but this time on a
platform upon which a radiant ship berthed. The delta-wing shape of
the silver and blue arrow glistened in the light and a short ramp
descended from the underside to the platform.
    An entourage of angels
approached from one of the nearby tree-like structures, their hair
and wings ranging in colors from black to various shades of brown
to the yellow of the lead figure.
    {"It will soon
end."}
    {"Are you ready?"} The
second voice spoke clearly this time. {"Go. Now."}
    The Risaal carrying the
view source approached the lead Inari, a woman of regal presence in
a layered outfit of a translucent beige gown over lavender pants
and midriff-exposing top with gold trim. Golden hair cascaded down
her shoulders, matching the wings barely visible in their tightness
to her back. Her pursed lips loosened with the furrowing of her
brow as she