Page 61 of Stars in Halo

‘Oy,’ shouted one. ‘Who the -,’

Xion darted forward, taking down him with a swift punch to the jaw before he finished his sentence.

The guard crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain as Xion disarmed him.

The other guards had no time to recover from their initial shock.

Before they’d a chance to raise weapons and open fire, Xion vaulted at such high speed that he was a blur rippling towards them.

Adrenaline surged through Xion’s veins as he dodged and weaved with expert precision. Striking hard, fast and with superior efficacy.

One by one, the guards fell as Xion took them out, energised by a meta-infused rush that pulsated through him, heightening his senses and sharpening his focus.

With all sentries downed, he dragged the crumpled defenders into an airlock where he left them.

He stealthed himself and, moving with energy, he ghosted into the vessel’s bridge via the sliding door Mirage hacked open.

Into a high-tech central command centre that someone had paid a pretty penny for its bells and whistles.

Yet, it might have been a better design.

He curled his lip at its split-level floor, a sprawling affair that would be challenging for a ship’s commander to oversee operations.

Its vast size impeded easy movement to stations, and its seating had poor restraints in case of loss of gravity or sudden impact.

Even the consoles were flimsy, and he’d no doubt they’d explode at the merest whim, flinging shrapnel everywhere and location on a comparatively exposed part of the upper hull.

Still, the lighting was dim, which made his infiltration a walk in the park.

He swivelled his head, searching for Katya.

He tagged her in the corner of the highest level to his right. She was not bound but banished to her seat, simmering with anger as she stared at the three men sprawled at the bridge.

His heart lurched at the sight of her because, fokk, she still had it in her to jack him up with need. Despite the fact, he wanted to rip her head off.

Katya was fokkin livid.

She stared at her brothers, wanting to rip their heads off.

First, for what they’d done to her mother and her adopted kids. Second, they’d blatantly ignored her request NOT to capture Xion, for she’d devised an alternative plan to gain what they needed without involving the Rider.

They’d tramped roughshod over her wishes, and now she had a Sable target on her back, and her loved ones were still in mortal danger.

So lost was she in wishing death on her siblings that she missed the blur of energy that ghosted behind her.

In a flash, a hand pulled her hair to one side of her neck, tagged around her mouth and up onto a firm, hard, muscled chest.

Another thick arm encircled her waist, lifting her into the air and dragging her into the shadows.

At first, her body locked.

She gasped against the palm covering her oral cavity and struggled, but as she caught wind of his scent and perceived his presence, she sagged.

She twisted her head and focused on Xion’s glowing mocha-jade gaze.

His heated glare searched the room, and she followed its trajectory as he glowered at her three brothers.

They were well in the shadow and out of sight. Or so she hoped.

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