Page 141 of Stars in Halo

Katya held him tight, her heart swelling with the radiance of becoming one overwhelming her.

She reached the peak of bliss, collapsing in waves of bliss, falling on him, panting and spent.

Xion thrust a hand into her hair, pulling her close, rasping into her ear.

‘Sweet Eden, I love you,’ he rasped.

She pulled away with a smile. ‘I love you too, Rider.’

Xion’s eyes were locked on hers, the incandescent ecstasy of their connection undeniable. She traced the lines of his face, the raw emotion etched deep within his features.

The tenderness in his gaze made her heart swell, and Katya let her soul fall into his, forever bound to him by an unbreakable thread of devotion, love and desire.

Love In A Nebula’s Halo

Midway between Iccythria and Galicia, a gilded super-cruiser raced through hyperspace, its engines roaring away from its pursuers.

Inside the stateroom of the Royal Scythe, a bejewelled man contorted in rage, bellowing at the holo screen that had just winked off.

He turned to his entourage of two wives, five advisers and a retinue of staff, his jowls quivering in seething fury.

‘The fokkin’ Rhesians, Galicians, and now the Falasians have all refused to give me exile. After all I did for them, all the deals we struck for them, the concessions on exports, and now they dare to turn me away?’

His voice quivered as he hissed. ‘How dare they?’

His retinue exchanged uneasy glances, aware of the tempest brewing. The King’s wrath could be as capricious as a supernova, devouring everything in its path.

‘You have a call coming in from King Auban of the Rhesian Realm of Nations,’ announced his pilot, patching into the stateroom from the bridge.

‘Put it through,’ His Highness K’Sumi Hinata Alamaq of Iccythria snarled, throwing himself into a throne-like chair.

The holo of a handsome, distinguished man shimmered onto the screen.

His Highness ALMQ leaned back in his ornate seat, exuding power and arrogance in equal measure.

‘K’Sumi, greetings,’ said the Rhesian monarch.

‘Auban,’ the Iccythrian King drawled. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘Dear man, it has come to my attention that you’re in trouble and may require safe passage and exile. I hear you first reached out to my office, but they turned you down?’

K’Sumi grimaced. ‘Tis true. I’ve been run out of my planet by falsehoods and lies. I need a sanctuary and secure harbour to plan my comeback. Will you rethink the request I sent? It’s a matter of urgency. I have the gunships of Khosana DKRT and several other prominent houses of Iccythria on my back.’

The Rhesian King stroked his moustache for a moment. ‘I’ve given it deep consideration, and I will allow you to travel to us, to Enia, to exile here.’

The King of Rhesia’s voice echoed through the stateroom, his tone soothing yet laden with an undercurrent of tension.

The Iccythrian royal’s eyes narrowed as he listened, cocking a brow in surprise at the unexpected turn of events.

‘Reconsider, you say?’ K’Sumi’s tone dripped with false cloying, his eyes gleaming with a malicious glint. ‘How kind of you, but tell me, Auban, what prompted this change of heart?’

There was a pause as the Rhesian regal chose his words with care. ‘Let’s a little bird in my ear has clarified where my loyalties should lie.’

K’Sumi’s expression shifted from anger to a twisted grin of satisfaction, his sharp features contorting into a mask of triumph.

‘Excellent. I graciously accept your reconsideration,’ he barked at his new benefactor, relishing the sudden shift in fortunes. ‘My friend, Auban, tis delightful of you to offer me safe harbour. Rest assured, our alliance shall be most beneficial for both our kingdoms,’ K’Sumi purred, his voice laced with barely concealed malice. ‘I’ll even give Rhesia a choice of our trade concessions once I’m back in power.’

King Auban gave the Iccythrian thin smile. ‘Of course, my dear fellow. Please accept our humblest apologies for any offence caused. We look forward to continuing our favourable relationship with you and your people.’

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