Page 133 of Stars in Nova

The air temp fell, the scent of burning wires mingling with something more primal—something ancient.

The face tilted downward, and the gaze swept across the stronghold as if appraising the destruction.

A wild wind whipped through the space, and from it came a guttural voice.

‘Si U Illu,’ it roared in an alien tongue, the sound not so much spoken as sensed in all their minds, accompanied by a diabolical potency that vibrated through the stone and steel.

The words appeared to rent the air, each syllable reverberating with otherworldly power.

Before anyone could respond, the cloud shifted again, collapsing inward with terrifying speed.

The energy it carried condensed into a single, searing arrow of flaring, roiling darkness, which shot upward from the center of the palace.

It pierced the atmosphere, leaving a gaping void in its wake, and disappeared into the stars. It left a sickly afterglow, casting the stronghold in a dim, eerie pall.

For a moment, no one moved.

The silence was oppressive, broken only by the crackle of dying fires and the distant groans of crumbling structures.

‘What in Devansi hell was that?’ Sax broke the hush, his voice tinged with incredulity.

He gestured toward the sky, where the last traces of the beam lingered like a scar.

‘People,’ the Sarabaite rasped. ‘Are we just going to pretend that didn’t happen? Because I’m not feeling confident about—’

He was interrupted when Sharin tracked to the cassocked man, swung her weapon from her anterior to her spine, and planted herself in front of him.

‘Fokkwhatever it was! You’re alive, Sarabaite, we’re all alive. ‘Tis all that matters.’

He arched a brow in surprise as she reached for his head, grabbed his dark head, and brought his mouth down on hers.

When they pulled apart, Sax huffed. ‘Well played, woman. Let’s explore more of that later,’ he grinned.

Meanwhile, Kisan’s lips crashed once more on his woman’s, the kiss searing, desperate, and full of emotions he didn’t dare to utter.

Samira melted into him, gripping his shoulders as if anchoring herself.

The chaos around them fell away momentarily, leaving only the warmth of their embrace. Her pulse raced, matching the frantic beat of his heart as she clung to him.

Samira pulled back, her forehead resting against his. ‘I thought I’d lost you,’ she whispered, her voice cracking.

‘Never,’ Kisan murmured, cupping her face.

Standing a few feet away with an arm around Sharin’s shoulders, Sax raised an eyebrow. ‘Anyone want to discuss what we all just witnessed? An ass-hole shadow face declaring war on this galaxy? If that thing comes back, I’d like to be ready with a bigger gun.’

Samira huffed, her hand still entwined with Kisan’s. ‘I don’t doubt it for a moment, Sarabaite.’

Kisan straightened, his expression hardening as he gazed back toward the sky. ‘Mirage, please track that anomaly.’

‘Already have,’ came the dulcet tones of the AI emanating from his helmet. ‘It’s pushed through to space and fast-tracked to the System’s edge before punching out. It’s long gone, but I’ll keep sensors looking for it. It appears to have been an alien formof systems and network control. Fokkin’ dangerous. It must have an agenda, but we can only sit on the Corilians who’ve survived to give us some insight.’

The Rider turned to Sax. ‘Got your answer?’

Sax sucked his teeth, unconvinced. ‘Not really, I’m only part relaxed because that monstrous obscurity is no longer in this quadrant of space. Still, we need to plan on not lettingfokk-face get the last word.’

Kisan smirked, his hand still resting on Samira’s waist. ‘You did good, brother.’

‘I always do,’ Sax growled. ‘Now let’s get the hell out of here before some other alien storm face decides it wants to whup our asses.’

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