Page 35 of Stars in Nova

Kage chuckled, clapping Kisan on the shoulder. ‘Don’t let us keep you both. Have fun.’

Kisan’s heart pounded as the elevator doors slid shut, cutting them off from his brothers’ playful banter.

Samira’s hand brushed his arm again, a silent reminder that she still held the upper hand.

She pressed him before her at his front entrance so his face was clear before the scanner.

A sweep of blue energy flicked over him, unlocking the door with his biometric signature validated.

The Rider shook with even more rage as she led him inside.

The moment they entered his apartment, she moved with purpose.

First, she pushed him onto the couch. ‘Stay.’

Her eyes scanned the space, taking in the stark, utilitarian décor.

She ignored the furniture and headed straight for the one thing that stood out: the jeweled mask on the wall.

Kisan’s chest tightened as she approached it.

Hell.

So this is what she was after.

The one object that defined his madness, rage, and roiling focus on retribution.

His shame.

As if reading his mind, Samira glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. ‘It may have harmed many, but now it might have the chance to liberate millions.’

The fokk?

He glowered as she reached for it, brushing the intricate black spinel surface.

The mask vibrated at her touch, its dormant kinetic energy responding with a light flare.

She unhooked it from the wall with practiced ease, cradling it like a precious artifact.

Kisan’s metanoids began to stir, the effects of her neuro-toxin waning just enough for him to test his strength.

He sighed in relief at a slight twitch in his fingers and toes; a flicker of control returned. His eyes narrowed as he glared at her.

Samira pulled a small device from beneath her cloak. The silver sphere glowed when she tapped it.

A soft purr filled the room as the orb expanded, forming a swirling blue and white energy vortex—a miniature wormhole transporter for short transfers.

‘I’m sorry, Kisan,’ she said, her eyes filled with regret. ‘I hate to inconvenience you, but this mask is the key to saving what’s left of my world. The toxin I administered will wear off in a few days. It gave you a nonlethal dose with zero lingering symptoms.’

Kisan’s body surged with renewed strength as she prepared to enter the swirling, illuminated portal.

His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.

The force of his grip startled her, but her expression remained calm.

‘I’m not letting you walk away with it,’ he growled.

Her silver and gold eyes softened, a flicker of regret passing through them. ‘You don’t understand. Perhaps it’s best if you don’t try to. All I ask is that you forgive me.’

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