Page 38 of Stars in Nova

Kainan set down his fork, his plate forgotten. ‘What happened?’

The emerald-eyed meta hesitated, his jaw tightening. ‘That woman was poison.’

The Rider’s boss arched a brow. ‘Intriguing. Pray to tell.’

With a suck of his teeth, Kisan launched into a brief recounting of the night—Samira’s kiss, the neuro-toxin, her manipulation of his body, and her escape with the mask.

He left out the intimate details, though the bitterness in his tone conveyed enough.

When he finished, Mirage exhaled a plume of smoke, her silver and gold eyes gleaming with intrigue. ‘I’ll admit, I didn’t see this one coming.’

Kainan’s expression darkened, his features sharp with concern. ‘The mask. That’s not something we can let fall into the wrong hands.’

‘Exactly,’ Kisan growled in pure frustration. ‘She knew what it was and where exactly to find it. Appears she wants to exploit it for nefarious purposes—or at least, she’s acquainted with someone who does.’

The Rider’s oracle stubbed out her cheroot and tilted forward, her holo presence sharpening. ‘Let’s get upstairs. I’ll scan the comm unit you snagged and discover more about your femme fatale.’

The boardroom was a stark, high-tech contrast to the BirdKage’s elegance.

Screens lined the walls, their displays glowing with streams of data. Mirage’s projection moved with purpose to the centralconsole, her fingers dancing across the interface as she analyzed Samira’s prize.

Kainan stood at the table, his broad shoulders tense, while Kisan reclined against the wall, still pale and aching from his regeneration.

Moments later, Xion entered, his dark coat billowing as he stepped inside. He glanced at Kisan, his expression neutral but his tone light. ‘So, she played you?’

Kisan bristled, his jaw tightening, but Xion raised a hand. ‘Relax. No judgment. It’s happened to the best of us.’

Kainan smirked. ‘Katya.’

Xion nodded, his inflection dry. ‘Fokkyeah, let’s not forget that debacle. She had me chasing ghosts across the galaxy for months before I caught her. She ran circles around me, stole from the Riders, and almost got away with it.’

The room fell silent momentarily, the shared understanding of past mistakes easing Kisan’s tension.

He exhaled. ‘The mask isn’t just dangerous—it’s catastrophic in the wrong hands. If she or whoever she’s working with figures out how to weaponize its oscillation-’

‘They could wreak havoc,’ Kainan finished, his tone grim.

‘Not many people know how to pull it apart,’ Kisan added. ‘Its maker, Master Sayeret, is the only one I’m certain would understand.’

Mirage’s holographic form flickered as data cascaded across the central screen. ‘Got it,’ she announced. ‘The comm links to a ship that jumped into hyperspace about an hour ago. Its trajectory leads to the badlands, a far-flung system of the Pegasi IV quadrant, near Orilia XIV.’

Kainan folded his arms, his golden meta eyes narrowing. ‘The Vaelorii home planet. Quiet people. Peaceful on all accounts. If they’re involved, it’s not by choice.’

Kisan straightened, his green eyes glowing. ‘This is on me. I let her get away. I’ll track her, scout the situation, and retrieve the mask.’

‘I’d advise that you scout only,’ Kainan rasped. ‘It’s not wise to go in alone to take on whatever she’s connected to. Call for backup if it gets messy. That said, you make the estimation you see fit.’

‘Grateful,’ Kisan growled with a chin lift.

Xion nodded. ‘We’ll be on standby.’

Mirage smirked. ‘Try not to kiss anyone this time, honey.’

Kisan shot her a glare as he strode toward the door. ‘Fokkoff, all-knowing Oracle.’

The Sting of Betrayal

All the way back to his apartment, Kisan seethed in a tangled mess of anger and pain.

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