Page 53 of New World

“They will betray you, just as they betrayed me.”

“Zoak is coming for you.”

“They whisper in the shadows, questioning your strength.”

His hands curled into fists, his nails cutting into his palms as Coleridge’s mocking voice echoed through his mind. His vision blurred as rage and paranoia churned inside him, an ever-growing storm with no outlet. He was in control. He was in control. No one would take that away. The Legion belonged to him.

“You are wrong brother. I am the stronger one,” he breathed out.

A faint chuckle ghosted through his mind, like Coleridge was right there beside him, whispering in his ear. Andri ruthlessly pushed his brother’s mocking laughter from his mind. He would not let his brother’s lies trick him. He would destroy everything that defied him. Everything that failed him.

His mind sharpened. His breathing steadied. The destruction below was only the beginning.

He turned, his voice quiet but deadly.

“Set course for Cryon II.”

If the Ancient Knights had returned, they would need help, and who better to help them than Dorane LeGaugh, with his vast empire and powerful personal army?

Dorane only thought he was powerful.

When Andri was finished, there would be no other empire but the Legion standing—Ancient Knights be damned.

He would burn every star in the sky before he allowed them to rise again.

13

The next morning, the docking bay hummed with controlled chaos. Mechanics moved like clockwork around Dorane’s star cruiser, making final checks when his crew secured cargo and running diagnostics before departure. The scent of heated metal and fuel mixed with the crisp bite of Cryon II’s air circulation system. Above, steel beams stretched into the shadows of the towering bay, illuminated only by flood lights and the occasional spark from a welder’s torch.

Dorane stood near the base of the ramp, arms crossed, his sharp gaze following the organized flurry of activity. His attention, however, wasn’t on the preparations—it was on Asta.

She was pacing.

Her tail flicked in agitation, her golden eyes flashing as she turned back toward him, fists clenched at her sides. “I don’t like this, Dorane.”

He sighed. He knew this would be a fight. “I know.”

She stopped pacing and jabbed a finger toward his chest. “Then take me and Jammer with you.”

“No.”

Asta let out a sharp hiss of frustration. “You need us. We need to be there. Watching your back?—”

“I need you here,” Dorane interrupted, his voice firm but calm. “Someone has to keep an eye on things while I’m gone.”

Asta scoffed. “And who’s going to keep an eye on you?”

Dorane lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve got two Ancient Knights, a Master Turbinta assassin, a squadron of cutthroat crew members with enough experience to handle just about any attack, and myself. You really think I’m under-prepared?”

She scowled. “You and I both know that’s not the point.” Her voice dropped, rough with unspoken concern. “Zoak is out there. And you’re walking right into whatever trap he’s planning.”

That was exactly why he wanted her and Jammer to stay on Cryon II. Asta’s presence filled his world with a warmth he couldn’t bear to lose. Through thick and thin, Asta and Jammer had stood by him, their loyalty unwavering and their support steadfast.

They were the closest thing he had to family, something he would never admit to them because it would put them in even more danger. The potential of Zoak using them as leverage was too great a risk; he wasn’t about to allow it.

He exhaled, glancing at the ship before turning back to her. “I’ve got this, Asta. Believe it or not, I did think about things like assassins and danger. I need you and Jammer to keep an eye on Cryon II and any Legion movements. If Zoak has compromised anything here, we need to know before anyone gets hurt. No one knows every bolt and crevice in this place better than you two.”

Asta narrowed her eyes, her tail flicking again. “Do you think he has done something? Do you know something that I don’t?”

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