Page 16 of Alien Warlord's Fury

"Claire!" Nirako's voice sounded distant through the roaring in my ears.

The thing rose higher—a pillar of metal and crystal, ancient technology awakening. Energy crackled around it, arcs of power that scorched the air. My vision blurred, darkness creeping at the edges.

Strong arms caught me as my knees buckled. Nirako pulled me against his chest, his lifelines brightening in response to my distress. Through our contact, I felt his energy flow into me, steadying the chaotic surge of my markings.

"Focus on me," he commanded, his voice cutting through the pain. "Not on it. On me."

I clutched at his shoulders, forcing my awareness away from the awakened technology and onto Nirako instead. The solid warmth of his body. The steady rhythm of his lifelines.

The anchoring pressure of his hands on my back.

Gradually, the pain receded. My markings settled, still bright but no longer burning beneath my skin. I drew a shaky breath.

"What is that thing?" I asked, not pulling away from his support.

Nirako's expression was grim. "Ancient technology. A node of some kind. It shouldn't be active."

"Hammond," I said, the name bitter on my tongue. "He's activating the old systems, using the children to power them."

"To what end?" Nirako's arms tightened around me, unconsciously protective.

I shook my head. "Control. Power. He wants to harness the planet's energy for himself."

I pulled back enough to meet his eyes. "We need to move faster. Every moment we delay, more children suffer, and more of these nodes activate."

Nirako studied my face, conflict clear in his eyes. His warrior's caution warred with the urgency he now shared.

"We'll need to circle around," he said finally. "That node is too dangerous to approach directly. The energy would overwhelm your markings again."

I wanted to argue, to insist on the most direct route, but the lingering pain in my body warned against it. Nirako was right—I'd be no help to the captive children if I collapsed from energy overload.

"How long will that take?" I asked.

"Hours, not days." His hand moved to my face, a brief, gentle touch that surprised us both. "We'll save them, Claire. But you must stay strong to do it."

The sincerity in his voice silenced my protests. I nodded, allowing myself to lean into his strength for a moment longer before straightening.

"Then let's go. We've wasted enough time already."

As we moved to skirt the active node, I caught Nirako watching me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher. Concern, yes, but something more—something that made my pulse quicken despite the danger surrounding us. The near-kiss, the shared fight—they hadn't been forgotten, merely pushed aside by the immediate threat.

The knowledge settled in my chest, both comforting and terrifying as we pressed forward into increasingly dangerous territory.

NIRAKO

The rain hit without warning. Droplets sizzled against leaves with an ominous hiss. Acid rain on Arenix meant only one thing: find shelter or suffer.

"Cave. Now." I grabbed Claire's arm, scanning the rocky outcropping ahead. The acrid smell permeated the air.

"Don't let it touch your skin."

Claire's markings pulsed erratically as she ducked her head and ran beside me. The rain intensified, eating through leaves with alarming speed.

"There!" I spotted a dark crevice in the rock face. Not ideal, but better than dissolving in the downpour.

We sprinted the final distance as the first drops burned through the canopy. One struck my shoulder, searing through fabric to skin beneath. I pushed Claire ahead of me into the narrow opening, following close behind as the full force of the squall descended.

The cave proved smaller than I'd hoped—barely a crack in the stone, forcing us to press together in the cramped space. Claire's back flattened against the rear wall while I crouched at the entrance, watching caustic droplets create steam where they struck the ground.

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