Page 168 of Scorching the Alien Empire
The impact is instantaneous. He lets out a harsh grunt as they slam into him, his boots scraping against the floor as he’s forced back. My instinct is to stop her, in this moment, she’s more unpredictable than the Voidbane itself.
“Princesa, stop!” I roar, moving instinctively to intervene—before halting.
There isn’t time. Life and death hang by a thread. And she just disabled my Second, my gunner, in the most crucial moment of the battle.
My hands dart across the controls, overriding the cannon systems.
“What?” She hisses, her head snapping toward me like a vipertail preparing to strike. “Don’t worry, I’ll save the day... again!” She waves her hand dismissively, and through the cannon controls I see barriers shimmering into existence along theRavager’s Ruin’shull.
The Voidbane looms above. Its shields sputter, flickering like dying embers. Its hulking form is riddled with gaping wounds, massive gashes venting debris and blue-hot plasma into the void like severed arteries.
For any other ship, these would be death blows.
But not for the Scythians.
Not for machines.
Despite the ruinous damage, it clings to murderous existence.
Its cannons pulse with blue fire, the barrels glowing hot as it unleashes a final barrage—
Molten plasma tears through space, searing through the swirling hues of hyperspeed, hurtling toward us like burning comets.
At the same moment, theRavager’s Ruinshudders as our twin-linked cannons retaliate at my command, unleashing their own volley.
Plasma rains over plasma, streaks of fire colliding mid-flight.
Some blasts detonate on impact, bursting into blinding white sparks before vanishing into the abyss. Others pierce through, unimpeded.
I grip the obsidian armrests of my throne, claws digging into the polished stone, bracing for impact. The Voidbane’s fire streaks toward us, seconds from impact—Then stops. The plasma halts mid-flight, mere feet from our hull. Princesa’s barriers shimmer, edges glowing as sizzling blue pools across their surface, the energy dispersing before cascading harmlessly into the void.
Princesa exhales slowly, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “What’s the matter, Drex-iot?” Her voice is sickly sweet, dripping with venom. “Not so funny now, is it?”
I need to end this. Now.
Chapter 32
Alexandra
Chaos
Hatredburnsthroughmyveins, molten and seething, like rivers of bubbling lava. The silver-red mist of my divinity spills from my eyes, curling into the air like storm clouds before a tempest. Beneath the heat of my clenched fists and flushed skin, elation simmers.
I love this.
The power. The control. The thrill of wiping that smug, insufferable look off Drex-iot’s face.
With a flick of my wrist, my silvery barriers slam into him. His grunt of pain is delicious, the sound ripping from his throat as the force crushes him inch by inch toward the black marble wall. His black armor groans under the pressure, metal scraping as his claws scratch desperately at the surface.
Look at him. Face smushed, pinned, his pathetic hands scrabbling against the wall. Like some ugly, oversized green-furred cat, trapped in a pet carrier, frantically clawing to escape its fate at the vet—neutering day.
Feral animals should have their claws removed, after all.
“You dare insult me, the Divine Daughter? And worse—you mock my father, Arawnoth?” The words hiss through my clenched teeth as I stalk closer, each step echoing against the polished floor. His boots scrape uselessly, leaving faint trails against the stone.
But I’m not done.
“Oh, and let’s not forget,” I sneer, “when you threw that fucking jelly stick wrapper at my head!”
