Page 183 of Stolen By the Alien Berserker

Despite his praise, unease tumbles in my stomach watching them march Harkus from the hall, his head unbowed, brown eyes drilling into me.

“Do not mistake my choice for blind loyalty. You serve me,” I remind him with a stern gaze.

“You won’t regret it,” Ignixis whispers, his voice low and close to my ear, startling me with its intimacy. “I promise you.”

Before I can respond, Ignixis straightens, addressing the group with a wave of his hand. “Now then, I’ll use his wristconsole to summon gliders. They’ll take us straight to the ship waiting in Star City.”

His gesture encompasses Princesa, Sandra, Jazreal, and me. I move sluggishly, my mind a mire of doubt and conflicting emotions, each step heavier than the last.

Princesa clutches my arm, drawing my attention to her mesmerizing beauty. “I knew you’d make the right choice, my red dragon,” she purrs, her smile sharp enough to cut through my lingering doubts. “We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

How could I falter with her by my side?

The crowd shifts uneasily, murmurs rippling through them like tremors beneath the volcanic ground.

Ignixis doesn’t falter. “Hurry now,” he calls out, ushering us toward the tunnel that leads to the surface. His voice echoes through the cavernous hall.

“The future won’t be decided on Klendathor, but in the heavens.”