Fury to the Stars (Universe in Flames Book 2) Read Free Page B

effect of attracting unwanted company, something they
didn’t look upon too kindly. Then again, very few other species were as
powerful and talented at war as the Droxians. The Furies were one such species,
but they had gone extinct a long time ago.
    “Empty your pockets and drop your clothes, you
filthy Droxian.” The guard snarled.
    She looked into his eyes for the very first time and
immediately received a vision of his death. From the looks of it, he would die
shortly, within the confines of Hellstar prison.
    She smiled, taking this as a good omen for what was
to come next. “Whatever you say.”
    “I’d wipe that smirk off your face. We don’t like
sarcasm around here. You’ll learn that soon enough.”
    She decided not to antagonize him any further; he
was clearly not worthy of her energy, and, to be honest, she didn’t have much
left to spare. She dropped all of her belongings on the counter and started to
undress. A guard droid hovered near her, ready to strike or stun her at the
first sight of trouble. These flying spheres of metal were simple in design—a
line of red lights shining all around the circumference and a red glass eye at
their center. They also emitted a nerve-wracking buzzing sound when hovering
and moving about.
    “Not feeling so tough now, are we?” The guard was
feeling braver now that she was naked.
    Any other day, she would snap the little bugger’s
neck on the spot, enjoying the sound of his brittle bones cracking under the
pressure of her hold. But she had to be patient, something she wasn’t really
good at. She was, after all, on the most important mission of her life.
    Her teenage son was trapped somewhere in this hell
hole. She had to get him out.
    “No, sir,” she said, adding a tad of fear for
dramatic effect. Best to just swallow her pride and get on with it—every second
was important.
    The guard’s eyes glittered with malice. “Yeah,
you’re going to find out what happens to your kind down here.”
    Don’t push your luck, you
disgusting little dwarf!
    He threw some prison clothes in her face and she had
to block every instinct she had not to catch them. Droxians were incredibly
fast, with amazing reflexes, but she didn’t want this pitiful piece of dirt to
see that. Perhaps soon you will get a taste of my speed, she thought.
    The clothes fell to the ground.
    “Pick them up, now!” he shouted.
    “Yes, sir. Pardon my clumsiness,” she replied
through gritted teeth.
    Keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, she picked up
the clothes and quickly dressed. Of course they were too small. Not many races
were as massively built as Droxian warriors. That being said, she was sure a
prison like Hellstar would have attire for all sizes and shapes. This was
probably just a pathetic attempt by the guard to feel superior.
    Once she was dressed, the droid changed position and
said in a synthetic voice, “Prisoner XA-667037, follow me.”
    “As you command.”
    She followed the droid down the hall to her right
without giving the guard a second look.
    Hope to see you soon, little
dwarf …
    They arrived at a steel door that was freckled with
patches of rust. The droid turned its glowing eye to face her.
    “Enter the decontamination room. Once you are
finished, keep walking. Another droid will take you to your cell.”
    “Understood.”
    The door groaned as it split apart from the center.
Flashing red lights appeared on the ground, indicating the way to the center of
the room.
    Like I would get lost taking a
step forward. Who designs these things?
    As soon as she stepped inside, the doors slammed
shut behind her with a loud crunch and the room filled with a thick gas. A few
blinking lights on a control screen provided the only illumination. She groped
blindly until she managed to find one of the nozzles spewing the fog in the
darkness and braced herself into position.
    It was now or never.
    Taking a deep breath, she blocked one of them with
her thumb. A sharp beeping resonated