“It doesn’t matter. It’s a lesson you’re overdue in learning anyway,” he answered, and I treaded even closer, not even a foot away from him.
“Have mercy,” I begged, straightening my arm behind my back and positioning the knife in my fingers. I was ready.
I took a step forward, purposely catching the satin cloth of my cloak under my foot and fell in his direction.
“Clumsy bitch,” he grunted, stepping to the side and not even trying to catch me. I’d known he’d react that way. He’d rather see me fall on my face than offer any sort of help to someone he viewed as a lesser being.
I caught myself with a single hand, pushed up against the floor and used my forward momentum to roll to the side. I lashed out with the knife, making sure to slice cleanly through the tendon at the back of his right ankle.
The sound of his sinew snapping echoed loudly throughout the room, as did Credare’s very high-pitched scream of pain immediately after. Quickly, I slashed at the back of his left knee, fully incapacitating him in two blows. He collapsed, unable to stand. His cries of agony sounded pathetic, but he would receive absolutely zero pity from me.
He didn’t deserve it.
His guards stood transfixed. A fair number of them looked satisfied at that moment, almost as if they were cheering me on but didn’t have the balls to say anything.
“You see, Credare, you don’t rule the galaxies out here. Bane does. What I neglected to tell you was that I’m his captive. His human and because of that, I stopped being yours long ago,” I said, and he just whined pitifully on the floor.
“The Association isn’t welcome here. You crossed the line when you attacked Bane, who had promised to meet with you in good faith. Now that you’ve disregarded that completely, all bets are off. You are fair game now,” I added, and he moaned in agony. I took my knife and pressed it beneath his chin. I angled the sharpened blade, forcing him to lift his head as I stared down at him.
“Cold-hearted bitch,” he spat.
“You don’t get to talk to me like that anymore,” I growled, and I pushed the blade up, purposely flicking it and cutting him in the process. He whimpered loudly and I almost felt embarrassed for him. Almost.
“I’ll talk to you however I want, you stupid cunt. Seize her. Fucking kill her already,” he demanded, his voice shrill. None of the guards moved. None of them even said a word. Instead, they just stood there, watching me. Holding the knife steady, I caught the eyes of the guard closest to me, almost daring him to do something, but he didn’t. He turned his head, nodding just the slightest bit. I met the eyes of another, and he did the same thing.
“None of your men are going to stop me, Credare,” I snarled, and his eyes flicked back and forth with panic. His hands clutched at his injured legs and he tried to stand, but his body failed him. I’d done irreparable damage to his legs. Not that I was going to let him live anyway.
“Fucking move or I’ll kill you all,” he screamed, terrified.
Still, not a single one of the Association guards moved to obey his command.
“You see, strange things happen when you treat the people beneath you like shit, Credare. Things like them abandoning you in your time of greatest need,” I said nonchalantly, a smirk turning up the corners of my lips.
The green bastard hissed at me.
“It’s time for both you and the Association to come to an end,” I declared, and his face contorted into something like a rabid animal. He tried to push himself forward, tried to use his arms to attack me but I was already in motion.
I twisted and took a step back, quickly avoiding the rancid touch of his fingertips. I gripped the gun at my waist, pulled it from its holster, and steadied it within my hand. I pressed my finger against the trigger and pulled, activating the fusion cell within the gun. It hummed softly and then a bright red bolt shot out of the end of the barrel, aimed straight for the middle of Credare’s forehead. He didn’t even have time to scream or defend himself.
The man’s head expanded for a moment before it exploded. I had decided that I was going to free myself and that required his death. Remnants of his brain matter splashed against the floor and all over my cloak. Disgusted, I slipped the cape from my shoulders and tossed it onto the floor, covering the sight of Credare’s mangled body at the same time.
Bane stared at me with a look of pride.
“I knew you could do it,” he murmured. My heart swelled. He had believed in me from the start and I dropped my gaze, unable to stop myself from smiling. He cleared his throat and I looked up to meet his eyes. He lifted his arm, beckoning me to his side and I went to him.
I looked around at the guards that were left behind, watching as they looked at me with curiosity. Slowly, I dropped to my knees beside Bane in a show of both my loyalty and submission to him. He cleared his throat and placed his palm on my shoulder, squeezing me as I did so, and I leaned into his touch.
Fuck, it felt good just to have his fingers on me again.
“With the death of Credare, I demand the dissolution of the Association. You are welcome to join into the fold of the Syndicate, but in doing so, you pledge to serve me and my partner,” Bane declared.
My brows furrowed in confusion. Partner? What was he talking about?
He reached down then and gripped my upper arm, pulling me up to my feet beside me.
“My name is Bane. This is my partner Cara. The two of us lead the Syndicate. Should you join with us, all of you are welcome on Dryac. You’re welcome to live your life free from the reaches of anyone that would dare defy us,” Bane said next and my heart fluttered. He couldn’t be serious. He’d worked his whole life to build his future here.
I stood beside him and his hand snaked down my arm, taking my fingers into his. All around us, Credare’s men shifted from one foot to another, before the one who had met my eyes gritted his teeth and went to his knees. He bowed his head and the rest of the men slowly followed suit. Bane squeezed my hand, nodding softly as he encouraged me to speak.