Page 35 of Hunted By the Wraiths
This was the woman who’d built an empire from grief. Who’d turned loneliness into armor. Who’d survived alone at the top because she was smarter, meaner, and more ruthless than everyone else.
She was beautiful when she was angry.
“Last chance,” Maris said. “Walk away. Take your mercs. Leave the station. I’ll let you live.”
Vashil laughed. “You’re bleeding, unarmed, and outnumbered six to two. You’re not in a position to make demands.”
“I’m not making a demand.” Maris’s voice dropped lower. Colder. “I’m making an offer. It expires in five seconds.”
Vashil raised her weapon. “Kill them.”
The mercs opened fire.
Maris moved.
The bond let me move with her. I knew where she’d be. Knew when she’d dodge left. Knew when she’d drop and roll.
We flowed around the plasma fire. Two bodies moving as one.
I closed on the nearest merc. Disarmed him. Broke his arm. Used him as a shield when the next merc fired.
Maris fired twice and two mercs dropped.
Three down. Three to go.
My side wound was on fire. Blood soaked my pants. The pain was at ten and climbing.
But the bond hummed. Maris’s presence in my head, sharp and focused. Her determination bleeding into mine.
I moved to the next merc. He was better trained. Faster. He dodged my first strike, countered, caught me in the wounded side.
I roared. The pain spiked to eleven. I grabbed his arm, twisted, and threw him into the cavern wall. He hit hard. Didn’t get up.
Two left. Plus Vashil.
Maris had one of them pinned behind cover. She was advancing, firing in controlled bursts, herding him into a kill zone.
The last merc turned his weapon on me. I was too slow. Too wounded. Too exhausted.
The shot would hit.
Maris’s shot hit first. The merc dropped.
She looked at me across the cavern. Gray eyes meeting mine. The bond hummed. Concern and fury and relief all tangled together.
I nodded. Still functional.
Vashil was the only one left. She’d backed toward the ship, her weapon raised.
“This doesn’t change anything,” she said. “The Consortium still wants you. The bounty’s still active.”
“I know.” Maris walked toward her. Calm. Relentless. “But you won’t collect it.”
Vashil fired.
Maris dodged. The shot went wide. She closed the distance, knocked the weapon away, grabbed Vashil by the throat.
“You took my empire,” Maris said. Her voice was conversational. Almost pleasant. “You took my crew. You tried to take my life.”
