"You'll endorse my claim as Prime?"
"Yes."
"You'll do everything in your power to ensure a smooth transition?"
"Yes." The word was barely a whisper. "Yes, I'll do it all. Just... please. Don't kill him."
Riuondo lowered the blaster slowly, his smile triumphant. "There. Was that so difficult?"
Serna didn't answer. She just stood there, tears streaming down her face, staring at me with an expression of such profound grief that hurt worse than any torture.
She'd given up everything to save me.
"Cullen." Serna's voice cut through muck. "Cullen, look at me."
The Alliance. Her position. Her life's work.
All of it, gone.
Because she loved me more than duty. More than honor. More than the future of a thousand worlds.
And I didn't know whether to be grateful or devastated.
My gaze found her face across the chamber.
She was crying. Not for the loss of her position as Prime. For me.
"I love you," I managed to say. The words came out slurred, barely intelligible. "I love you, Serna."
"I love you too." Her voice was fierce despite the tears. "Stay with me. Please, stay with me."
"How romantic," Riuondo said. He picked up another implement—this one with wicked-looking prongs. "Let's see how long that love lasts, shall we?"
He pressed it against my ribs.
The pain was electric, sharp, concentrated. I felt something crack—a rib, maybe two. Blood filled my mouth.
"Stop!" Serna was screaming again. "You're killing him!"
"That's rather the point." Riuondo moved the implement to my shoulder. More pain. More breaking. "Though I had planned to draw this out longer. But you know what? I think I'm done playing."
He set down the implement and drew a blade from his belt.
Long. Curved. Wickedly sharp.
Down the bond, I felt Serna's despair. Her absolute horror.
I'm sorry,I thought.I'm so sorry.
Riuondo raised the blade.
And the world exploded.
The shuttle rocked violently, throwing Riuondo off balance. Alarms blared. The lights flickered and died, replaced by emergency red lighting that cast everything in hellish shadows.
Another explosion. Closer this time.
"What—" Riuondo staggered, catching himself against the wall. "What's happening?"
