Page 50 of Wicked Enemy
“No, but they work for dark mages, which is just as bad.”
“But they’re still people!”
His eyes softened. “Look, kiddo, I know that going undercover and working for Arden was difficult for you. I know that you probably got to know some of the people working for him, and that’s why this suddenly feels personal to you. But those people chose to work for a dark mage. They could have done anything, literally anything else, that would have contributed to society. But instead, they decided to help the people who corrupt and destroy our beautiful city. They’re not civilians anymore. They’re dark mage accomplices now.”
“But—”
“Think of it this way,” he interrupted. “If we were to step in and try to protect those people against a worldwalker, who will get hurt instead? We will.” Spreading his arms, he motioned at the people still sparring in the white stone courtyard. “Your colleagues will. Your friends. Do you really want to risk their lives just to protect dark mages and their accomplices?”
That terrible guilt carved through my chest again. “Well, no…”
“And that’s why we don’t get involved.”
“But just sitting here on our hands, doing nothing, feels wrong. Shouldn’t we at least try to take down the other dark mage Houses? While they’re distracted?”
“No. It’s better if we let them deal with Arden first, since he is the greatest threat. Then, once he’s dead, we can swoop in and clean up the rest.”
My heart twisted painfully.Once Levi is dead…
“What’s wrong?” Ulric asked, probably having seen the pain and dread in my eyes.
“It’s just…” I began, fumbling for an answer that didn’t involve me admitting that I had fallen for the King of Metal. “I don’t want innocent civilians to get hurt or killed in a dark mage war that has nothing to do with them.” Holding his gaze, I added, “I just don’t want anyone else to end up like my father.”
Pity flooded his eyes as he looked back at me. “I know, kiddo. I know.”
Once again, I felt like screaming my lungs out in frustration. But I couldn’t do that, so instead, I just raised my sword and went back to sparring with Ulric.
Why did life have to be so damn complicated? I used to always know what the right thing was in any given situation. But now, I had started to see the world the way that Levi did. In shades of gray. And it was destroying me. How was I supposed to be a good constable if I understood a dark mage’s perspective too? If I thanked him for killing the people who had hurt me? If I wanted to help him even when I was angry with him? If I craved the way his naked body felt against mine? If I… loved him?
Fuck. I was so doomed.
Chapter21
Light from the oil lamps flickered over the small buildings crafted from metal. I studied the new markings I had made in my massive metal map, markings that only I could see, since they showed the locations of where all of my people were currently hiding.
I still couldn’t believe that the civilians had come through for me like that. I was not a kind man. I wasn’t patient or compassionate or benevolent. I ruled with an iron fist and gave people only one choice: bow down or get destroyed. But once they bowed down, I did hold up my end of the bargain. If they paid me for protection and followed my orders, I was going to make sure that no one messed with them.
Leaders who were feared had a lot of power. But leaders who were fearedandrespected were practically untouchable. That had always been my philosophy. But I had still never expected Ralph and the other civilians to back me this completely and help my people even at great risk.
“What do we do now, sir?”
I looked up from the map to meet Shinji’s eyes. He was the only one who had stayed behind. Right now, my administrative staff and my lower-level fighters were mostly just liabilities since they couldn’t protect themselves against either the worldwalker or the other dark mage Houses. But Shinji was skilled enough to still be an asset, so he alone remained with me in my now eerily silent and empty Court of Metal.
Ever since yesterday, I had waited for White to worldwalk right into my home and follow through on his threat. But he still hadn’t shown up. I wasn’t sure if that was because he had realized that fighting me inside a building made entirely of metal was a bad fucking move, or if he simply… couldn’t. Every magical power had limits. Was there something stopping him from worldwalking right inside my Court? I wasn’t sure. And unfortunately, there was no way for me to find out.
“What don’t we do,” I muttered in response to Shinji’s question.
There were just too many things that I needed to do at the same time, and I didn’t know how to do any of them.
Shinji furrowed his brows. “Sir?”
Raking a hand through my hair, I shook my head, telling him to disregard that comment. “There are five things I need to do right now. I need to figure out how to kill a fucking worldwalker, get my people out of prison, stay the hell away from Eve, kill the other gang leaders, and take control over the whole south side before the white boots launch an attack.”
“Which one takes precedence?”
“All of them.”
Shinji knew better than to look at me with pity, but I could feel him trying desperately to think of the right thing to say. Accomplishing everything on that list would have been impossible even if I’d had the full strength of my Court behind me. But with just the two of us? Not a chance in hell. Still, I had to try.