Page 82 of Wicked Enemy

My heart stopped. Not a single breath made it into my lungs as I stared at the lethally handsome dark mage before me.

“I love you,” he said again. A wistful smile blew across his lips. “And I think I have loved you since the moment you pulled a sword on me in my own throne room.”

“Levi, I…”

Intense panic flashed across his face. Dropping his hand from my cheek, he abruptly took a step back. The loss of it, and his nearness, was so jarring that I lost track of what I had been about to say.

“I should go.” He backed across the floor while casting a quick look at the door behind him, looking like a cornered animal. “If you can’t divert your people, I will understand.”

“Levi, I…”

But before I could finish, he was already gone.

Chapter35

The door was yanked open.

“They’re here!” Anna yelled as she raced into my throne room.

I whipped around to face her, a spike of alarm shooting up my spine. “Now?”

“Yes. All three Houses are marching on the Court right now.”

“Fuck,” I swore under my breath.

I had thought that I would have more time. More time to get my non-fighters out and more time to set up a proper barricade outside. But there was nothing I could do about that now.

“Spread the word to everyone else still in the building,” I told Anna. “Get to the upper floors and stay away from the windows.”

“Yes, sir.”

I turned towards the battle mages who filled the room. “The rest of you, with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The sound of boots thudding on the ground echoed between the metal walls as they all followed me towards the front doors. The doors were still a mess of red and gray, and I swore to myself that as soon as this was all over, I was going to repaint them. If I was still alive at that point, that is.

Afternoon sunlight slanted across the rooftops, reflecting against the windows and filling the street with light. The air smelled of wet stones, and puddles from yesterday’s heavy rain still littered the street.

I drew in a deep breath of cool air as I stepped out into the street and touched my palms together. Sending my magic into the buildings on either side of the road, I yanked the metal from the walls outwards so that they met in the middle and formed a barrier before us. If we had stayed inside the Court, it would just have made it easier for our enemies to surround us and slaughter us all, so it was better to do this out in the open where my mages could fight properly as well.

Shinji, Chris, and Tyler flanked me as I took up position in the middle of the metal barrier that now spanned the street. It came up to our chests, providing us with protection but not limiting our view. Everyone else spread out along it as well.

This was not at all how I had planned for this to go down. But we didn’t always get what we wanted.

My mind drifted back to Eve’s face from last night, but I quickly blocked it out. I needed to keep my full attention on what was happening right here, right now. Otherwise, we would never survive this.

A mass of footsteps pounded against the stones from up ahead. It sent a ripple of worry through my troops. I kept my eyes on the edge of the street.

The thumping sound echoed between the buildings, making a flock of birds flap away from the roof in panic. My people shifted nervously on their feet. They were battle mages. Every last man and woman here was a seasoned fighter. But even they knew that this was a battle we couldn’t win. That even though we were the strongest House in Malgrave, taking on the might of three gangs at the same time was impossible. Even for us.

None of them knew about the deals I was planning to make with both the other gang leaders and the worldwalker. And I had to keep it that way. They were all loyal to a fault, and would do as I commanded, but I just couldn’t tell them what I was going to do.

A mass of people rounded the corner.

And that’s when I realized that the birds hadn’t scattered because of the noise.

At the same time as a horde of people poured into the street ahead, two more groups joined them on the rooftops. I flicked my gaze between them while alarm pulsed through me. They were planning to attack us from all sides. Straight ahead, and from the rooftops on both sides of the street.