Page 88 of Heartless Enemy

“Not as unfamiliar with the south side as you pretend to be, huh?” I taunted.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Dreary muttered as she took her place at the front of the group.

After a snap of her fingers, someone handed her a gilded file. Paper rustled as she opened it and pulled out two ornate documents. The script at the top of the paper had been made with gold ink while the rest was black. The gold letters read:Formal Cession of Land. Excitement pulsed through me at the sight of it.

“I assume you want to check them first?” she said, and handed them to me before I even had time to reply.

Taking the contracts, I read through both of them to make sure that they contained only the terms we had discussed and agreed to. They did. I hadn’t really expected anything else, but I never signed anything unless I knew exactly what it said.

“Approved,” I said as I placed the two documents on the table before us.

Silence spread across the crowd again. It felt as if the entire square was holding its breath.

Nikita Dreary shifted as if to reach for one of the ornate pens that had been placed on the table as well.

“No,” I said, quietly enough that only she could hear. “First, you’re going to announce what you are signing. You are going to tell everyone here that you formally cede the south side to me.”

“I want you to know,Mr. Arden,” she said through a fake smile while adding a slight hint of mockery into that honorific, “That if there was any other way, I would just hang you and be done with it.”

A dark laugh full of threats dripped from my lips. “Careful now. I could still make that deal with White instead.”

“You really are a ruthless villain.”

“I know.” I fixed her with a merciless stare. “Now, do as you’re fucking told.”

Her eyes flashed with indignation and fury. But there was nothing she could do about it. I held all the power in this negotiation, and she knew it. So in the end, she just dragged in a deep breath and turned to face the crowd.

“As the chosen spokesperson for the democratically elected Parliament of Malgrave, I make this declaration with the full support of my peers and my fellow citizens,” she called across the square. “Let it be known that from this day forward, the Parliament of Malgrave gives up all rights to govern all of the city’s areas south of the River of Souls. We hereby formally cede the south side of Malgrave to Levi Arden.”

Shock and amazement pulsed through the silent crowd, as if they hadn’t truly expected that they would actually do it, as Nikita Dreary bent forward and picked up the pen. I swore that even the people in the back heard it scratching against the paper as she signed the formal cession contract.

Once she was done, I picked up the other pen and did the same.

Then I straightened.

And a deafening roar split the air.

All the southsiders in the audience raised their arms and cheered and whistled in joy and excitement. Because they all knew what this meant. An end to the hostilities. An end to a war that had plagued the south side for far too long. And finally, a chance at peace where they could simply live and love and fuck and drink and dance without having to worry about losing their lives or their businesses in a battle that had nothing to do with them.

Or it would be, at least. As soon as we had killed the worldwalker heading for us with his army right at this very moment.

I slid my gaze to Dreary. “Make sure the entire constable force is ready and waiting on the fields outside Malgrave tomorrow morning. Christian White and his army will be here before midday, and we need to set up our position before that.”

She gave me a curt nod.

Then she and the rest of the parliament stalked down from the dais without another word. The other northsiders quickly followed suit. I watched them move through the path my battle mages had cleared until they were swallowed up by the crowd.

The setting sun painted red and purple streaks across the sea of people as they all turned as one to stare up at me.

“Kneel before the Dark Mage King of Malgrave,” Tyler bellowed across the square.

And then he, along with Shinji and Chris, lowered themselves to one knee. Damn, I really needed to give that man a raise.

Clothes rustled as the entire square dropped to their knees as well. Next to Tyler, Eve watched me with mischief sparkling in her eyes. But she understood the importance of public perception, so she sank down to one knee as well. Her sly smile, though, promised that she expected me to make that up to her later. Privately. And very thoroughly.

I flashed her a quick grin in acknowledgement before turning back to fully face the packed square.

Every single person was on their knees, head bowed in respect and submission.