Page 98 of Heartless Enemy

He shot me a look over his shoulder. I grinned back at him.

Then I went to retrieve my sword before starting towards the spot at the back where Gemma was. I had only made it a few steps when someone else fell in beside me. I glanced over and found Tyler walking there next to me.

I arched an eyebrow even though he couldn’t see it through the helmet. “Shouldn’t you be heading back as well?”

“Not before I make sure you get to Gemma safely,” he answered.

“Let me guess, Levi would have your head otherwise?”

“No.” His blue eyes were serious as he met my gaze through our visors. “I’ve already told you. You’re one of us now. And we protect our own.”

Warmth spread through my chest, and I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. Clearing my throat, I bumped my armored shoulder against his and grinned. “Admit it, you just want a chance to flirt with Gemma.”

He laughed. It was a wonderful sound. One that I had very rarely heard.

Around us, the battle raged. I looked towards the front lines.

Levi was back where he should be, directing his warriors like the ruthless commander he was. Except now, he seemed to be even more merciless as he ordered another wave of attacks. As if he was taking out all of his rage about what White had done to me on the worldwalker’s army.

Crackling lightning bolts shot across the grass, followed by orange and purple explosions, which were then joined by a massive torrent of fire. Deafening booms rang out as the other army desperately tried to block it. But Levi kept up the vicious onslaught. His metal shot out, sheet after sheet. Blood sprayed in their wake. Shadows snaked across the ground. Winds howled. Water splashed.

For a moment, all I could do was stare as the magic clashed in a storm of light and darkness.

The tide was turning now. White’s army started focusing more and more on defense while Levi’s dark mages battered them furiously.

We hadn’t won yet. As long as Christian White still lived, this would be a long and bloody and drawn-out battle. One that would claim the lives of far too many of our people.

I quickened my steps as much as I could without making my brain rattle in my skull. I had to get back to the front lines as fast as possible.

We had to finish this before White realized that the lower half of our bodies were unprotected and went back to his sneak attacks, slashing hamstrings and wreaking havoc. Before he realized that Gemma, the healer he had wanted from the beginning, was hiding here among the other dark mages. Before too many of our people died as their strength waned.

By the Current and all of hell, we had to force him into calling a ceasefire.

Chapter37

Strength was draining rapidly from the back half of my army now. I could feel it in the way they raised shields and shot attacks. It was just a fraction slower than it had been earlier, but I knew my people and their capabilities better than anyone. Cold dread snaked through my chest. If I had noticed, we would only have maybe another half hour before Christian White also noticed. And once he did, there was no way that he would call a truce.

Slamming my hands together, I picked up the pace and shot more attacks across the grass to cover up the fact that half of my people were starting to weaken. At least my experienced battle mages at the front were still bearing down on our enemies with unending fury.

Red flames roared across the grass as Shinji attacked, aided by a wind blast from Chris that propelled the fire faster across the ground. Screams rang out as part of it hit.

I glanced at the stubborn woman next to me.

Eve had indeed kept her word and come back to our ranks when she returned from Gemma. And Tyler with her. I hadn’t told him to go with her, because Eve would’ve bitten my head off if I had. But he had gone with her anyway. I really, really needed to give that man a raise.

Since Eve was now next to me, well protected with dark mages flanking her, White hadn’t made another attempt to go after her. He had, however, gone back to assassinating the constables at random intervals. But I didn’t care. They fucking deserved that after the way they let Eve hang. Again.

Covering for my medium- and lower-level fighters was draining a lot of my energy, but I had to risk it. We had to make White think that he was going to lose.

I shot a barrage of sharp metal sheets at them. They frantically blocked it with wind and shadows.

Magic roared across the grass from all sides.

And then I saw it.

A white flag waving at the front of the worldwalker’s army.

Truce.