Page 99 of Heartless Enemy
He had finally called a ceasefire.
Relief washed over me. And I could hear men and women from the ranks behind sucking in deep breaths as well.
We had what we wanted. Now, we just had to play this very carefully so that we didn’t all end up dead anyway.
“Any chance I can convince you to stay here?” I said as Eve stepped up beside me.
She just laughed at me from inside her helmet before saying, “Let’s go.”
After shaking my head at her in exasperation, I turned to Tyler. “If shit goes sideways, make sure she gets out.”
“If shit goes sideways,” Eve interrupted, and shot me a pointed look through the visor. “I will also be lying dead on the ground right there next to you, you idiot.”
Oh no, she most certainly wouldn’t. I would make sure of that. But there was no arguing with that damn stubborn spitfire, so I just met Tyler’s gaze again. He lowered his chin in acknowledgement. No matter what happened, he would make sure Eve left these blood-soaked fields alive.
Before Eve could protest again, I started forward. After some muttering about how much of an idiot I was and how she would never leave this battlefield without me, she rolled her shoulders back and straightened her spine as she fell in beside me.
From across the grasslands, a lone figure started forwards as well.
Worry rippled through me. This was the final piece in my massive scheme to get everything I wanted. In the next few minutes, I would either win or die. There was no in between.
I had prepared everything that could be prepared. I had plotted and calculated and stacked the deck as much in my favor as possible. But in the end, I could only control my own actions. There was no way for me to know what Christian White would do when we finally had this meeting.
My heart thumped in my chest. I once again glanced at Eve, wishing that she would’ve agreed to stay behind with my army. If White didn’t make the decision I hoped he would, she would be in terrible danger. The thought made fear slash through my heart.
Drawing in a breath, I reminded myself of what Eve had proven time and again during these months we had spent together. Eve Sterling did not need protecting. She was entirely capable of protecting herself.
She would be fine. We would both be fine.
I repeated those sentences over and over in my head as we crossed the grass.
Christian White was striding towards the middle of the battlefield from the other side. His blond hair, so pale that it was almost white, stood out in stark contrast against the now bloodstained grass. He had drawn himself up to his full, and rather impressive, height and he kept his broad shoulders rolled back. He walked with confidence, even though he was the one who had called this ceasefire.
Though, given the fact that he was walking at all instead of just worldwalking to the middle of the field, betrayed the fact that he desperately wanted us to actually come to this meeting.
I let that fact seep through me, steadying my thumping heart and calming the anxiousness inside me. This had to work.
As we drew closer, I brushed my palms together and sent my magic flowing into my armor. Then I retracted the helmet, letting it liquefy and disappear to join the backplate of my armor, so that I would be able to face White fully. He would expect nothing less.
If I had shown up to the meeting with my neck and head protection still in place, it would have signaled that I feared him. After all, in our world, power, or at least the perception of power, was everything.
Eve’s helmet, however, remained firmly in place.
At last, we reached the middle of the battlefield. I stopped, Eve beside me, and waited for White to come to us. He closed the final distance and then came to a halt about five strides away, leaving the appropriate distance between two negotiating parties. Eve casually let her hand rest on the hilt of her sword.
I studied the worldwalker before me.
He didn’t look desperate. Or even angry. He lookedsmug.
It sent a pulse of annoyance through me. I was going to wipe that fucking insolent expression off his features if it was the last thing I did.
“So, you raised the white flag of surrender,” I said, letting a mocking note into my voice as I gave him a dismissive once-over. “I meant what I said earlier. I only accept a formal dark mage surrender.”
He flashed me a smile that was laced with both threats and amusement. “Cute.”
“I agree,” Eve said, making her voice deceptively sweet. “I also think you would look rather cute on your knees, kissing Levi’s boots.”
Finally, that composed mask on his face cracked, and the first hint of fury flickered in his eyes. While flexing his hand down by his side, he slid his gaze to Eve. “Once I’m done dealing with your little King of Metal, I am going to take you back to my castle where you will spend the rest of your days on your knees, kissingmyboots and begging me for mercy as I slowly torture you to death.”