Page 86 of Heartless Enemy

It sent a ripple through the crowd of northsiders, and several of them flinched or even edged a step back. I suppressed a wicked smile as Tyler, Chris, Shinji, and I rose from our seats as well.

“Take all the time you need,” Levi said.

Taking a step to the side, he moved as if to make his way out of the tent. Then he stopped and turned back to face them. His gray eyes glinted like polished steel.

“Well, maybe not all the time.” The King of Metal smiled like the villain he was. “Seeing as how White and his army will be here tomorrow.”

Chapter33

It took them two hours of no doubt epic arguing before they sent us a message, asking us to return to the tent on the bridge. I knew that this would be a terribly hard decision for them to make. Relinquishing the south side wasn’t something they would’ve even considered doing under any other circumstances. But right now, they were desperate. They, like everyone else on the continent of Valda, knew that no one stood against a worldwalker and lived. And especially not when he had also brought an army.

Well,almostno one anyway. Becausewewere going to pull this whole insane scheme off and take the south side and then kill a worldwalker.

Desperation, anger, and bitter resentment hung like a sour-tasting cloud inside the tent when the five of us strode through the opening. Ulric Smith’s gaze flicked briefly to Eve before promptly fixing on me instead. He narrowed his eyes, staring at me as if I had corrupted her. Maybe I had. At least partly, anyway. But being a villain really did suit her.

Wood creaked as I dropped into the chair in the middle of the front row. Eve and Tyler took up position on my sides, and Shinji and Chris sat down beside them. The parliament members and the new Chief Constable were all already seated. Several people ground their teeth and outright glared at me while others just looked depressed. Or perhaps frightened.

“I assume you have reached a decision,” I drawled, arching an expectant eyebrow.

“We have,” Parliament Member Nikita Dreary pressed out, her voice tight.

“And?”

“And,” she echoed, her brown eyes flashing at my insolent tone. “If you help us protect Malgrave from the worldwalker…” She paused, looking at me pointedly as if waiting for an answer even though she hadn’t asked a question.

I nodded, signaling agreement to the term.

“And if you swear to leave the north side alone, to never attack or do anything to cause harm to the north side itself or the people who live there, and to never try to conquer it…” She paused again.

“I have no interest in the north side,” I said, leveling a commanding stare on her. “As long as you don’t cause problems, or in any way try to interfere with my rule on the south side, I will leave you to govern the north side in any way you see fit.”

She nodded, apparently satisfied. “And as long as citizens from the north side are still permitted to freely visit the south side whenever they want…”

“Naturally.”

“Then yes.”

A smile dripping with challenge spread across my mouth. “Yes, what?”

For a few seconds, Nikita Dreary only ground her teeth together while staring daggers at me. I just held her gaze, waiting. I had worked my entire life for this, so I was damn well going to force her to spell it out. She blew out a sharp breath and then raised her chin.

“In exchange for you upholding the previously stated terms…” She paused and worked her jaw as if her next words were physically painful to speak aloud. “We will formally cede the south side of Malgrave to you.”

Brilliant sparkling victory pulsed through my whole soul, but I didn’t show the relief or the giddiness I felt.

Instead, I kept a cruel smile on my lips and a wicked glint in my eyes. “I want to hear you sayplease.”

Fury flashed in Dreary’s eyes. “You—”

“You want me to make this deal with you instead of striking one with White?” Spreading my legs a little wider, I dragged an arrogant gaze over the fuming parliament members before giving them a degrading once-over. “Say please.”

They looked like they would rather strangle me. Dreary gnashed her teeth. Then she forced in a deep breath.

Her eyes were locked on mine as she finally said, “Please.”

I chuckled. It was a smug and vicious sound.

Dreary clenched her jaw.

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