Page 49 of Heartless Enemy

She quickly summoned a fireball and threw it at the cold water below.

Hissing white steam immediately rose, partly obscuring the area.

Without another word, Eve stepped onto the parapet. It was only wide enough for one person, so I waited for her to get on before I followed behind. We had only made it a few steps when the mist began dissipating.

Eve threw another fireball at the water below.

More steam rose around us.

I flicked my gaze between Eve, the metal sheet, and the defensive wall ahead while my heart pattered in my chest. She had been right. If someone spotted us out here, we would be in a terrible position to fight back.

My eyes swept over the top of the wall again. No guards were visible at least. I shifted my attention back to Eve.

One second, she was walking in front of me.

The next, her loose brown curls fluttered in the air above her head as she plummeted downwards.

Panic crackled through my body.

Lurching forward, I tried to grab on to her. But the moment I moved, my boots slipped on the suddenly incredibly slick metal. I lost my balance, and my foot slid off the edge.

Eve hit the metal sheet chest first, her legs dangling down over the edge. My right knee smacked into the hard surface too as my other foot was no longer on the parapet.

A huff ripped from Eve’s chest at the impact, and she scrabbled to grab on to the other side of the walkway before she could slide off it. Throwing out my arm, I gripped the side as well before I could topple over it too.

While yanking my leg back up onto solid metal, I reached towards Eve. With my right hand still holding on to the edge, I grabbed the back of her black leather jacket and hauled her upwards. She shifted her grip, twisting her body with the motion until she could get one leg over the edge.

Kneeling on the parapet, I kept one hand around the edge and the other firmly buried in Eve’s jacket until her entire body was once more back on the metal. And even then, I held on for an extra couple of seconds before I released her.

She rolled over on her back. Her chest heaved as she stared up at the gray sky while rubbing her elbows.

“I take it back,” she panted. “The mist was a really fucking terrible idea.”

A relieved laugh tore from my chest. “Agreed.”

It might be hiding us from view, but it had also made the smooth metal incredibly slippery.

Eve rolled over again and then pushed up to her knees. After summoning a small wave of fire, she sent it flowing along the metal. The heat from the flames made the water drops evaporate, drying the pathway once more.

I glanced up at the defensive wall. If there were lookouts in the windows, they would definitely have spotted us by now. But no alarm had been called, so we should be able to make it across without the mist.

Once the metal was no longer a slick deathtrap, we rose to our feet and continued towards the other side of the moat.

The moment our feet were on solid ground again, I released my grip on my magic and let the metal walkway fade into nothingness. Then I drew in a deep breath and tilted my head back to look up at the stone wall now blocking our way.

“It didn’t look this tall from atop the hill,” Eve remarked.

She was also craning her neck and staring up towards the edge. While it was possible to climb it, it wouldn’t exactly be easy.

“I’ve been working on a new move with my magic that should work here,” I said, keeping my eyes on the top of the wall. “But it will take a couple of minutes to set up.”

Tearing her gaze from the white stones, she looked back down at me. “Alright. We’re hidden from view behind here anyway, so take your time.”

I nodded. Touching my hands together, I summoned a huge amount of metal.

And then I got to work.

Eve’s eyes widened in surprise and amazement as I slowly crafted a block of metal with steps along one side, forming what was essentially a crude set of stairs.

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