Page 62 of Heartless Enemy

We ran towards the defensive walls. My heart slammed against my ribs as I started building a new set of steps. But the guards from the upper floors were still making their way down to the ground, and everyone who had been in the gardens was already dead, so I had a short window to work unhindered.

Once the steps were in place, we darted up them.

I swept my gaze over the people littering the grass behind us.

“Now who’s leaving bodies that will definitely be noticed?” I teased and threw Eve a grin before we slid down a pole on the other side.

A villainous grin shone on her lips as she landed beside me while I summoned the parapet across the moat.

She winked at me.

“No one can notice… if there is no one lefttonotice.”

Chapter24

Darkness blanketed the entire forest. It was so thick that I had to summon a small fireball in my palm to light the path as I made my way from where Derek was sleeping to the edge of the lake.

Because of how long it had taken us to get to Helspire, find the healer, and then get him out, we would never have been able to make it all the way back to the inn before night fell. So we’d had to make camp in the forest until it was light enough for us to continue. Without tents and proper gear, though, it was going to be a cold night.

Yellow light from the fireball danced over the fallen leaves covering the ground as I closed the final distance to the shore. Levi was sitting there on a log, staring out at the dark water. I sat down next to him and then extinguished the fire.

“Derek’s asleep?” he asked without turning to look.

“Yeah.” I glanced over my shoulder towards where the healer lay curled up on a patch of soft moss. “He practically passed out the moment he lay down.”

Levi nodded. “We’ll get started again at first light.”

Silence fell.

For a while, we just sat there side by side. Branches rustled faintly as a gentle wind caressed the trees around the lake, and somewhere farther into the forest, an owl hooted. I watched the lake before us.

Countless stars glittered in the dark water, making it look like a slice of the heavens had been placed inside the forest.

I blew out a long breath and then turned to face Levi. “Jumping out of the window like that…”

“We had a healer,” Levi said, as if that was a reasonable excuse for a fall that literally broke his legs.

“It was still dangerous. And stupid.” I shook my head. “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t.”

Raising my eyebrows, I stared at him.

He heaved a deep sigh and raked his fingers through his hair. Then he finally turned his head to face me. I started slightly at the intensity of the emotions that swirled in his eyes.

“When it comes to you, I never think properly.” Holding my gaze, he shook his head. “Do you have any idea just how much you mess with my head all the time?”

I let out a surprised laugh, and then gave his shoulder a soft shove. “Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual. I spent weeks trying to justify to myself why I did what I did to help you, trying to persuade myself that I was still a good person even though I had fallen for a bloody dark mage, and beating myself up over it at the same time.”

“Good.” He grinned. “Then at least I’m not the only one suffering.”

“Ah, but notice the use of past tense. I used to beat myself up over it. I don’t anymore. So now, you’re the only one who’s suffering.”

Wrapping his hand around my jaw, he held me firmly in place as he leaned forward and claimed my lips with a kiss before whispering against my mouth, “You really are a vicious one.”

I laughed against his lips.

He released my jaw and pulled back, but still kept his eyes locked on mine. Or rather, his eyes searched my face. As if he was trying to read an answer to a question there. I was fairly certain that I knew what the question was. A question he had asked the day I came back. A question that I had evaded answering completely.

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