Page 66 of Heartless Enemy

“Yes, but you were an undercover white boot plotting to lead me into a trap.”

“Good point.”

I chuckled and shook my head at her as she grinned at me.

We’d certainly had an interesting start to our relationship. But now we were in this together. Always and unequivocally. And as soon as all our schemes were finished on the north side, I couldn’t wait to tell the whole fucking world that Eve Sterling was mine.

Chapter26

It felt as if I had been breathing in bags of dust. But I had wanted to visit the archives and go through some old case files before everyone else showed up at the office today. They would no doubt have questions about where I had been for the past week after I simply left without a word, and I needed to get some things done before I became the object of their scrutiny.

When I finally returned to our floor, most of my colleagues had arrived. Most of them started in surprise when they saw me, but a fair share also shot me irritated looks. Jamila was one of them. I couldn’t really blame them, though. They were probably getting tired of me just coming and going as I pleased without even bothering to let them know that I would be gone for a week. But since I couldn’t exactly tell them that I was going to Helspire to kidnap a healer from a murderous worldwalker so that he would bring his army down to Malgrave, I had decided that it was best not to say anything before Levi and I left.

“Food poisoning again?” Jamila said, her voice sharp and mocking, as I reached my desk.

“No,” I replied, shrugging out of my jacket as if I had just come from outside and not downstairs. “I just couldn’t handle being here after Wright was murdered. So I just had to take a few days to get my head on straight.”

Her dark eyes flashed. “We wereallshocked by his murder. And we wereallworried that we might be next. But we still showed up. Every day. Trying to find the one responsible while also getting ready to finally take back the south side. But you, you just waltz around as you like.”

“If you have a problem with how I do my job, take it up with Ulric.”

“You meanCaptainSmith?” she shot back pointedly at my use of only his first name.

I scoffed, silently stating that I didn’t need to address him so formally. “Anyway, thanks for the reminder. I should probably go talk to him.”

With a sharp smile in her direction, I left her fuming at her desk and instead sauntered down the corridor towards Ulric’s office. It was closed, so I knocked on the door once I reached it.

“Come in,” Ulric’s voice came from inside. He sounded uncharacteristically distracted. Almost a bit muted.

Pushing down the handle, I slipped inside and then closed the door behind me again.

“Eve,” Ulric blurted out as his gaze landed on me.

I was just about to reply when I finally took in his appearance. He had been standing bent over his desk, presumably looking for something in the mess that was once again back in this office, but when I entered, he straightened and turned to face me fully.

And he looked awful.

His white leather jacket was draped over the back of his chair, leaving him in only the shirt he wore underneath, which was incredibly rumpled. It almost looked as if that was the shirt he had worn yesterday, and that he had slept in it too. His hair was equally messy, sticking out at odd angles as if he had repeatedly pulled at it in frustration. And there were dark circles under his eyes.

Momentarily losing track of what I had been about to say, all I managed to press out was, “I…”

“You’re back,” he said. He sounded almost relieved. Then exasperation blew across his tired features, and he raked his fingers through his hair again while heaving a deep sigh. “We talked about this, kiddo.”

I suppressed the shudder of revulsion that that term of endearment now brought every time he uttered it.

“You can’t just run away when things get hard,” he continued, his tone both frustrated and full of pity. “I know that Wright being murdered by dark mages must have brought back terrible memories, but you should have come to me. You should have told me that you were struggling instead of pretending to be fine and then disappearing.”

I didn’t know whether to be annoyed or grateful that he once again just assumed that I had thrown a tantrum and run off like a child. It certainly helped my ruse, but it irritated me to yet again be reminded of what he really thought of me.

“I know.” I winced and shot him an apologetic look that was pure calculation. “I’m sorry.”

“I know, kiddo. But Chief isn’t happy. We’re in the middle of getting ready for our final invasion, a captain was just murdered, and you simply… run off.” Holding my gaze with regretful eyes, he shook his head. “I tried to cover for you, but I’m not sure if it was enough. I’m sorry, kiddo, I don’t think I can protect you this time.”

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it. I’m guessing Chief wants to see me?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll head up there right away.” I squinted, letting a mask of concern descend on my features as I studied Ulric’s face. “But first, are you okay? You look like…” I was about to sayshit, but quickly changed it to, “you haven’t slept. Is it just the coming invasion or has something else happened?”

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