Chapter 34: War of Words
I didn't answer her. I just looked at her, straight in the eyes, then looked away like she wasn't worth the effort.
That clearly pissed her off.
"Oh, so now you've got nothing to say?" Freya said, her tone dripping with venom. "You had plenty to say earlier when you were telling me you wanted to fuck me."
I smiled without humor. "Yeah, well… turns out there are better options than some uptight, stuck-up, armor-clad bitch who probably sleeps with her sword."
Her eyes narrowed into razor slits. "Better options? Like this nasty bitch?" She jerked her head at Gwen.
"Freya…" Gwen began, stepping forward.
I cut her off, glaring at Freya. "Watch your mouth. Gwen's twice the woman you'll ever be."
Freya let out a laugh that wasn't even remotely amused. "Twice the woman? Please. She's a receptionist. I'm the one out there putting my life on the line every single day while you…" she jabbed a finger in my chest "…play adventurer and pretend you belong in this guild."
"Pretend?" I stepped closer, slow and deliberate. "Last I checked, you're the one throwing a tantrum because Daddy won't let you go play hero in a suicide mission."
Her face flushed red, whether from anger or embarrassment, I didn't care. "At least I have the guts to face danger head-on. You? You're just a coward hiding behind cheap talk and lies."
I tilted my head. "Says the woman who's spent the last month glaring at me from across the room instead of actually trying to get to know me. What's the matter? Afraid I'd see right through you?"
She took a step forward, closing the gap between us. "You think you've got me figured out? You don't know a fucking thing about me."
"Right back at you," I said, my voice low, controlled. "And here's a hint, I'm not exactly eager to change that."
Gwen moved between us, hands out, trying to keep space. "Enough, both of you…"
But Freya wasn't listening. Her hand went to her sword, the metal rasping as she drew it halfway from its scabbard. The polished silver blade caught the afternoon light and gleamed, deadly and beautiful.
"You're going to answer me," she said, her voice suddenly cold. "Did that man give you his name?"
"Or what?" I asked, stepping to the side to get past Gwen, eyes locked on hers. "You'll swing that thing at me? Go ahead."
Her grip on the hilt tightened. "I don't make empty threats."
"Good," I said, moving forward another step, my own hand brushing the pommel of my sword. "Neither do I."
The tension between us was like a wire pulled so tight it was ready to snap. Gwen's voice was urgent now. "Stop this. Both of you. This is against guild regulations. Freya, put the sword away. Kaizen…" she turned to me "…don't give her a reason."
But I wasn't in the mood to back down. "Here's the thing, Freya," I said, my voice sharp as a blade, "You come at me like this again, you're going to find out real quick that I'm not just some rookie you can push around."
She smirked, that same infuriating smirk Kail had given me back in the guild hall and slowly slid her sword back into the scabbard. But her eyes never left mine.
"This conversation isn't over," she said.
"Neither is mine," I shot back.
We stood there for a moment longer, just breathing in the tension, before she finally turned and walked away without another word.
Gwen let out a breath she'd clearly been holding. "You're insane," she muttered.
"Maybe," I said. "But I'm not the one who started it."
Gwen didn't speak for a moment after Freya vanished into the street. She just kept staring at me, arms folded, lips pressed together like she was trying to decide if I was worth the trouble.
The air felt lighter without Freya's presence, but the tension still clung to my shoulders like a wet cloak.
Then Gwen's tone softened. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
I smirked faintly. "What? She started it."
"You escalated it," Gwen countered. "And for what? To prove you can trade insults with her? To prove you're not afraid?"
"I'm not afraid," I said simply.
Her brow furrowed, but she let it go. The mood between us shifted, not exactly comfortable, but less sharp-edged. She glanced down at my hand, still resting loosely on my sword's pommel, and then up into my eyes. "You're a strange man, Kaizen. I can't decide if you're reckless or just stubborn."
"Why not both?" I said, a faint grin tugging at my lips.
She rolled her eyes but didn't move away. And for a second, just a second, the thought of grabbing her waist, leaning in, and finishing what we'd almost started earlier crossed my mind like a flash of lightning.
That's when I saw it.
81 hours, 17 minutes, 03 seconds… 02… 01…
The mission timer glowed faintly in the corner of my vision, almost mocking me. And suddenly it hit me, I'd been so busy getting pissed at Freya's constant attitude that I'd forgotten the bigger picture.
No matter how much I hated her, no matter how badly I wanted to tell her to go screw herself… she had to stay alive. If she died, so did I.
And if the beasts were really coming, she wouldn't last long without someone watching her back.
I let out a long breath and straightened. "I have to go."
Gwen tilted her head. "Go? We just got rid of her."
"I know." I gave her a look that I hoped conveyed some kind of apology. "But I've got… a prior engagement to keep."
Her brow arched. "More important than me?"
I smirked. "Barely. But yeah. This time, yeah."
She folded her arms again but there was a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. "Figures. You finally get me alone and now you're bailing."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Don't think for a second I'm not still planning on… finishing this later. Drinks, coitus, the whole thing. You're just going to have to wait a little while."
Her cheeks warmed, but she kept her voice level. "You'd better survive whatever this 'engagement' is, Kaizen. I don't wait around for dead men."
"Trust me," I said as I started backing away toward the street, "I've got no intention of dying before we get to that part."
She laughed quietly, shaking her head as I turned and disappeared into the crowd, the countdown ticking in my vision like the world's deadliest clock.