The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Felix and his crew had no clue the newcomers were actually members of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps.

Felix thought, ‘Are they here to kill us?‘

The five sprang to their feet and hurried to Nova’s side, sticking close to her as they warily scanned their surroundings.

“They’re here?!” someone blurted out.

“Nova, what should we do?” another asked anxiously.

The five of them immediately looked to Nova for guidance.

Nova didn’t waste a single word. Her lips barely moved as she spoke with a calm authority, “The ambush failed. They’ll be back. Let’s get out of here.”

That assassination attempt? She was the target, no doubt about it.

And the ones sent after her–the mercenaries from the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps–were her own damn subordinates.

Getting stabbed in the back by her own crew? Yeah, that’s about as messed up as it gets.

‘My situation’s not like everyone else’s, Nova thought, her mind quietly tracing the root of all this chaos.

She was the head of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, but with the group ballooning to over ten thousand strong, she was more a legend than a familiar face to most.

Aside from a few higher–ups, nearly all Bloodblade mercenaries didn’t know who she was.

Between so many members and their growing reputation, Bloodblade was drowning in orders from all sorts of employers.

Only the biggest, most lucrative jobs ever made their way up to her desk.

For run–of–the–mill gigs like assassinations or bodyguard work, Bloodblade’s mercenaries could hammer out deals with clients themselves–no need to loop in the higher–ups.

Plus, even if Snowfang, that traitorous senior member of Bloodblade, had managed to track her down, he wasn’t stupid.

He’d never send a bunch of rookies to try and take her out.

Putting it all together, there was only one explanation.

Someone had actually hired her own people from Bloodblade to come after her.

Nova’s

eyes

narrowed, glinting with a frosty, lethal chill.

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Chapter 84

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Felix gave her a firm nod. “Alright! Move out–let’s get out of here, now!” he said, rallying everyone.

Without hesitation, he signaled his crew and marched them away from the scene.

The assassination attempt had been a close call, but the guns were fitted with silencers.

In a noisy spot like the lounge, the muffled shots blended right into the background noise–nobody noticed a thing.

The only thing anyone saw was Nova flipping the table.

People just assumed she and Claire were having a spat.

Girls bickering? That was nothing new, so nobody paid it any mind.

Only a few students sitting at Nova’s table–Maxwell, Hannah, and Claire–caught sight of Nova gripping the bullet in hand, fully aware of just how close danger had come.

Just as Nova and her crew turned to leave without saying a word, Claire finally snapped out of her shock.

She jumped up, her voice rising, “What the hell just happened? Nova, seriously, how many secret masters have you managed to get chasing after you?

“Hannie, look at your sister! Can you believe this?”

Claire pressed on, frustration boiling over, “I’ve warned her before–these secret masters aren’t the type we should even look at! Getting mixed up with them is basically a death wish!

“But does she ever listen? Nova, don’t you dare walk away! You nearly got us killed, and now you’ve got the nerve to just stroll off like it’s no big deal?”

Claire, finally snapping out of her shock, sprang up in a panic, practically shouting at the top of her lungs.

Her outburst instantly drew everyone’s attention.

Zane wasn’t far away, and he’d been keeping a close eye on Nova the whole time.

He’d seen everything go down–every tense moment, every shout from Claire–and the urgency in the air hit him hard. There was no way he could just sit and watch.

Zane got to his feet in a flash and took off after Nova, determined not to miss whatever happened next.

Maxwell shot Claire a frosty look and snapped, “Nobody gets to tell my sister what to do–least of all you.

“If you’re that scared, then just go and stay out of our way!”

Maxwell’s glare was icy, his words leaving no room for argument.

With that, he hurried after Nova, not missing a beat.

Maxwell’s frosty stare made Claire gulp hard, nerves jangling as she swallowed.

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Chapter 84

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Claire muttered under her breath, trying to get Hannah on her side, “Hannie, did you see the way your brother acted just now…?” But before she could even finish, she realized Hannah had already slipped away, following Maxwell.

So Claire was left standing there all alone, feeling a little awkward and abandoned.

Her whole scheme to stir the pot totally flopped–nobody even cared. Claire felt so snubbed she could practically feel herself boiling over.

But as mad as she was, curiosity won out in the end. Claire stomped her foot, then raced after Nova and the others, determined not to miss whatever happened next.

*****

Just as Nova stepped out of the hot spring lounge, Maxwell called her to a halt at the entrance.

“Novie, what the hell just happened back there? Was someone really trying to kill you?” he asked, his voice low and urgent.

Nova shot Maxwell and the others a frosty look, her icy stare making it crystal clear she wasn’t messing around.

“This has nothing to do with you. If you want to stay alive, stay out of it,” she said, her voice low and steely.

Finally, Nova paused, sensing the weight in the air.

‘Was I really that harsh to Max?‘ Nova thought, a hint of guilt flickering through her mind.

She turned to Maxwell and said, “I’ll handle it myself.”

“Handle it? With what, Nova?!

“You almost died–like, actually died!

“And

you almost dragged the rest of us down with you!

“I’ve told you a million times–these mystery badasses aren’t just some lone wolves. The real nightmare is the terrifying power lurking behind them. That’s what makes them truly dangerous!

“Sure, I get it, you’re strong–I won’t argue. But you don’t have what they do; you don’t have some powerful crew backing you up. If you go up against them…

“You…

“What, you want Mom and Dad to go through losing their daughter all over again? Are you planning to end

themselves?” dead so they have to bury you

up

Hannah charged up to Nova, practically yelling in that fierce, exasperated tone.

Anyone listening closely could hear the tremor in Hannah’s voice. She was in a state of pure panic.

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Chapter 84

She was scared out of her mind.

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Claire pounced, seizing the moment to put her own spin on Hannie’s words–her voice thick with sarcasm as she shot Nova a smug look.

“Yeah, Hannie’s got a point! Just ‘cause you think you’re tough doesn’t mean you’re in the league of those

secret masters.

“You really believe rubbing shoulders with them every day somehow makes you one of the big shots?

“Keep dreaming–even if you’re dying to join them, you don’t have the power backing them up! Face it, Nova, you’re just playing pretend. Like Cinderella, the magic wears off at midnight and boom–back to being nobody.”

Claire made it clear she thought Nova could struggle all she wanted, but she’d always be just another small fry -barely above average, nowhere close to truly making it.

‘Quit the fantasy,‘ Claire sneered to herself.

Claire was caught off guard, staring straight into Nova’s glare–her crimson eyes flickered with raw, murderous intent.

Those eyes looked like a demon clawing out of hell, ready to drag her straight into the darkest pit imaginable.

Frozen with fear, Claire nearly jumped out of her skin. She instantly clammed up, not daring to utter another syllable.

“Novie, we’re not trying to butt into your business,” Maxwell said, steady and warm.

“Hannie and I may not be as strong as you, but as your big brother and sister, all we want is for you to remember us when things get dangerous.

“Let us help out, even if it’s just a little.”

Maxwell looked her straight in the eyes, voice calm and honest.

That earnest look from her brother finally made Nova’s guarded expression soften.

Nova was just about to respond, but Zane jumped in before she could.

“There’s always more ways than problems,” Zane said with a confident grin, shooting Maxwell a quick look. “Even if I’ve got beef with Max most days, sometimes the guy really knows what he’s talking about.”

He glanced over at Nova and smirked, “Nova, sure–none of us can take

you down solo.

“But if we throw all our strength and brains into the ring, who knows? You might actually have to work for that win.”

For once, Zane didn’t call her “woman” or anything like that.

He was back to being the aloof campus heartthrob he used to be before Nova returned–one hand in his

୦

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Chapter 84

pocket, striding over with that signature cool swagger.

And for once, Zane tossed out a surprisingly practical idea.

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“Doesn’t matter why those assassins came after you–at the end of the day, they’re just working for a paycheck, right?

“So why don’t we flip the script? Pool some cash, reach out, and hire some of the world’s top assassins or mercs to wipe out our enemies for us?”

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19:49 Tue, Jun 9

Chapter 84

81

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Chapter 84