Chapter Thirty-Two

 

Chapter Thirty-Two

Hanna stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, searching for any imperfections while gripping the rim of the sink with white knuckles. Hanna didn’t eat much and she didn’t sleep well, but she made sure she was as cleaned up as she possibly could be, given the circumstances. Freshly washed hair pulled back into neat pigtails. Clothes and armor as scrubbed and cleaned as she could get them after her battle in the arena. Black wings folded primly against her back. White belt cinched over her black leather armor pieces and tunic, scabbard hanging from it still empty. Boots tightly laced and double knotted. Nothing out of place. Hanna took a deep breath. I can do this. I can still beat him. Sure, he’s got my sword, but I don’t need that. I beat his maze. I beat his army. I can take him out. I can still bring him in. All he wants to do is talk, right? I just need to go in there, tell him I won fair and square and he needs to turn himself in. End of discussion. I can do that. Hanna nodded to herself. And if he doesn’t come willingly…? …I’ll figure it out when I get there. Hanna thought about Lui and DJ’s warnings. I should have brought them with me… Why didn’t I…? Hanna shook her head. Don’t think about that. Just go in there and don’t even let him try to talk his way out. He’s only going to lie to get what he wants anyway. Don’t let him mess with your head. Don’t even look him in the eye. I can do this. I didn’t come all the way up here for nothing. He’s going down. …And what if the evil gets out again…? …Nope. That’s not gonna happen. Evil never wins. Hanna nodded to herself again. I got this. 

Hanna left the washroom and went to the far wall in the main room. She took the phones and trackers off their chargers and put them away. While shoving a phone into a pocket, Hanna found something. She pulled out a wadded up napkin looking like it had taken one too many trips through a washer. Not remembering why she had it in the first place, Hanna threw it out without a second thought. Hanna stepped over to the table and glanced at the cold plate of half eaten lasagna still sitting out from before she slept. A hot breakfast would have been nice. She picked up one of the roses. So weird… How did he know…?

“I’ve talked to your friends,” EDJ’s comment from earlier rang in her head. “Lui was particularly helpful.”

Hanna frowned. She froze the rose and let it drop to the floor. Hanna pulled out the phone EDJ gave her and turned it on. What if it’s another trap? She took another breath and called the only saved number. One way to find out. It only rang once. 

“Good morning, Hanna,” EDJ’s voice pleasantly greeted her. “Ready to talk?” 

“Yes,” Hanna answered. 

“Good. I’ll have the guards unlock the door for you.” Click. 

The door slid open and a couple guards waited for her on the other side. Hanna followed them out of the room. They led her through a corridor, up some stairs, and stopped three feet from a metal door. One of the guards activated a panel on the wall, disabling laser tripwires. They led her through the door into a large control room. The room was filled with consoles, technicians, and guards. A large chair in front of a bunch of screens and monitors spun around as EDJ faced her. “Hello, dear.” The genetically spliced dog was in his lap. What was its name again? Stitch? The red-furred creature hopped off and EDJ motioned for one of the guards to take care of it. EDJ turned his attention to Hanna, gesturing to a chair opposite the desk in front of him.

Hanna walked up to the desk and sat down. “My sword,” Hanna requested before EDJ said another word.

“Of course.” EDJ nodded to one of the techs, who brought her sword forward and handed it to EDJ. “I had it cleaned and honed for you,” EDJ started, taking the weapon and examining it. 

The metal blade of the longsword had a feathered pattern with a light blue hue to it. Had it not been for the odd coloring, EDJ would have thought it to be damascus, but he had seen this type of metalwork elsewhere. The hilt was also metal, with a leather-wrapped grip,the bluing making it look black. Intricate and fierce-looking dragon heads bent parallel with the blade adorned the guard and a dark blue gemstone was set where the guard and blade met. The amount of care and attention to detail that went into the longsword was obvious. Whoever crafted the blade spent a lot of time on it. “It’s a fine weapon,” EDJ said, still inspecting the sword. “I wouldn’t mind keeping it…”  

Hanna bristled and squeezed her fists in her lap, getting ready to never see her blade again. 

“How often do you train with it?” EDJ asked, still preoccupied. 

“Every day,” Hanna answered. 

With that technique? EDJ thought to himself. It’s all over the place. No wonder the thing was chipped and almost dull. EDJ raised a brow at her, but said nothing. After a long moment, EDJ stood up and gently offered the sword over the desk back to Hanna, hilt first. “You should take better care of it,” he said with a polite smile. 

“What’s it matter to you what I do with it?” Hanna asked, somewhat offended, taking the sword and sliding it into the scabbard in a hurry. 

EDJ shrugged as he sat again. “It doesn’t, but I can recognize a work of art when I see one. Does it have a name?” 

“Swords have names?” Hanna responded apathetically. 

“Only the legendary ones,” EDJ offered with a hint of amusement. 

Hanna frowned. “If it has a proper name, I don’t know what it is, but I call it Frostbite.”

EDJ had to refrain from snickering. Zero points for originality. “That blade wasn’t forged here,” he said calmly. “May I ask where you acquired it?”

“I don’t remember.”  

“Ah, of course.” EDJ said. “Lui mentioned you had issues remembering key components of your past.”

Hanna glared at him. “Was there anything he didn’t tell you?” she asked. 

“Now how could I possibly know that?” EDJ asked with a smirk. 

“Whatever,” Hanna started, folding her arms. “I beat your traps. Time for you to turn yourself in.”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that,” EDJ commented. 

Hanna unfolded her arms and sat up straight. “You can’t possibly have anything else left to throw at me. I defeated your entire army. I won.”

“Quite violently, I might add,” EDJ said as he flipped a switch on the desk. Footage of the fight pulled up and played behind him. 

Hanna looked away. He got all that on film… She kicked herself for forgetting about the cameras. 

“Heroes are so predictable.” EDJ watched Hanna as he spoke, weighing every word. “You were blinded by your anger at the fact that I had wronged your friends. You were too confident in yourself. So confident, you were fooled into thinking you could waltz in here and defeat me. I’m almost surprised you didn’t expect this from the beginning.” Hanna’s form shrank as he spoke, as if she were trying to take up the least amount of space possible. She glanced at the screens occasionally, but would not look at him. “Yes, I planned to release your evil side and you followed the script to perfection. I couldn’t have asked for a better performance! So easily manipulated.” EDJ leaned back, open hands gesturing to the final room. “And here we are at last. I led you through the labyrinth. I outsmarted you at every turn. I pulled the monster out of you. I won.” He leaned in for a second. “You lost.” 

Hanna was quiet for a long moment. Her cheeks were pink, but that was the only discernible external reaction. I fell for it… all of it… “What are you planning now?” she finally asked in a quiet voice. 

EDJ tilted his head. “Does that matter?” 

“I guess not,” Hanna muttered. She finally looked up at him, blue eyes fierce and cold. “So you won. You defeated the hero. Spare me any more humiliation. Kill me and get it over with.”

“Dear Hanna,” EDJ said softly with a sly smile. “Haven’t you been paying attention? You’re worth more to me alive.”