The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 146

Chapter 146

“Borig, Kata City.” Yellowcat declared with firm eyes.

Her gaze never wavered, her features pale and striking like a porcelain doll as she looked straight at Nova.

“Two days ago, Ghost–Hammer’s last location was Kata City,” she continued.

“Since then, I’ve heard nothing from him.”

In the underground circles, it didn’t matter how powerful you were, or what kind of reputation you had.

The moment someone vanished and all contact was severed, it was almost always bad news.

It meant that person was likely doomed, probably dead already.

Mercenaries lived dodging bullets, licking blood off their knives–survival was never guaranteed for people like them.

Just like when Nova was captured and sent to Devil’s Isle, disappearing from the world for half a year. Even now, most people believed the Mercenary Bloodforge had died.

Ghost–Hammer’s in deep trouble right now.

He might already be gone…

“I’ll bring him back.”

Nova turned aside, letting her long brown hair fall over her shoulder, her posture exuding a cold, dismissive confidence.

There wasn’t a hint of emotion–no trace of dread or grief about possibly losing another teammate.

Nova seemed utterly indifferent, like a heartless machine.

In a tone devoid of all warmth, she added quietly, “No matter if he’s alive or dead, I’ll bring him back.”

She shot a sidelong glance at Yellowcat. “Take care and get some real rest. I’ll erase every trace—you’ll be off their radar for good.”

“Yeah…” As soon as she heard her boss say that, Yellowcat’s whole body finally loosened, all that tension melting away in a breath.

She sank back against the cold hospital headboard, finally able to let her guard down and close her eyes–for the first time in days, sleep felt safe again.

After leaving the hospital room.

Andrew just stood there, dazed, listening in blankly to Nova and Yellowcat’s conversation.

He was a spec–ops member, but whenever Nova was around, he never really got to show what he was capable

1. 1. of.

Still, when it came to conversations like these, he caught things that would go over most people’s heads.

“Nova, are you okay? Did someone try to take out your friend?

“Kata City…

“Isn’t that the city in a country crawling with black markets and basically no law? Your friend went missing there?”

Andrew caught up to her, worry etched across his face. “How about I come with you?

“I mean… maybe I could help, even just a little…”

Andrew always saw Nova as someone extraordinary; she was never just another face in the crowd.

Back when she joined the task force, she came in with a recommendation from the top brass. If she were just some random girl, there’s no way she would’ve caught the attention of the higher–ups.

And that wasn’t all.

Nova always gave off that vibe—there was something different about her, something special. The way she moved, talked, fought… Andrew was dead sure she wasn’t your average operative.

So when Andrew heard about someone coming after Nova’s friends, or that they’d gone missing in a place like Kata City, he didn’t even flinch.

“That’s not necessary,” Nova said coolly.

She didn’t even hesitate before turning Andrew down.

Glancing at him, she added, “If you really want to help, just tell the task force I’m taking a leave.”

This was her own business–she had no intention of dragging anyone else into it.

“Okay!” Andrew agreed right away, concern clouding his voice.

“No matter what happens, Nova, don’t try to shoulder it all alone…

“Think about your family–your brother, your sister, your parents…

“They’ve been hoping you’d come home for so long…”

Andrew hesitated, but chose not to say anything else.

He closed his mouth, letting his worries speak in silence.

Nova blinked back the tears in her eyes, her answer barely above a whisper. “Mm.”

‘Still… what would happen if, one day, I had no choice but to tell my family the truth?

‘Would they see me as nothing but a cold–hearted brute–someone who burned, killed, and stole just for the sake of money? A mercenary hated by the world, or even the most notorious queen of the mercenary underworld?

‘How would they look at me then?

‘Would it be disgust writ on their faces?

‘Or would they just wish I’d never existed at all?‘

Nova didn’t breathe a word to anyone–not even to Fiona or Charles. Just like that, she made and bought herself a ticket straight to Palion, all on her own.

a snap

decision

Early the next morning.

Palion, Borig, Kata City.

Kata City was infamous across the globe for its off–the–charts crime rate, perched on the ragged edge of the Rustwater coastline.

With its unlucky spot along the shore, brutal storms hammered the place year after year, leaving locals constantly struggling just to survive.

Poverty here meant rules didn’t matter.

That’s why black markets flourished, people packed the streets, and the words “filthy,” “wild,” and “lawless” summed up Kata City in every way.

On the bustling streets, a young woman wrapped in a black cloak drifted through the crowd, her face and imposing figure completely hidden beneath its folds.

With every step, she made sure to stay unnoticed, her presence lost among strangers.

Behind oversized sunglasses and heavy makeup, her lips wore a vivid red, turning her once–innocent looks into something mature and alluring–a disguise so perfect it could fool anyone.

She blended in without drawing a single suspicious glance.

This woman was Nova Blake.

Moving through the crowd like she belonged there, Nova slipped right into a hidden backroom shop marked only for those who knew where to look–no one batted an eye, as if she were just another local.

The sign above the door was scrawled in Kata City’s native tongue, declaring it the “Mercenary Guild.”

The top mercenaries scored their gigs on the Crimson Web–an online hotspot where jobs and clients linked up in the shadows.

But Kata City was something else; it’s like the place hadn’t even caught up to the digital age yet.

Seriously, most folks here hadn’t even laid hands on a smartphone.

So that’s where the Mercenary Guild stepped in–bringing back old–school business, right in the middle of all this chaos.

True to its name, the Mercenary Guild was as traditional as it got: mercenaries and clients meeting up in the flesh, cutting deals face–to–face, no screens involved.

Didn’t matter who you were–man, woman, young, old. As long as you stepped inside, you could walk right up to the Mercenary Guild and apply to be a mercenary… or register as a client, no questions asked.

Here, all it took was a bit of cash–and boom, you could snag yourself a spot as a rookie mercenary. Seriously, it was almost laughably easy.

“Hey there, gorgeous. Haven’t seen you around here before.

“So, you thinking about joining up as a mercenary, or are you looking to hire one?”

The receptionist at the guild walked over to Nova, giving her a courteous nod and keeping his tone low and streetwise.

Nova didn’t bother with a reply. She pulled her hand from the pocket of her cloak.

She slid a photo across to him—showing a man sporting a black beard–her voice cool and distant.

“You seen him?” Nova asked, eyes sharp.

In a place like Kata City, even the Crimson Web’s intel teams couldn’t get their hands on anything real.

But when it came to local mercenary guilds like this, their information was always straight from the streets- raw, unfiltered, and way more hands–on.

Sure enough, the receptionist barely glanced at the photo before his eyes lit up–he recognized the guy right

away.

He snapped his fingers and let out a low whistle. “Him? Yeah, I saw him hanging around Kata City just a couple days ago!”

“Where is he?” Nova pressed.

The receptionist raised his right hand and rubbed his thumb against his forefinger–the universal sign for cash–his eyes glinting with obvious greed as if to say: Pay up if you want answers.

Nova caught on right away.

She fished a fat stack of local bills from her pocket, no hesitation.

With a noisy flutter, cash rained down all over the filthy floor.

The receptionist didn’t care about his dignity at all–he dove for the cash, crawling around on the ground like a starving mutt.

He muttered greedily as he scrambled for the cash.

“He went into the Kate Deathly Canyon, that place is huge–good luck finding him on your own, it’d be like fishing for a coin in the middle of the ocean.

“Just so happens we’ve got a caravan getting ready to cross the Deathly Canyon.

“Slip me a bit more and I can get one of our guild’s mercs to take you with them…”

His pockets were stuffed to bursting, yet all he could talk about was money–his whole attention glued to the cash, like nothing else even existed.

That’s the ugly reality of a rookie mercenary.

And once upon a time, that was Nova’s world, too.

The world she’d survived in since day one.

With a loud snap, Nova flung another fat wad of Kata City cash onto the filthy floor.

Not a flicker crossed her face as she threw the bills down, her voice cutting and impatient.

“Money isn’t the problem–just get me out there, now,” she demanded.

Inside the guild, a crowd of tough, rowdy guys with bare arms were parked around the notice board, ripping down jobs scrawled out by clients in pen and paper.

Some were swinging their thick arms and bawling out offers, their voices rough and loud.

“Rustwater voyage, 300 cash per head! Who’s in? Anyone want in?” one of them shouted, his voice echoing through the guild.

With the receptionist’s help, Nova joined a caravan heading out to cross the Kate Deathly Canyon.

The camels were loaded up, goods were packed, and they were ready to head out.

This caravan was a sizable group–thirty or forty people in all, with five guild mercenaries assigned as guards.

People almost never used cars in Kata City–if you wanted to reach the Deathly Canyon, you went in on foot.

That’s probably exactly how Ghost–Hammer got in, too.

And just like that, the real adventure was only just getting started.

A group of seven or eight young contemporary students, all looking sleek and fresh, came right up to Nova.

“Hey, we overheard you chatting with the guild guy out front.

“So, you’re a Zoriaien too? Heading into the Deathly Canyon, just like us?”

One guy, dressed light–with flip–flops on his feet and a travel backpack slung over one shoulder–walked

right up to Nova and greeted her with a big, easy smile.

“Hey, I’m Jake Davis.

“I’m from Wuland originally, but now I go to Minova University in Minstone. Me and my friends, we’re just here traveling. We’re Zoriaien too, same as you.

“Saw you all alone out here, and being a girl in a place like this… Well, it’s pretty crazy if you’re new around here. So, hey, how about you team up with us? Power in numbers, right?”

“Makes it safer if we all watch each other’s backs!”

Jake lowered his voice, gave Nova a knowing look, then glanced at the five mercenaries leading the caravan.

“Most of the crew here are guys, and all five mercenaries up front are men. We’ve got our own little group to watch out for each other, but for you, it’s different.

“If just one of those mercs tries anything with you–let alone if they team up–you won’t find anyone willing to help out here, no matter how much you call for help.”