On the sixth day, the leader of Blacksand finally signed the ceasefire agreement.
The final round of negotiations dragged on all night. He demanded that food and medical supplies be allowed through first, while I insisted that the blockades along the route be removed first. Only after both sides agreed on a phased arrangement did he finally lift his hand from the document.
I put away the agreement. By the time I walked out of the negotiation hall, dawn had broken.
We hadn't reached the vehicles waiting for us when a blast echoed from the intersection. Another faction inside Blacksand had launched an attack. The guards shoved me behind a wall as a car window shattered nearby.
I followed the team into a side alley. A silver arrow grazed my arm, and searing pain shot up from the wound. Th
