Chapter 4
Jessiah
“Again!”
While my men ran through their usual morning drills, I couldn’t ignore the tension that thickened the air.
The conflicts in the eastern kingdoms were worse than I’d expected if they were actively seeking our help.
I built this army from scratch, gathering the men, training them, giving them hope. In the beginning, it helped all of us take our minds off the shit we had all been through.
Now, two years later?
There was a chance we’d have to fight soon. Not just fight—but protect.
And that thought alone had me pushing them harder than usual.
“I said again!”
The men were still out of breath, but they did as they were told, sprinting back onto the field. It was my job to make sure they were prepared for what came next. Whatever that may be.
“Everything okay?” Xavier, my second, pulled out of the crowd and approached me. “You seem tense. And by tense, I mean pissed off.”
If he were anyone else, I would have snapped. My men knew better than to fall out of formation or ignore my orders. But Xavier was a damn god when it came to war prep and fighting tactics. Without him, I would have been half the commander I’d become.
So I let it slide.
“I’m fine,” I forced out, keeping my attention fixed on my soldiers. “Just preparing.”
Xavier put both hands on his hips and eyed me carefully. Sweat dampened his shirt, even in the cool, dewy morning. That careful expression turned into a smirk. “Preparing for what, exactly? You have information you’d like to share?”
“No.” I replied too quickly. “It’s time to push you all to your fullest potential. That’s all.”
He let out a scoff and dropped his arms. “Right. It’s been over a week since the last feast, and we’ve gotta make it another two days until the next. They’ll be exhausted by then. Maybe we should cut them some slack. Not everyone can be as strong as you are all the time, angel.”
Fuck. As frustrating as he could be at times, this was one of the reasons he was my second. He reminded me of this kind of shit. These soldiers were almost all vampyres. Their needs differed from mine greatly.
Wolf and Huntyr hosted feasts regularly. The occasions included hunting for fresh game so the vampyres could fuel themselves with blood when they needed to.
With the possibility of battle on my mind, I completely forgot how long it had been since they’d last fed.
I cursed under my breath.
“That’s enough!” I called out.
The men all groaned in relief, most sagging, a few stumbling to the ground.
“Take a break. Be back here in ten.” I turned away from the grassy field and strode toward the streets of Scarlata.
Xavier was tight on my heel. “You sure everything’s okay? You can talk to me, you know. I’m here to help you, not just bark orders at your men from time to time.”
Mind spinning, I picked up the pace. “We need to talk to Wolf. Now.”
“We?” he repeated, now at my side. “As in, you and me?”
I side-eyed him. “You want to be involved? You really want to help? Then you should know. The eastern kingdoms have formally requested assistance from Scarlata Empire. We could move out any day now.”
He didn’t even stumble. “That’s good news, right? We’ve known about the eastern conflicts for months now.” Frowning, he studied me, still keeping pace. “Why do you seem bothered by it?”
I inhaled sharply and let the breath out in a slow stream. “I’m bothered, because Wolf and Huntyr haven’t fully committed to sending us there. They want us to stay right here, where we can be of absolutely no help to anybody.”
Hands fisted at my sides, I continued.
“I’ve spent two years preparing these men. You know just as well as I do that they’re ready for a fight.”
“Damn straight they are. The eastern kingdoms would kneel at the sight of us marching over there.”
“Exactly.”
“So, what? You’re going to demand that Wolf let us go?”
Goddess above, it really did sound pathetic. Maybe Rummy was right.
Maybe I did have a hero complex.
But hero complex or not, these men were ready to help. To protect. Wolf was hesitating, and I was going to find out why.
“That’s pretty much my plan, yes.” I jogged up the long set of stairs that led to Huntyr and Wolf’s penthouse, and Xavier followed.
They’d really fixed the place up over the last two years, patching holes in walls and repairing crumbling bricks. Every day, this place looked less like the bleeding city we’d found.
I banged on the door twice, then took a step back, reining in the urge to burst in.
Xavier stood silent beside me.
Just as I raised my fist to knock again, Wolf ripped the door open. “Hello to you, too, brother.”
I pushed past him, motioning for Xavier to follow. “We need to talk.”
“Right.” Wolf broke into the obnoxious smile that had gotten him through so much shit with our father. My brother was smart and conniving, but he hid it all beneath layers and layers of charm.
Long ago, I’d learned to see beneath the charade.
“I think I know why you’re here,” he continued, his tone still deceptively even.
Without stopping, I strode to the far side of the unit so I could look out over the entirety of Scarlata.
The view from here was incredible. This early, morning dew clung to the streets and most citizens were only now beginning their days.
“Good,” I replied. “Then I don’t have to waste time explaining the importance of mobilizing our soldiers.”
“You coming here changes nothing,” Wolf pushed, switching into stoic leader mode. “Huntyr and I have made up our minds.”
I swallowed down my temper. “You’re kidding, right? A week ago, you were going on and on about wanting to protect others the way you were never protected. Remember that? Or am I confusing you with another king who actually cares about saving his people?”
Wolf rolled his eyes. “You know there’s nothing I want more than to help people.”
“Help people?” I asked. “Or help yourself?”
Wolf’s expression darkened, and Xavier let out a low whistle behind me.
“You’ve been a great asset to us, brother,” Wolf said, “but don’t forget your place here. You’re my advisor, and I value your input, but this decision is not yours to make.”
“Whose decision is it, then?” Fury heated my veins, making my heart thump heavily against my chest. “What changed your mind? Because I know you, Wolf. You want to help those people just as much as I do. You want to help that kingdom!”
“What about our own people?” he argued. “I can’t turn my back on them now. I can’t leave them here while I go fight for a kingdom we know nothing about. This could all be a damn hoax, for all we know, brother.”
“Please. This isn’t a hoax. You read the letter just like I did.”
Silence filled the air. “Letter?” Xavier asked. “What letter?”
I held Wolf’s gaze, and he held mine. “Tell him. Tell him about the letter from the new King of Pericius. Tell him how they were practically begging for our help.”
Wolf eventually turned his attention to Xavier. “We received word not too long ago. They’re asking for our assistance to subdue the rebel forces rising on their borders.”
Xavier considered this with a calm face. He was levelheaded about these types of things. Other matters in his life? That was another story.
“Why us?” he asked.
Wolf shrugged. “I would assume they heard about what happened here two years ago. We have gifted fae and vampyres. We have strong men and an army skilled in combat. Why not us?”
Xavier frowned, as if considering his words. “It’s just that, there are plenty of other kingdoms in the east much closer to Pericius than we are. Why send a letter all the way here, hoping that a newly established kingdom that is still recovering from their own war would answer their call?”
“They’re desperate,” I answered. “Their kingdom is full of innocents, just like ours is. They’re hoping we’ll have a sliver of empathy and assist them.”
“But you don’t want to send soldiers?” he asked Wolf.
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Wolf’s wings glistened in the morning light as he paced the spacious unit. “It’s that we can’t risk leaving Scarlata unguarded while our men are off fighting in the east. It isn’t fair to our people. We’re better off staying put and strengthening our troops.”
“Did Huntyr convince you of this?” I asked, annoyance making my wings puff out a fraction.
“Did I convince him of what?”
The three of us spun, finding Huntyr standing in the doorway, dressed in her training leathers, a fresh gleam of sweat on her forehead.
As she stepped inside, Rummy followed.
I quickly tore my gaze away, focusing on the kingdom outside the window. After last night, Rummy was the goddess-damned last person I wanted to see. Especially when I was certain she’d had a hand in convincing Huntyr to keep the troops here.
“Good,” Wolf greeted. “You’re back. Jessiah and Xavier are trying to convince me to let them join the battles in the eastern kingdoms.”
I didn’t have to look to know Rummy was rolling her eyes.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Xavier said, his hands held out in front of him. “I’m an innocent bystander in this debate. I have no problem accepting the orders I’m given, whatever those orders may be.”
“And that's why you’re quickly becoming one of my favorites,” Wolf said.
Xavier grinned. Kiss-ass.
Rummy whipped around Huntyr, storming closer, her face red, her expression murderous. “You ambushed Wolf while we were gone? Really, Jessiah? I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to sneak behind Huntyr’s back to sway his opinion.”
“I didn’t ambush anyone,” I gritted out. “I have concerns, and I wanted to share them with my brother.”
“Everyone, relax,” Huntyr interrupted, stepping between Rummy and me.
“Wolf and I have already decided that now is not the time to send our troops.” Her expression was firm, but her eyes softened a fraction.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t reevaluate the situation at a later time, and it doesn’t mean the decision wasn’t a difficult one. ”
Wolf said nothing as his wife commanded our attention.
Rummy just smirked, her eyes flashing.