20
Uzhhorod from a distance was like a bloodstain on the valley that nestled it. From the adobe construction of the rolling buildings that composed the city to the deep gray basalt pillars of Gyor Palace elevated on a hill in perfect view of the mountains, it looked as though the Fates had taken a wicked knife and sliced into their palms, letting their red-black blood splash along the area to develop it. Despite the season being midsummer, a chill remained in the thin air, and in the distance, the snow-capped peaks winked in the sun.
“I never tire of this view,”
Izgath commented. We sat atop our mounts, watching as our units descended down the slope and into the valley.
“I can’t imagine that anyone would,”
I replied, lifting my hand to my eyes to block the midday sun. Wonder bloomed inside me as I swept my gaze across the massive expanse. “Which way to the Angel Realm?”
“That way,”
he said, pointing to the west, where if I squinted and tilted my head just right, the wall that ran between the two realms became visible. “And there,”
he swung his finger back toward Uzhhorod, “is the war camp.”
My brows shot up my forehead. How had I missed it on my earlier perusal?
A sprawling array of tents in shades of gray, black, and red dotted the hillside beyond the city’s walls, with plumes of smoke drifting on a lazy breeze away from the wall side of the mountains. Demons the size of ants moved about much like the tiny creatures did, no doubt busying themselves with training, sharpening weapons, or finding food and drink. The size of the war camp rivaled that of Uzhhorod, and with the thick line of other squads behind us on the road, it would only increase.
“How is that possible?”
I murmured, awestruck.
Dromak chuckled, and I started, having been so wrapped up in the landscape that I didn’t hear him approach. “It’s possible because the Fates want us to win. The Angels stand no chance against us now.”
While I wasn’t as sycophantic as the others about the war against the Angels, the Halálhívó, and the Kral, I had to admit the force was impressive. Among that many, I would not be missed. A twinge of guilt swept through me as I glanced sidelong at Izgath. The male had no idea I planned to slip away among the chaos of our arrival.
With how things had progressed between us, I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I only hoped he wouldn’t stop me, that he would understand why, and that he wouldn’t find trouble after my departure.
“That’s the last of us. Let’s go, brothers,”
Dromak pronounced, turning his horse to the road. When I tore my attention away from the breathtaking view, I saw that he was right. The last of our supply wagons had passed, and below, the first had made it to the fourth switchback in the road, nearly closing in on the base of the hill. Behind us, a line of other soldiers and wagons waited to take their turn down the steep, winding incline.
Digging my heels into Blaeze’s side, I hurried him along behind Izgath and Dromak. The three of us rode in single file, silence filling the air as we concentrated on the road. I refused to look over each passing edge, having been forewarned about the effects of it. The height was dizzying enough without adding the possibility of a sheer drop should one lean too far.
I was the last to arrive at the base of the hill, where a long, thick road stretched straight to Uzhhorod. Even the road wasn’t flat, with moments of dips and valleys, one side raised higher than the other. Alongside it, though, males and females alike worked on those sections, digging deep gouges into the earth in an attempt to level them out.
They paid us no attention as we passed. But why should they? With the number of soldiers teeming through these hills, we were nothing fantastical, like Jaku and the others had been in the quiet southern plains around Stryi.
A hush settled over our group as we marched the remaining distance to the war camp. True to his word, Izgath had managed to prevent any testing my magic, though how he accomplished it I did not know.
But the lack of verbalization among my companions did not mean we rode in silence; no, a dull roar grew and grew and grew until it morphed into something bigger, something hypnotic as we approached the rolling tents.
The organized chaos of the camp was unmistakable. At one juncture in the road, a group of ten males waited, parchments and boards in hand, scratching furiously as a mix of leather-clad and metal-clad males spoke to them. To the left, the path led to the war camp; to the right, the path led to Uzhhorod. Behind them, a third road strung the two together, and a constant stream of people blotted out whatever waited beyond it.
Jaku hopped from his horse and spoke with one of the males. Izgath motioned for me to join them, so I tossed my reins to Morrt, one of the males I trusted most in my unit, before following Izgath and Dromak to our Százados. Uzadaan, Gnim, and Grex were already there.
“How many do you bring, Százados?”
the crimson-eyed male asked, ink poised to drip on the parchment.
“Six units, each of three hundred and forty,”
he stated, and the male scratched away.
“The Halálhívó wishes to send anyone with ruby eyes or higher for enhanced training. How many are in your unit?”
the male asked, not looking up.
Shock nearly popped my mouth open, and it was only through years of plastering bland expressions on my face that I managed to hold it together.
Uzadaan handed his notes on each male’s magic and rated power to Jaku, who quickly flipped through and pulled the pages he needed. “Apologies, I need a moment to count them,”
Jaku grumbled.
I shifted from foot to foot while he and Uzadaan worked, not daring to glance at Izgath.
“One hundred eighty,”
Jaku finally replied, handing the papers over.
The male flipped through quickly, then made notes on his own board and Jaku’s papers. “Incubi and Succubi will remain with their current units.”
My heart plummeted. Izgath and I would be separated. But that was what I wanted, right? That would make it easier to slip away unseen.
Jaku thumbed through the returned papers, and the male made one final note before returning his attention to the Százados. “Excellent. For now, please check in with the operations master ahead and he will give you everything you need: new tents, armor, weapons. After the viewing ceremony tomorrow, you’ll all be reassigned to your new units.”
“Thank you,”
Jaku said, and the male offered him a salute.
We turned as a group and walked back to our waiting squad. My heart thundered in my ears with each step toward Blaeze as the reality of the situation settled across my shoulders.
We were moments away from entering a camp with tens of thousands, if not over a hundred thousand Demons roaming about, more than I’d ever seen collectively in my life. Not only that, but these Demons possessed powers that could render mine useless. Any number of things could happen to strip away Vagach’s form and reveal me, a lone female, in the middle of a camp filled with violent males.
You’ve got this, Assyria.
Sucking in a shaky breath, I steeled my spine and mounted my horse, following dutifully along with the males with whom I’d spent the last month traveling to Uzhhorod. All the while, I scanned the camp, studying all entry and exit points, as well as the singular road that led between it and the city walls.
The stream of people between the two was largely male, though I thought a female or two held their heads high among the mix. They wore the billowy black robes of priestesses, as well as opaque black veils, secured in place with silver circlets. I cursed internally. I had nothing in my bag that would work to cover myself like one of them.
I need to corner one and knock her out long enough to study her form and take her clothes.
So deep was my plotting that I didn’t realize we’d reached the operations center. Dozens of males ran about, collecting items from the wagons that needed repair, directing others to park for unloading, while still more shuffled the recruits into neat lines. Each station handed over leather armor and a basic sword to those who did not have one already.
A numbness flowed over me as I attempted to focus on where I was and not on the sheer mass of people around me. The line moved quickly, especially as Izgath, Dromak, and Uzadaan helped their charges in selecting sizes and weapons from the stockpiles of both.
I watched as the group who had once belonged to Zurronar exchanged the small, travel tents for larger ones, and Morrt even hoisted a flag bearing a galloping horse into the wagon before the crowd swallowed him.
A cleared throat had me tearing my attention to the male in front of me. Correcting myself, I stepped forward, and the male behind the table thrust new clothing into my hands after one quick glance. “These should work, if they don’t there’s more places through the camp where you can exchange for a different size.”
“Thank you,”
I said, accepting it and backing away as quickly as I could. I nearly tripped over the male behind me, barely managing to catch the short sword before it tumbled off the top of the pile and into my foot.
Ice shattered through my veins, panic clawing at my throat, as I attempted to find my way among the mayhem. There were so many people, and my vision tunneled as I was overwhelmed with the sound, the smell of them all. Sucking in a breath, I shoved toward the stark cliffs in the distance, hoping they would guide me. Finally, I broke through the throng, and Izgath was waiting for me on horseback, holding Blaeze’s reins.
I could have cried with relief.
“Here, give me that.”
He gestured to the sword.
I readily handed it over, flipping open the leather bag attached to Blaeze’s saddle and stuffing as much of the leather armor in there as I could. The buckle barely reached the last notch, but I was able to secure it. Shoving my foot into the stirrup, I mounted him, taking a moment to survey the squad. Already, a stream of males trekked around the outside of the camp. Morrt ambled behind a wagon brimming with tents.
Izgath clicked his tongue, and his stallion trotted forward. Blaeze didn’t need any prompting to follow, and for that I was grateful, because I still struggled to breathe from the press of people. A few minutes later, we arrived at the edge, where lines and lines of tents waited, flaps open, while others were in various stages of being erected.
“The Vezet? and Százados of each squad take the first row of tents,”
Izgath explained, pointing to where Jaku stood beside Morrt and a few others securing the flag into the rocky earth. “The soldiers double or triple up in these tents. They are bigger than the ones we had on the road because we’ll be in place for longer. Makes more sense for everyone to have a little more space.”
Thank the Fates I have a tent alone.
“How is anyone supposed to find their way back here?”
I asked him as we entered the first row, already losing my place among the tents set in as straight of rows as the rolling hills allowed.
Izgath jerked his head to the side. “The Lovak flag. Each squad’s location is marked by them at the top right corner of the section. If you look over there,”
he turned, pointing again, and I followed his finger, “the Kutya flag is the next visible one. That whole section belongs to another squad under Parancsok Olet.”
Nodding, I noted every flag visible around us. I’d need all the help I could get navigating around and out of this place when the time came. The last thing I wanted was my identity to be discovered because of a foolish mistake such as losing my place.
As we approached the top right corner of our section, we dismounted, leading both horses toward the small group gathered outside of Jaku’s tent. Before we reached it, Morrt stopped me. I nodded at Izgath to continue on without me.
“Kormánzó Vagach, it’s been an honor serving under you. I know we’ll part ways tomorrow, but I wanted to express how impressed I’ve been with how you’ve adapted to soldier life. You’ll make a fine fighter yourself by the time you make it to the battlefield,”
Morrt said.
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say, but then I cleared my throat and held out my hand. Morrt clasped arms with me and squeezed. I returned the gesture. “Take care of yourself out there. And thank you for all your help over these past few weeks. It’s because of your assistance I was able to slip into my role so easily.”
He stepped back, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head. “The honor is mine, Kormánzó. I will take Blaeze from you and lead him to the other Lovak squad horses.”
“Thank you, Morrt.”
Unfastening my bag, I slid it off Blaeze’s back, then handed him the reins. With one last pat on his chestnut rump, I watched both of them disappear, along with a few other horses, around the corner. I glanced around, ensuring that everyone was busy unpacking and preparing to settle into our temporary home. Then, I slipped into my tent and secured the ties. The roar of activity was only slightly muffled by the canvas surrounding me. I could scarcely hear myself think, and my every nerve was alight, every muscle lined with tension.
At least Izgath had taken a moment to explain everything to me slowly. My mind was careening with this new information, and every time I grasped for something sturdy, it slipped through my fingers.
As if my thoughts had summoned the male, his smooth voice slipped through the canvas flaps. “Vagach?”
Thankfully, I hadn’t dropped my magic. “Just a moment,”
I called out, unsure exactly how loud I needed to be with the noise surrounding us. Tossing my bag to one side, I made quick work of loosening the ties and allowing Izgath to enter. This new tent was taller and wider than the one I’d had on the road, and Izgath stood easily at his full height.
Izgath’s brows dipped. “You can let go now, Assyria. I’ve got you.”
Those words were like an anchor, and as I released my magic, I realized how adrift I felt, like I had been charting a course forward and when I reached my destination, I somehow found myself as lost as I had been before starting my journey.
Izgath wrapped me in his embrace as if he could sense my anxiety. “I don’t want to part from you.”
I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his torso, turning my head to the side so I could listen to the steady beat of his heart. Time dragged as we stood there, and wave after wave of confusing emotions crashed through me. I couldn’t find the words to say, because honestly, I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Somehow, in the month we’d been together, Izgath had clawed his way into my heart and the reality of leaving him now left an acute ache akin to the one that surfaced whenever I thought of my parents and sister.
Finally, I whispered, “I’ll miss you.”
The statement was true; I wouldn’t soon forget the male who made me feel like an equal for the first time in my life.
Shuffling us around, Izgath took my braid in his hand and tugged my head so I looked up at him. His garnet eyes snagged on my lips for a moment, and then mine drifted closed as he leaned down to kiss me.
Embers burned low in my belly, growing hotter as Izgath swiped his tongue across the seam of my lips. I opened for him, collapsing into his arms as we melded together. His pace was unhurried, despite our impending separation. He walked me back to the bed, and I allowed him to break only long enough to recline backward. One boot, then the other, disappeared from my feet, and Izgath tossed them gently to the side, his garnet eyes sweeping over my prone form. His fingers flew over the leather stretched across his chest, and then he rid himself of that fabric too. I made to unbutton my tunic, but he knelt and swiped my hands away.
“Let me,”
he purred, and I rested back once again, watching his expert fingers work over them, then expose me. He wasted no time unfastening the bind on my breasts either. His hot breath brought pebbles to my skin as he leaned down and kissed the swell of both of them. I bit my lip to stifle a moan at his touch.
Izgath stripped me slowly, tongue gliding in his wake. A shiver trailed next, and I fisted the blankets beneath me in an effort to remain still and quiet. My eyes tracked every single movement, anticipation curling through me like a wisp of smoke.
As he rose, my attention snagged on the outline of his cock in his pants. He gripped it, and my mouth watered for the sight. Then, he pulled the ties of his pants, loosening them slowly, teasing out the moment.
“I want to see,”
I whispered from my position beneath him.
His eyes flooded with heat, and he swept them over my bare body again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,”
I breathed, parting my legs ever so slightly and drawing his attention there. After we shared the tent, I hadn’t stopped thinking about the way he’d touched me, and I wanted more.
He dropped his pants and stepped out of them, revealing a veiny member whose tip already beaded with moisture. A few pumps of his shaft had him stifling a groan, and the sound alone had heat brushing against the cool air around my core.
Air that didn’t remain cool for long as he lowered himself between my thighs. Rather than doing what Vagach did and pushing into me immediately, Izgath leaned forward and captured my mouth in his again. His magic seeped into me as well, caressing every inch of my skin. I tangled my fingers in his hair and pressed up into him, nipples brushing against his bare chest.
Breaking our kiss, he moved to my neck, planting a row of them along its length, all the way to my collarbone and down to my breasts. My mouth popped open in a silent O as he lavished attention on them. I writhed against him, core beating like the wings of a bird. “More,”
I whimpered as quietly as I could.
A hand slipped between us, and then he was cupping me, parting my slick center and slipping a finger inside. A gasp tore through me as he nipped at the same time. “Izgath,”
I moaned before biting down on my lip again.
At least in this camp, our sounds were more muffled by the activity around us.
He circled there, heightening my pleasure, and my body coiled around it. “Are you ready for more?”
he asked, lifting his mouth from my breast to my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.
“Yes,”
I breathed, and he inserted another finger. Something harder, thicker pressed against my thigh, and Izgath ground into it as he rocked his fingers against my inner walls. With subtle, slow movements, he found an easy rhythm that made me melt beneath him. His thumb pressed the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs, and my neck rolled back as pleasure flooded me. Izgath heightened it with another wave of his magic, and soon, I was drowning in sensuous delight.
“Fates,”
I breathed once he slipped another finger inside me. He stilled, and I nearly whimpered, every nerve alight and waiting for his next move. My thigh was damp where his cock rubbed against it. Where he cupped me was even damper.
“You feel incredible, Assyria,”
he murmured in my ear, planting a kiss at the base of my jaw and beginning to thrust his fingers into me again. But his weren’t the hurried movements of a male trying to get it over with. No, Izgath moved like we were on the shores of a private beach, with millenia to spend wrapped in one another and no care for the outside world. Each press of him into me was exquisite, so unlike anything I’d ever done with Vagach.
“You were right,”
I panted after he curled his fingers and worked them over an incredible spot inside me.
“About what?”
he paused, eyes dancing, and my brows pinched as the pleasure ceased with it.
“Intimacy can be incredible.”
A small, breathy laugh slipped out along with my words.
He stole the grin off our faces when our mouths met again. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I held onto him while he rocked into me, using one hand to swirl over my clit while the other held him upright. I let my hands wander, tracing over the hard muscles flexing with each movement, between us to cup my breasts, down to touch his hardness.
“Reaper,”
he cursed when I wrapped my hand around him. He picked up his pace, and I matched the movement of my hand with his fingers, drawing so much pleasure I wondered why Vagach hadn’t at least tried to do this with me before we coupled.
My walls found a beat of their own, and my breath stuttered in my chest. Izgath grinned down at me, then changed the arrangement of his fingers. If I thought he was masterful before, I could barely breathe now for how he worked them inside me. “Come for me, Assyria,”
Izgath breathed, digging the heel of his palm into my clit.
I slapped my free hand over my mouth to stifle the cry as my core clamped down on him, sending an explosion of pleasure through my veins. A low, heady groan slipped from him, but he didn’t stop moving, wringing every last drop from me. By the time my lashes stopped fluttering, his jaw was clenched tight, and his movements grew erratic.
With a grunt, he thrust into my hand, spilling his seed all along my thigh. Sweat slicked his torso, two drops racing from his neck and down his abs. He grabbed his discarded tunic and caught them before wiping me clean.
“You are incredible,”
he said, awe threading his voice as he looked down at me again. My thighs were slick with my arousal, and bliss made my limbs heavy.
“Thank you,”
I whispered to him, and he tossed his shirt aside, lying down beside me instead. He planted a kiss on my chest, then another on my lips.
“I am glad I could show you real pleasure, Assyria. You deserve to know it,”
he murmured, looking down at me.
“Will you stay tonight?”
I asked him, absently tracing the muscles on his chest.
“If you want me to, I will. Though I will have to dip out for fresh clothes and to rumple my bed.”
He lifted a hand and planted kisses along the backs of my knuckles.
“I do,”
I told him, and the grin that split his face sent flutters through my belly.
He shuffled us around so that he curled around my petite frame. “Sleep, Assyria,”
he murmured in my ear. I closed my eyes, just for a moment, and savored the feel of him. The next thing I knew, it was morning, and Izgath was slipping away to change before anyone discovered him missing.