Chapter 44
Ilae swooped overhead, opening his talons and dropping a scroll into my palms. I sent him a pulse of thanks as he flew off to the treeline to hunt his next kill.
Tugging on the string, I unfurled it, revealing Ishim’s latest message. More of the same entreaties. With a sigh, I tucked it into my dark leathers and strode for the main building serving as the command center.
I passed the training area, where Maelsar and Oshenai worked with a group of soldiers, blending old with new like weaving them together might spare the lives of the few who hadn’t faced a battle before.
I gestured for the two to join me, and they excused themselves, leaving Calrien—the fucker—to oversee their drills.
“What is it?” Maelsar asked me, falling in step.
“Another note from the Zahal with updates on Demon movements. We can plan how to take the wall now,” I explained.
Zuriel was the only other Myrza present, and thankfully he was already inside. He glanced away from the fire as we strode to the map table in the corner. I moved the marker stones around, repositioning the two armies in the Demon Realm.
The heir to House Ilythar? joined us without a word.
“Kohszak is the closest village on the Demon side.” I pointed to where a small cluster of stones waited almost a day’s ride from the wall. With the way the mountains splayed, it was nearly impossible to build something closer. We had that advantage on our side.
“But Ishim and the front are further to the north,” Zuriel said, gesturing to the remaining stones camped outside Lutsk.
“Only slightly,” I replied, dropping a stick of charcoal between the mouth of the Paks Desert and our current position to illustrate. “The quickest path of retreat is flying from the foothills to Hals?r. We can provide aerial and ground cover once we clear out the northernmost section of the wall.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to overtake Kohszak though?” Oshenai asked.
He wasn’t wrong—it would be the smarter move. But something about slaughtering an entire city of Demons who didn’t take up arms in offense tasted wrong. For Sylaira’s sake, I didn’t want to do that.
“And alert them even sooner to our plans? We need to lure them into a trap so they don’t have time to communicate with the Hadvezér at the front,” I said instead.
We’d briefed Oshenai on our true plan—and Zuriel knew too, thanks to my mate. Though he hadn’t agreed to join us and I’d surveilled him ever since.
His expression betrayed nothing as he studied the map. “From the scouts’ reports, patrols ride from here to here on a daily cycle. We’d have to take them all out. The Demons have built up their smaller outposts in the past decade. Now there appears to be one at every watchtower.”
Our next encampment lay a week’s ride south.
“How long will it take?” I asked.
He shrugged, straightening. “Depends on how quickly we attack and how quickly they send reinforcements. They’re used to us flying over the wall here, so for every group we kill, more arrive to take their place.”
“If we establish a line here,” Maelsar said, tapping to a position just north of us, “we should be able to hold off any reinforcements, giving Ishim’s battalions time to fly over.”
“That alone might take a week or longer.” Hundreds of thousands of troops didn’t move with the speed of lightning. While a third might have returned to our realm already, the number remaining was staggering.
“Have Ishim send them faction by faction,” he suggested. “Like you said, we don’t want to give away our plans entirely yet. What will they think if suddenly the whole army retreats?”
“You have a point,” I told my second-in-command.
He offered me a wry grin but held his tongue.
“Here’s what we’ll do. Maelsar and Oshenai will lead the first group to scout out the wall and where the Demons might be along that stretch.
Zuriel will take a contingent to one of their watchtowers and establish a base to hold off any reinforcements they might send.
I’ll write to Ishim and tell him to prepare the rest of the army to move.
Once I get word from Maelsar and Oshenai, I’ll join them with Sylaira, who can See any movements from the Demons to aid in the army’s retreat. Everyone clear?”
“Aye,” came the chorus of replies.
“Oshenai, can you relay the plans to the Padisa and gather soldiers to go with you?” I asked the chieftain.
“Of course, Issaraeth.” He dipped his head, then tugged up the collar on his jacket.
Maelsar and I lingered, pinning Zuriel in place with our stares. It was a risk, sending him to hold a watchtower on his own. But keeping him close was better than leaving him behind where I couldn’t watch him.
He waited, hands clasped behind his lower back, his posture that of a seasoned soldier and not the nephew of a noble. “Yes, Issaraeth?”
The Myrza stitching threaded into my iron-gray leathers—only a shade darker than my hair now—mirrored his. But when it came to our noble houses and our power, I still far outranked him. “Have you changed your mind?”
He shook his head, staring straight ahead.
“Why?” I pressed. Maelsar leaned his hip against the table.
The heir of House Ilythar? sighed. “Because there are far more important things for me to be doing.”
“Like what?” I cocked my head to the side, studying him. With how he’d been treated by his uncle and the crown, I couldn’t imagine him wanting to ensure they remained in place. Or that he was somehow a spy for them.
Finally, he met my gaze. “Before I was forced away from my wife, she made me swear never to tell anyone of what she’d Seen the night before you captured us. For if I reveal the details, the outcome will change. This war is not the only important one.”
I gritted my teeth and glared. “What she Saw could change the outcome of this one.”
“It did not.” The conviction in those words rang absolute. Unshakable.
Tension thickened the air between us as we maintained our staredown. “Did you tell this to Sylaira?”
“No,” he stated simply, his arms releasing from behind his back. “Nor does she need to know. Sylaira is stubborn, and I will not have her harassing me for information I cannot give. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He offered me a half-hearted salute, then strode from the room.
I didn’t attempt to stop him or recall him. Instead, I blew out a long breath and faced my second-in-command. “Has he always been like this or have I simply forgotten how insufferable he is?”
“Since we were younglings,” Maelsar grumbled. “Such a cagey, mysterious bastard.”
“Fitting he married an Elessarum Seer, then,” I sighed.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s a threat,” Maelsar added.
“Nor do I.” There was something about the certainty in his tone that solidified that belief for me. “I’ll write to Ishim now. Can you handle going off alone?”
“I’m not bringing Lyriasthe with me,” he said, toying with a marker stone.
“I didn’t expect you would. We’ll keep her safe here until we rejoin you,” I promised, gripping his shoulder and giving it a shake.
“You fucking better, or I’ll cut off your balls,” he growled, smacking my hand away.
“You almost killed me once already. Wasn’t that enough for you?” I taunted, crossing my arms.
He rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Where would be the fun in that?” I quipped, a bloodthirsty grin spreading. “But you know what will be even more fun?”
“What’s that?” Maelsar asked.
“Killing Althirion and Nymirae,” I said under my breath. “We have to get rid of them, and soon.”
“It’s a good thing we’re about to be fighting some Demons,” Maelsar said.
I nodded. “Exactly. They can be accidental casualties when we reach you. Save some fighting for when we arrive.”
“That I can do,” Maelsar promised. He yawned, stretching his arms overhead. “Goddess it’s been a long journey. And there’s still more to go.”
“Go fuck Lyriasthe and then get your shit together,” I laughed, pulling parchment and charcoal toward me.
“Goddess damn you, Vaeron,” he shot over his shoulder as he strode from the map room.
“Goddess save you, Maelsar,” I called out, all teasing absent from my tone.
Because truly, I didn’t want him to die.
It was risky, him being there with a bunch of barely trained soldiers.
But Oshenai and other Hathi would go with him, and I believed that group alone could wipe out any Demons in our path.
He lingered in the doorway for a moment, and I picked my gaze up, meeting his. So many unspoken words passed between us. So many memories. We’d always been together, ever since we were younglings. And we’d see this through together too.
Blowing out a breath, he rapped his knuckles on the doorframe and finally left me to my work.
I penned a note to Ishim, giving him dates and locations. By the time we had taken control of the ground and air, the first group would arrive at the foothills.
The bond gave a hard tug, forcing me to look up. Sylaira drifted through the entry. A woolen jacket hugged her lean torso, the white fur peeking out of the collar. Leather pants covered her legs. Around her shoulders hung a cloak the color of freshly fallen snow.
“This is a new look,” I commented, folding up the parchment and sealing it.
“It contrasts yours,” she pointed out, coming to stand opposite me.
“It does. But why the change?” I asked.
“Because everyone in this camp expects me to be holy and you to be a monster. They follow you from fear and me because they believe I will save them. It is best if we play into that, is it not?” A silver brow rose in question.
“You don’t have to–”
“We made this plan together. If we are to rule,” she mouthed the last word, “then I need to start acting like the person I will be.”
Fuck, how I loved that she’d come to this on her own. It was one thing for me to protect her, to show her how safe she was with me. In that shelter, I’d hoped she’d allow her storm to grow. To take up the space she deserved.
And she had.
“Little fugitive, you have no idea what this is doing to me.” My dick pressed against the ties of my pants as I drank in the sight of her bedecked in white. Circling the table, I captured her waist.
She looked up at me, long lashes brushing over her cheekbones. “I think I have some idea.”
“You’ve always been a wicked temptress. First, forcing me away from my duty to chase you. Then making me feel treacherous things.”
I slanted my lips against hers, inhaling the crushed ghostflower scent of her. She moaned against my mouth, hands reaching up and clasping my shoulders. Our tongues intertwined as I deepened our kiss, wanting her to meld into me.
“I need to be inside you,” I said into her mind. Because in a few days’ time, the battles would begin again. And I didn’t know where that path would take us.
“Please,” she nearly begged.
I broke our kiss, chest heaving. “What would you say to something a little different?”
“I’m listening,” she rasped, pupils darkening.
“There are far too many people around for my liking,” I purred, fingers tracing her collarbone before wrapping around her throat. “And we’re in the mountains again.”
Her teeth raked over her lower lip. “You want to chase me.”
“I do. ” I savored the feeling of her pulse quickening beneath my palm. Because even with my Angel power restored, the blood magic still thrummed, prowling like a beast locked in a cage, ready to pounce the moment the bars bent.
“I think I’d like that too,” she whispered, and my cock twitched in anticipation.
“You will leave this building and find your black cloak. Darkness is falling and I don’t want you to be a beacon in the night. Then you’ll sneak to the edge of camp and fly into the trees. After that, the hunt is on.”
Her heart rate kicked into a crescendo, and lust coursed down our bond. I peeled my fingers away. “Now go.”
The pink flush to her cheeks was delicious. Decadent. And fuck, the minutes were going to crawl by while I waited for her to ready herself.
Our bond too purred with primal delight. It had been far too long since I’d hunted. And hunting her had been the sweetest chase of all. Now that I knew she was mine, I wanted nothing more than to catch her all over again.
Adjusting myself, I hurried to the aviary and sent a bird off to Ishim. The raven disappeared into the falling dusk.
Dragging in a breath, I dove into my magic well, finding the thread that tied me to Sylaira. A grin spread across my lips. The beast inside me roared.
She was on the edge of camp, blood thundering in her veins as she ran.
I snipped off my connection to her. She’d sense me coming, but I didn’t want her to have any other advantages at evading me.
Because she was mine. And I’d remind her of that over and over as I pinned her with my power and fucked her until she only knew my name.