Finding one of the carved seats, I settled onto it, letting my head rest against the side. The only sound rushing into my ears was the slow drip of the leaky faucet. Each plop of water into the tub sent a tiny wave across the surface until it lapped at my broad chest. One small action with consequences that reached much farther than where it initially took place.

That was the theme of this entire fucking war.

The moment that group of Angels attacked me and my soldiers a decade ago, it caused a ripple that had been expanding across Keleti ever since. While they felt justified in their ambush of me, they couldn’t have foreseen how it would spiral into the full-blown conflict that saw both Angels and Demons dying by the thousands. With our long lifespans, we didn’t reproduce at the rate the Shifters, Fae, and Mages on the other continents did, though the past few centuries had seen an uptick in that thanks to the propaganda campaign Xannirin and Kiira had woven once we took power.

And with my new plan, it wouldn’t be long until the Angels were subservient or exterminated completely. Koron Stadiel and Korona Iaoth might think they had the upper hand at the moment, but this fresh wave of recruits would turn the tide and lead us all the way to Sivy, the capital of the Angel Realm.

Satisfaction curled through me at the thought of the hundreds of thousands of broken, feathered wings that would line my path through the gates of the gleaming city in the Eső Forest. We’d been so fucking close before they captured Banand and forced him to create a deadly plague. By the following summer, Xannirin would straddle both thrones. I had every bit of confidence in my abilities.

A knock sounded on my outer door, and Grem and Zeec’s barks echoed all the way to the bathing chamber. “For fucks sake,” I cursed under my breath. “Quiet!” I ordered my hounds, and their sounds ceased immediately. Then, once I was certain the would-be caller was listening intently, I yelled, “Go away.”

“Your Glory,” a male said, though his words after that fell on deaf ears. I couldn’t care less what he had to say, and I was enjoying my bath. How dare he disturb my peace.

I ought to storm out there and show him what happens when you interrupt the Halálhívó.

Fury filling my veins, I did just that, not caring that I dripped water the entire way or that I would present myself to the male fully nude. Nothing about my body necessitated hiding, and my dick was enough to intimidate anyone—male or female. Grem and Zeec both stood at attention, eyes trained on the door when I reached the main chamber. In three strides I had it flung open.

“What?” I growled.

The male shrank back as I towered over him, his attention momentarily pulled lower before shooting back up to my face. “Your Glory, I am merely here to offer my service to the army. My father said–”

“And who is your father?” I snarled, mentally preparing to add another name to the list of nobles that needed a thorough army punishment that included a flail.

“Teko Sarafok, cousin to Kormánzó Ammon–” he stuttered.

“I know who he is.” I took a menacing step forward, causing him to stumble back. “Tell him that should he dare interrupt my bath again, I will see him flogged in the palace square for all the nobility to see.”

The youngling blanched, nodding furiously.

I bent ever so slightly at the waist, bringing my face closer to his. “Now run.”

He wasted no time racing down the hall and around the corner, out of sight.

Satisfied that I would not be disturbed again, I shut and locked the door, then returned to my bathing room. This time, I grabbed soaps from the counter before entering the bath, wasting no more time in cleaning myself.

Intimidating others got my blood running in the most delicious way, and I needed something wet to sink my cock into to satisfy me. Thankfully, Xannirin already had plans for us that evening, so the entertainment would be coming to me. It had been too long since I’d had a good fuck, since we did not allow females into the war camp to keep the males focused on the task at hand. My last rotation out had been months ago, and it wasn’t for nearly long enough. I had a few weeks now to make up for lost time.

Once I was thoroughly clean, I lifted the plug and exited the bath. Grem and Zeec had migrated from their cushions in the main area to the foot of my massive bed, and they picked their heads up in tandem as I entered the sleeping chamber.

“You’re not supposed to be there, and you know it,” I scolded them. Their tails merely thumped against the mattress.

“Just this once,” I told them, going to the head of the bed and pulling back the blankets. We all knew that it was not just this once. Once I’d settled back on the pillows, I groaned, letting the plush feathers envelop me. I was fucking tired of the rock-hard mattress in my tent. By the way Grem and Zeec flopped over, they were too.

A seed of guilt took root in my stomach as I lay there, appreciating the luxury of Gyor Palace. I should have been at the front, using my Giver-blessed magic to fight off the Angels. Yet I was so exhausted from months away that sleep claimed me faster than it had in a long, long time.

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7

Smoke filled my nostrils as the delicate pine needles finally caught. Another strike of rock on steel sprayed another shower of sparks over them, and then a small fire burst to life. The logs above them crackled as the heat enveloped them. “Vagach,” Jaku called, and I straightened, dusting my hands off in three efficient swipes.

“Yes, Százados?” I asked, turning to face him. We’d stopped earlier than normal, and the sun blinded me for a moment as it flitted through the sparse trees.

“Great work with the wagons. I think it’s time to give you soldiers to command. You’re a natural. Though I suppose that comes with being a Kormánzó,” he shrugged, slicking a hand over his short-cropped hair.

“I was born to be a leader,” I replied, glancing around the plains at the villagers and seasoned soldiers busying themselves with the various chores that came with a war camp.

“Zurronar’s charges were divided up among Dromak, Uzadaan, and Izgath, so it only makes sense to bring them back together under your command,” Jaku mused, absently tracing the tip of the scar on his forehead.

Zurronar must have been Izgath’s brother.

A lump formed in my throat, burning all the way up to my eyes at the reminder of loved ones lost to the plague. I smothered the grief fighting to break free as Jaku continued. “We’ll begin formal training tonight since we made good time the last few days. I’ll have them separate out then so you can get to know them individually. You can choose a few of your villagers as well.”

I remained silent, struggling to decide what Vagach would have said.

“Have you ever wielded a sword?” Jaku asked, jerking his head in the direction of the supply wagon, filled with bronze blades, whips, and various other weaponry that clinked when the wheels rolled over a rock in the road.

“Never,” I admitted freely, trying not to stare at the scar that decorated his face. While it gave him a ruggedly handsome look, the fact that he possessed one told me how close he’d come to dying.

At least I don’t have to pretend that I know, because what’s one more thing to add to the list of shit I have no idea how to address?

“Mmm,” he mused, shifting his weight. “Well, Dromak will have to assist you with drills for those under your command then. For now, follow along with whatever the other Vezető do.”

Offering Jaku a salute, I said, “Yes, sir.”

He merely nodded and tucked his hands behind his back before striding away. Dromak looked up from the central fire when Jaku approached. Uzadaan rounded the flames and flicked his attention in my direction after our Százados spoke to both of them. I dipped my chin in acknowledgement before joining the two Vezető in the middle of the camp.