Tents spiraled out from the center until they reached the supply wagons, with enough space left between them for others to roll out blankets and rest their packs at the head. Leaving the two to deal with me, Jaku strode into his stately accommodation, passing Izgath along the way. The Incubus’s focus immediately shifted to me. A tendril of something snaked its way down my spine and settled in my low belly at the way his garnet eyes regarded me, even from afar. I still had not been able to figure out if it was curiosity, suspicion, or desire that emanated from him when we were in close proximity. He studied me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out, and despite my better judgment, I wanted him to succeed.

This draw to him was so strange.

Are all Incubi like him in this way?

Izgath rose and strode toward Uzadaan and Dromak, arriving at the same time as me. Dromak’s cherry eyes swept up and down Vagach’s form, assessing, yet in an entirely different way from Izgath. Out of the three, he was the broadest and most muscular. None of them had bellies engorged from too much food and fine wine. Self consciousness swept through me.

“You could stand to lose a few pounds between now and the front, Vagach,” Dromak chuckled, slapping me so hard on the shoulder I nearly pitched forward. “But don’t worry, we’ll get you in fighting shape before we have to do any actual fighting.”

The corner of Uzadaan’s mouth twitched up. Out of the three, he spoke the least, offering one word answers more often than not. His hair was neatly styled despite days on the road without bathing, and his ruby eyes were warm and inviting despite his reserved nature.

Izgath rolled his eyes. “Don’t turn Vagach into another of your sycophants, packing on so much muscle you become too bulky to move.”

“I can crush an Angel’s skull with one swing of my hammer,” Dromak grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

Uzadaan nearly startled me when he spoke. “Don’t forget about the time you were surrounded and I had to save you. Your strength didn’t help you then.”

Izgath tipped his head back and laughed. “Oh, yes, we can never let you live that down. You were so preoccupied with that Angel female that three males snuck up behind you, prepared to slice you into ribbons.”

Dromak’s mouth popped open like a fish. “She was an Illusionist!”

Izgath grinned from ear to ear. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“I swear, if she hadn’t shown me an illusion of that one fallen female from Osijek, I would have killed her and the males too,” he protested again.

“Aye, sure you would,” Izgath teased, amusement keeping that grin plastered on his face. Even Uzadaan smiled wider, flashing those sharpened teeth, as they both enjoyed the flustered, floundering Dromak.

“For what it’s worth, Dromak, if an Angel had shown me such an illusion, I would have been distracted too,” I added because that’s exactly the type of disgusting thing Vagach would have said.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed, throwing both hands overhead. “These two don’t understand what it’s like. Uzadaan’s mate is waiting for him back home, while Izgath is just sex on two legs.”

Izgath’s smile dropped and he rolled his eyes for a second time. “It’s okay to admit you want me, Dromak.”

“Wait, that’s not what I meant,” Dromak protested again. Both Izgath and Uzadaan fell into laughter, clutching their sides as Dromak offered a barrage of defenses on his behalf. A chuckle escaped me too as they threaded me into their banter.

Once the two agitators had regained their breath, a red-faced Dromak grumbled, “Let’s get these new recruits whipped into shape before I pummel your faces.”

“I know something else Dromak wants pummeled,” Izgath laughed, elbowing Uzadaan in the ribs and causing another bout of laughter.

“I hate you both,” Dromak groused, stomping away from us.

Uzadaan wiped tears from his eyes, while Izgath exhaled the last of his amusement. “He brings it on himself. It’s too hard to pass up. Come on, let’s catch up with him so his feelings don’t stay hurt too long.”

“So what’s the training plan tonight, Dromak?” I asked when we’d all reunited.

“The basics. Running, squatting, push ups. Thankfully, Stryi is a farming region, so many of the recruits are already strong. It’s more about taking what they’ve already got and channeling it into fighting an opponent. Outside of a few, we should be able to start with weapons pretty quickly,” Dromak explained.

He didn’t have to say it for me to know I was in that group. I’d have to be mindful of changing Vagach’s form accordingly.

Uzadaan and Izgath split off from Dromak and me, whistling to garner attention and shouting instructions to head to the field outside the camp. Soon, we had a stream of followers, and after slipping through the gaps between the wooden wagons, they gathered in disjointed groups, waiting for their next instruction.

Jaku did not join us, and after craning my neck, I realized many of the more seasoned warriors had remained behind to carry out various camp tasks.

Dromak tore my attention back to the group when he cleared his throat and raised his voice to speak. “You are all a bunch of lazy donkeys. What kind of formation is this? Some of you know better.”

The ones with leather plastered to their torsos and legs straightened, lifting their chins and puffing their chests in an attempt to atone for their mistakes.

“You,” Izgath pointed to one such male toward the front, “show your new brothers how it is done.”

Everyone’s attention turned to a crimson-eyed Demon I’d seen hanging around Uzadaan several times. He took several long strides forward, then faced the group. First, he raised the back of his fist to his forehead and saluted them. Then, he spread his legs hip-distance apart and folded his hands behind his lower back, lifting his chin and focusing his gaze straight ahead.

“Good, now the rest of you form neat lines and repeat what Morrt did,” Dromak commanded. Morrt settled himself at the head of one of the lines, and I watched in fascination as over one thousand males managed to arrange themselves like rowers in a boat.

Dromak, Izgath, and Uzadaan stepped forward, each tucking their hands behind their backs. I mimicked, studying them while they studied the soldiers. If I was going to lead these males, I was going to do it the right way. Most females weren’t allowed leadership positions outside of being a priestess, and whatever skills I could pick up while I was with the squad would help me wherever I ended up next. Whether they were surviving on the road or merely asserting my thoughts and opinions with confidence, even something miniscule could make a difference in my freedom and survival.

“If you belonged to Zurronar, step out of line and gather over there. Kormánzó Vagach will be your new Vezető.” He swept his hand to the right, where a clear space among the grasses waited for us.

My eyes slid to Izgath, gauging his reaction to the mention of his brother. His expression was stoic, though one muscle twitched in his cheek. He was more composed than I would have been in the same situation. “I’ll take good care of them,” I said under my breath. He simply dipped his chin.

About eighty males stepped out of line. Dromak continued to speak to the new recruits while I strolled away with Uzadaan and Izgath to greet my new soldiers. Nerves settled in my belly with each push of my boot into the soft earth.

Who am I to command these males?

What am I even doing here?

When we came to a stop in front of the males, I shoved the self-doubt away and straightened my spine. Acting like a frightened child would only lead to my true identity being discovered, and I would not let that happen. Uzadaan raised a brow at me, then looked at the group as if he were trying to tell me I should speak to them.