Rapp shifted his weight, his burgundy leather armor moving with his powerful body. Tall, stacked with lean muscle, and tattooed nearly as much as me, he was a formidable force in the air, leading all the winged divisions of our army. I’d never seen someone fire three arrows simultaneously and land them all between the eyes of three different targets, but it was a talent Rapp possessed by the cartful.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t like this.”

“Everything is fine, Rokath. Even if the civilians and nobles are restless, the Százados think the conscripts are more than ready to fight to the death against the Angels. That’s truly what matters,” Xannirin pointed out.

I grunted, flattening my hands on the table and studying the miniature figurines spread across the map. “I can’t argue with that.”

A wicked laugh slipped from Rapp, his smoky voice filling the room. “Dissent should be punished among the civilian population as it is among the army. Swiftly and without mercy.”

“And have my people turn on me in an instant? You’re mad, Rapp. We must walk a fine line between giving them something to believe in higher than themselves while maintaining their quality of life. So long as they are happy, they won’t pay attention to the nuances in our words and deeds,” Xannirin explained.

I slashed my gaze at him. “The conscripts will make people unhappy purely based on the loss of labor. That should be what Kiira addresses. Perhaps her priestesses can volunteer their time making up for that rather than forcing people on their knees to pray three times a day.”

Xannirin shrugged, boots smacking against the floor as he dropped his legs. “I want to enjoy a lovely summer afternoon on my balcony before the formal dinner this evening.”

Rapp and I groaned together. “I swear on the Reaper, Xannirin, if your coordinator placed me by Olrith–”

A twinkle appeared in my cousin’s eye as he stopped me. “He did not, but that does not guarantee she won’t approach you regardless.”

I snorted. He had a point. I hoped that after our encounter upon my entrance into Gyor Palace that she’d finally get the hint and stop pursuing me.

“Kiira has indicated that she will be in attendance, at least,” Xannirin added.

A band of tension in my chest eased. If something was wrong with our alliance, she certainly wouldn’t show up to a trivial dinner designed to smooth over relations with the noble houses. She understood the importance of quelling the discontent with them.

“We’ll see you later then,” I told him, jerking my head for Rapp to follow. His tongue flicked out to play with the bronze metal pierced through his lip as we entered the hall.

If Kiira were coming, at least then I could figure out if our alliance still held strong or if there were some underlying threat I needed to squash. I mulled over the reports as we strolled to the opposite end of the palace.

“Where are Grem and Zeec? I figured they’d be in attendance at the meeting,” Rapp asked.

“Does everyone like my dogs better than me?” I grumbled.

“You’re kind of an asshole, so yeah,” Rapp laughed, running a hand over his hair. He kept the dark mess long on the top and cropped close on the sides, though the snakes tattooed on either side of his head were only barely visible, unlike mine.

“And you’re insane,” I shot back, lifting a brow and regarding him.

A crazed grin spread across his face, matching the glint in his eye. “But that’s why we’re such a great pair, Rokath. You make people fear you from your temper. I make people fear me by being incredibly unpredictable.”

“You mean unhinged and erratic,” I replied.

“And you’re irrational when you’re pissed, grumpy when you’re not,” he laughed back.

“You’re starting to sound like Xannirin,” I grumbled, taking a sharp right down a servant’s hall. I’d have to deal with enough simpering nobles tonight, there was no point in putting myself in their way prior to that.

Sometimes, being the Fates’ gift to the Demons was exhausting. Between the pressure of their mandate to conquer all of Keleti and the attention that came with being so highly favored by our deities, sometimes I simply wanted to disappear for a while.

The burden was a heavy one to bear, and not one I could share with anyone.

Even Rapp.

Rapp predicted my move and remained right at my shoulder. Equal in height, but not in brawn, we did make a formidable, frightening pair to any who saw us together.

The serving female that squeaked when she picked her head up and discovered our approach was a prime example. The sound sent a wicked thrill humming through my veins. There was nothing I enjoyed more than people’s fear.

Grem and Zeec were snoozing on their respective beds when we entered my sitting chamber. Grem, at least, cracked an eye when the door clicked shut behind Rapp and me. With a yawn, he eased himself to standing, stretching forward and back and then shaking out his long fur. Zeec merely flopped on to his side, knowing from experience that Rapp would go to him and rub his belly.

“Utterly useless,” I mumbled as the dogs greeted my friend.

Zeec’s tail thumped against the plush bed as Rapp settled onto the floor, and Grem shoved up against him, using his snout to lift Rapp’s hand to his back. He laughed and tackled them both, eliciting a bark from Grem.

“Let’s take them outside, maybe I’ll let you throw their ropes for them,” I sighed, succumbing to the battle I was going to lose.

Rapp shot me a devious grin.

“You can get your own dogs you know,” I added, crossing my arms over my chest.

Pushing to his feet and shoving the wild beasts down, he said, “But annoying you by making them love me more is half the fun.”

“They don’t love you more,” I grumbled, finding the cabinets storing their favorite treats and toys. The moment they noticed the direction of my path, both were hot on my heels, barely giving me enough room to navigate the remaining distance. “See?”

“Psh,” Rapp laughed, “they know what comes out of there.”

Reaching for the rectangular bronze handle, I pulled open the long, narrow cabinet, a waft of stinky, dried meat blasting my nostrils. Grem and Zeec sat on their haunches immediately, licking their lips in anticipation of what was to come. By the time I turned around, strings of drool dripped to the thin rug beneath my feet. Grem shuffled himself as if to tell me that he was growing impatient waiting for his treat.

Throwing a go-fuck-yourself look at Rapp, I tossed one strip at Grem and the other at Zeec. Both launched themselves into the air and snatched the treats, munching quickly and swallowing audibly.

The two ropes my hounds adored flew in Rapp’s direction with more than enough force to ensure they reached him. When he caught them in mid-air, I said, “Good boy.”

“Did the great Halálhívó make a joke?” Rapp shot back, grinning as we made paths for the balcony door, the dogs trotting between us.

“Never,” I replied, tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

He snorted. “Guess there’s no hope you’ll change after all.”

“Why would I want to? I am the most powerful Demon in existence. I command hundreds of thousands. The Kral respects what I say. I have everything I need,” I replied coolly.

“Don’t forget you’re the most humble too,” Rapp teased. I rolled my eyes.

How this male remained my friend after all these centuries was beyond me. At first I’d tolerated him because of our proximity and power, and somewhere along the way he’d become one of the few people I trusted.

The summer heat greeted us as we exited Gyor Palace onto my private balcony. The stone splayed into the distance, unencumbered so Grem and Zeec could bound from one end to the other, showing off their prowess. Further down, though, a set of stairs waited, spiraling to the ground where plush grass and thick hedges sprawled over the remaining space on the palace grounds. Around us, a high wall held off any would-be intruders, if the deterrent of the rocky hillside wasn’t enough.