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 Vezető 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.