Each male drew a dagger and cut deep into his palms, giving the stone their offering.

“To House Vrak, I pledge my sword. To the Kral, I pledge my eternal servitude.”

They repeated all my words back to me flawlessly.

“May the thread of your loyalty to me be woven into the tapestry of your life, unbreakable and enduring. May your gifts hold strong when I call upon you. May the Reaper’s eye pass over you that you may follow me into an age of domination on this continent.”

I let the words sink in, giving the crowd a quick scan. Then, I issued my command. “Rise and kiss the signet ring.”

One by one they did, whispering further pledges to me as they touched the sacred gem. After they settled back in their places, another group rushed forward, and we repeated the process. No male, female, or child was exempt. The ceremony lasted long into the night, and by the time everyone had finished, many swayed on their feet.

Yet I had one more order for them all. One that I hoped would satisfy Kiira and win her affections back to me.

“All fallen will be paid double for their services, and none will be held against their will any longer. They are free to live their lives as they were before, should they so choose. A missive will be sent across the realm in the morning, along with stories from the High Priestess. Read them all and imprint this new order onto your minds. I will not stand for anything less than utter compliance. Am I clear?”

“Yes, My Kral,” the voices affirmed, many bowing their heads in deference to me.

I didn’t deign to dismiss them as I strode from the room. The door slammed behind me, and my guard fell into step as we wound through the palace, back to my chambers.

The nobles knelt. Bled. Affirmed their allegiance. To me.

And soon…so would Kiira.

OceanofPDF.com

45

The Skala Mountains loomed nearer with every breath. When we’d passed through Lutsk, it wasn’t merely deserted. The earth had been churned by the boots of hundreds of thousands of feet. The city had been scrubbed from the map entirely, like the Angels had erased what was left of the crumbling walls during their retreat.

Behind Assyria and me, what remained of our survivors from Fured marched, growing more grim the higher the peaks speared into the sky. The battle we’d faced weeks prior was nothing compared to what was to come.

“Someone is approaching,” Assyria muttered, eyes narrowing on a speck of movement in the distance.

“Search,” I commanded the hounds, and they leaped into action. Like black blurs, they streaked across the earth, hunting whomever Assyria had spotted in the distance. We were closing in on the northernmost ridges of the range, where one of the largest outposts along the wall that divided the continent waited.

The very same one where I’d fucked up on my first mission as Vezető. Where I’d gotten most of our unit slaughtered. And for which my father and the Kral had punished us by forcing me to kill Thast. After speaking my truth to Assyria, the memory of him didn’t dig a knife between my ribs quite as violently as before. But the guilt, the same, still lingered.

“It wasn’t your fault, mate,” Assyria murmured into my mind, her voice a balm to the burning. I hadn’t realized I was projecting my thoughts down our bond. With a sigh, I unclenched my jaw and uncurled my fingers from around my stallion’s reins.

“It was, but I appreciate your reassurance.” Before she could argue further, Grem and Zeec let out a wild series of barks. We dug our heels into our horses’ sides, and they galloped forward. After cresting a rocky hill, we halted, surveying the scene below.

Two males were on their knees with my loyal beasts circling them. Their dark hair and red eyes loosened my chest immediately.

“Heel,” I commanded the dogs. They retreated to their place between our mounts.

“Halálhívó, Szélhámos,” Banand and Zurronar greeted us, rising to their feet. Once there, they offered us both a closed-fisted salute. Banand cleared his throat, then flattened his hands behind his lower back. “Hadvezér Trol is in the pass just ahead. With so many soldiers, it was impossible to bunk in Kohszak. He sent us to guide your way.”

I studied them intently, not saying anything. I waited for the flicker of magic, the hint that an Angel was creating an illusion. After all, the two of them had been in their custody for months. But when Zurronar shot Assyria a wink, I let my suspicions drop.

They were replaced by the desire to rip out his eye.

I shoved the urge into the dirt and finally acknowledged what Banand had said. “Take us there, and give me a report while we go.”

“Aye, Halálhívó,” he affirmed.

I glanced over my shoulder to see how far behind the rest were. Kiira and Rapp were nearly upon us, the first of the wagons not far behind. I was so fucking glad Rapp had been able to ride this entire time. The additional pium he’d been taking every day had done wonders.

“We’re going into the pass,” Assyria shouted for me. When she faced forward again, she dipped her chin.

We’d been working better and better as a team too since she started training to impersonate me. With our bond, we were able to anticipate each other’s movements. That had translated into orders too.

And I found myself savoring the support. To my utter surprise, not having to do everything on my own, having her to lean on, had done wonders for my overall attitude.

“Lead the way,” I told Banand and Zurronar, and they pivoted back toward the mountains. Grem and Zeec wandered off, checking the area, while the two former prisoners of war took their place between Assyria and me.

“Did you receive the raven in time for the attack?” Zurronar questioned, a hint of hope in his tone. I knew him well enough to know he cared deeply for the army. It was one of the reasons he’d been promoted time and time again.

As I regarded him from above, the night that irrevocably changed the course of my life—and this war—rose to the front of my mind. How I’d killed his brother for protecting my mate. Not that I had known. And still, he hadn’t been furious. He hadn’t cursed my name. Instead, he’d remained at the front, continued to fight for the Demon cause, when he had every right to leave.

He possessed an honor that I did not.

Assyria replied for me. “The day after actually. We were mid-torture of a Myrza when a messenger came. The Halálhívó was quite annoyed at the interruption.”

Zurronar snorted a laugh, but Banand’s brows pinched.

“How many did you lose?” Banand ventured like a dagger was pressed to his throat and the wrong number would send it plunging into his skin.

“Too many, but not enough to make a serious dent. We still have plenty of power,” I reassured him. The guilt he carried for his plague was etched into the lines of his face.

“Especially with the addition of the females,” Assyria added, knocking her leg into his shoulder. He glanced up at her and offered a tense smile.

“How has that been going?” Zurronar asked her next. “I see you now have a helmet of your own to match the Halálhívó’s.”

She beamed, and the pride in her expression made my heart ache. Seeing her this happy, so in her element…it was everything.

“After the initiation ritual, the males started to integrate them of their own accord. Now they work closely together, like equals,” she gushed. “I hope that they’ll keep it up once we reunite with everyone. We really do have some powerful magic among the female soldiers. They’ll be great assets to many units.”

“We will ensure they are welcomed,” Zurronar promised, but the way he shifted in his saddle gave me pause. I studied him further as Banand echoed his sentiment.