Our tent had been cold the past few nights, I’d give her that. “All the more reason to be close to one another if they didn’t.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Your dick pressed against my ass?”

“I’d like it to be more than pressed against it.”

“If you two are quite finished, I’d actually like to sleep,” Rapp interrupted us.

I shot him a glare. “Fine. Go,” I groused, sweeping my hand out.

He wasted no time bursting through the far door, Kiira right behind him. The latent heat of the guard tower clung to me, but the stark cold outside slapped it off the moment we stepped outside. Calling on our black, membranous wings, we leaped off the edge of the wall and metered our descent to the camp below. With a thud, we landed in front of our tents.

“Goodnight,” Assyria bid Kiira and Rapp, tugging on my arm and leading me into our space before I could say anything to either of them.

“Eager tonight, are we?” I rumbled, gripping her waist.

“Tired,” she replied, unfastening her fur jacket. I tied the flaps closed behind us, noting the bag of rocks at the foot of the bed. Hovering a hand over them, I found them still warm. Assyria stripped to nothing but her underclothes. She held out her hand. “I need a shirt.”

“You know where to find them,” I told her as I began unbuckling my armor.

“So I can take whichever one I want?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Grumbling about her under my breath, I fetched her one that hadn’t been washed yet and tossed it her way. She shimmied it over her head, the hem kissing the tops of her knees. Then, she climbed into bed and huddled under the blankets.

The last of my armor secured, I stripped out of my sweaty fighting clothes and rinsed the blood from my hands. By the time I crawled into bed beside her, Assyria’s eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and even. With a sigh, I kissed her forehead, then blew out the candle on the bedside table.

Curling around her, I buried my nose in her hair. Yet as exhausted as I was, I couldn’t sleep. My mind raced over a thousand outcomes.

Through them all, one word remained. Repeated like it was the only word a raven could caw.

Sacrifice.

OceanofPDF.com

52

The next outpost coiled into the mountainside like a snake ready to strike. Wooden buildings hugged the slope, with the premier seemingly carved from the stone itself. High turrets jutted into the air, providing a view to the wall.

My heart twisted at the sight because it meant one thing: Kiira and Rapp would leave us. The High Priestess and I rode beside each other, a few paces behind Rokath and his Hadvezér. Grem and Zeec barked and bounded forward, icy flakes clinging to their long fur as they buried themselves in the snow. More sprayed as they leaped and bounded through it, snapping at the air.

Kiira and I shared a laugh at their antics. At least someone was happy to be here.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” I told her, sorrow sliding between my ribs.

Kiira swayed in her saddle for a moment before responding. “Me too. But we’ll be reunited soon.” Somehow, she didn’t sound convinced.

Worry twisted my gut. “Your vision says so.”

She nodded, eyes still trained ahead as if she were searching for something. “Nothing has changed. I haven’t seen anything else since then, so it is still set in stone. Of course, if I have a new one, I’ll let you know immediately.”

Rokath and Rapp steered their horses downhill, and we followed, leaning back and letting our horses pick their footing. The hounds were nowhere to be found, but a trail in the thick power told me which way they’d gone.

“I still can’t believe so many mates were waiting for each other,” I commented once we straightened out again.

“Truly a blessing from the Fates. Much like your bond. The populace craves more of the two of you, according to Xannirin’s latest raven. I’ll have to write about your latest exploits before we go.”

Heat scorched my cheeks. As much as I’d become the face of this revolution to the army, something about millions of others knowing so much about my life felt foreign, like a splinter wedged beneath my skin.

“The whole army seems to believe in it now too.” My attention drifted behind me. The Deathveiled rode closest to us, and Zurronar shot me a wink. Banand was in the prisoner’s wagon some distance back. The two were basically inseparable, which was understandable given everything they’d endured together.

It mirrored what Kiira and I had forged in Fured, which made the coming goodbye ache like a broken bone.

The clouds parted overhead, making the snow on the trees glitter. More powder slid off the roof of the buildings as a group of males emerged. Rapp and Rokath were nearly to the center of the outpost already. The soldiers fell to one knee and rested their foreheads on their arms in veneration.

“Halálhívó, we’ve prepared space for you and the rest of those joining us. The second accommodation downhill is also in working order,” the leader explained. I noted his rank as Vezető, though he wore red armor instead of the typical leather—one of Xannirin’s guards.

So it was true, the Kral had sent the aid he promised.

“At ease, soldiers,” Rokath rumbled. He and Rapp slid from their horses, and the guards rose.

Kiira and I came to a stop behind them. With easy grace, we dismounted. Another male approached, taking our reins and leading our horses away.

“If you’d like, I can give you a tour. We’ve spent a few weeks renovating it, since it wasn’t in the best shape when we arrived,” the Vezető explained.

“Lead the way,” Rokath instructed with a sweep of his hand.

As we stepped inside, I glanced over my shoulder, finding the wagons and soldiers spilling into the valley. Harnessed horses dragged massive tree limbs through the snow, clearing space for supplies and tents. The Parancsok leaped into action, directing the movement like puppeteers.

“How long has it been since you were here, Halálhívó?” the male asked as we stamped our boots on a mat in the center of what appeared to be a weapons storeroom.

“Decades,” he replied.

Much like where we’d stayed near Kohszak, the majority of the building was rows of bunks stacked three high and communal washrooms. The changes, he noted, were that each floor was now designated by sex rather than by unit. The first level was for the females, and the bathing chamber had been cleaned so thoroughly it gleamed as sunlight spilled over the stone. “We built additional chamber pots here for privacy.”

Kiira and I shared a look. Whether it was this Vezető’s idea or Xannirin’s, it mattered not. The females were being shown they mattered.

“That was very thoughtful. We thank you,” Kiira praised, her tone all warm honey. The male blushed and averted his gaze. I resisted the urge to snort. She had that effect on people.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your accommodations.”

Up three flights of stairs, we found ourselves on a floor with several rooms hugging each wall. They all had doors that closed and locked. At the end was a meeting space, complete with map, albeit a worn and disused one, and a small planning table.

“The dining hall has been moved to the first floor, adjacent to the weapons storage, where there’s more room to host everyone,” he finished.

“Ensure lunch is served soon,” Rokath instructed, tugging on the tips of his gloves as he surveyed the space.

“Yes, sir,” he replied, scurrying away and leaving the four of us alone.

“So this is home now?” I asked, striding toward the windows. The view was striking, with the valley spreading out below. The second building, I noted, was some distance away. Groups were already striding in and out of it, unloading the wagons. Banand and Zurronar were helping the group of captive Angels from one of them.