Текст книги "Horns of Wicked Ebony"
Автор книги: Lacey Lehotzky
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 43 страниц)
He released me, and we reset. This time, I executed the counter with more grace, though I lost my grip on Rokath’s arm when I focused on how I was moving my feet. Five more repetitions passed before I managed to string together every part successfully.
“Yes!” I celebrated with both my arms thrown over my head. They smacked against my sides after I dropped them. “Can we be done now? I think I might pass out from the heat otherwise.”
Rapp chuckled and stood, dusting off his pants. Grem and Zeec rose too, shaking out their fur.
“We’ll resume this tomorrow. Along with more Angelic lessons. These next few days are crucial to readying you for the mission at hand,” Rokath pronounced.
He was relentless, but I needed to rest. Though I appreciated how much he cared about me. I hadn’t had anyone like that since before my marriage to Vagach. Even then, my father had sold me to him anyway, knowing what type of male he was. At least my mother had put up some protest.
“I need to study the Angels more too,” I said, trying to recall all their features.
Would creating their form be easier or harder than creating a Demon one?
Their coloring was vastly different from ours, with hair in shades of white and eyes in shades of blue, and that was what I worried about getting right the most. I didn’t want to fail during my first real opportunity to prove myself worthy to these soldiers who were angry about females joining the army.
Rokath jerked me into his hold and captured my waist. “I am proud of you, Assyria. Not many females would so readily volunteer for such a dangerous mission. Even if I wish you’d remain behind and safe in the camp.”
“I know,” I replied, resting my chin on his chest. “But you’ll train me harder than anyone else and ensure I am fully prepared.”
“That I will,” he said, knuckles brushing over my cheekbone. He stepped away, then tore his attention to Rapp. “Shall we dine with the soldiers again tonight?”
“I think it would be wise,” Rapp replied, tossing Rokath’s shirt back to him. Rather than put it on, he tucked it in the waistband of his pants.
“Let’s go,” he said, and I fell into step between the two powerful leaders, Grem and Zeec bringing up our rear. Salutes greeted us around every turn until we reached one of the largest food tents. The males all jumped to their feet and hurried out greetings to their Hadvezér and the Halálhívó before returning to their food.
None acknowledged me. Rokath didn’t point it out either.
Teeth clenched, I stalked through the tables and found us an empty one while the two fetched our meal. Eyes bored into me, but I brushed them off, so used to them at this point. Grem and Zeec situated themselves under my feet, and when Rapp returned, he dipped beneath the wood and shoved two bowls of water at them. From under his arm, he pulled a now-full waterskin and handed it to me. I drank a few gulps to quench my thirst.
Rokath carried a tray piled with food and set it in front of me. He and Rapp slid into seats along the bench, and then we divided up the gruel. At least out of the Paks Desert, more options were available to us. Though none of it looked particularly appetizing. It couldn’t be worse than the slop I struggled to eat one handed while we traversed the deep canyon.
After taking a tentative bite, my stomach smashed any further protest I might have had, and I shoveled food into my mouth like it was the day we finally found the camp again. Rokath and Rapp spoke quietly, their forks moving at a slow pace between their plates and their teeth. The soldiers around us quickly forgot about our presence, and by the time I finished eating, I wanted nothing more than to wash and sleep.
Forget sex. I wanted to lie in bed for an entirely different reason. Each movement was met with protest as I rose from the table. Rapp offered to clean up so Rokath could escort me back to our tent. I bid my friend a goodnight and then followed my mate out of the light and into the dark.
At least now that the sun had disappeared, a cool breeze swept over us.
As we neared our abode, Rokath’s hand brushed against mine. I linked my fingers with his, subtly peeking up at him through my lashes. The black around us had nothing on the energy radiating off of him.
I welcomed it. Sank into it like it was a cool stream waiting to sweep me away. Because Rokath had taught me one important lesson, even more essential than fighting.
Safety was for the naive.
To survive in this world, I needed power. I’d been shattered by my abusive husband, wounded by the Angels who captured me. I knew what it was to choke on silence, to be dismissed, disregarded, and disbelieved.
Never again.
Zaph and the others had no idea the Imposter they helped create. And when I wore those females’ faces, I’d savor the knowledge that I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and they had no idea I was among them.
I would smile as I slaughtered them all.
OceanofPDF.com
7
Ifled the sun as I ducked into my tent, a bundle hidden behind my back. My mate lounged in the late afternoon heat, the hounds snoozing on either side of her. She sat up as the flaps whispered closed behind me and offered me a soft smile.
“Did you get some sleep?” I asked her, pausing at the foot of the bed.
She stretched her arms overhead and yawned. “A little.” Then, she glanced at the clock. “Will they be arriving soon?”
The Angels were coming to meet that evening, Zahal Ishim included. Which was why I’d made a quick trip to the clothier after our earlier combat lessons. The black leather armor weighed heavy in my hands as I revealed it. I’d debated about seeing the blacksmith, but metal plates would only slow her down when I needed her to be agile.
Besides me, no one else in the army wore black. The officers donned red metal armor that matched the color of their eyes, while most of the soldiers wore tanned leather uniforms. Other bits of red metal appeared here and there, depending on the weapon of choice. Some bracers protected arms of those who preferred a closer combat style, while helmets and neck guards wrapped around the heads of the archers who took to the skies with Rapp.
Assyria’s almond-shaped burgundy eyes danced with excitement. She knew as well as I did the symbolism of my gift. Out here, there were no exquisite jewels, and I’d never be able to offer her a crown.
That wasn’t what Assyria wanted from me.
“Thank you,” she breathed, accepting the clothes. She ran her lithe fingers over the smooth fabric before setting the pile gently on our bed. Gripping the bottom of her tunic with both hands, she tore it overhead, revealing the band around her breasts. My cock jumped to attention at the sight.
Calm down, now is not the time.
Rather than linger on my lustful thoughts, I focused on strapping into my own gear. By the time I grabbed my ebony horned helmet, Assyria was fully dressed and in the process of plaiting her long, dark hair. The thick rope of braid nearly reached the bottom of her ribs once she tied it off. She flicked it over her shoulder and lifted her chin. “Ready.”
Down the bond, however, her nervousness speared straight into me. All of the highest ranking officers in the Angel army would be in attendance, along with a few others—Zaph included.
His presence was entirely intentional on the Zahal’s part.
For me, not wringing his neck on sight would be a victory on its own; for Assyria, not faltering under the memory of what he had done to her, to us, would be her challenge.
I stepped forward and lifted her chin even higher with the tips of my fingers. “You are mine, Assyria. I will always protect you.” Then, I crashed my lips against hers, letting my kiss convey everything I would do for her. I tossed my helmet onto the bed and then flattened my palms on her lower back, bringing her body flush with mine.
Her mouth opened for me immediately, and I swept my tongue against hers, tasting rich berries while the scent of roses flooded my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, intoxicated by it and by her. A whimper slipped out of her as I squeezed her firm ass and rolled my hips into hers.
Then, I nipped her tongue and leaned back. A flush decorated her cheeks, and her bow-shaped lips were cherry-red. “We’ll continue that later,” I growled, bringing a hand up to her throat and brushing my thumb across the underside of her jaw.
“Let’s,” she rasped, swallowing. I watched her throat bob. Perhaps I’d have to have my dick in there too.
I reached past her for my mask. It slipped over my head like a second skin, and Assyria plunged her teeth into her bottom lip as she looked up at me. “Do I scare you, little imposter?”
“Didn’t you once tell me you’d make it a point to do so?” she grinned, cocking her head to the side.
The memory of our first conversation burst into my mind. I’d been so fucking furious then—remained that way for weeks—and I had wanted to scare her into submission. Control was something I did not surrender, not for anyone. Yet Assyria had gained victory after victory with her persistence and her fire.
“Perhaps I need to reinstate that promise,” I growled.
Her pupils darkened. “It’s much more attractive when you frighten other people. Especially on my behalf.”
A sinister laugh rumbled in my chest. “Is that what you want from me tonight, Assyria? You want me to terrorize the Angels enough that they piss themselves?”
Her lips curved into a feral grin. “Please.”
A groan slipped out of me unbidden. “I do like when you beg.”
Lust flooded our bond, and all I could think about was bending her over this bed and fucking her senseless. Rapp saved me from the sin of Assyria’s temptation when he called out, “Are you two ready to go?”
Lungs filling with air, I counted to ten. Then I exhaled slowly, willing my cock to shrink. “Aye,” I grumbled, grabbing Assyria’s hand and leading her out of the tent. Grem and Zeec popped to their feet and trotted behind us.
Tension draped the air like a heavy fog, though the sky was crystal clear. The sun dug its way over the horizon, painting the camp in long shadows. Fires sparked into the sky, smoke sliced through by angry shouts.
Satisfaction curled through me as I strode forward.
The Angels were here.
Trol would ensure they awaited my arrival, another move carefully designed to show them just how at my mercy they were. Not that I had any to offer them. Especially after their treatment of my mate. The scars where the stakes had speared through my skin itched, and I smothered the urge to touch them. Assyria’s warm skin against mine soothed the ache there instead.
Rapp fell into step with us, and together, we marched upon the command center. The volume of the crowd grew louder as we approached, and the reverberation of beating chests and stomping feet crashed through the canvas separating us from the general army. Despite the unrest at the announcement of our new direction, the males had banded together in our time of need because we all faced a common enemy, one whose threat united us no matter what else wedged its way into our lives—the Angels. Their zealotry connected them just the same in their shared hatred of Demons and belief that they had to exterminate us from this world.
That was why this war had been so brutal and why I had to ensure the Demons emerged victorious.
We paused at the rear, listening for who might wait within. Trol’s gruff tone drifted through, speaking in the common tongue to who I assumed were the Angel’s representatives.
A melodic voice echoed back, also in the common tongue. “Where is the Halálhívó? We were supposed to meet with him.”
“He will arrive shortly,” Trol replied. I looked to Rapp, who merely dipped his chin. He eased open the flap and entered, silent as the snakes that slithered through the desert.
Assyria squeezed my hand, and I glanced down at her, finding a devious smile etched on her lips. We both knew we’d stand there a few minutes longer, testing the patience of the fanatics. I’d instructed her on exactly how she needed to act in front of them, and to my utter surprise, she’d taken the direction without too much of a fight.
The Angels grumbled amongst themselves in their tongue, muttering obscenities about the lawlessness and disrespect the Demons offered and why they shouldn’t have expected any different.
“Are you listening?” I asked Assyria through our mental connection. We’d practiced for hours over the past few days, and Assyria had put all her effort into learning. That she took this mission so seriously made me want to kiss her endlessly.
“Yes,” she replied. “One commented on Rapp’s piercings when he entered.”
“Very good,” I praised, my tone like a tumble of rocks into her mind.
Her tongue flicked out and wetted her lower lip.
Another minute passed, and then, I shifted my weight and rolled my shoulders. I’d waited long enough to prove my point. Releasing Assyria, I stepped forward and grasped the flap. “Search,” I barked at Grem and Zeec. Their tails wagged as they disappeared into the dim light. Assyria ducked under my arm a moment later, and I let the canvas smack closed behind me as we entered.
A cry of alarm rippled through the Angels as Grem and Zeec speared between them, taking long sniffs at their legs. Zeec stopped short in front of one and released a menacing growl. To my delight, it was Zaph. The insect flinched away as Zeec spun on his heel and trotted to his place on the left hand side of the throne of bones.
A low, menacing laugh rumbled in my chest as I strode into the room, a hand on Assyria’s lower back. All eyes ripped to me. I said nothing else as we stepped onto the dais. My mate’s expression was harder than the basalt pillars that held Gyor Palace together. Firmly locked on Zaph, she rounded the throne and stood on the right side of it, Grem at her feet. I turned my back on the Angels in a show of just how little threat they posed to me.
When I sank into the seat, I dug my fingers into the skulls at the edge of the arms, drawing their attention to their deceased brethren. A muscle feathered in the Zahal’s jaw, and his ice blue eyes were colder than the glaciers in the Skala Mountains. The leader of the Angel army was not an imposing figure; in fact, if I’d met him on the streets of Sivy, I’d have assumed he belonged to the merchant class at best. While he was tall, he was also lithe, with little by way of muscle to intimidate his adversaries. I could easily wrap my fist around his ribs and splinter him from the inside out.
I’d done nearly that to the female he cared for at the beginning of the war. Her skull was one of those at the front as an extra fuck you to him. The two of us had met here numerous times, and every time, his revulsion at what I had done was undisguised. As was his utter fury. “Zahal Ishim, my apologies for keeping you waiting.”
He scoffed, lips curling into a sneer. “We both know you were late on purpose, Halálhívó.” He spit out my title like it was a bitter potion. To him, to his Koron and Korona, my power was the ultimate demonstration of why the Demons were little more than animals and too impure to live in this world alongside them. To reanimate the dead was unholy, and to utilize my power on the battlefield, the greatest sin.
Yet they feared it all the same.
And somehow, his power of the Hive, to control the minds of the still-living and wield them as extensions of himself on the battlefield, was the holiest of gifts from their Goddess.
I reclined in the chair, exuding bored disinterest. “I waited long enough while your Padisa slaughtered my soldiers.” I didn’t deign to give Zaph my attention. He was unworthy of it.
The Zahal had the nerve to crack a grin. “Ah yes, that particular Padisa is now a Myrza for his successful endeavor to undercut your army.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Flies buzzed to garner attention, yet they still only feasted on the decay left behind by others. Just like them, Zaph was no real killer. He hadn’t even raised his blade during the whole ordeal. “As you can see, my mate and I survived. An oversight, perhaps, on the Myrza’s part. Or perhaps he told you we perished alongside the rest before you offered him the title.” I offered a dismissive flick of my hand in his direction, like I was shooing him away. “But what’s done is done. And because of his actions, yet again, our retaliation will be twice as brutal as your paltry tricks could ever be.”
Something flashed across Zahal Ishim’s face as I reminded him precisely how the war had begun. How the inept Angel had dared ambush my battalion and decimate us then. He hadn’t realized that the Halálhívó stood among them, and by the time I’d wielded the dead to my advantage, it had been too late for him. Then, only Zaph had remained alive to carry a message to Ishim. The H I carved into his forehead served as a constant reminder to all those who dared forget my might.
Clearly, they needed another lesson.
I crossed an ankle over a knee and leaned into my elbow, digging pointedly into another Angel skull. “I’ll offer you a chance to retreat, if you want to live.”
Fury contorted Ishim’s features. “The ones who should retreat are you, Demon beasts.” He spit at my feet, and both my loyal hounds snarled, hackles raised.
Assyria didn’t flinch, merely continued to lift her chin and look down her nose at the handful of Angels standing before her. How I wanted them to bow at her feet, to beg for her forgiveness for what they had done.
Soon.
A dark, sinister growl rumbled in my chest. “Tread carefully, Ishim. I will not even allow your saliva to be close to my mate.”
“Then perhaps we will have to take her again. Only this time, she will not live,” he hissed, nearly vibrating with rage.
It was nothing compared to my own at his threat. Blood pounded in my ears and I clenched my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. My hands twitched of their own accord, like they wanted to snap out and wrap around the Zahal’s neck.
His words were kindling to the fire I’d been stoking since before their arrival.
The Angels’ haughty, superior attitudes made them easy to anger. A trick I exploited to my advantage numerous times. “I’d like to see you try,” I taunted, keeping the fury inside me caged.
Beside me, Assyria stiffened. Before panic overtook her mind, I continued. “Should you dare again, I will personally rip your bones from within your body while you’re still alive. In fact,” I finally turned my attention to Zaph, “I think that’s what I’ll do to you anyway, Myrza. After I tear off your wings and offer them to my mate.”
Lust flooded our bond, and I flared my nostrils to suck in a steadying breath. Thank fuck the horned ebony helmet covered most of my face. I loved that Assyria was so aroused by my violence, especially for her. Because now that I’d admitted she was perfection incarnate, I wanted nothing more than to show her just how far I’d go to prove my love for her, my devotion to her, how I would protect her.
Because now this war held more meaning to me than ever before. Not only was I saving all the Demons from death, I was also saving my little imposter.
Zaph lunged forward, only to be stopped by a square smack to the chest by Ishim. The sound reverberated around the small, packed space. A grin bloomed on my face at the display—not that any of them could see it beneath my helmet.
I’d thoroughly rattled them in a few short sentences.
“You have something of ours, Halálhívó,” Ishim ground out, shooting a ‘calm the fuck down’ look to Zaph.
I’d wondered if he’d bring up the three captured females. “And what is that?” I asked, unwilling to admit anything.
“Three females. We saw you haul them away,” he snapped, finally removing his arm from Zaph’s body.
“Aye, we did. That was the first step of our retaliation. They’re all dead now after I allowed my soldiers a go at them. After all, they’ve been fighting for a long time and we don’t have any females here to keep them company.” All lies, but they didn’t know that.
Ishim’s face turned a harsh shade of scarlet. Rapp coughed, and I flicked my attention to him just in time to see him cover his mouth with his hand, hiding a grin.
“Your mate is here. They could have used her cunt,” he hissed, eyes narrowing on Assyria.
The sliver of glass that caged my temper shattered. In an instant, I was on my feet, black shadows billowing from my frame. The Angels at the rear of their party had the good sense to backstep. Rapp and Trol lunged for my arms a moment before I tried to swing them at Ishim and yanked me backward.
“Rokath, stop!” Assyria shouted down our mental connection.
I blinked, chest heaving, at her. Her burgundy eyes were fierce and fiery as she stared me down. “Don’t lose your advantage now.”
She was right, and her words dulled the edge of my rage. Shrugging off my Hadvezér, I cracked my neck and flexed my fingers before facing Ishim again. The fucker wore the smuggest of grins. I wanted to wipe it off his face. It was only a matter of time before his and Zaph’s heads swung from my hands as I walked the streets of Sivy, as Kiira had seen all those years ago.
I draped a protective arm over Assyria, who squared her shoulders and did not cower under the Angel’s insinuations as we faced them again. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Ishim?”
The Zahal’s smile widened, his ice blue eyes flashing with victory. “Not at this time. But I know where to find you, should I require your attention again.” He dropped every word with his focus on Assyria. The threat in his tone was as clear as the color of his eyes. I wanted to gouge them out of his skull.
“Then leave,” I growled, leveling an equal insinuation of violence in his direction. “We’ll meet on the battlefield soon enough.”
“With pleasure,” he spit out. Switching to Angelic, he told his companions to keep their eyes open for any sign of the females as they exited the camp.
That was one of the reasons I suspected he accepted my invitation to come to the command center in the first place. Rapp and Trol knew as much, and they swept from their positions in the periphery to escort the Angels out of the camp. Neither Assyria or I moved until the last had exited through the map room.
Then, the shouts arose again, jeers and insults lobbed at the departing enemy.
This time, I wanted them unbound. These Angels needed reminding of who they faced, so the next time we clashed, we’d have beaten down their will and could shove them the fuck out of the Demon Realm.
Because one thing was certain: I would not fail again.
The next time we clashed, we wouldn’t merely break their lines.
We’d shatter their will.
And Assyria and I?
We’d become their fucking Gods.
OceanofPDF.com
