Page 26 of Horns of Wicked Ebony (Deathcaller Duet #2)

“I killed him,” Rokath stated plainly. I whipped my head to the side, finding a stoic expression plastered on his face.

“Though he died for a noble cause. I didn’t know that at the time, though.

He protected Assyria’s identity until his death.

For which I will be forever grateful. It is because of his honor that she ended up in my hands and not somewhere worse. ”

Tears pricked the backs of my nose and eyes.

Zurronar paled, his eyes closing briefly.

His inhale was slow, shaky. “You know, I spent months wondering if he’d been killed in the plague.

If he was alive and still fighting. The same with Onnaron.

” A muscle ticked in his jaw as he leveled a heavy, grief-filled gaze on Rokath.

“It’s honestly better that I have certainty now. The not knowing was eating me inside.”

“I’m so sorry,” I blurted out, because what else was there to say?

Banand also looked relieved.

One less life on his conscience .

Zurronar’s attention drifted to me, and I resisted the urge to squirm. Instead, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. He raked his maroon eyes over me as if judging me in an entirely new light. “My life for his life. Thank you, Szélhámos.”

My jaw slackened before I snapped it shut. I’d assumed he’d shout at me. Throw something. Curse my name. But thanking me ? That was not at all what I had imagined.

“Of course,” I stammered out, my voice not nearly as steady as I had intended.

Maroon and burgundy tangled for a heartbeat longer before he addressed his leader.

“Halálhívó, I served in your army long enough to know that your rules are strict and enforcement is carried out swiftly and without discrimination. While I am saddened by my brother’s loss, it is a comfort knowing he broke the rules for good reason. ”

He paused, attention flicking between the two of us. Rokath squeezed my thigh harder.

“She is your mate, and the Weaver has blessed you both. My sword has been, and always will be, yours to wield.” He bowed his head in deference, placing a hand over his heart for good measure.

I kept my composure when all I wanted to do was sag with relief.

Do all leaders have to deliver bad news like this?

“Aye, we do. This is the first of many tests you will face if you want to change our society. But I will always be by your side, helping you bloom,” Rokath spoke into my mind.

“Thank you,” I sent back, my annoyance with him reading my mind banished with his affirmation.

“Do either of you wish to return to Fured for a respite? You have more than earned it,” Trol said, straightening in his seat and reaching for a glass of water.

Zurronar shook his head with conviction.

Banand voiced his opinion. “We spent too long caged. I don’t know about Zur, but I am thirsty for some Angel blood.

Besides, my magic is far more useful here.

I know how to create sicknesses for the Angels now.

” The gauntness hadn’t disappeared from his face, but a few hearty meals and some sun would have him healthier soon.

Rokath released my leg and braced his elbows on the table. Leaning in, he stared Banand down. “We have three females here whenever you want to get started.”

Banand glanced at me, something unreadable in his expression. “Araquiel is one, is she not?”

I nodded. “She gave us the exact location of where you were being held.”

Rokath cocked his head to the side. “Was she one of your jailers?”

“Aye,” Banand replied a little too quickly. He looked away from us all like he was considering his next words.

“She was the only kind one,” Zurronar added, attention lingering on Banand for a moment before returning to us. “She was the only one who remembered to feed us regularly.”

Rokath dropped his hands and drummed his fingers on the table. His mind tumbled through a rapid series of thoughts, and I blocked him out before he gave me a fucking headache.

Besides, he didn’t see what truly was happening here. “When did your relationship turn into more?” I asked Banand.

He choked, whipping his head to me. “How did you know?”

“Males,” I muttered under my breath. Then, louder, I said, “The way you two spoke about one another. That she wanted me to pass a message onto you. The way you looked away from us.”

Four sets of eyes stared at me. I rolled my own. “Clearly there is more than one reason to have females in the army. None of you are nearly perceptive enough.”

Rokath snorted, but a tendril of pride slipped down our bond. Before he or Trol could question Banand further, one of the sentries stationed outside stuck his head in, holding a rolled up piece of parchment. “Message for you, Halálhívó.”

Rokath waved him in, and he knelt as he proffered it to the leader of the Demon army. I leaned closer, trying to glimpse the contents as he unrolled it. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he scanned the letter. Then, he snapped it shut again and faced the room.

“My mate is correct. Which is why we need to travel to Fured as soon as possible and retrieve all our new recruits. Thank you for your service and your perseverance. After the war, I will ensure you both are handsomely rewarded for your efforts. Until then, you are dismissed.”

“Yes, sir,” Banand and Zurronar said, rising to their feet.

I nudged him in the ribs, and he offered me a sideways look that said ‘we’ll talk later.’

Trol too rose, needing to attend to a few of the people in his battalions. The three fell into conversation as they returned to the camp beyond. As soon as the flaps closed behind them, Rokath let out a heavy sigh.

I wiggled in my chair until I faced him, waiting for him to speak.

“That was Xannirin and Kiira’s response to my previous letter,” he finally said, staring off into the distance, mind working in overdrive.

“And?”

“And they will both meet us in Fured with some females for the army.”

A grin split my face in two, but Rokath seemed less than enthused. My excitement quickly faded. “What’s wrong?”

At last, Rokath shook himself from his reverie and faced me.

Grabbing my hands, he tugged me into his lap.

He buried his nose in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

“You have no idea how much went into setting up society the way it is today, little imposter. While I am grateful you have shown me just how far off the path we strayed, I am still apprehensive to speak with my cousins. It will take time to undo what we spent centuries creating.”

I reached around and scratched the back of his neck. “It’s a good thing Demons live for millenia then.”

He picked his head up, showing me the depth of his emotion. “Only if we win this war.”

I swallowed hard. “You will. We will.”

“I am trying to believe that again,” he admitted quietly.

To see my strong, confident mate so shaken by what had occurred the last few weeks reached between my ribs and slashed into my tattered heart.

The one he was slowly healing with each action he took to right the wrongs of our society simply because I asked him to.

Because now he believed it was the right thing to do.

“Some time away will do you good too,” I murmured, rubbing the thick scruff on his jaw.

He nodded, then tilted his face into my palm and kissed it. “Just because you went on a mission yesterday doesn’t mean you can slack off on training today. It will take your mind off everything too.”

I slid from his lap as he stood. “Will it also take your mind off everything?” I arched a brow as I looked up at him.

He huffed. “Yes, it will help me too.”

I offered him a genuine smile. “Then I’m ready.”

He whistled at Grem and Zeec, and then the four of us wound our way through the camp, finding a training ring filled with males. This time, they didn’t look down their noses at me, or offer me disdain-filled glares. For the first time, whispers of Szélhámos reached my ears.

Was I really surprised after all the time spent among them? These males were worse gossips than the girls in my village had been while we were younglings.

Rokath handed me a dagger from his thigh, and when I faced him, I held it just like he’d shown me.

And then, we danced.