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“Nothing you should concern yourself with, Russy,” Liliana said, patting his chest and shouldering between him and Drazen with a swagger in her step.
I pressed my lips together to smother another giggle that threatened to bubble up.
“Did she just call me‘Russy’?” my mate asked, incredulous as he glanced over his shoulder at my best friend.
“That she did,” Drazen intoned, his eyes glued to her ass as she swayed her hips.
A roar tore through the air, halting Liliana in place. I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the sound and the clanging iron that accompanied it. The two of us caught the direction simultaneously and moved to follow it, shootingeach other curious looks. The males tracked closely behind as we closed in on whatever was angry enough to cause such a ruckus.
Surrounding the massive iron bars, a dozen soldiers shouted at one another, racing back and forth with raw meat and whips. Two massive white beasts paced back and forth in the cage, shaking the ground beneath their enormous white paws with their movements.
“Those are Fehérmedve,” Ruslan whispered in my ear. “The beasts are legendary for their aggression. They live high and deep in the Agrenak Mountains, and are notoriously difficult to find. Though if you do, you’re unlikely to live to tell the tale.”
Air fled my lungs as I watched them swipe at the soldiers, baring their teeth and standing on their hind legs before dropping back down. The massive bear-like creatures were as thirsty for blood as I was. “Are you planning on using them in battle?” I asked Ruslan.
A sinister laugh rumbled in his chest. “That is why I had the High Priestess summon them during Béke.”
Seeing these creatures charging toward them would be a shock for every Fae standing against us.
“Leave one with me on the battlefield. It’s the best protection you can give Izidora,” Zuriel said from beside me, nearly making me flinch with his sudden nearness. I hadn’t heard my cousin approach, which I supposed was his intent.
“Can you tame it?” I asked him, raising a doubtful brow.
“I have lived for over two thousand years. Beasts do not frighten me,” he stated, never tearing his attention from the Fehérmedve. “Have you tried riding them?”
“Ride them?” Ruslan laughed at the absurdity of his suggestion. But his ice blue eyes did not waver, and his lips did not twitch like he had tried to make a joke. “You’re serious.”
To prove his point, he strolled away from us and through the chaos of the soldiers trying to calm the beasts, flatteninga hand against the iron bar. The black eyes of the closest one narrowed on him, and it dropped to all fours, growling low as he approached the Angel. Zuriel didn’t flinch as the Fehérmedve swiped at him.
Whispers broke out among the onlookers waiting to see if the beast would eat the Angel. My heart thudded against my ribs as the certainty that Zuriel was about to die filled me. My cousin stood there, stoic and unmoving, like all reason had fled his brain.
But then, the Fehérmedve backed away, sitting on its haunches and blinking. Zuriel slipped between the massive bars, and my jaw dropped open at his boldness. The other Fehérmedve remained at the opposite end of the cage as Zuriel approached its companion. Sliding his hand through the white fur, hepettedthe beast before climbing atop its back and gripping the scruff at the peak of its shoulders to hold himself on.
The Fehérmedve rose to all fours and trundled along the edge of the cage, all the while allowing Zuriel to remain atop its back andride it.
“Tell me I’m not dreaming,” Drazen murmured, and I tore my gaze from the absolute madness in front of me to glance around. Dozens more had appeared to watch Zuriel ride the Fehérmedve, and more appeared by the second.
“Nope,” Liliana replied, studying the sight. “Zuriel is riding the Fehérmedve.”
My cousin dismounted, patted the creature’s hide, and easily shimmied through the bars and returned to our little group.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” I chastised him. He knew how much I liked animals, and I pretended to act extra affronted at his secret-keeping.
He shrugged with a wry grin. “You never asked.”
“What other useful information do you have in your two-thousand-year memory?” Drazen questioned, earning a half-smile from the Angel.
“There’s probably a lot, but you’ll have to be more specific if you want me to actually remember it.” Zuriel’s smile widened, clearly enjoying himself and his secrets.
A threatening rumble emanated from Ruslan’s chest. “If any otherusefulwar secrets come up during our discussions, please make them known, Zuriel.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgement, then swept a hand out in front of him. “Of course. I’ll follow you to the war tent.”
Ruslan rolled his eyes but strode off in that direction, bringing our entourage with him.
The tent was dark and cool, and I had to blink several times for my eyes to adjust. Our group fanned around the long table, gathering in factions that supported various aspects of our forces.
My mouth thinned when I saw the old Mage. I couldn’t deny his helpfulness in both saving my life and helping Ruslan and the other Félvér complete a full shift into their inherited forms. Yet, I didn’t trust him, and I didn’t plan on befriending him. It was best to keep him at arm’s length.
