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A few of them didn’t get the chance to fall back. One hordesmen hacked two in the back as they tried to retreat.

In the aftermath, another hordesman laughed sinisterly with blood dripping from his face and his hair drenched with carnage. One mercenary who was unfortunate enough to have injured his leg, tried to drag himself back across enemy lines. The sinister hordesman caught him just before he reached his group and, from the back, buried a long blade through his heart, finishing him off. The whole group of mercenaries took several steps back.

“Thugor, stand down,” Khol commanded.

The sinister hordesman turned around, fingers still wrapped tightly around his ax. “Ma, kunwe wra. She ngowis ma aw. Mi ali pas hordei mimpu kuykersom pusiri la rirajke.” He howled out in laughter. His teeth were even coated in blood. “She ngowis ma aw, kunwe wra.”

My translation told me that he said, ‘More, my King. Let me kill more. He brings poor puppet soldiers to fight a horde. Let me kill more, my King.’

“Thugor, nyet,” Khol warned, shaking his head.

After Thugor stepped back with the other hordesmen, Khol turned his attention to his brother. “You’ve come to get that one?” He pointed to Zorfov.

“Let him go, brother,” Ghid said. “He was only following orders.”

“Following orders or not, he must die for touching what is mine. He killed innocent citizens here and threatens to kill even more. Ask your queen why she is so hell-bent on eliminating those that aren’t like her and those that don’t like her.”

“The queen—”

“She will fall,” Khol declared. “And so will this one.” He pointed at Zorfov. “I will kill him. Before next moon, he will be dead.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret, my brother,” Ghid offered.

“You always say that. I wonder about your intentions.”

“We were supposed to stick together,” Ghid challenged.

“I could say the same too, but your balls are being pinched by the talons of a witch.”

Ghid thrusted his chin outward. “Not pinched, my brother. I have fucked a queen.”

“Then you’re done with her. Let me help you be rid of her,” Khol urged.

“That wasn’t the plan,” Ghid insisted.

Khol shook his head. “Careful, brother. Extract her claws from your back now before it is too late for me to help you. You’ve let her fool you. Wrara lari!” She’s the enemy.

“She is not the enemy. She’s a solid future for you and I which you failed to see,” Ghid replied. “You have failed to see it for you are too busy with a human who was meant to be taken as a slave.”

“Call her a slave again, brother, and I just might tie you to the trunk next to that coward. Let it be known that I have claimed Visla as my mate. My future is with Visla.”

Ghid’s gaze shifted over to the hut where I stood in the doorway. “Very well, then. You’ve chosen your fate.”

“And have you chosen yours? You will follow her? You will denounce your brother for an imposter?” I felt the hurt in Khol’s voice. He appeared to be keeping it together in front of is warriors and every spectator standing around, but I knew that he was worried about Ghid and was hurt by his actions at the same time.

Ghid looked at the ground and then back up at Khol. “Sanjit is now the interim queen. She claimed the land lawfully. You were AWOL for nearly a week before she took the capitol. It is the law. King Oderas is on his way here, presumably to discuss matters as it relates to Sanjit’s queenship over the Isles and most recently, over Dretis. There was some problem he had to deal with while traveling here and he may not reach the colony before next moon. Under the queen’s orders, you are not to execute Zorfov. He has been promoted within the queen’s ranks to commander, and for whatever crimes you hold against him, he must be judged by the queen or king of kings before such executions can be carried out. To this end, she orders his release and she orders your presence at once to discuss…politics.”

“Politics?”Khol spat.

Ghid nodded. “Yes, brother. Politics.”

“I do not discuss politics with insane, unhinged wenches with dumb puppets at her disposable,” Khol told him.

Khol turned without another word, leaving his brother perplexed. Instead of acknowledging Ghid right away, Khol further gave instructions to the men standing guard not to release Zorfov under any circumstances.

“Khol!” Ghid shouted. “My brother, what say you? What say you to the queen?” Ghid demanded.

Khol finally turned his attention to Ghid. “You can tell the bitch to go fuck herself. You may also tell her that she’s cordially invited to the execution of this coward. I take no orders from an imposter. To demonstrate, I will kill him in her presence. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my mate has waited patiently for my return. You tell that imposter to enjoy the role of puppet leader now. I will come for my crown on my terms and on my time and if she is still there when I do, well…there’s a tree just like that one behind me with her name on it in Dretis. If she fucks with me, I will invade her Isle, raid and ravage, and then leave it like a used whore.”

In his native tongue, Khol gave Thugor permission to kill every last one of them in any manner that he chose if they didn’t leave at once.

Thugor grinned widely and pulled out his bloody axe. Ghid and his mercenaries vacated the area and Khol finally came inside and closed the door.

He sighed and studied me for a moment. “Visla, I never wanted to put you in danger. I—”

I closed the distance between us, sliding my hand up his chest and gliding my fingers around his neck and cupping his head, letting my fingers entangled with his long blue strands. “Sssh. Enough about danger. I am here because I want to be. I’m not afraid to be. I have waited patiently for your return, that is true.”

Before I could get another word out, he took my lips in a demanding kiss. My body molded to his. I didn’t care that he was splattered with the blood of his victims—our enemies.

“I’ve never seen you fight before like that,” I said, lifting my chin allowing him easy access to run his tongue against the column of my throat. He kissed me softly against my jugular and I became putty within his embrace. “I should’ve admitted before, but seeing you like this turns me on.”

He growled deeply against the pulsing veins behind the sensitive skin of my neck. “I’ve missed this. I’ve miss you like this.”

“Then what are you waiting for. Take me, Horde King. I want to be claimed over and over again.”