It was a delicate balance, following Dae through the surprisingly large camp looking completely uninterested while holding all sorts of interest. From what I’d seen already, there were hundreds of people. Some tended to their washing, just like back at Rahana, but the majority we passed worked with weaponry—very muchunlikeRahana. Whether whittling sticks into spears or sharpening blades or assembling arrows, it became apparent this wasn’t a regular camp. These were battle preparations.
Obviously anyone bearing creaturistic traits in Windguard was put to death, so it was a bit of a shock to see magically morphed beings in The Order’s camp. Though, considering Taja’s reign seemingly ended at the fall line, I shouldn’t be surprised.
We passed a man with both antlers and scales. One dude even had a really long lizard tongue that tasted the air, and his bottom half looked like a deer. I nearly stumbled when I saw a blend of ogre and human traits. “Reputation only matters when there are others around to know it.”The ogre had said with sadness.
These odd combinations were definitely a result of crossing magics. Which meant even the ogres experienced loss at the hands of The Order of Darkness. No creature was safe from these masochists.
My intel was growing, but I had a feeling this wouldn’t be enough to appease Taja. The corrupt king already thought magic wielders were freaks of nature, this information wouldn’t alarm him the way it should. He wanted to know what The Order was planning.
Eventually, we cleared the litany of tents and campfires, crossing into a section of forest left undisturbed save for the well-worn dirt path. The trees opened up to reveal a little lake, perhaps the same size as the quarry. A few others stood on the other end, nude but obscured by a few tree branches, farthest away from the main walking path.
“I’ll go first,” Dae said.
I crossed my arms and cocked my hip to the side. “How very gentlemanly of you. I—” I almost choked on my teasing words when he lifted his shirt and turned, revealing a torso sculpted by the gods themselves. I clenched my jaw, just for reassurance that it wasn’t hanging open.
His amused smile pulled to one side before he tossed his shirt to the ground. “Once I finish, I’ll shift and you can use me as a privacy wall. That, or you can go first and stand there sopping wet while waiting for me to finish?”
The others bathing had a sliver of privacy, but I could still accurately see the size and shape of their… “Okay, you have a point.”
Dae took the metal bucket and dipped it into the lake before stepping behind a thick tree trunk between us. I was acutely aware when his foot kicked off his pants and how exposed he was back there.
Desperate to redirect my thoughts, I asked, “Why aren’t you just jumping in the lake?”
“This is our main water source. We take what we need and don’t add anything to it. Imagine drinking water that everyone had their soap in. Or dirty genitals.”
Even though I could hear the upturn of his lips, I nearly gagged. “Fair point.”
Dull sunlight occasionally peeked from behind the blanket of gray clouds, catching the serene, glass-like surface of the water before me. “Wait, is thisthelake?” I whispered, stepping closer to the tree.
Dae leaned to one side, catching my stare. “Thatis the type of question you shouldn’t be asking out loud.” It was hard to pay attention to his chastising tone when his dark, wet hair fell just above his exposed shoulders, and his defined arm flexed as he lathered the soap. He ducked behind the tree again and my senses returned to a clear state.
Right. Extra caution had to be taken in case someone was to overhear. A quick survey let me know we were still isolated since no one was coming up the path and the other bathers were far enough away that they couldn’t hear our conversation.
A single bird flew overhead, the reflection swimming across the lake. Based on its shape and speed, it wasn’t Braxius. My heart solidified in my chest. I hoped that little creature stayed out of sight.
Muffled sounds of the bucket and trickling water came to a stop, and suddenly a giant orange and black cat prowled from behind.
“Your turn. Fill the bucket from the lake, but keep the soap separate from the water. And no, this isn’t the Black Pool. I won’t bring you anywhere near that thing.”
Having access to his mind softened all the features that should be terrifying. The ones that would make a normal person leave a wet trail behind them. Paws that were bigger than my head, claws that could cut right through me, fangs that could take my head off with one vicious snap.
Lethal, but I could see the beauty, the majesty. His fur looked like silken waves above his rolling shoulders. There was grace in his strides. Golden eyes. My hand twitched with a building urge to reach out and stroke him.
But that would be stroking Dae, the man I’d just ogled. I blinked myself from the thoughts that’d swallowed me.
Picking up the bucket, I made a show to swing it casually as I walked to the water’s edge and filled it. My knuckles whitened from the grip I had around the thin, curved metal handle. Two hands were apparently required to carry it to avoid spilling over the sides. I set it down beside the tree where Dae had left the bar of soap and his folded towel.
Folded… “You didn’t dry off?”
“Didn’t need to.”Then that insufferable tiger shook, pelting me with rivulets. I shielded what I could with my arm, ducking my face behind it.
“Hey! Was that necessary?!”My glare shot daggers.
“Well now I’m dry. You still need to wash, and this way you’ll have a clean towel.”Could tigers give a cocky smirk? Because I thought that’s what I saw.
I narrowed my eyes. “Now it’s your turn to turn around.”
He didn’t hesitate, creating a barricade with his body, but kept his head past the tree where he could monitor the path. Leaving me with total privacy.
