Abruptly, I asked, “Rath, what did you mean when you said the graveyard wasnearlyemptied?”
The room went quiet, waiting for Rath's answer.
“Some of the graves were undisturbed,” Rath said.
“Which ones?”
“I don't know, Ember. I was focused on you.”
“Well?” General Ranor looked at the investigation team. “Did any of you note which graves weren't open?”
Lord Jakel stepped forward and read some names from a little notebook.
As the names circled my mind, I tried to place what was different about them. They were different sexes, so that wasn't it. Not that it had even occurred to me as a possibility. They had all died long before I was born so I didn't know how old they were when they passed. Though I couldn't imagine age being a factor. Wait. Not age at death, but . . .
“Holy fuck!” I exclaimed.
Jakel stopped reciting the names and looked up.
“They're too old,” I said. “Those people all died long before I was born. There are probably just bones in their coffins. The Corrupter didn't take them because he couldn't make them rise.”
“Fuck,” several Wraith Lords said.
“That means he needs the bodies to be mobile,” Nex muttered. “Or at least mostly whole.”
“The army of the dead is looking more likely,” Rath said.
Before the Lords started shouting, Ranor said. “We don't know anything for sure yet. So we will calmly discuss how we can prepare for any possibility, including that of a corpse army. I'm ready to hear suggestions.”
Silence.
“Anyone?” The General looked around. “Fuck. Fine.” He started walking down the hall.
“Where are you going?” someone called to him.
“To speak with the Emperor. Hopefully, he will have more to say than you ruffians.”
Chapter Eleven
“What a day,” I muttered into my mulled wine.
Rath had gotten me the warmed, spiced drink after I'd started shivering again. It helped. Both the alcohol and the heat. But it couldn't stop the events of the day from playing on a loop in my mind. And I kept coming back to Jath.
It really burned my butt that out of all the shit that had happened, my head thought he was important.
If I hadn't met the Goddess, I'd think she had something to do with my fascination for the returned Wraith Lord. But after contemplating it as I searched the crimson depths of my wine, I realized it was simply human nature. I had been the focus of so many men—handsome, strong men—that I'd become a little expectant of the attention. I hated it, avoided it if I could, and yet, a part of me had adored it. As someone who had never experienced such determined flirtation, receiving it now felt damn good. It was a confidence boost even though I was happy with my lovers and didn't want to add another. It made me feel special.
I was not special to Jath.
So, of course, I wanted to be.
I glanced at the Makhan man. Jath didn't seem at all bothered by the day's events. Nor had he been a part of the group who went looking for me. He probably hoped I wouldn't be found. No, that was unfair. He had shown compassion for me earlier. He was glad I'd been found, just not in a personal way.
And that bothered me. It bothered me because . . . hold on. What if he wasn't into men? Why hadn't that occurred to me? Maybe because so many of the Wraith Lords were at least bi, if not gay. That had been shocking at first. In my village, there were only a handful of gay men. It actually helped to have so few. It meant that the men who desired other men had limited options, and I had been one of them. So, yes, I had lovers in the past, but only two, and they'd both been secret affairs. Not because they were ashamed of being gay, but because they were ashamed of being with me.
I had been an outcast, albeit of my own making. Or my family's rather. I had to keep to myself to protect my secret. But then I came to the Wraith Lord Citadel and met these incredible, magical men. Warriors who fought for Varr, protecting anyone who needed their help. And they did whatever the fuck they wanted in their time off. They were an honorable, brave, dedicated group who fought hard every day to maintain their abilities and battle the Corrupter. This meant they needed to decompress in just as powerful a way. In short, they drank, ate, played, and fucked as hard as they fought. And a lot of them liked to fuck other men.
Maybe it was because they were constantly in the company of men or maybe they'd all been born that way. I didn't know why the percentage of gay men was so high among the Lords, but I loved it. It made me feel even more comfortable in the citadel. And when my magic was revealed, most of those gay men had focused on me.
