had taken my clothes. My boots were still there, thankfully, lined up before the shelves. I got dressed and pulled them on, then strapped on my sword. When I stepped out of the bathing area, Kardri was waiting beside the meeting table, dressed and looking amazing.
“Could you have a cot brought in here for me?” I asked him.
“Tristan, you are my valorian,” he said firmly. “I will allow you time to come to terms with what's between us, but I won't allow you to sleep apart from me again.”
“Excuse me?” I gaped at him. “You're going to order me to sleep in your bed?”
“I won't ask for more than that,” Kardri growled as if he couldn't believe what he was saying. “But you will sleep beside me. I need . . .” He let out a long sigh.
“What?” I whispered, my anger inexplicably draining away.
Kardri's jaw clenched as he lifted his stare to mine. “Nothing. Just obey me in this. We're two grown men, we can share a bed without it hurting your delicate sensibilities.”
I grimaced. “Fine.” It was a large bed; I could sleep on one side and him the other.
Kardri's eyes widened. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” I glanced toward the tent flap. “I'd better go and check in with my general.” I started away.
Kardri caught my hand and a jolt of pleasure went through me. I jerked to a stop and stared down at his dark fingers, laced with mine. My skin went tight, just as it had the first time I'd held a girl's hand. I looked up at him, his face was closer than it was before. His lips were mere inches away and that rich scent of his wrapped around me like a lover.
“You're not human anymore, Tryst,” Kardri said softly. “You don't belong to your general, you belong to me.”
His words made my breath catch and my chest clench.
“What?”
“You're fae, that makes you my soldier, not his,” he clarified, a little smile playing over his lips. “What did you think I meant?”
“Nothing. Uh. But I should still let him know that I'm . . . uh, what's my position now?”
“Your position?” Kardri grinned wider. “It's right beneath me.”
“What?” I squeaked.
“As Valorian, you are right below me in rank.” He blinked innocently.
“Oh.”
“You will attend me. That is your new job.” He walked out, expecting me to follow.
I groaned, but I followed. Unfortunately, he didn't go far. That fucker went right next door to the campfire that was already roaring. Around us, the camp was alive with a celebration. I had no fucking clue what they were celebrating; we had suffered some serious losses, including several deaths, one of which had nearly been our warlord. They'd had a day off and now it was night, so maybe the soldiers were just happy that they'd have a full 24 hours of leave.
“What's the party for?” I asked one of the Leopard Lord's knights who was posted just outside the tent.
He frowned at me as if I were daft. “For you. They're celebrating you being made Valorian.”
“What? Really?”
“It's kind of a big deal,” the other guard, that guy with the stupid name, said dryly and smirked at me.
“And you're kind of a dick,” I shot back. “What was your name? Cocks? Cacks?”
The other guard chuckled.
“It's Trax,” the smart-ass snapped.
“Well, Trax, I outrank you now,” I declared. “So stop being a dick.”
“Tristan,” Kardri called for me.
“Your warlord wants you,” Trax said in a singsong tone.
“You're doing it again. That's insubordination,” I pointed out.
“I have no rank in the army,” Trax shot back. “I answer only to the Leopard Lord, so I can be as big a dick as I want.”
“It's like that, huh?” I looked him up and down. “All right, Sir Dick, you're on.”
I turned and headed toward the campfire, sighing in dread but doing it softly so Trax wouldn't hear. Sure enough, Kardri was in his usual seat, sprawled like a barbarian king, with a mug in one hand and a chicken leg in the other. Before him, beautiful men drank and danced and fawned over him.
“Seriously?” I waved at the half-naked men.
“If you don't want to take care of my needs, I'll find someone else to,” Kardri drawled. “As I said, there are many for me to choose from.”
The other men gaped at me as if they couldn't believe that anyone would refuse to fill any of Kardri's needs.
“I'm straight,” I said to their horrified looks.
They continued to stare as if they didn't know what that meant.