THE FIRST TIME I AWOKE my head was throbbing uncontrollably.
I stirred long enough to realize I was tied down in the back of a wagon. I could do nothing but shiver against the cold wind. The pain in my head was so intense that I barely stayed conscious for a minute before I was out again.
This time when I wake, I am in chains in a cell. A bowl of stew is placed next to me with a moldy piece of bread. I’d rather starve than eat that. My feet are bare but thankfully my clothes remain in place and I don’t feel touched in any way. Sending up thanks to the gods, I press a hand to my face, it’s tender, a bruise already forming.
I pull my knees up to my chest and shiver in the cold cell. It’s quiet save for a small trickling sound of water. I almost doze off again when I hear the sound of loud footsteps approaching. I tense as two male orcs appear in front of my cell.
Kicking out my feet, I try my best to fight them but they over power me. They unsnap the shackles at my wrists and grip my arms tightly as they drag me out of my cell. They talk in orcish. Both Mornga and Bazur have been teaching me so I can just pick up parts of what they’re saying.
“Vorgak is mad she arrived almost frozen,” the one with a chipped tusk says. “He wants to be the one to kill her.”
The other one nods and says something too quickly for me to make out. They drag me through the hallway, my naked feet catching on the raised stone of the floor. Torches light up the hallway, the energy here is awful and oppressive. It reeks of death.
We push through a set of wooden doors and then I’m thrown down in the middle of the throne room. Sconces and torches illuminate the space, while long tapered candles drip wax onto the floor. Vorgak sits on his throne of bones, draped in his armor. His clawed hand rests on the skull with the circlet on its head and my stomach turns as I realize whose skull that this.
Bazur’s father. The one who wanted peace for his people. A rage like I’ve never known flares to life inside of me. I’m going to kill him, I’ll find a way. Vorgak must register it on my face, his smirk deepening.
“I’m glad to see you made it through the journey,” he growls, licking over his tusks. “That will make this next part so much more fun.”
“Fuck you!” I spit at him.
He chuckles at my outburst. I need to find a weapon, something to fight him with. It’s clear he doesn’t see me as a threat since he’s left me unshackled. I’ll make sure he regrets it.
“I never trusted you. Didn’t trust your bastard of a king either,” he says.
I need to keep him talking so I can figure out a plan of attack.
“Then why not just send me back as soon as I got here? Why not have me killed that first day?” I ask, my eyes scanning around the room. Vorgak laughs again, his tusks twisting into a frightening smile.
“The way Bazur was looking at you made me realize you would prove more useful the longer you remained in his company. I’ve seen males become entranced by pussy, it makes them sloppy, weak.” His grin is all teeth as he flashes it at me. “And that’s exactly what you did to Bazur. Now I have his mate.”
My stomach sinks and my hands begin to shake. No, I won’t let fear control me. I survived before and I will survive again. Bazur is coming, I know he is. I just have to wait for him. I need to keep Vorgak distracted long enough for my mate to reach me.
“How did you learn I was his mate?”
“You think anything happens in that village I don’t know about? I let Bazur keep it, for now, because he’s deadly on the battlefield. Killing his own supporters who back his claim? No better way to make sure he remains in his place.” Vorgak lifts a hand, motioning to the orcs around him. “I have spies watch over it. It was fascinating to learn that not only are you Bazur’s mate, but your brother has been living in that village as a soldier all this time.”
“You’re horrible,” I say.
“Maybe, but I’m at least an orc of my word.” His grin grows even wider. “Do you remember what I said if I found out you were here for any other reason beyond what was in your king’s letter?”
Bile rises up in my throat.
“Sending Bazur your head will take the fight right out of him. Just like it did his mother.” My hands begin to shake and my stomach flips.
“It will surely quell whatever uprising he’s been planning,” Vorgak says.
A shocked gasp leaves my lips, but Vorgak only shakes his head.
“Come now, you really think I didn’t know about that?” Vorgak motions for an orc behind him to come forward. My stomach sinks even further as I take in those heinous features before me. “You remember Mazgark, don’t you? He was very angry Bazur took you away from him.”
Mazgark’s gaze travels down my body and my spine locks. Unsheathing the sword from his hip, he approaches me with it extended. This is it. I didn’t stall long enough, Bazur didn’t have enough time to reach me. The thought of him finding my body makes my chest tighten. I’ve come all this way, met all of these people, found love…just to meet the same fate as my parents.
I love you, Bazur, I say to our bond and I hope he hears me. Mazgark places the blade at my throat and I close my eyes and brace myself. The blade pulls back from my skin and—
The blow never comes. Instead, I hear a grunt then a clattering sound as the sword falls to the stone floor. I peek open my eyes and see Mazgark is still standing in front of me.
Only this time he has an arrow protruding from his skull.
Chaos erupts. Vorgak shouts and slides on his helmet. His special armor glimmers in the firelight. More arrows come raining down, each one hitting their mark and delivering killing blows to Vorgak’s guards. My mind is spinning trying to take in what I’m seeing.
The door to the throne room flies open and…he’s there. Bazur is leading the charge, his eyes wild as they land on me. His eyes focus on the bruise forming on my face and he lets out a roar. My heart beats in my chest and I rise on shaking legs to go towards him.
He came for me. I knew he would, I love him, I love him, I—
The cold press of steel against my neck has my movements stopping. Vorgak’s chest comes to rest against my back as he presses the blade along my throat. Bazur’s eyes darken even further as he takes in the scene. His muscles bunch and his fingers wrap around the hilt of his own sword.
“One move from you and I cleave her head from her shoulders.”
An arrow whizzes by and is deflected off of Vorgak’s armor with a snap.
“I cannot be killed while wearing this,” he chuckles. Bazur’s eyes find mine and he nods slowly. I follow his eyes as they move above my head. I dip my chin in the briefest of acknowledgements.
“Anything can be killed,” Bazur growls. Vorgak’s eyes lock with my mate’s and I use the distraction to subtly move away from his sword. I lean my head off of his chest, creating a small opening where his heart is.
Enough of an opening for Karth to fire a green-tipped arrow right into Vorgak’s chest from the tunnel above.
There is a sizzling sound as the arrow pierces through the metal and embeds itself in his breast. Vorgak’s grip loosens and I push away running towards Bazur who’s already halfway to me. Bazur holds my arms and surveys the damage. With a curse, he turns to the king, on his knees with an arrow sticking out of his chest.
Bazur rips off Vorgak’s helmet and brandishes his own sword. Vorgak begins to breathe heavily, beseeching Bazur to be merciful.
“This is for my father and my mother,” he spits down at him. “But most of all this is for hurting my mate.”
With one clean, powerful strike Vorgak’s head is removed from his shoulders. Blood sprays as it tumbles away, Vorgak’s eyes open and unseeing. Bazur’s own sword falls to the ground as he turns to look at me.
His arms engulf me as we sink onto the cold stone floor. Our knees press into the unforgiving ground but I don’t care. I sob quietly into his chest as his hands run over my back, my arms, my head. I pull back to peer into his face and he growls softly, touching my bruised face.
“I wish I could kill him again,” Bazur murmurs but I only shake my head. “Are you alright?”
“You saved me, I knew you would.” His arms wrap tighter around me.
“You’re safe with me, I’ll kill anyone who threatens that.” Our mouths meet and I pour everything into our kiss. The fear, the pain, all of it until my soul is wiped clean and there is only us. Kneeling on the floor of Dread’s Keep, with Vorgak’s blood cooling on the stones next to us, Bazur becomes king. We hold each other while the world around us changes.
