Page 17 of The Orc's Oath

"Err, yeah. What?"

"Ask her to check on my letter. She'll know which one."

The guard seemed baffled but wandered off to find someone to pass the message on. I lay back and waited for the minotaur to wake up. I couldn't wait to laugh with him about our fight. Dropping me on my head! I'd be ready for that move next time. A deep belly laugh tore out of me. What a fun scrap. I wondered if he'd fancy a rematch one day.

Chapter 12

Serena

"He did WHAT?"

I felt faint. Zesh was in the medical wing. And it was entirely my fault.

"Take me to his cell immediately."

I knew what he meant by letter. He'd tucked Bloodletter away somewhere safe before getting into the fight. Which meant it had been premeditated. He'd done this on purpose, and I knew it was to prove himself to me. Nausea roiled in my stomach. As we walked, I took deep breaths. He was okay. But the thought he could have been hurt was like a thorn, digging away at me. Was this what it was to love an orc? Worrying about them? Could I do that all the time?

I looked around his cell and stopped, realizing what word I had used. Love. I loved him. I did. It wasn't just lust, or accepting the inevitability that he was my mate. I could have lost him, and it would have destroyed me. The love I felt was so deep I almost couldn't breathe for a moment.

"You alright?"

The guard was staring at me. My face was wet. I'd barely even noticed the tears falling. I wiped my eyes and stood up straight. Perhaps I did need to let my emotions out more, but not now.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

I don't think he believed me, but he didn't say anything else. This was going to look ridiculous to him, but I began to make chirruping sounds. I avoided looking at his face. After a few moments the blue and orange bird whipped into the cell and landed on my shoulder. Bloodletter immediately preened my hair.

"Right, let's go then."

"Where did that bird come from?"

"An egg, I imagine."

I walked out of the cell and the guard clearly decided it wasn't worth asking again. I got some strange looks wandering around the prison with a bird snuggled into my hair. But I decided the only way to deal with it was to be brazen about it. I went straight down to the medical wing and walked right into Billy.

"Where is Zesh?"

"Who?"

"The orc, Billy. The prisoners have names, you know."

Billy narrowed his eyes at me, but they widened again when he noticed Bloodletter.

"There's a bird…"

"Yes, yes. Where is Zesh?"

I was getting snappy now as all my feelings threatened to explode out of me. And for once I would not hide it.

"In the side room. Cerys shouted at him so they moved him in case he kicked off. Wouldn't want that beast hurting her too."

"He would never hurt Cerys!"

The words flew out of me like an attack. I turned and marched to the side room as Billy stared at me, shocked. I threw the door open and came face to face with Zesh lying on the bed, purple bruises all over his torso, a bandage on his head. It was too much. The door closed behind me as Billy left. I held myself together just long enough to be sure he was out of earshot.

"What the royal fuck are you playing at?"

It came out in a shriek. I don't think I'd ever been so furious.

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