Page 123 of The Orc Outcast's Mate

She sighed, scrubbing her eyes and walking over to stand to the left of the doors so she could wait for Govek to come out. He’d be able to find her by her smell, she was sure. Hopefully, he wouldn’t go ballistic when he found out she’d left without him. Or maybe she hoped he would. They deserved it.

Miranda collapsed against the Great Rove Tree. Exhausted. They deserved it, but Govek didn’t. And lashing out would only cement their awful opinions about him.

He couldn’t defend himself. There was no one on his side.

No wonder he’d stayed silent.

The tears she’d been trying to hold back slid down her cheeks in icy tracks and dripped onto the cloak Govek had made for her.

Light burst to her left.

On a gasp, Miranda straightened up and looked into the now almost pitch-black woods. The sun had set, taking its beautiful colors with it.

But in the darkness of the forest there was a glow.

The soft light flickered between the trees, casting eerie shadows on the damp, icy ground. The leaves were colored oddly in the dim, a sea of deep maroon. Her stomach twisted.

And the light grew brighter. Shining from deep within the foliage.

It felt . . . familiar.

Miranda got to her feet. It was stupid. She shouldn’t go into the woods alone.

She shouldn’t.

But the light grew higher, and her curiosity overcame her sense of reason.

Govek would find her if she got into trouble. All she had to do was call him.

She drew away from the hall. Her hand slipped from the rough bark, leaving the grounding texture of the Great Rove Tree behind as she stepped onto the stone path. Wandering nearer to the light until she was as close as she could get while still staying within the light of the lamps illuminating the pathway.

At her feet, the warm yellow glow from the firelight mingled with the odd, bright white glow from the woods. They didn’t have lights this color on Faeda. All their illumination came from natural sources.

This light was crisp and white and breathtaking.

And oh, so familiar.

She stood on the precipice between the protection of the clan and the unknown of the woods. Grappling. Debating. Warring in her mind.

And then, on a deep breath, she stepped off the path into the white.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

GOVEK

Govek was surprised to find that within the dim room behind the platform there was yet another opening, one that led to spiraling stairs. His father began the climb without a word, holding up his luxurious robes so they wouldn’t catch under his feet.

Govek loped after him. The wooden stairs creaked under his weight and the walls brushed his shoulders.

It was a fair distance to travel, far up into the Rove Tree. Govek could feel the life within it thrumming with every step. He closed his eyes and used the magic within the tree to calm himself.

When he opened them again, he had reached the top and was breathless.

The room was large and circular, with a massive round table in the center. Twenty or more chairs surrounded it. High above the room was a thick canopy of mirror leaves, as Miranda liked to call them. They reflected the torchlight and illuminated the space, dappling the light on all the surfaces.

The surround was open to the air with a branch railing encircling the room. Govek moved to the edge, taking in the view.

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