Page 123 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

“Oh, Miranda, here. Sit. Tell me what is wrong?”

Viravia brushed her off a bit and settled them both on the log at the edge of the cliff. The waterfall was painfully beautiful on this sunny day. Its blue water plummeting into the mist. The green pool forty feet below clustered with ripples and waves. The gray rocks jutting up were jagged and dangerous.

Just like her emotions.

“Oof,” Viravia said, eyes wide as she looked over the cliff. “This is awfully close to the edge.”

Miranda’s lips tugged into a little smile. “I like to live dangerously.”

“You certainly do.” Viravia rubbed her belly and finally pulled her eyes away from the drop that was less than two feet away. “The view is beautiful.”

“How did you even get up here? You can’t even get up your own stairs.”

Viravia flushed and looked away for a second. “I... may have been embellishing my weakened state a bit.”

“A bit?” Miranda shook her head. “Why?”

“Well... lots of reasons.” She looked back toward the tree line. “I... have a favorite spot up here. A grove of cherry trees just a short walk that way.” She gestured to the right. “I come up almost every day to think and to get away from Maythra’s incessant nit picking. I never got to thank you for getting her out of my hair.”

Miranda chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t mention it.”

Viravia smiled gently. “What has happened? What is wrong?”

Miranda finally calmed enough to get the words out. “Govek and I... fought. I said some horrible things.”

“I’m sure nothing unforgivable.”

“I told him we shouldn’t be mates.”

“Oh . . .” Viravia’s lips thinned, and she murmured. “That’s . . . why? What was this fight about?”

She exhaled out as much tension as she could. “About my reason for being here. I’m supposed to have the seer help me remember the parts of my past I’ve forgotten, but the seer... he told us today that it’s going to be dangerous, that he sensed death.”

“Death.” Viravia’s face paled.

Miranda nodded. “But I need to do it, Viravia. I can feel it all through my body. It’s the whole reason I was brought to Faeda to begin with and Govek does not get to just decide I shouldn’t because he’s scared.”

Viravia was quiet a moment, processing.

Miranda pushed up from the log and began to pace. “And if he was so against it, why the heck didn’t he say something? I’ve been working toward this the entire time we’ve been here. It’s nothing new, and he had plenty of time to stop me. Instead, he waits until now when we’re almost done and just blows up at me! How is that fair? Why does he get to choose? He doesn’t! This is my life.”

“You seem very determined,” Viravia said quietly. “Would you have listened if he’d brought it up?”

Miranda stopped her pacing.

“I won’t pretend that I know him like you do. Fades, I think you’ve spent twice as much time with him as I have total in the last three seasons. But the Govek I know is... quiet. He would gladly keep his thoughts to himself rather than cause strife.”

“But... I’m supposed to be his partner in this. His equal. And now it just feels like he wants to control me.”

“I know what that’s like,” Viravia said, lowering her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Was . . . Tavggol controlling?”

But Viravia didn’t answer. “I can understand why he’s scared, though. Evythiken brought up your death. That’s terrifying. I’m surprised you aren’t more hesitant after hearing something like that.”

“I just... I don’t think the seer meant my death.”

“Are you certain? Did you clarify with him?”

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