Page 53 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

“No... I like her too much to do that. And it sounds like we’re gonna have her as a companion whether we flee to the mists or not. I’d rather not make her upset.”

Fuck. In this one promise, he’d ruined the happy plan of keeping Miranda all to himself in the abandoned Rove Woods.

“I’m sure we can get her to join Oakwall,” Govek said. “And I’ll keep you here. All to myself.”

Miranda laughed—a sweet sound that flooded him, drenched him, pulled him down into contentment. “You’ll have to share a little with my babies once we find them and bring them here too,” Miranda insisted. His throat tightened at the solid conviction in her face. The unwavering determination that these children of hers really were alive here on Faeda somewhere.

They could be. He had no reason to believe they weren’t.

And yet . . .

“She... didn’t mention someone who could find them for us. Do you think she forgot?”

“After all that has occurred? It’s likely.”

Miranda hummed in thought. “Let’s remind her after the judgment tomorrow. It’s not like we can do much right this second anyway, since the seer still won’t talk to me. But after we win tomorrow, he will. I know he will.”

His whole body went rigid, and Miranda stroked his hair, clearly noticing.

“It’s going to be all right. We’re going to win. We will find my babies. And then, we’ll live happily ever after. I know it.”

He looked up into Miranda’s solid determination. Her strength drew him in and amazed him. This woman who was so certain in her conviction.

Even as his own instincts clamored with fear.

“You’re not going to lose.” Miranda gave him another squeeze. “We’re ready.”

He took a deep breath and nodded, wishing he believed her.

Chapter

Fourteen

MIRANDA

The hall was absolute chaos.

The voices of the orcs as they exchanged their good mornings, found places to sit, and visited were almost a roar by the time the breakfast had finished being served. It seemed like everyone who hadn’t wanted to eat here was now showing up. The door was propped open at this point.

And Miranda was so impatient she wanted to gnaw her fingers off.

Instead, she busied herself by going through her little bag of evidence. She reread her note and tried not to stare at Maythra, Rogeth, and Wolvc, who were seated in chairs just as hard and uncomfortable as her own on the opposite side of Ergoth’s platform. Maythra’s glare was hot enough to burn her to cinders, but Rogeth was constantly fidgeting. He squirmed around and tried to look anywhere but at her.

Wolvc, however, almost appeared resigned. His jaw was bandaged in white linen. His eyes were a little cloudy, like he was drugged. He twitched a few times as if pained, and Miranda wondered just how bad his injury was. Once or twice, Miranda managed to catch his eye and furrow her brow at him, and each time, he simply regarded her with a dejected look she was dying to decipher.

Would he tell the truth?

A light brush to her hair caught her attention, and she leaned into Govek slightly, letting his warmth and comfort soothe her frazzled nerves. He’d chosen the chair between her and the clan, blocking her from view for the most part. Didn’t stop people from staring, or from trying to crane their necks around Govek’s bulky frame to see her, but it was better than nothing.

“You doing okay, tough guy?” They’d been sitting here for a while now. Long enough that her butt was going numb. Govek was already so tense, and the chair seemed too small for him. It forced his knees to bunch up. He kept extending them out for a few seconds to stretch. She stroked her hand down his leg, meaning to be soothing, but the fire in his eyes made her stomach flip.

“I’m well, Miranda,” Govek said softly. “Just as I was a few moments ago.”

“I wouldn’t keep asking if you stopped lying,” she grumbled, and he scowled at her. “We’re ready. I’ve got all my evidence, and I know all the proceedings.”

Though she kinda wished her plan wasn’t quite so... argumentative.

There was no way around it. They’d been set up to fail, and she intended to level the playing field.

---