Page 87 of The Orc Outcast's Miracle

“How many at once?” Roenia asked.

“It was ten per caretaker in the toddler rooms. Three per in the infant rooms,” Miranda said. “And then twelve to fourteen per when you got into groups of children over five.”

“You would take care of fourteen children on your own?” Aralie asked.

“That must have been madness.” Savili shook her head. “I couldn’t even fathom it.”

“I loved it,” Miranda said wistfully. Her throat closed up a bit, and she managed a breath. “Every second.”

Govek caught her tone and turned his attention to her. He gave her hand another squeeze.

“Second?” Roenia asked quietly, making Miranda’s chest tighten. Her confusion had Miranda realizing this could be the perfect opening. She could and should at least broach the topic of being from somewhere very far away now.

But she waited too long and Estoc, seeming to instantly read the tension, took a bite of his stew and loudly proclaimed. “Fucking fish again. Maybe we should have a hunting challenge instead. Govek, you’ve been in the clan for days. Why haven’t you been bringing us some actual meat?”

Tension fell over the table. The friendly nature turned a little awkward. The knowledge that Govek was the only hunter for this clan but still considered an outcast, and the animal torture allegations that had only just been disproved, hung heavily in the silence.

Miranda, determined to end the discomfort, spoke a little too quick and loud. “Govek’s been far too busy giving me his meat to go hunting.”

Savili choked on her stew.

The rest of the table was stunned into silence for a moment before breaking into laughter and exclamations, though none quite as loud as Govek.

“Woman, you will be the end of me.” Govek laughed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fuck.”

She grinned at him, satisfaction working to quell her embarrassment. Everyone at their table was back to smiling, though she noted that Aralie and Jehvlek were looking at Govek’s grin with shock.

It dawned on Miranda then that perhaps Aralie was nervous about being around Govek. Was that why she was clinging to Jehvlek? Judging from her clenched hands and wide eyes, Miranda suspected that was the case. She knew Govek’s reputation wouldn’t be changed in a single night.

But dang, she’d hoped it would.

She took a moment to glance around the room and found that, thankfully, no one else in the clan was looking at them. The stares that had been pressing when they’d first entered were absent now, and no one even glanced their way as their chatter continued.

And then her eyes found his.

The seer’s.

Her stomach clenched, and she almost looked away before she remembered he was blind. There was no way for him to see her staring at him.

He was seated at a table with Sythcol and a few other conjurers, judging by their black hands. He chatted with them casually, and Miranda wished she knew what about.

And then he bid them goodbye, rising from the table.

“Miranda.”

Govek’s clipped word brought her out of her stupor. “S-sorry. I got distracted.”

Govek’s expression was flat and unhappy as he looked between her and the seer, who was now busing his plate.

But what Govek thought didn’t matter. This was about her and the seer, the reason she survived Earth’s apocalypse, the reason she was brought to Faeda.

And she realized in that moment that even if the seer couldn’t tell her what she wanted to know about her babies, she was still bound to him in ways she couldn’t understand. The pull was still there. The drive to be near him. To touch his hand and force him to work out her secret.

Ready or not, it would happen soon.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

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