Page 30 of My Fated Orc Hero

I throw my hands up. "For the last time, I'm just a human!"

"The salt!" the tree-person bellows. Before I know what's happening, the fairy has poured out a circle of salt around me.

"If you are what you say you are," the elf intones dramatically, "then step outside this circle of salt, beast of darkness!"

I stare at them, dumbfounded. The three of them all hang back in anticipation, apparently terrified of what I might transform into.

I look at Thokk, who seems torn between concern and amusement. With an exaggerated sigh, I step over the salt line.

"Do you know how many margaritas you could have made with that salt?" I say, staring back at the now empty circle.

The elders look bewildered. I'm not sure if it's because their "trap" didn't work or because they don't know what a margarita is. Probably both.

“Now do you believe me? I have been trying to tell you, I am just a human!”

The elf elder recovers first, his expression hardening. "Fine. It appears you speak truth. That makes our decision even easier - we'll must follow the old ways. We shall put her to death."

My blood runs cold. This can't be happening. I look at Thokk, panic rising in my chest...

For a moment he too just stands, mouth agape as he stares at the three elders.

CHAPTER 10

"You will not!" I roar, stepping between Zoe and the elders. My heart pounds as I face down the leaders of our village. This is madness.

"Thokk, stand aside," Elder Faelar commands. "The law is clear. Humans cannot be allowed to live once they've discovered our realm."

"To hell with your laws!" The words burst out before I can stop them. I've never spoken to the elders like this. Part of me is horrified, but a larger part feels... free. "Zoe is no threat to us. In fact, she may hold the key to our future."

"What nonsense is this?" the fairy elder, Luminara, scoffs.

I take a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "We can prove that humans and monsters once lived together in harmony. There are murals, ancient records—"

"Lies," Tree Elder Oakenheart rumbles.

"It's true!" Zoe pipes up. I admire her bravery, even as I wish she'd let me handle this. "I've seen the evidence with my own eyes. If you'd just let us show you—"

"Silence, human!" Faelar snaps.

I growl low in my throat. No one speaks to my mate that way. Zoe is my other half. And I'll be damned if I will let anyone hurt her.

"She speaks the truth," I insist. "Let us prove it to you."

The elders exchange glances. Finally, Luminara nods. "Very well. Show us this ... evidence, if any exists."

I lead them to the narrow alley where Zoe first discovered the hidden chamber. As we approach, doubt gnaws at me. What if it’s not enough to convince them? What if they decide to kill us both anyway? I push the thoughts aside. I will not be separated from my mate. We have to try.

"It's through there," Zoe explains, pointing to the crack in the wall. "The chamber opens up inside, but the entrance is too small for most to fit through."

The elders peer at the opening skeptically.

"How convenient!" Faeler crosses his arms.

"I can go in and describe what I see," Zoe offers.

"Absolutely not," I growl. The thought of her out of my sight after their threats makes my skin crawl.

I sigh, frustration building. "Perhaps we can find a youngling who can fit. They can verify the truth." I think for a moment of what Zoe had described. “Actually, scratch that!” Now I try to think?

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