Page 48 of The Orc's Wife

She had taken a step back, and the smell of fear grew stronger. She would bolt if he didn’t do anything, he realized. Although the effort felt immense, almost impossible, he gave the slightest shake of his head.

No.

She breathed out slowly, her breath shaky.

“And do you promise to forbid orcs from raping humans and punish those who do?”

Urgan focused, pushing the fog away. He managed a slight nod.

I promise.

“All right then.”

He must have given her the right answers, but her fear seemed to increase, if it had even been possible. Despite it, she took a step towards him. And then another. He was hanging low in his chains, so his head was level with hers.

He could see her face now, pale and thin, and drawn in fear.

“You must swallow it all. It will be bitter, but you must drink everything. Do you promise?”

He gave another nod.

She raised a bottle up to his lips. A hefty, fat bottle, with an earthy, herbal smell wafting out of it.Medicine.

With shaking hands, she put the mouth of the bottle past his lips. The earthenware bottle scraped against his fang, so badly were her hands shaking. And yet, she was standing there, offering him medicine. She was brave. Like Una.

“Close your mouth around it,” she said, watching him with wide eyes.

Urgan forced his muscles to move and managed to tighten his lips enough. She nodded and slowly tipped the bottle up, letting the bitter medicine flow.

It took a long time for him to drink it all. Swallowing was painful. He couldn’t breathe properly, and he needed to stop many times to fill his tired lungs with shallow breaths so he wouldn’t lose consciousness again.

Once, he coughed, startling her, but she had the good sense to take the bottle away before his wild coughing made her drop it.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Urgan had drank everything.

Only, he wasn’t feeling any better. The pain was much worse now, with every muscle, every bone inside his body on fire. Vipers were slithering inside his guts, biting him time and again with their fangs. He cried out softly, but his throat was tight and painful, and almost no sound could make it past his lips.

“The pain means you’re healing,” the girl’s voice said, and he almost didn’t catch it through his agony.

“Everyone thinks you’re dead. Try not to be loud. Someone will come with another dose in a few hours.”

Urgan trapped the bellow of pain that was about to burst out of him inside his chest. He thrashed in his chains, trying to find another position to lessen the pain. If only he could lie down on the floor! Why had the blasted woman not thought to unchain him?

He suffered in silence, his body spasming and shaking. He wanted to ask her name so he could curse it, but she had gone, closing the door behind her.

And now, he was alone with his pain.

Chapter 16

Una

Iwas sitting among the wreckage of Urzulah’s room and sobbing in Laya’s arms. The gates of my grief had finally opened, and I was pouring it all out in an endless flood.

When the door creaked open, we both froze on the spot, afraid someone was coming to check on Urzulah. But it was only Nat.

“Where have you been?!” Laya asked. “I was sick with fear for you!”

“Urgan’s alive,” she said.

---