Page 30 of The Widow and the Orcs

Eventhe fresh air didn’t help, or the morning quiet, or the usually soothing sight of thick greenery all around.Andif there was any game to hunt,Louisacouldn’t find it through her blinking eyes, her choked gasps, her racing heartbeat.Andher screaming thoughts only swirled faster, harsher, because there was no good answer, there was never a good answer, why was nothing ever easy…

“Louisa!” cut in a voice, a sharp, scraping, horribly familiar voice. “Ineed to speak with you!”

Louisaspun around so fast she staggered, her rusty knife wavering in midair before her.Herbleary eyes fighting to see, to focus on —

LordRikard.Here.Standinghere inLouisa’swoods, on her property, and glowering triumphantly toward her.

Louisa’sstomach plunged, and for an instant she could only stare at him, her mouth opening and closing, as her heart blared even louder in her chest.Whatthe hell.Whatthe fuck was this creeping cretin doing here, again?

“Whatthe hell,Rikard,” she croaked. “Itold you to stay off my property!”

Rikard’ssmile didn’t falter, his beady eyes glinting with vicious, satisfied glee. “Itwon’t be your property much longer,Louisa,” he shot back. “Iwent to seeBycroftthe other day, and he told me you’re deep in arrears, and if you don’t sell soon, you’re bound to be foreclosed!”

What?Louisa’ssluggish brain skipped backwards, back to her own recent meetings with her banker.Butyes, she’d only given himKillik’scoin yesterday — and at that first meeting a few days ago,Bycrofthadtold her to sell, or to acceptRikard’sgenerous offer of marriage.Anddamn it, he’d probably thought he was doingLouisaa favour by tellingRikardof her struggles, and gods spare her from vile meddling males, who couldn’t leave her the hell alone for a single damned morning.

“Bycrofthas no right to speak to you about my personal affairs,”Louisabelatedly replied, her voice clipped. “EspeciallywhenIvery clearly told himIwasn’t going anywhere, or selling anything.Thisismyland, andIfully intend to keep it!”

ButRikardshook his head, his beady eyes narrowing. “Youwon’t,” he snarled. “Youcan’t concoct funds out of nowhere,Louisa.It’sabout time for you to accept your situation — and if you were wise, you’d now be begging me to re-extend my very generous offer to you!”

Tore-extend his offer.Hisoffer of marriage, he meant.Thevery thought striking like a sickening punch toLouisa’sgut, and for a brief, dizzying breath, there was only —Ulfarr.Ulfarr, gasping and straining on her bed, grinding his thigh betweenLouisa’slegs, watching her with such raw, reverent awe in his eyes.Andafter that, even the thought ofRikardtouching her, kissing her with that wet little mouth, it was — it was —

“No,”Louisachoked, over the bile surging in her throat. “No,Rikard.Iwon’t.”

Evensaying it was a relief, a staggering certainty in her pounding chest, butRikard’seyes flashed with rage, and he lurched a step closer. “You’rea damned fool,Louisa,” he hissed. “Andyou can begin preparing to move out at once.BecauseifI’mnot getting the land through marriage,I’llbe getting it by buying up the mortgages, and throwing you and your little lackeys out, once and for all!”

Louisa’sbreaths heaved, her heartbeat painfully pummelling behind her eyes.Hewouldn’t, she wouldn’t.No.AndKillikhad promised to pay her at the end of this, and then he’d stolen her knife and threatened tokillher, and —

“Youwon’t,”Louisamanaged, through her gasping breaths. “I’vearranged — a new source of income.Andif you were up-to-date on your ill-gotten gossip, you’d knowIgaveBycrofta significant installment just yesterday!So” — another dragging desperate breath — “you can kindly get off my property, and leave me the hell alone!”

Hervoice rang through the air, too thin and shrill — because what if she’d still failed at this, what if she’d only bought herself a little more time?AndRikardonly came closer, his mouth twisting, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Anew source of income,” he repeated, low and dangerous. “Whatkind of income?How?Fromwhere?Wait.Wait” — he jerked even closer, jabbing a thick finger towardLouisa’schest — “is it from theorcs?”

Louisastumbled backwards, her hand spasming on her wrong-feeling knife-hilt, as her heartbeat flared louder, thudding into her aching skull. “That’snone of your concern,Rikard,” she gulped, as steadily as she could. “Thisis my land, and my business, andI’llthank you not to —”

Butwithout warning,Rikard’shand flashed out — andgrabbedher.Clutchingpainfully atLouisa’sarm, and holding her here, trapping her knife down at her side, no, no,no. “Itis from the orcs?” he demanded. “Arethose orcs paying you,Louisa?!”

Hewas so close that his spittle was flying intoLouisa’sface, and too late, she fought to shove at him, to wrench backwards, away.Buthe was so damned strong, and she was so damned tired, after almost no sleep, and not even a bite of breakfast.AndRikard’sother hand clutched to her other arm, holding her powerfully in place, and giving her a jagged little shake.

“Whatare you doing with the orcs,Louisa?” he growled, his voice grating through her pounding head, flashing up pure, pummelling panic. “Areyou allowing them to compromise you, and defile the integrity of these lands?”

Thedarkness screeched behindLouisa’seyes, coiling in her belly, cold and bitter and terrifying.Rikardwasn’tLordScall,LordScallwasdead, so why wasn’t she shouting, why wasn’t she stabbing him and running, why couldn’t she ever escape him, why did she just want to curl up on the ground and weep —

“Areyou?!”Rikardshouted again, givingLouisaanother jerky, painful shake. “Areyou in bed with those awful orcs,Louisa?!”

Andthen, something — dropped.Droppedstraight from the tree above.Landinglightly on its feet beside them, a dagger flashing in each clawed grey hand.

Itwas — it wasKillik?

“Ach, fool man,”Killiksaid toRikard, with dark, deadly certainty. “Sheis.”

17

Killikwas here.Here.Withhis certainty, his sharpened daggers, his lean, powerful body, looming overLouisaandRikardboth.

Rikardflinched and fumbled backwards, his eyes wide and horrified onKillik’sface.AndwhenLouisafollowed his eyes, she startled too, shocked to silent, staring stillness.

Becauseyes, she’d seenKillikangry before — or so she’d thought.Butthis was something else.Somethingnew.Hisnarrow eyes blazing with danger, his sharp white teeth fully bared in a cold smile, the bones of his face standing out stark and unnerving beneath his scarred grey skin.Andthe daggers in his clawed hands were spinning, moving so fastLouisacould scarcely see them, scattering flashes of light as they whirled.

“Iken you are trespassing, fool man,”Killiksaid, his cool voice at strange odds with the seething fury in his eyes. “Andthreatening this woman, also.Attackingher, with your grubby hands, and your reeking ugly scent.”

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