Page 65 of The Widow and the Orcs

“I— thank you,”Louisastammered, glancing betweenKittyandCecily, and waving a shaky hand at her hot-feeling face. “Youare definitely much better at this thanIam, and it was so kind of you, but you shouldn’t have — you didn’t need to —”

Andoh, gods, she wasn’t going to start weeping, not over some new clothes — but she was already sniffling, blinking hard, shaking her head.Butbeside her,Kittylooked a little weepy too, and she frantically waved it away, and yankedLouisainto a tight hug. “Oh,I’mjustsoglad,” she said. “Youdeserve to feel comfortable in your own skin.Andyou look fabulous, too.”

Louisagave another weepy, grateful smile, and then willingly joined all the cheerfully chattering women as they headed back toward the front of the shop.Andfor a brief, wonderful moment, that whispering peace shimmered with something almost like… hope.Shecould face this.Provethis.Andmaybe she could someday even belong here, with these lovely women, inKillikandUlfarr’shome…

Atleast, until they reached the front of the shop.Wherea tall, lean orc was stalking swiftly into the room — and then, in a jolting movement, he stopped.Stilled.Andstared atLouisa, with shock and menace and fury flashing in his eyes.

ItwasKillik.

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Killikwas here.He’dreturned.

Louisa’sheart kicked and surged, her mouth dry, her gaze fixed toKillik’sface.Tohis pale, taut, grim-looking face, with its furious flashing eyes.Andfor a hanging, frozen moment, those eyes only stared at her, and then flicked down her body, and up, and down again.

“Ach, woman,”Killikfinally said, his voice very smooth, as he reached out a hand toward her. “Youshall now come with me, shall you not?”

Louisa’shead was already nodding, her hand reaching to clasp his, feeling the rigid tension in his clammy fingers against hers. “Good,” he said, with a cold, empty smile. “Andthank you, sisters” — his eyes flicked toward the assembled women — “for your kind welcome toward her.”

Noneof the women seemed to notice anything alarming about this —JuleandCecilyboth smiled and waved it away, andKittywas even beaming towardKillikwith unabashed approval.AndwhileRosawasn’t smiling, she still looked mildly gratified, raising her blonde brows atKillik’stight, rigidly smiling face.

“Aren’tyou going to say anything nice aboutLouisa’snew outfit?” she asked, with an unmistakable challenge on her voice. “Shelooks fabulous, doesn’t she?”

Killik’sglittering eyes briefly flicked downLouisa’sbody again, sweeping a strange shiver over her skin. “Ach, she always does,” he said coolly, without sparing another glance towardRosa. “Nowcome, woman.”

Louisaswallowed and nodded, allowing him to draw her toward the door, even as she shot a helpless glance backwards. “Er, thank you all, again,” she told them. “It’sbeen so lovely.”

Again, the women seemed to easily accept this, smiling and waving goodbye, whileKillikyankedLouisaharder, dragging her out into the lamplit corridor.Buthe wasn’t looking at her now, only staring straight ahead, his jaw flexing in his cheek.

“Soyou — gotSimon’smessage, then?”Louisaasked him, through her too-tight throat. “Didyou seeSunealready?”

Killiknodded, but still didn’t look at her, just pulling her along faster down the corridor.Hisfury almost radiating from him, leaching intoLouisa’schurning gut, and she drew in a breath. “Hasanything else — happened?Orare you just — angry with me?”

Killikhuffed a low, sudden laugh, or perhaps a growl, his eyes cutting sharp to hers. “Itold you, woman,” he breathed. “No.No, to all of this.Youwere not to come here, and parade yourself all over this mountain, and play-act as ourmate!”

Louisaflinched all over, and shook her head. “Thatwasn’t at all my intention,Killik,” she said, fighting to keep her voice low. “Ididn’t tellanyoneIwas your mate.AndIdidn’t even want to come here, let alone stay here, but —”

Killikcut her off with another growl, louder and harder this time.Andafter a baleful look at the corridor around them — and the handful of unfamiliar orcs up ahead — he pulledLouisasideways, into one of the dark rooms lining the corridor.Anempty meeting room, perhaps, with only a large low table set in the middle of it.

“Thenwhy are you yet here,”Killikhissed, as he flipped one of his daggers out of his hair, and pointed it toward her. “Youwished to make some ploy against me?Somevengeance against me for not falling at your feet last eve, or handing over my wolf to serve your whims?”

Louisastared back at him for an instant too long, as her exhausted, overwhelmed brain fought to catch up.Killikthought — he really thought this was a ploy?HethoughtLouisawas trying to gain —vengeance?ByhelpingSune?

“It— it wasn’t,” she snapped back at him, though her voice wavered. “Look,Killik, it wasn’t anything of the sort.Iwas only —”

ButKilliksharply sliced his dagger toward her face, close enough that she staggered backwards into the solid wood table behind her. “Youonly came to my home, to all my kin, thisvery next dayafterItold you no,” he snarled. “Justas you did with the camp!Ihave told you the truth of this again and again, and again and again you ignore this, and do only as you wish!”

Louisa’sbreaths were coming too fast, her gaze fixed on that dagger before her eyes, and she desperately fought for something, anything, please. “Inwhat realm have you given me your truth,Killik?” she shot back. “You’vehidden your truth from the moment we first met!Goodgods, just today,Ilearned you andUlfarrare apparently both regular teachers at an actualschool, and apparently you like to usechainsin your bed!”

ButKillikonly gave a furious roll of his eyes, a wild jab of his dagger toward her. “Itold you we taught orclings, didInot?” he hissed back. “Andach, how else do you kenIbreak throughWolf’sgrief, and bring him to his knees for me?Withhoney and kisses and pretty ribbons?Thisis not at all the same” — his voice deepened — “as you saying last eve you understood this, and then comingherethis very next day!”

Louisagrimaced, dragged in a shaky breath. “Look,Itold you,Ididn’t plan to come here,” she managed. “Suneneeded help, so —”

“Sowhy did you not take him to the camp?”Killik’sharsh voice cut in. “Whydid you not take him to the closest place, to where you knew he had kin?Youken you needed to bring him all the way here?Whenyouknewwe were away?”

Louisa’sbreaths heaved harder, her stomach now churning in her belly. “Sunesaid — it was best to come here,” she countered. “Ijust wanted to help,Ioffered to stay outside, or go camp somewhere else, but —”

“Butthen why did you not!”Killikshouted at her, his voice ringing through her ears, scraping into her skull. “Whydid you defy me, and betray me, and destroy allIhave done!”

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