Page 6 of Bound to the Orc Warlord

I tried pointing my arms like Superman, but no go. I even flapped straight arms like a bird. Then I did the freaking chicken dance. Thank god no one saw that.

“Where’s my crotchety old mentor?” I ask the brightening sky. I’ve been up here forhours. “You know, the one who acts all mean, but it’s actually tough love to push me to learn faster?”

I bobble along, the wind blowing me like I’m a balloon. The standing stone sits in a clearing at the edge of my sight, the ground around it a vibrant green. There’s nothing but a solid expanse of treetops below me, bright-blue trees mixed in with green. Even the pine trees are extra in this place, their color deep and vibrant. Mountains darken one horizon a deep purple, and the sky overhead is the rich blue of paintings instead of any color I’ve ever seen in real life. Until now.

“Where am I?” I breathe, the beauty distracting me from my troubles.

Small, bright-yellow birds flit among the trees, their sweet songs lovely. A larger green shape arrows in from the side, diving after one of them.

It gives me an idea. I imagine diving into a pool, flipping forward and down. It works! I soar toward the trees at an angle, the stone’s clearing growing larger.

As do the trees on its far side.

“Okay, I’m ready to slow down now.” I wave my arms, but nothing seems to work. I got moving all right, but now I can’tstop.

“Shit. Shit. Shit!”

I careen into a treetop, the pine needles scraping across bare skin. The thin trunk hits me in the chest, and I wrap my arms and legs around it instinctively, holding on for dear life as it whips back and forth under the force of my impact.

Finally, it comes to a stop, and I let out a relieved sigh. I’m no longer stuck in the middle of the air.

Nope. Now I’m stuck like a cat up a tree.

The clearing’s really far below. I’m still weightless, but if I hold on to the branches, can I climb down to the ground? And then what—cling to this tree trunk for the rest of my life?

I push myself down, my front sliding along the trunk. Thank god I wore my cute low-top sneakers instead of sandals to sneak around the boss’s office. They didn’t do me any good there, but they’re sure helping now. My favorite green dress is a bit more of a problem. I love the flowy skirt that flares out when I spin, but it’s flowing a littletoomuch right now, sliding up to my waist and flashing my butt. At least there’s no one around to see.

Before I get very far, a small black bird lands on a tuft of needles beside me, its head tilting until it pins me with onestartling red eye. It opens an equally red beak and stares at me for several seconds.

I’m an animal lover, but a shiver of unease trickles down my spine.

“Stop being silly, Ashley,” I whisper and wave at the bird to scare it away.

A sharp beak peck like a needle of pain makes me yank my arm back. A drop of blood wells from the top of my hand. A matching glisten of liquid gleams on its beak. Then a thick black tongue licks at the blood.

It’s creepy as fuck.

“Nope. No. Just all the no.” I shake a fist at it, moving as fast as I can so it can’t land another hit. “Shoo! Get out of here.”

Instead of flying off, it lets out a loud croak. A chorus of answering calls comes from the sky, and a black cloud of flapping wings block out the sunlight. These birds radiate malice.

I wrap my legs more tightly around the trunk so I can let go with my arms. My torso floats out from the tree as I flap both hands wildly around my head, terrified these vicious things will attack my face. They dive in, and jabs of pain lance my arms wherever their beaks strike.

An angry shriek rings out, and an emerald-green shape arrows through the flock, scattering it in every direction. Three-foot long wings snap open with a whomp, pulling the creature to an abrupt and graceful halt. A mini-dragon hangs in the air beside me, wings spread a good five-foot wide. A crest of long, feather-like scales stands straight up on its forehead as it lets out a hiss and darts its snapping mouth toward the first bird.

The black bird leaps away with an angry squawk, wings beating wildly as it falls for a few seconds before regaining height. It circles up into the sky, croaking all the while, almost as if it hurls insults at me.

Or at the dragon, who calls after the bird, its voice a fluting series of notes that sound more pointed than song. Is it talking? Can it do that?

A bemused giggle bubbles up. Why the hell not? It’s adragon!

Things only get wilder from there, because a black unicorn gallops into the clearing, a huge monster of a man on its back. He leans forward to swing a leg over and drop to the ground. Brown leather pants cling to muscular thighs, and his blue-green shirt matches the color of the forest’s pines.

The unicorn neighs, and the man tips his head back to yell up at me, his deep voice booming with words I can’t understand.

The movement shows his face, and I suck in a shocked breath. Rich green skin stretches over high cheekbones, and ivory tusks bracket a strong mouth. A trimmed beard covers his square jaw, as black as the long braid dangling down his back. His green ears come to sharp points at the top.

He’s huge and strange and gorgeous, and his intense gaze eats me up with a force I can feel.

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