Page 92 of Bound to the Orc Warlord

“Holy shit,” Ashley breathes.

I have to agree—the dragon is massive. Her wings fold along her back like furled sails, her legs as big as tree trunks. Her head rises on a long neck, a good twenty-five feet high. Drake barely reaches her knees.

Mother stands in front of the cleaning stone, Krivoth on one side, and King Aldronn on the other.

Tall and heavily muscled, he’s a few years older than me, his strong face a little more careworn. But his shoulders flare wide, and the sword rests at his hip with an ease that says he’s a true warrior, not simply one in name.

As I assured Ashley, the king’s dressed like all the rest of us in a deep purple linen shirt and brown leather pants and boots. Every line of his big body radiates confidence and power. He’s used to ruling. Faced with the might of the dragon, his face wears the careful look he gets during political meetings.

All four of us dismount, and Midnight and Hurtle stay by our sides, here to represent the unicorns

“There’s Ashley,” Drakonisrevener says, pointing a taloned foot at my moon bound.

“Good. We can begin.” The large dragon’s voice booms through the clearing. “I am Sheevora the Magnificent.”

After we all introduce ourselves, the king says, “I’m not one to stand on ceremony, and I don’t wish to take up more of your time, Sheevora the Magnificent.”

“Sheevora will suffice.”

He dips his chin and continues. “We have a mutual enemy in the sluagh, and my people have discovered a way to deal with the soul stealers.”

“I know it already,” she says, her huge claws opening to curl a front foot around Drakonisrevener in a hug. “My son has told me.”

“So you acknowledge the debt you owe for this information?”

Her eyes narrow, her wings stirring on her back. “Do not presume, orc king.”

A frisson of tension skitters up my spine, my hand tingling, ready to pull my sword. Quick to battle as orcs are, this is not a fight we can win. One blast of fire from her could end us all.

“Thanks for your help yesterday.” Ashley steps forward, her voice a little too bright. She’s pretending more cheer than she actually feels.

But her words work. The dragon relaxes a little, and King Aldronn snaps his mouth closed, biting back whatever sharp retort he almost said.

“I’m happy to share the knowledge of how to subdue a sluagh, sinceI’mthe one that discovered it.”

She shoots the king a look, and I couldn’t be prouder. Orcs like fighters.

“Consider it a gift from human witches to the dragons.”

A little shock goes through me. I’d thought so much of Ashley as my bride, I hadn’t stopped to consider her people entering the stage of power ashumans. I should have.

“But the humans coming to Alarria need your help,” I say. “We need crystals imbued with the power of the speaking stone.” When the king cocks an eyebrow in question, I add, “There’s a dragon with this ability. Drakonisrevener brought me one to allow me to speak to Ashley. Every village should have a supply in case the Moon Goddess summons them to claim the sky gift of a moon bound bride. The humans don’t speak our language.”

I almost snort. The fae from the various realms of Faerie don’t speak the same language either. The only thing that allows us to live in Alarria with any kind of accord is the speaking stone.

The Moon Goddess is wise.

“He’s right,” Ashley says. “The crystal Drake brought was a huge help to me. I couldn’t talk to anyone without it.”

“I am this dragon,” Sheevora says. “The goddess gifted me the power of the speaking stone over two centuries ago. If you bring me empty crystals, I will imbue them for you.”

“Thank you!” My bride beams like the sun.

“Now, about the sluagh,” Sheevora says. “What will you do with them?”

The king meets my eye, and I have to shake my head. I don’t want the vile things anywhere near my village, but I’m not sure what we can do. He turns to the dragon. “Do you have a suggestion?”

“I will take them to our best magic users for study. And when they are done learning everything they can, we will end the captured sluagh.”

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