Page 80 of Bound to the Orc Renegade

“I warned you.” My sword sings from the scabbard as I advance upon the ogre. Rage pulsing through me and washing the world red. “I told you if you threatened my bride again, I’d end you.”

His mace whistles through the air, aimed right at my head.

I lift both arms to meet it in a block that vibrates through my whole body. We stand locked together, muscles straining. Damned huge ogres.

“Orc dog,” he taunts, his breath foul. “She will be my sky gift, not yours.”

Behind me, Storm and the kelpie clash with a resounding thump.

We break apart, and I keep my focus on my foe. He makes another large swipe with the mace.

I dance sideways, cutting it so close I feel the wind of his weapon’s passage. Then I step close and slash across his chest, opening a gash from hip to opposite shoulder. It runs parallel to the cut I gave him the first time we fought. “There, ogre filth. Now you have a matching set.”

As he roars, behind me Mist yowls. Is something wrong with Taylor?

I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, relieved that she lies on the mossy ground, still fine.

Pain slams into my shoulder, punching my entire body sideways. Instead of fighting the movement, I go with it. All those falls I’ve been doing with Taylor come back to me, and I turn my momentum into a roll and snap back up to my feet.

The ogre runs toward me, mace lifted high overhead. His eyes widen as he realizes he’s wide open and I’m not as helpless as he expected me to be.

I launch forward in a perfect lunge, blade pointed directly at his heart. It slides straight in, burying a foot deep.

He drops the mace and clutches at my sword, doing nothing but slicing his own hands. With a liquid gurgle, he drops to his knees, black blood blooming from his lips.

I spin us just enough that Taylor can see. “You will never hurt her ever again. She ismine.”

His hands give one last futile flutter before falling limp at his side.

I kick him off my sword and flick it to the side to remove the worst of the blood. A grin of triumph splits my face as I turn to her, and her answering smile shines with pride. I’ve never felt more powerful, more filled with purpose. I’ve protected my bride, mylove.

A gourd drops from the sky, exploding right in front of Taylor in an orange cloud laced with deep-red speckles.

Mist, crouched in a pounce position, leaps. She sails just ahead of the cloud, her paws hitting the ground for a split second before she launches again, this time landing well away from the deathsleep.

Taylor’s still in there, and I jolt forward, only to force myself to stop. The deathsleep can’t hurt her, and knocking myself unconscious will be of no help to my bride.

“Taylor, are you okay?”

Nothing answers me but the grating squawks of a sluagh. A flock of the red-beaked birds flies just overhead.

“Taylor!”

A huge gust of wind rushes past me, blowing the deathsleep away as if Alarria wants to help my moon bound. She lies motionless on the ground.

No!I run. Falling to my knees, I drop my sword and gather her into my arms. I press my cheek to her lips until I feel the feather of her breath tickle across my skin. She’s alive!

“Taylor, wake up!” I press desperate kisses to her face. Is this because she used too much magic again? Then why didn’t she pass out as soon as she did it? No. This must have something to do with the deathsleep. I know it.

The sluagh flock spirals down through the air in a flutter of wings like leaves caught in a mini-tornado. The birds get closer and closer together until it seems they must bash against each other. But instead, they merge to form a shadowy figure draped in a hooded cloak.

Its evil red eyes gleam as it takes in Taylor’s limp form draped across my arms. “Good. We were hoping this would work.”

“What did you do to her?” I snarl from between clenched teeth.

“A little adjustment to the deathsleep formula. These new humans are magic wielders, and the deathsleep comaismagical in nature.”

“So she’s in a regular deathsleep coma,” I say, relief rushing through me—we have the antidote.

---