Page 10 of Bound to the Orc Renegade

A soft laugh of relief puffs from my lips. My instincts have never been wrong before, and I didn’t want to face the thought of them not working in this new world.

He pulls out a crystal and holds it in front of me. It looks a lot like the one on my necklace. A quiver of excitement goes through me as a realization clicks into place—it’s the feeling I get whenever I solve a new problem in a game. Crystals connect to power in this world. He’s offering me some kinda power, healing, energy, knowledge, etc.

Or the crystal’s some kinda power-drain he can use to steal my power.

I study his face, his features as chiseled and perfect as a movie star. I know you’re not supposed to judge people by looks, but he also saved me from that monster, and my instincts still say he’s okay, so…

I’m gonna feel really effing stupid if a pretty face and hard body are all it takes to fool me. I snatch the crystal from his hand, my stomach bracing in case the worst happens. A little zing of electricity shoots through me, but nothing more.

“Did it work?” he says, his voice rich and deep and suddenly speaking perfect English. “Can you understand me?”

“Yes!” I gaze at him in awe. I’ve played video games since I was a kid, walked avatars through a million amazing scenarios and used them to do thousands of impossible things.

Ineverfelt a single one of them in my own body.

Not like this.

Not like the thrumming hum of power that continues to fill what had been the hollow space inside me. It’s glorious!

“I’m Krivoth, a warrior of Moon Blade Clan currently in service to his majesty, King Aldronn.”

That certainly sounds important. What can I say that comes close? Junior game writer doesn’t exactly have the same ring. Then I grin and highlight my other skills. “I’m Taylor Adams, level seventy Mage of the Swordhold Seven.”

“Mage?” He frowns. “You’re not a witch like the other women?”

“Witch.” The word echoes through me, striking the same chord of rightness it had as when I thought it earlier. I stare at my hand, amazed all over again at what I can do. “Yes, I’m a witch.”

Then the rest of his words sink in, and my eyes fly up to his face. “Other women?”

“You’re the third human the Moon Goddess has brought to Alarria. You’re my—”

“Are you going to keep rolling around on the ground?” a deep voice snarks. “Because we have places to be, and ogres in the vicinity.” Aunicornsteps into the clearing. Tall and gleaming white, he has a long spiraled horn jutting from his forehead.

I gape up at him. A talking unicorn! This is cool as hell.

He turns a frosty blue eye on the two of us. “Is this one of your mating rituals?”

“What?” I yelp, pushing upright. Heat blazes across my cheeks. Oh, god. I just had an entire conversation with Krivoth whilelyingon him. “Mating? You mean like…” I flap a hand toward our groins.

“Of course, I meanlike.” He stomps a hoof as he says the last word—it must be the unicorn version of air quotes. I revise my mental wiki entry, adding “unicorns are grumpy” to “unicorns can talk.”

“This is Storm.” Krivoth nods toward the unicorn, then rolls sideways, lowering me gently until my hip rests on the soft moss.

I sit up. “Hi, Storm. I’m Taylor.” Oh, no! Should I have done the long name thing?

Storm doesn’t seem to notice the lack. He lowers his head to the top of mine and takes a few snuffling breaths that stir my hair.

“You found other ogres?” Krivoth asks. That must be what the gray monsters are called.

“No, just the one.” Storm tosses his head, sending his silver mane flying in what must be the unicorn equivalent of a dismissive hair flip. “But where there’s one…”

“You’re right.” Krivoth stands with lithe grace for someone so large. God, he’s the perfect blend of suppleness and power. He offers me a hand, pulling me to my feet effortlessly.

He walks over to the stone column and slaps a hand to the hard surface before looking over his shoulder at me. “What did you wish for to activate the standing stone?”

Do what now? I give my head a quick shake and shrug.

“What kind of power did the standing stone gave you? The one you used to toss me about.”

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