Page 97 of Bound to the Orc Renegade

Mist’s eyes gleam with amusement.

“What of the rest of you?” the dragon asks.

Ashley, Olivia, and I represent the human witches, so I say, “We’re fine with it.”

Dravarr, Rovann, Gerna, and Branikk are here as the orcs from Moon Blade Village, but it’s the king who says, “What do the cat sith offer?”

“I’ve already helped you obtain the violet trifolia you need for the deathsleep cure,” Mist says, her tail twitching. “But if that’s not enough, the cat sith also offer their services as messengers. Once we’ve been to a place, we can travel there via the shadow roads faster than a unicorn can run.”

“I bet you’re not faster than a dragon!” Drake raises up on his hind legs and beats his wings.

“Maybe not. Maybe so,” Mist says, laughter in her voice. “We should race, youngling, and find out.”

“You’re on! Dragons are superior beings. I’ll beat y—”

“Enough,” Sheevora booms. “This is not what we’re here for.”

“Indeed.” King Aldronn’s dark eyes sweep over us, landing on Krivoth. “Report.”

My husband steps forward and does so, giving his account of his whole trip—how he met each of us, all of the ogre and sluagh attacks, and how we found the violet trifolia and had to immediately put the antidote to the test.

He ends by waving toward his sister. “Gerna’s already got the violet trifolia rooted and growing.”

“Even the plant I harvested berries from is doing well. I can make one dose each to take back to your peoples for now,” she says. “With more to come as I cultivate more plants.”

“The dragons do not need any of the antidote,” Sheevora says.

“I’ll happily take one,” Mist says.

Storm adds, “As will I.”

“I’ll take one dose with me for now.” King Aldronn looks thoughtful as he turns to me. “I want to know more of your powers.”

“I can push things with my mind without touching them.” I make a pushing gesture, palms out. “Oh, and I can also pull things to me, too, but I need to figure out how to use that without getting hit by the object.”

“She’s being modest. My bride’s formidable,” Krivoth says, pride filling his voice. “Taylor’s strong enough to toss ogres and kelpies around, and she even killed an entire sluagh flock in only a few seconds.”

Drake makes a whistling noise and bobs his head.

I grin. Looks like I impressed a dragon! Or at least a little one.

“Remarkable,” the king says.

Okay, maybe King Aldronn’s a little wowed, too.

“Times are clearly changing,” he says. “The Moon Goddess is bringing these human witches to Alarria and binding them to my people. Our goddess clearly has plans for the orcs.”

“What type of plans?” Sheevora asks.

The king spreads his hands wide, palms up. “I know no more than you. Our goddess is, as always, a capricious goddess.”

“No, that’s not right,” Ashley says. “I felt a sadness in her. I don’t think she’s doing any of this on a whim.”

I nod. “When my power connects to Alarria, it feels eager to do what I need, like it wants to help me.”

“All the more reason for us to learn more about our world,” Krivoth says. “King Aldronn, my bride and I have a proposal.”

He tips his head. “I’m listening.”

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