Page 84 of Bound to the Orc Guardian

“Wait!” Ashley said. “You know that song? I know it, too!” She hummed the next bit.

“I heard it, too,” Taylor said. “When the goddess brought me here.”

Olivia nodded agreement, but Grace frowned. “I wasn’t conscious for the trip.”

Taylor patted her arm. “You got here okay. That’s what’s important.”

“Do you know what the words mean?” I asked Ashley.

“Words? I don’t know any words, just the tune.”

I sang it for her, ending by saying, “The dragons are looking for a translation.”

“That will be wonderful. The Moon Goddess is trying to tell us something. I just know it.”

The bubbly redhead tucks her hand into my arm, pulling me back into the present. “Let’s eat!”

Several wooden tables have been pushed together to make a long one. The women settle along it, their orc husbands by their sides. As much as I want to be right in the middle of all of them, tonight has a different purpose. I go over to where Sturrm stands with Wranth, talking to his parents. When they start to turn away to head to a different table, I blurt, “Luva, Karrn, won’t you sit with us?”

His mother’s eyes widen for a moment.

“Please do,” Sturrm adds.

Luva offers him a little smile.

The five of us sit at the end of the table, Sturrm sandwiched between me and Wranth, his parents across from us.

Olivia claps her hands, and magic ripples through the air, a circular serving of causa appearing on every plate. “Thisfirst course is in honor of our new clan mate Selena. It’s a traditional potato dish from her home country.”

When you mention Peruvian food, everybody always thinks of ceviche—and don’t get me wrong, I love a good ceviche as much as the next girl—but it’s not comfort food. No, that would be Abuelita’s causa. You can’t beat a mashed potato casserole layered with tuna salad and sliced avocado and flavored with lime and aji chilis. Or my other favorite, which is potatoes topped with spicy cheese sauce. Yep, all of my comfort foods are potato. Sue me.

“It’s spicy!” I call out, pretty sure they don’t have bright-yellow aji peppers in this part of Alarria. “You’re all warned.”

“I want to try spicy,” Bella says from behind me.

Not to be outdone, Drake says, “Me too!”

Olivia conjures them both a portion easily. I gave each of the women one of the red crystals, so they can use their powers more than ever without burning out.

Bella gulps her causa down in one big bite, then burps a small puff of smoke. “Hmm, it’s like fire in my mouth. I like it.”

Dash lips the avocado slices off the top of his and licks up some of the spicy mashed potatoes, stopping before he can uncover the tuna salad layer. He pushes his plate over to Bella. “You have it. I don’t do fish. I’m not a kelpie.”

I grin and turn back to Sturrm, who lifts a forkful of spicy mashed potatoes, tuna salad, and avocado to his lips. He chews thoughtfully, a frown of concentration barely denting his brow. His voice is serious, ringing with sincerity in that way he has. “I like it.”

“Good. Because it’s one of my faves.”

I scoop up a bite, making sure to get something from each layer, and shove it into my mouth, moaning as the comforting taste coats my tongue. Dios mio, it’s just like Abuelita used to make, taking me right back to my childhood and the last truly happy time in my life. It feels very right to share this with him and everyone here in my new home.

He continues to eat, but his free hand finds my thigh under the table, his fingertips digging in as if to remind himself all of this is real.

I curl my hand around his, eager to allay his doubts, hating that he still has them. I squeeze his big, strong fingers, saying silently—I’m here, I’m yours, and I’m here to stay.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Sturrm

The spicy potatoes are good, especially when coupled with the salty fish that’s more flavorful than any I’ve ever had before. I point to the layer of it nestled between the creamy, light-yellow mashed potatoes. “What do you call this?”

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