Page 57 of Orc's Forbidden Claim

40

KHIARA

Ido not want to hurt any of them. Even so, I should attack before he sees me, but I hesitate, even knowing it might cost me everything. My one advantage in fighting four to one is surprise. If I hit them hard enough and fast enough, violent enough, I stand the best chance of winning.

But I don’t move. I’m frozen in the shadows, my body refusing to act. I see him coming closer and closer, but I can’t resolve him as a threat. What I see are the lines of worry on his face. The despair in his eyes. I see the same hopelessness that was my world before I found my dragoste.

That melancholy hopelessness is the product of the Shaman and his Maulavi. Driving my people into apathy until all that is left is waiting to die. Hoping against hope to end this world and that the next one will be better for our people. That we will again be the First Born and not this pale remnant of the proud race we once were.

Everything depends on this moment. When fighting more than one opponent the best defense is an aggressive offense. The more aggressive, the more violently you can take out the firstopponent the better. It has to be enough to make the others hesitate, buying the precious seconds I would need to take them down before they attack as a group.

He pauses, stoops, and picks up a large piece of stone that has fallen from the building next to us. He examines it closely then his gaze moves towards the building, and it happens. He sees me here in the shadows.

Watching his face, it’s clear that he doesn’t realize what he’s seeing. His eyes narrow, and his mouth turns down into a frown as his brow furrows. I raise my hand placing a finger over my lips.

Don’t. Don’t do it.

I silently command him in my head. His head turns, everything is happening in slow motion, and he looks over his shoulder. I tense and am about to leap into action when he turns his head back towards me.

He shrugs, turns, and walks back to the others. Adrenaline is making my entire body thrum with unspent action. Anticipation builds as he walks, not speeding up from the same slow walk he made towards me. If he is going to betray me, he is being very smart about it. Giving me no clue that he’s going to raise the alarm.

He hands the stone to another of the workers. That’s it. No alarm. No pointing to me in my hiding place. Nothing.

I don’t let myself relax for a moment longer, but when nothing else happens, I let out the breath I was holding. I watch them work for a while longer, repairing the kennels and the storage facility that houses what I need.

One of the caged animals violently attacks the pen making all four of the workers jump. One of them walks over and slams his rod against the cage, grunting and yelling at the animal. The animal, I can’t see what it is from here, tries to attack the rod making the handler jump back and cry out in surprise. The other three laugh. I wait and watch, most of my attention on the one who knows I am here.

“Lunch,” he says.

“It’s not time,” one of the others says.

“The Shaman has everyone gathered at the machine,” he answers. “You think anyone will notice if we take a longer break?”

The others grunt or speak their agreement and the group heads off. Before they disappear into the alley between buildings the one who saw me looks directly at my hiding place. He makes a gesture with two fingers across his forehead then pats the top of his head.

A smile spreads over my face. He’s with the resistance. I wait to make sure they are gone and no one else is coming, then I race to the building.

41

SAYLOR

“Sek!” Wren yelps leaping the short distance to his side and grabbing his face between her hands.

She plants kisses all over his face until he groans. As I watch the affection, my chest swells with happiness for her. Sek’su is pale. Really, really pale. The black spiderweb is still spreading over his chest with trailing tendrils. While he accepts Wren’s love and does try to return it, my outside perspective allows me to see how much it’s taking out of him. The effort is clearly draining his limited strength.

“Wren,” I say, touching her shoulder. She ignores me. I tighten my grip. “Wren, he needs to rest.”

She tenses and plants several more loud smacking kisses before she quits resisting and lets me pull her back, though she keeps her hands on his cheeks and never takes her eyes off of him.

“Sek,” she whispers.

“My treasure,” he replies, raising his hand to caress her cheek.

It’s such a simple moment between the two of them, but I feel every bit like the third wheel invading their privacy. Unsure what to do with myself, I take a step back. I should go, let them have this time while they can.

I don’t even want to think it but that doesn’t stop the dark thought that lies beneath my desire to leave them. This could be the last moment they have. That thought immediately leads to the idea that I also might have already had my last moment with Khiara.

My stomach rebels. Bile rises, burning its way up my throat, forcing me to swallow and push it back down.

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