Page 54 of Bound in Flames

Her words caught me off guard, and I blinked, warmth blooming in my chest. “I’m learning,” I said softly. “From all of you.”

The woman chuckled, her laughter full of life as she pat my hand. “A shaman who listens? That’s rare. Keep listening, girl—it’ll serve you well.”

I was beginning to understand that healing wasn’t just about channeling magic. Every orc I touched reminded me that this wasn’t just a duty. It was a bond, a quiet promise to do what I could for those who had already given so much.

A small tug at my sleeve pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see a small face staring up at me, his golden eyes wide, black hair tousled. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine given his size and budding tusks.

“Shaman,” he said softly, his voice filled with awe, “is it true you can talk to the earth?”

Smiling at him, I knelt down to his level. “In a way. I can feel the earth’s magic, and sometimes, I can help it grow.”

His eyes widened as he clutched to my arm with excitement. “Can you grow me some flowers?”

I chuckled, touched by his fascination. “Would you like to see?”

The boy nodded eagerly, his excitement infectious. I spotted a small plant on a nearby shelf. Bringing it to the boy, I summoned my magic. The green light flowed into the soil, and tiny flower buds emerged, unfurling in vibrant shades of purple and blue.

The boy hugged the pot tightly to his chest as though it held the entire world. “It’s beautiful!”

I smiled softly. “The earth’s magic is everywhere, you just have to listen for it.”

“Can I be a shaman too?”

I laughed, ruffling his hair. “Maybe one day. But for now, you’ve got other things to learn—like how to mind your mother.”

He grinned mischievously and ran back to his mother’s bedside with the flowerpot. Watching his excitement, I felt a quiet kind of hope take root in my chest.

By the time I reached the final bed, the infirmary had grown quieter. A young warrior lay there, his arm tightly bandaged. His body tense with pain, but he managed a faint smile when I approached.

“Shaman,” he greeted me with a tired nod.

I knelt beside him, unwrapping the bandage to reveal the raw, angry wound. “Let me take care of this,” I said gently, placing my hands over the injury.

The magic came easily now, a familiar rhythm that pulsed through my fingertips. I wove it carefully into the wound, pulling the threads of life together until the flesh knitted cleanly. The warrior let out a soft sigh, his muscles relaxing as the pain ebbed.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, pulling my hands away with a soft smile. “You’ll be back to training soon.”

He chuckled faintly. “Good. We have much to prepare for.”

The fires had burned low, casting flickering shadows across the beds. Exhaustion tugged at me, but it was the kind of exhaustion that came with finding my purpose. These orcs were becoming my people.

Chapter 28

Dex

The cool mountain breeze swept across the terrace, carrying with it the distant rumble of an oncoming storm. Cleo stood at the edge, her frame silhouetted against the dying light. The wind tugged at her braid, curls tumbling free. Her shoulders were tense, her head bowed as though the weight of the world had sunk into her bones. She’d just come back from the gardens where Grath said the earth’s magic pulsed the strongest he’d ever felt. She spent hours there each day, searching for something—answers, control, peace perhaps. But tonight, the tight lines of her posture told me she hadn’t found it.

I approached quietly, the soft steps of my boots almost silent on the stone. Her back straightened, she always felt me before I even touched her, but the way she braced herself made me want to shake her. Shake the fear and doubt from her until she could see what I saw. What I knew.

“You’re still doubting yourself, my beautiful mate,” I said softly, though there was a darker edge to my voice. I hated seeing her like this. It twisted something deep inside me that wanted to destroy anything that dared make her feel this way.

She didn’t respond, didn’t even turn. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, the distant peaks stretching endlessly, as if the answers she sought lay somewhere in the fading light. When she finally turned to me the vulnerability I saw in her eyes about bought me to my knees.

“What if I can’t control it, Dex?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “If I use this magic in battle and I pull on the wrong thing and hurt someone…” Her voice broke, and she took a shaky breath. “What if I become like them?”

Did she really think that was possible?Her fear of becoming like the Dark Ones wasn’t new, but hearing it aloud—hearing the way her voice cracked on the words—made it impossible to ignore. My mate, the woman I would kill for, was terrified ofherself. And worse, I didn’t know how to fix it.

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