Page 34 of Bound to the Orc King

“Yes.” Perhaps I should lie to her to keep her from worrying, yet I cannot. If she’s to rule by my side, I won’t hobble her by hiding necessary information. “I don’t know when, but my premonition magic tells me I will face him again.”

She pokes at her food, a tiny frown creasing her brow, and I reach out to touch her forearm, getting her to look at me.

“Ease your worries. It won’t be tonight,” I say. “Of that, I can assure you.”

My bride offers me her quick smile, so ready to be happy again that it makes my heart glad. “I want to hear more about the village.”

Before I can say anything, the high cry of a pixie cuts through the evening air, audible over the sound of the falling water. The leader swoops from behind a pine tree, his miniature face lit with expectation. The rest of his flock follows him into the glen, flying in a circle over May.

She tips her head back, laughing up at them, her eyes wide with delight.

The pixie slows his speech so we can understand him. “Almost Pizza, we have come for more pizza!”

“Oh.” May’s gaze drops to her plate, where she pokes at the mushrooms and steak with the tines of her fork, attempting to pulverize her food.

“It won’t work.” I place a hand over hers. “But I have an idea.” Returning to the haunch, I carve another steak and cut acircular disk from its center. Leaning behind May, I set it on the log on her other side. “There you go.”

“That’s not pizza!” The pixie scowls, his little face scrunching as he jabs a finger at the circle of steak. “That’s meat, and it’scooked.” The final word drips with disdain.

“It’s meat pizza,” May says quickly. “It’s really popular on Earth. Loads of people eat this special type of meat pizza. There are even songs.”

When the pixie doesn’t look convinced, she starts singing something about meat patties, special sauce, and cheese.

His expression finally smooths, and he speaks to his flock, his normal voice so high and fast it sounds like a whistle. Tiny swords appear in their hands, their sharp edges glinting in the firelight.

May gasps as they fall upon the steak in a flutter of glowing blue wings and flashing blades. The little imps hack the meat into bite-sized chunks that disappear so rapidly it makes me question how real their disdain for cooked meat actually is.

Once the last bite disappears into the leader’s mouth, he flutters over to hang in front of May. “Thank you, Almost Pizza. Meat pizza is good, but potato pizza is better.”

She breaks into a trill of laughter, the sound rolling over me and filling me with warmth. My moon bound nods and knuckles tears of joy from her eyes. “I guess greasy potatoy goodness wins in every realm.”

Instead of leaving immediately, the pixies fly across the glen to dance across the front of the waterfall. Their light-blue glow makes the droplets around them sparkle until each resembles a little moon surrounded by stars.

“They’re taking little showers!” May says with delight. She watches them, utterly rapt.

I can’t look away either, but it’s not the imps who hold me fascinated. It’s her, joy brightening her face more than any light.

When the pixies finish their ablutions, they stream into the forest, leaving the waterfall lit by the glow of the pink, which we now know comes from mushrooms.

“Thank you.” May turns back to the fire and bumps her shoulder against my arm. “That was really sweet of you.”

“I didn’t do it for them. I did it so you wouldn’t destroy your dinner in an attempt to make them happy,” I growl. “Now eat. You’re still recovering. You need food.”

“So bossy.” She grins and makes a production of taking a bite of mushroom. “You were going to tell me about Moon Blade Village.”

I describe how the villagers take all the tables from the pub and spread them across the village green in the evenings, lighting the space with hanging glow stones. How Olivia makes the entire village pizzas, including several extra to keep the pixies and sprites happy. How Sturrm plays his guitar and sings, his voice the best in the land, Selena’s twining with his in a lovely duet.

May leans against me and sighs happily, the sound the sweetest thing in all the realms.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

May

It’s almost evening by the time Aldronn washes the breakfast dishes the next day, the sun beginning to lower to the west. His dark purple shirt stretches tight over his shoulders as he crouches by the water, his hands moving with easy swipes of the cleaning cloth. Maybe I would have camped more on Earth if it had been like this—magical cleaning, magical lights, magical fire starters.

Who am I kidding? We’ve got lighters and lanterns and things on Earth. It’s not the magical implements making this special—it’s him. The way he does everything for me, setting up the tent, hunting and cooking all the food. Besides the crown, which stays in the saddlebags these days, you’d never guess he was royalty, not with the way he takes care of me.

We lazed away the day, resting on the soft moss and chatting in between moments of comfortable silence. And boy, is that a new thing—I don’tdosilence when I’m around other people.

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