Page 54 of Bound to the Orc King

May

The air around us crackles with excitement—or maybe it’s magic—as the other witches welcome me. There’s tiny Taylor, who shoots me an impish grin that goes perfectly with her messy brown bob; shy Grace, a tall blonde whose strong arms wrap me in a tight but quick hug; sweet Olivia, who smells of cinnamon and baking, a smudge of flour still lingering on her tan cheek; curvy Selena, with the most beautiful, melodious voice; and redheaded Ashley, who squishes me against all of her soft plumpness, as if we’re already the best of friends.

“Naomi’s told us so much about you,” Ashley says as we all settle on two logs pulled close together. “I can’t believe you got the ability to read minds!”

“It would be a lot cooler if I knew how to use it.” My lips twist into a wry grin.

“Oh, god, yeah! Those first few days of trying to learn your power are the worst!” Ashley giggles. “I got the ability to fly, and do you know what happened to me?”

I shake my head.

“I immediately got stuck in a tree! Dravarr had to climb up and get me.”

“That’s not the best part.” Naomi grins and elbows the redhead. “Go on.”

“I was wearing a knee-length dress. You know, one of the kinds with the really flaring skirt.” She mimes the shape with her hands. “It rode up around my waist. He could seeeverything! Thank god I had on my best pair of pink panties.”

We all laugh.

They each tell me stories of their magic messing up. Taylor’s telekinesis kept knocking her into Krivoth. Grace made a Ferris wheel! Selena couldn’t stop laughing as she told me how she stripped Sturmm naked to study him like an anatomy lesson. And Naomi teleported Wranth all over the place, even taking him to Ferndale Falls.

“There we were, an orc standing in the middle of Main Street in broad daylight,” Naomi says. “Hannah thought he was a cosplayer. He wassooffended.”

I turn to Olivia. “What about you?”

She holds out her palm, and a paper cup appears. “Oat milk cappuccino with cinnamon? Decaf, since it’s late.”

I snatch it up and take a big gulp, the sweet cinnamon and milky espresso flowing over my tongue in a burst of flavor. It’s so good I groan. “How did you know I love these?”

“I asked Naomi what your coffee favorite drink is.” Olivia gives a little shrug. “I didn’t have any big mistakes with my magic. The funniest thing might have been trying to get Rovann to drink coffee. The face he made!” Her mouth stretches into alook of horrified disgust, and she smacks her lips like a little kid forced to eat Brussels sprouts.

“They all hate it,” Ashley says as we all laugh. “They think it’s way too bitter.”

“I had to conjure himsomany chocolate croissants to make up for it.” Olivia glances to where all the orcs stand at the edge of the pond, a fond look on her face.

We all look over. Aldronn should blend in, his linen shirt and leather pants the same as the rest, his sword a match for the ones that hang from their hips. But they’ve arranged themselves around him, his air of command obvious even from a distance.

“Okay, but for real, you guys,” I say, turning back to the women. “Any tips for this whole magic thing?”

“Practice,” Taylor says. “It’s like playing a video game—you try over and over until you can level up.”

“For me, I had to figure outwhatmy magic was,” Grace says. “I can conjure, but for some reason I can only conjure carnival items or…” She breaks off, her eyes dipping to her feet as her pale cheeks flush a bright pink.

“Or sexy things!” Selena crows, bumping her shoulder against the blonde. “Our friend here conjures the best lingerie you’ve ever seen!”

Grace looks up and grins.

“Mine works on intent.” Selena leans forward and stretches out a hand to me.

When I clasp it, magic tingles through me in a curl of comfort and warmth like a cat tail wrapping around my calf. The last lingering bits of headache fade to leave me completely pain free for the first time in days.

“Oh, that’s amazing!”

She grins. “I always wanted to heal people and was a med student. Some of that knowledge helps me see what my magic needs to do.”

“I don’t think any of my college classes are going to help with this.” I shrug, palms up. “Somehow I missed Telepathy 101.”

“Teleportation wasn’t exactly part of my English degree, either,” Naomi reminds me. “But like the others said, the thing that works for me is intent. To control my magic, I either need an anchor to a new place or I have to be able to clearly picture where I want to go.”

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