Page 79 of Bound to the Orc King

Wranth stalks up, his fur cloak swirling around his long legs. “The unicorns have spread out to make sure each of them gets enough food, Shadow and Rune led a party to the closest ice flow for water, and the dragons both took off to do some aerial reconnaissance.”

I frown. Part of having such a large party is safety in numbers. Yet the greater the group of people, the more time you have to spend providing for them.

I don’t like our numbers at camp being so low. This is when we’re at our most vulnerable each day.

My magic coils tight in my gut, twanging with warning. “Where’s the door crystal?” I spin, searching desperately.

Just in time to see the dark fae step through the door into Alarria.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

May

The gorgeous fae from Aldronn’s memory steps out of the door. He’s even more striking in person, his features so angular he blows past handsome all the way to land on the dictionary definition of “male beauty.” He wears only black-leather pants and a vest that leaves his tattooed arms bare, and if the cold bothers him, he doesn’t let it show.

The orc guarding the crystal leaps to his feet, sword sliding free. Before he can do anything, shadows whip from the dark fae’s arms, wrapping around the orc’s neck.

The other guard leaps in from the side, her sword slicing through the shadows that strangle her friend. Once freed, he collapses, gasping, to the ground.

She lunges at the dark fae, but he sends more shadows shooting toward her. They wrap around her legs, locking her in place. He yanks his hand, and the coil tangling her anklesjerks, pulling her feet out from under her. She topples backward without dropping her sword, slapping at the ground with her free hand to try to absorb some of the force of the fall.

Two more dark fae step through the door. One of them has the same coloration as the first guy—all pale skin and black hair and inky tattoos—but he’s built bigger, his features harsher. The other has tan skin and ice-blue eyes, his long hair a pure silver that reminds me of a unicorn’s mane. He’s the only one that’s smiling, showing off an impressive set of fangs.

“Fuck me sideways with a rusty spoon,” I mutter, all worries about being cold skittering from my mind. Just one of these guys took down two highly trained orcs, and orcs are the best fighters I’ve ever seen.

While I stand frozen in shock, Aldronn and Wranth sprint forward. Their swords are a silver whirl as they spin them in front of them so quickly the blades form semi-solid disks.

The first shadow tendrils reach them, only to be chopped off by the spinning swords.

“Watch your feet!” the woman on the ground yells, trying to get up.

“Stay down there,” Aldronn orders as he comes to a halt beside her. “Youprotect my feet.”

She grunts agreement.

Wranth does the same thing, standing over the other downed guard, who gets his breath back enough to raise his sword and chop at the shadows racing across the ground toward Wranth.

The fight turns vicious. No matter how hard the orcs try to guard themselves with their swords, the shadows can come fromeverydirection. It’s an impossible task. No one can block everywhere at once.

Aldronn takes a hit to the head and lets the blow move him instead of fighting it. He turns it into a deliberate spin, his swordslashing out and carving a diagonal line across the lead fae’s chest, a slash of red against all that black and white.

The dark fae leaps into the air, his shadows forming wings that lift him into the sky. He starts attacking from above, adding yet another direction the orcs need to guard against.

My heart clinches. I want to run forward and punch these assholes for threatening Aldronn, but it won’t do any good. I know enough about martial arts to realize I’m way outclassed and will only get in the way.

“I can do it. I can teleport everyone out,” Naomi whisper-screams at me, clutching my shoulder.

“No! Wait!” I shake my head. “Something about this doesn’t add up. Why are there only three of them?”

“Three seems like plenty.” Naomi winces as a shadow tendril punches Wranth in the left kidney while he’s busy cutting three others that attack his right side.

“I know, but Luke says there are hundreds, if not thousands, of these guys. So where are they?”

Two more orcs emerge from the caves, alerted by the sounds of battle. Aldronn rallies them around him and the others, using hand signals to tell them what to do.

Even with their help, it’s not going to be enough, especially with that one fae attacking from the air. I need to do something.

“I’m going to try to read their leader’s mind,” I say. “I’m going to be completely out of it while I do.”

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