Page 46 of Her Orc Protector

“No.” Edwin’s expression softened with something close to approval. “But it didn’t stop you, did it?”

I shook my head, the edges of embarrassment fading. “No. I just—remembered the amendment. And the annotations.”

His slight smile creased the deep lines at the corners of his mouth. “As you should’ve.”

He leaned back, studying the shelves as if measuring something invisible in the air between us.

“I’ll need to adjust your schedule,” he said after a moment, as though we were mid-conversation. “The transcription work remains important, of course, but so does access supervision. We’ve too few who know the full catalog.”

I opened my mouth, closed it again. “Are you saying—?”

“I’ll speak plainly, Miss Fairbairn,” Edwin interrupted, reaching for his satchel. “I’d like to expand your responsibilities. Discretion, organizational knowledge, and initiative—these are qualities we don’t come across every day. Especially not bundled into someone who does the job without fuss.”

He pulled a stack of parchment from his satchel—minutes from the morning’s council meeting—and set them atop the desk with gentle finality.

“From now on,” he said, fixing his sharp gaze on me, “you’ll handle classified retrieval unless otherwise instructed.” He paused, then added almost offhandedly, “We’ll need to log you as Archive Keeper’s Aide on the official roster.”

I stared at him, the title feeling much too large in my ears.

“I don’t know what to say.” I didn’t trust myself to say anything more than that.

Edwin just nodded again, like we were discussing the weather. "Good," he said again.

I clutched the recognition token in one hand and tried not to let it feel too heavy. Tried not to let the memory of a man I once loved—who would have turned this small marker of trust into levers—darken the moment.

“Thank you,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Edwin waved a hand, already turning his attention to the parchments on his desk. “Leave the Halloran ledger with me. You can begin working through the Brinewell accounts tomorrow—on the main desk this time. You’ve earned a chair.”

I did laugh then, quiet and breathy. “Still can’t promise I won’t miss the floor.”

“Suit yourself,” he murmured without looking up.

I finished organizing my alcove carefully, stacking the parchment in the proper order on Edwin’s side table, and replacing my tools in the supply chest beneath the window. Ellie slept on undisturbed, her thumb tucked under her chin in a way that made something in my chest ache—not with worry, but with affection so deep it left me breathless.

Her life was still small things: sleep and milk and teething balm. But mine had begun to swell again, stretching beyond blind flight. Beyond survival.

Slowly, silently, roots were finding soil.

Chapter 14

Ishifted my weight to the balls of my feet and raised my hands, palms flat, just like Uldrek had taught me. Sweat trickled between my shoulder blades despite the coolness of the afternoon.

"Higher," Uldrek said, tapping my elbow with one finger. "Keep your guard up. You drop it every time you're thinking too hard."

I adjusted my stance, aware of how my body had begun to change over these past weeks of training. Muscles I hadn't known existed now made themselves known with each movement. My forearms were leaner, my shoulders stronger. Even my breathing had changed—deeper, more controlled.

"Better," he said. "Now, again. Remember—"

"I know," I said, a hint of a smile touching my lips. "Speed isn't strength."

His mouth quirked at one corner. "Smart and deadly. I'm in trouble."

We circled each other, our movements deliberate, measured. This was our eighth training session, and each one had felt different from the last. The initial awkwardness had given way to something smoother, a growing understanding between our bodies. He knew when to push me and when to let me breathe. I was learning the rhythm of his movements, the subtle cues that telegraphed his next action.

I feinted left, then darted right, aiming for the opening he deliberately left. He blocked my strike, but there was approval in his eyes.

"Good," he said. "You saw it."

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