Page 97 of Her Orc Protector

"No matter," he said, voice clipped. "We don't have time for this. Come." He seized my wrist, grip painfully tight. "We'll have to leave without her."

Relief washed through me, so intense I nearly sagged with it. Ellie would be safe. Whatever happened next, my daughter would remain here, protected by these women who had become my family.

"But—" I began, playing my part.

"We'll have another," Gavriel cut in, voice cold. "A proper heir this time. One raised correctly, from the beginning."

The casualness with which he dismissed Ellie—as if our child was replaceable, a flawed draft to be discarded—sent rage coursing through me. But I buried it deep, kept my face blank. I needed him to believe I was under his control. Needed to get him away from this house, from my baby.

"Yes," I echoed, the word ash on my tongue. "Another."

He nodded, satisfied, and tugged me toward the door. "Come. The carriage is waiting."

I let him lead me past Dora's frozen form into the cool night air. As we stepped onto the porch, I heard the Seal pulse again. Gavriel glanced back at Dora.

"Close the door," he commanded. "Lock it. Return to your bed. You saw nothing tonight."

Dora nodded mechanically. The last I saw of her was her small silhouette framed in the doorway as she slowly closed it, cutting off the faint firelight.

Then I was alone with Gavriel in the dark street, his fingers digging into my wrist.

"Walk naturally," he instructed, releasing my arm to place his hand at the small of my back. "We don't want to attract attention."

I nodded, falling into step beside him. We looked like any couple taking a late-night stroll—his posture relaxed, his manner easy. Only I knew the threat that hummed between us, the violence that lay just beneath his polished veneer.

We walked in silence down Tinderpost's narrow street, then turned onto Market Way. The shops were closed at this hour, windows dark. Few lanterns burned this late, and those that did cast only feeble pools of light on the cobblestones.

I cataloged each intersection we passed, each landmark. The baker's with its peaked roof. The guardhouse at the corner,windows glowing faintly—someone on night duty, perhaps Thok. The fountain in the small square, its bubbling water the only sound besides our footsteps.

"You'll feel better once we've left this place," Gavriel said conversationally, as if reading my thoughts. "It's been toxifying you, filling your head with all these progressive ideas." He spit the word like it was dirty. "You were never meant for a place like this. You're too delicate, too refined."

I said nothing, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. We were heading east, toward the Council district. Away from the river. Away from my cottage. Away from Uldrek.

Uldrek. Did he know I was gone? Would he come looking? Or would he think I'd simply left him after our fight, stealing away in the night without a backward glance?

"I was surprised when you testified against me," Gavriel continued, his tone light despite the steel beneath it. "After everything we shared? After I gave you my name, my protection? But I understand now—you were confused. Manipulated."

His words slid over me like oil, leaving a residue of disgust. Once, they would have found purchase. Once, I would have questioned myself, wondered if he was right. But not anymore.

"It doesn't matter now," he went on. "We'll put all this unpleasantness behind us. I have contacts in Riverbend who'll help us start fresh. A new position. A new home. A new family." His voice lingered on the last word, a reminder of the threat to Ellie I'd narrowly avoided.

We turned onto Council Street, wider and better lit. The grand buildings of Everwood's civic center loomed ahead, their stone facades pale in the moonlight. At the far end of the street, I could make out an elegant and dark carriage with a matched pair of bay horses stamping impatiently at the cobbles.

Just like the one he'd brought me to Elarion in, all those years ago. My wedding carriage, with its velvet seats and silver lanterns. My stomach twisted.

"There we are," Gavriel said, nodding toward it. "Your chariot awaits, my dear."

For a wild moment, I considered running. But where would I go? If I fled back to Tinderpost, I'd lead him straight to Ellie. If I ran toward the Guard House, would anyone even believe me? Gavriel was persuasive, controlled—and he had the Seal.

No. The safest path was forward. Away from everyone I loved, if that's what it took to protect them.

We reached the carriage. A driver sat on the bench, face shadowed beneath his hat. He didn't look at us as Gavriel opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

"After you," he said, with that courteous smile that had once made me feel special. Now, it just made my skin crawl.

I climbed inside, my movements stiff despite my attempts to appear compliant. The interior was exactly as I remembered—dark blue velvet seats, silver trim, the faint scent of beeswax candles in small glass sconces.

Gavriel followed, settling across from me. The door closed with a soft thud, and a moment later, the carriage lurched forward.

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