Page 16 of The Passionate Orc
"To see what all the fuss is about." He gestured to the gallery. "Show me these paintings that have made a Red Blade warrior forget his heritage."
I hesitated, looking down at Emryn. She nodded slightly.
"Fine," I said, unlocking the door. "But touch nothing."
The Black Iron orcs filed in, looking comically out of place among the elegant displays. I watched nervously as Grommak stalked from painting to painting, his face unreadable.
Finally, he stopped before my largest canvas, a battle scene showing orcs and humans fighting side by side against ancient enemies, rendered in bold strokes and vibrant colors.
"You did this?" he asked, his voice oddly quiet.
"I did."
He studied it longer, then turned to me. "My grandfather died in this battle. The Battle of Crimson Fields. You've captured it exactly as the stories describe."
I hadn't expected that. "Your grandfather fought alongside humans?"
"Many did, in those days." He looked at me differently now. "We've lost those alliances over time."
Emryn stepped forward. "Maybe it's time to rebuild them."
The tension in the room shifted. Not gone, but changed.
Grommak snorted. "Don't push your luck, human." But there was less malice in his voice. He turned to leave, his warriors following. At the door, he paused. "The exhibition can proceed. We won't interfere."
After they left, Emryn turned to me with wide eyes. "Did we just win?"
I pulled her into my arms, lifting her off her feet in celebration. "We more than won. We changed minds."
She wrapped her arms around my neck with her face glowing with pride. "Your art did that, Nar. You did that."
"We did it together," I corrected, spinning her around until she laughed. "Everything is better when we're together."
As I set her down, keeping her close in the circle of my arms, I realized something profound. In trying to sabotage us, the Black Iron Orcs had actually forged something unbreakable between us with a partnership stronger than clan rivalries or cultural differences.
"Emryn," I said softly, tucking a curl behind her ear. "I think I'm falling in love with you."
Her smile was brighter than any sunrise I'd ever seen. "Took you long enough to admit it," she whispered, rising on tiptoes to meet my lips. "I've been waiting to say it back."
Chapter 6
Emryn
I stared at the eviction notice in my hand, the paper trembling between my fingers. Three months. That's all I had left in the space that had become my sanctuary, my creative haven, my home away from home. The landlord was selling the building to some faceless corporation that wanted to turn it into luxury apartments or something equally soulless.
"This can't be happening," I whispered to the empty studio.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching dust motes in its beams and illuminating my latest canvas, an explosion of blues and purples that had felt so hopeful yesterday. Now it just looked sad. I sank onto my paint-splattered stool and tried to breathe through the panic tightening my chest.
I needed this studio. Not just for my art, but for the classes I taught to neighborhood kids on weekends. Without it, I'd lose both my creative space and a chunk of my income. My phone buzzed with a text, and Nar's name lit up the screen.
Still on for dinner tonight? Made reservations at that new place you mentioned.
My heart did that stupid little flutter it always did when I saw his name. Even with disaster looming, thinking about those broad shoulders and warm brown eyes made my stomach flip. It had only been three weeks since we'd met at that gallery opening, but already I couldn't imagine my days without him.
I texted back quickly:Yes, but can we talk somewhere private after? Something's happened.
His response was immediate:Coming over now.
