Page 77 of Orc's Promise
“We needed backup. To get you and Ethan.” He holds his hand out to me. “Just walk over slowly, Tansey. Caleb and I will get you out of here.” He means it. I see it in his eyes. He’s trying to rescue us. They don’t understand we’re in no danger from Verig.
But Verig is in danger from them. I have to stop a fight before it starts.
“If we go with you, then no one will get hurt?”
“He fucking gutted Matt and Ezekial,” Caleb says. “They might not survive.”
I suck in air. They’re out for blood. Verig’s.
I take Ethan’s hand in mine and step forward.
“Tansey.” Verig’s voice comes across as a growl. Caleb raises his blaster.
“Holster the blaster, Caleb,” I demand. “If you shoot that in here, the entire place will collapse on us.”
“Vekk,” Verig swears behind me, realizing the truth of what I said.
To my surprise, Caleb holsters his blaster. “Keep walking to us, Tansey. You and your kid. Let’s get you safe and let the others take care of things here.”
“There’s nothing totake care ofin here. Verig hasn’t done anything. He was protecting us earlier, that’s all.” Their faces remain implacable. If I don’t leave with them, Joe, Caleb, and the vints will try to take us by force. It will be a bloodbath. And if we leave, they’ll still attack Verig. I have to end this.
I turn to Verig. “Please don’t stop me,” I say softly.
He doesn’t take his eyes off the vints and human men, but I see the tension in his muscles, the tight grip on his sword, and his tusks on full display.
“You are not my prisoner, Tansey. You can leave, but not with them. Not with the vints.”
“You’d let me go? Really? Just like that?”
“Yes.”
That’s not the answer I expected or truly want, though it’s the only way to keep everyone safe.
I face Joe again. “We’ll go with you if you promise not to hurt Verig.”
“Wait outside with Joe,” Caleb orders, his eyes locked on Verig.
I shake my head. “Youwait outside. All of you. There’s been enough killing. This is the orc’s shelter. Leave him here, unharmed.”
“I do not need you defending me, female,” Verig says, his voice harsh. “Take the youngling to safety. I will take care of these sartogs.”
Caleb pushes forward. “Why you fucking?—”
I kick him in the shin to stop him from advancing. “I said get out!”
Caleb stumbles backward, and his foot catches on a loose floorboard, sending him crashing to the floor. The man is quick to recover, though, scrambling to his feet, his blaster pointed between Verig and me. “Are you crazy?—”
“You’re going to get everyone killed. Let me speak to him for a minute. Then I’ll come out.”
“You can’t trust the orc, Tansey,” Joe says.
“Yeah, I can.”
“Hey, kid, is this yours?” Caleb waves Brownie around. He must have grabbed it when he fell.
“Brownie!” Ethan runs past me. I try to grab him, but he’s too fast. Caleb grabs hold of him by his shirt and pulls him behind the vints.
“Ethan!” I shout as a blue spiked tail wraps around Ethan’s waist.
