Page 79 of The Orc's Thief
I lead the horses deeper into the thicket, hoping the brambles will hide us from the road. There’s nothing to prevent a skilled tracker from following us if they inspect the soft ground by the roadside, but hopefully, they’ll have no cause to do so if they don’t see us hiding here.
“People coming up on the road,” I murmur. “I’d rather avoid them.”
She doesn’t complain. Her hazel eyes go wide with worry, and she strokes Clover’s nose, crooning softly to her. The horses aren’t bothered in the least. Pip finds a small patch of grass between two alder trees, and soon all three of them are grazing without a care in the world.
“Do you think someone’s after us already?” Tessa whispers, squinting through the brambles.
I tug her back, worried any movement from us could alert whoever is coming down the road. “Probably not, but I’d rather stay out of sight.”
She settles against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. “I hate this. Being on the run. And all for nothing, too.”
“What do you mean?” I can’t see her face, but the dejected tone in her voice has me frowning. “You’re closer to finding Lindie, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but she’s leading the caravan, Arlon.” Tessa turns in my arms. “That means she knew she’d be leaving the city, and she didn’t bother to tell me. She’s not in danger. I broke into Damen’s office to save her, and she doesn’t need saving at all. She was just too busy to even say goodbye. Or she didn’t care.”
The hurt in her voice is undeniable. I can’t do anything but offer support. I squeeze her shoulders and look her in the eyes. “We’ll find out what’s going on. You can ask Lindie when we catch up with the caravan.”
“That won’t solve the problem of having the Ravens on our tail,” she mumbles. “Damen won’t just give up. I ransacked his office, broke into his safe, and stole from him. Worst of all, I proved that his mansion isn’t impenetrable.”
I scoff. “He should have protected it better if that’s what he’s claiming. Though it’s true, you are an exceptional thief. Not everyone could do what you did.”
The corner of her full lips turns up in a smile. “Are you saying you’re proud of my burglary skills?”
“Let’s not go that far,” I hedge. “But perhaps you could point out some ways he could improve his security instead?”
Tessa huffs out a laugh. “Oh, that would be perfect. Maybe I can do the same with every mansion we come across—I break in, then demand money to tell them how I did it.”
I cock my head to the side, considering it. It’s not a bad idea, but before I can answer, the riders come into view. Tessa freezes, then cranes her neck to see better, even though I’m holding her back. I stare at the two men and a woman riding hard in the same direction we were going.
“It’s not the couple from last night,” I whisper against Tessa’s ear. “Do you recognize any of them?”
“I can’t see that far,” she admits. “Describe them to me?”
“One of the men is pale-skinned and wears his brown hair in a queue. He’s slight, probably just taller than you are.” I move on to the next rider, adding, “The second one has brown skin and short black hair. He’s the best rider of the three, and he’s a few inches taller than the first man.” I pause, then add, “He looks familiar, actually.”
Tessa sucks in a breath, her pulse quickening. “And the woman?”
“Yellow hair, on the short side. Carries a knife at her belt.” I look down at my mate. “Do you know them?”
“They’re the Ravens,” she whispers. “Damen’s cleanup crew.”
“Ah, I think that second man is the one who left me with my little souvenir.” I rub my thigh where the stab wound now itches under my riding pants.
Tessa’s scent changes, the acrid whiff of fear and worry overpowering her sweet notes. My instincts rise in response, and I clutch her tighter against my chest.
“I’m not going to let them hurt you,” I promise her as the riders thunder past our hiding space and out of view again.
She twists away from me and faces me. “You don’t understand. Snitch gets things done, that’s why Damen sends him out on missions like this. That’s the first man you described. The second one’s name is Toby. He only joined the Ravens a year or so ago, so he’s eager to prove himself to Damen. Lindie told me he’s deadly with a crossbow.” She pushes her hair away from her face, her hand trembling. “He was on watch the night you found me on their rooftop. I bet this is his way of making amends. And the woman is Faye. She dislikes Lindie, so I’m guilty by association. If she found out I’m the one who broke into their mansion, she’ll stop at nothing to either kill me or bring me back to the boss.”
Tessa is shaking all over now, her voice a panicked whisper, and I can’t do anything to fix this apart from offer her comfort. I snag her hand and tug her forward into another embrace while she’s distracted, peering through the bushes again to see if the Ravens are really gone.
“Tessa.” I wrap myself around her to stop her shivering. “Say the word, and we’ll abandon this quest. We can find sanctuary with my clan. These people will never reach you there. They’ll never even know you were?—”
“But they will,” she interrupts. “If they’re really going to the Stonefrost Clan, the first thing they’ll ask is whether anyone recognizes the orc I’ve been seen with. And when they realize you’re not one of theirs, they’ll know to look elsewhere. Damen won’t just give up, Arlon. He owns half the powerful people in Ultrup. I’d be bringing my trouble to all of you. Isn’t it enough that I’ve dragged you down into my shit?” She pushes away from me, wobbles over to a fallen tree, and sits there, her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. “You should have left me when you had the chance.”
“And left you to face them alone?” I bark. “Have you really learned nothing by now?”
Her gaze is stark as she lifts her head. “I made a bad decision again, but this time, I won’t be the only one paying for it. I don’t think I can live with that. Please, you need?—”
