Page 103 of Storms & Sacrifice
“Okay, yeah.” Adam doesn’t look all that surprised by my answer. “Well, Corrine and Nate told us about you challenging him to the fight. It wasn’t until later that we found out the whole thing ended in sex.”
My face heats up, and I can’t bring myself to look over at Adam.
“It scared us since it sounded like you were being forced, but then a couple of the guards threw us some taunts about how much you liked it.”Assholes.“We were still pretty worried until we saw you the day of the trial. You seemed okay, and Ironstorm—Khazak—didn’t seem like a monster, so we didn’t really know what to think. After we were released, when you were still unconscious, he wouldn’t leave the side of your bed. Even when hehadto, he always made sure someone else was there in case you woke up. I don’t think I even saw him eating or sleeping all that much.”
“He did all that?” The info causes a burst of warmth inmy chest.
“Yeah.” Adam nods. “It seemed like you guys had gotten pretty close.”
“We did, eventually.” I take a deep breath before I start. “Everything you heard was basically true, even the forced part. The thing is, that ritual I challenged him to hasn’t been used to solve criminal issues in like, decades. It’s used bycouplesalready in relationships. Information Redwish kept from me, while at the same time telling Khazak Ididknow, trying to convince him to accept.”
“Why’d he do that?” Adam asks. “Do you think it was part of their plans in the temple?”
“No, they weren’t expecting me to be out there that night.” I shake my head. “I think he just thought it was funny.”
“Asshole.” Adam’s cursing makesme smirk.
“Agreed,” I continue, nodding. “The first few days were rough. He did not make things easy for me, and I fought him at every turn, but eventually they settled down, and we found some sort of mutual respect. At least until... Do you remember your last night in the jail cell before being moved to the labor camp? When I came to see you in the middle of the night?”
“Oh yeah, what the hell was that about?” Adam looks confused. “I thought I dreamed that.”
“Well, I was sorta...trying to break you guys out.” I duck my head sheepishly.
“What?!” Adam booms out with a laugh. “Youdidwhat?”
“So first, I drugged Khazak with some hypnograss and stole his keys.” Adam’s eyes go wide. “Then I climbed the wall around the jail—which they rigged with alarms now, by the way—and tried to get you out of the cell. Except you had been moved to a cell inside days before. I got caught right after that, and that’s when I was brought in for that late night visit. I wanted proof that you wereall okay.”
“Well, I appreciate the thought,” he chuckles, “but I can’t imagine that worked out wellfor you.”
“Yeah, he waspissed. We had a huge fight.” I grimace, remembering the next day. “But it got us to actually talk about stuff, which is when we figured out that we had both been tricked by Redwish. He feltsoterrible—still does—but after some more talking, we came to an agreement for the rest of my stay. And then, like you said, we...got close.” I pause, feeling bashful again. “I swear, it wasn’t that I was trying to hide something from everyone, or at least I didn’twantto hide anything, but I was worried about what everyone would think, and it’s not like there was ever a goodtime to—”
“David, hey.” Adam’s hand on my arm stops my nervous rambling. “It’s okay. I get it. You’re not the only one who’sgotten closewith another guy.”
What?I have to look over at Adam three times before I’m sure I heard himcorrectly.
“Remember Rich Fullbrush?” I nod in response. Rich was a former schoolmate and knight-in-training who I thought was going to kiss me, right before he threw up all over my shoes. “Once, during a party, when he wasreallydrunk, he kissed me.”
“Iknewit,”I whisper.
“It made me realize it didn’t really matter to me if the person I was kissing was a man or a woman,” he finishes, scrunching up his face. “It also tasted like he just got done throwing up.”
“Gross.” I avoid gloating about the fact that his vomit-flavored mouth means Rich tried to kiss me first...for now. “With the way everything went down, it was like I couldn’t avoid or ignore it anymore. I just had to accept it. Then, because everyone I knew was far away or in jail, it was like I got to be this whole other person. Someone who didn’t have to worry about what anyone else would think.”
“The longer things went on, the easier it was,” I continue, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the collar, looking at the engraving on the lock. “He had this custom-made for me. It showed that he owned me, but also that we were...close.” My voice drops to a whisper, afraid it might crack. “I think I might be in lovewith him.”
“Woah.” Adam straightens at my revelation. “That’s... Maybe when we finish with all this, we can go back. Maybe even soon.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I nod, both of us knowing it probably won’t be that easy. “Thanks for talking to me, man. I really missed having you around.”
“Ditto, bro.” He nudges my shoulder with his. “Alright, I don’t think we’re catching anything, and it’s getting dark. Let’s head back.”
We fold up our rods and pack up, making the short walk back to where our camp is. The sun is almost down, but the fire is plenty bright, and we don’t even have to use it for cooking! I help Corrine pass out the jerky and some plums. I figured we could enjoy a day or two of fresh fruit before we have to move on to the dried stuff. Weren’t cheap, either.
Just as I go to sit down on the ground, something rustling in the bushes has everyone on alert. Weapons are grabbed, and we quickly move into a circle formation on the other side of the fire, watching the shrubs carefully. Could be nothing, could be bandits, could even be awild boar.
What I amnotexpecting is an orc, both hands held out in front of him.
Khazak?
