Page 61 of The Orc Queen

Her eyes snap open, meeting mine. Her gaze seizes me, and for a split second I am pulled in and the intensity of what is going on resonates with me. I gasp, holding my tightening chest and stagger forward.

She stretches her hand. “Come, Queen.”

Her voice has a foreign note to it.

I don’t understand but I near her. I bend down and I sit next to her.

Holding my right hand in both hers, she starts speaking to the spirits as the incense burns. She speaks in a language I have never heard. It is almost like a prayer.

I am at a loss. I don’t know what is going on and Jani doesn’t tell me. He just keeps cooling his mate’s forehead with the cool cloth and rinsing it ever so often.

The whole thing is a little bizarre. But it feels important and significant. I can’t help but think about Igor. My mind stays on him, even as Owa squeezes my hand at times.

At times she is loud, at times she is trembling, and others she writhes. Almost like she is in a fight or some spiritual battle while holding on to me as an anchor.

Hours later, she finally sleeps and Jani releases me to make food.

With a heavy heart, I leave the room not entirely certain what has just happened. But I know it was significant, and a part of my soul knew it had to do with Igor. And somehow, I knew it wasn’t good. How Owa would look at me at times as she prayed. I didn’t ask because I was afraid of knowing.

Trying to be positive, I busy myself in the kitchen. Hoping when I finish, she will be awake and lucid enough to let me know what is going on.

I just hope my mate is okay, even though a nagging feeling at the back of my head is telling me to panic.

Chapter twenty-three

We Come In Peace

Igor

Whenmyeyesturnto my team, a wyren rises behind them like it manifested from thin air.

“Behind you!” I shout.

Obani falls on his behind with a thud and Joha picks him up quickly as the wyren hisses, spearing its wings on the ground, moving predatory-like, ready to attack.

Fracking frack.

Other wyrens and bigger dragons rise seemingly from the ground behind it. They seemed to have been in some camouflage, and we played right into the trap. I walk carefully to my team as our enemies attempt to surround us.

“We come in peace!” I yell. The only answer is a raging roar from the blue dragon.

“We are just crossing to Jaji. We haven’t come to hunt or harm you.” I try again, facing the two dragons and two wyrens.

We can fight but it will not be an easy win. Lucky for us, dragons have soft bellies. Their scales protect them everywhere else, but the Gods evened the playing field with their bellies. Jani taught me this. Although I’ve never fought one, but I know I will never just lie back and die.

“Remember what I told you.” I say when I am near enough to my team as we face the creatures, our backs against each other, covering all sides with our weapons drawn.

“I had hoped there'd be no use for your lessons,” Faz says.

I decide now, I won’t die. I will never break the promise I made to Aria.

“Run!” Faz shouts when the blue and black dragon flaps its wings and swoops for us suddenly. We scatter, swords ready and we duck talons. Our swords strike on all sides as we fight for our lives.

Metal crashes against hard scales and both us and the dragon’s screech. They use flight to their advantage. One of the wyrens scoops Joha by his arm, and Faz leaps for its leg. It screeches but doesn’t let him go flapping its bat-like wings and dust rises up.

Something sharp cuts through me. The dragon I’m battling is circling me, and it unleashed another swipe at me with the sharp end of its wings while I was distracted. These things are killing machines.

The dragon gets more fierce when I stagger back, feeling my warm blood sliding under my armor and it flaps its wings at me, and while I am fighting the dust, I see another talon slash me on my leg, but I clench my teeth as I see an opportunity.

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