Chapter Ten
The next morning, Audrey pulled a deep blue velvet dress from the bowels of her dresser and held it up to the light.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn it.
She stripped off her sleeping clothes and pulled the dress over her head, tugging it down over her hips with some effort.
It was tighter than she remembered. She’d gained a few pounds over the years, muscle and fat both, and the velvet strained against her breasts and hips in a way that would have embarrassed her once.
Now she just smirked at her reflection. If anything, the extra tightness only worked in her favor.
She wasn’t doing this because Morgath had told her to. She was wearing it to fuck with him and watch him struggle to keep his eyes off her. The thought amused her as she ran her fingers through her short hair and headed out into the cool morning air.
The diner was quieter than usual when she arrived.
About twenty orcs sat scattered at the tables, their conversations subdued.
A few glanced up when she entered, but most ignored her.
She made her way to the kitchen, where Zulka the Proud stood at the stove, her dreadlocks tied back with a strip of leather.
“Good morning,” Audrey said, sliding onto a stool.
Zulka turned and smiled. “Good morning, bride of our captain. You look lovely today.”
Audrey felt heat rise to her cheeks.
“Thank you. Is there any breakfast left?”
“Of course.”
Zulka ladled thick porridge into a bowl and added a generous pat of butter that melted into the oats, then set it in front of Audrey along with a cup of tea and a small dish of honey.
“Eat up. You’re still too thin.”
Varka the Keen appeared from a back room that was possibly the pantry. Bits of flour dusted her forearms. She carried a large wooden bowl and set it on the counter, then began kneading a mound of dough.
“The captain’s bride honors us with her presence again.”
“I like it here,” Audrey said.
She took a bite of her food and watched the orcs come in and out of the diner, her eyes scanning each face.
Dorsha the Enduring emerged from the pantry with her arms full of root vegetables. She dumped them into a basket near the sink and wiped her hands on her apron.
“You’re up early today.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Audrey said, which was true enough.
She’d spent half the night thinking about Morgath in the next room. She forced the thoughts away and tried to remember why she was here.
“How many orcs are in the horde?” she asked, sounding casual.
Varka paused in her kneading, her brow furrowing in thought.
“One hundred and ten, I believe.”
“Really?” Audrey frowned. “I thought I only saw about a hundred.”
“You did,” Dorsha said as she began scrubbing the vegetables. “The captain sent a group on a mission, and they haven’t returned yet.”
“Is the mission secret?”
All three females laughed.
Zulka wiped tears from her eyes.
“No, no. It’s quite simple, really.”
“They are to visit the hordes in the vicinity,” Dorsha explained, “Until they find a good apprentice to a mage. A young orc with skill who’s been trained to become a mage. They’re supposed to bring him back, so Morgath can train him properly.”
“The captain has been fulfilling two positions for too long,” Maika the Nurturing added. “He can’t do it anymore. He needs to train a mage, so he can focus only on his captain duties.”
Audrey absorbed this information. Morgath the Skullreaper was looking for a replacement. Someone to take over the magical duties, so he could concentrate on leading the horde. It made sense. No one could carry that kind of burden indefinitely.
“Is that why he’s gone all day?” she asked.
“Yes,” Maika said. “He’s usually holed up in his hut in the forest. That’s where he has his workshop and prepares medicine. That’s where the orcs go if they’re sick or wounded.”
“When he’s not in the hut, he’s patrolling or going hunting with his raiders,” Zulka said. “He’s busy all day. He doesn’t even have time to eat.”
Dorsha shook her head, her expression disapproving.
“Usually, one of us brings him lunch to his hut, or he won’t eat at all until dinner.”
“Can I bring him lunch today?”
The three females exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with excitement. Maika clasped her hands together.
“What a wonderful idea! The newly mated should spend as much time together as possible.”
“I’m certain the captain would love to spend all day with his lovely bride,” Dorsha said with a knowing smile, “But he’s simply too busy.”
Audrey felt herself blush, the heat spreading across her cheeks in what she hoped looked like shy affection. She ducked her head and smiled.
“I’d love to spend the day with him, yeah. Maybe bringing him lunch is a good start.”
“We’ll pack you a basket,” Zulka said. “You can take it to him around midday.”
Audrey finished her breakfast while the females bustled around the kitchen, clearly pleased with this development.
She kept watching the orcs who came and went, hoping to spot the face she was searching for, but her family’s killer remained absent.
It was becoming clear to her he’d been sent on the mission to find a mage apprentice.
The thought made her stomach twist with frustration, but she forced it down.
She would find him eventually. She just had to be patient.
Around noon, Audrey found herself walking through the forest with a heavy basket in her hands.
Sunlight dappled through the pine branches overhead, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
Birds sang in the trees, and somewhere in the distance, she could hear a stream bubbling over rocks.
The forest was almost fairy tale-like. Her nerves, which had been wound tight, began to loosen.
The hut appeared after about twenty minutes, sitting in a small clearing surrounded by tall pines. It was an old hunting cabin, bigger than she’d expected, with a slanted roof and thick walls that looked like they could withstand anything.
Audrey approached slowly. She set the basket down and crept toward one of the windows, rising up on her toes to peer inside.
Morgath stood with his back to her at a long table. His skull helmet was off. Audrey’s breath caught in her throat.
His long black hair fell in waves down his shoulders and back.
She could see the powerful muscles of his shoulders moving as he worked, grinding something in a mortar.
His movements were almost meditative. He was relaxed, in his element, and Audrey found herself transfixed by the sight of him.
She waited, hoping he’d turn even slightly, so she could catch a glimpse of his face in profile, but minutes passed and he remained focused on his work, whispering something in orc language over the herbs he was grinding.
Audrey bit her lip in frustration. She needed to see his face.
She decided to try a different approach. If she could surprise him, burst through the door before he had time to put his helmet back on, maybe she’d finally get a look at him.
She tiptoed toward the door, placing each foot carefully on the wooden steps that led up to the entrance. But the moment her weight settled on the second step, the wood creaked loudly beneath her boot.
Audrey winced and cursed under her breath. She heard movement inside the hut, the scrape of a chair, and the rustle of fabric. By the time she pushed the door open without knocking, Morgath already had his skull helmet firmly in place.
He turned to face her.
“What are you doing here?”
Audrey picked up the basket she’d left outside and carried it in, forcing a bright smile.
“I’m only trying to help. The girls are busy in the kitchen, and I offered to bring you lunch.”
“The girls?”
“Yes. Maika, Zulka, and Dorsha. They’re lovely.”
Morgath huffed, the sound almost like a laugh but not quite.
“They are not girls. They are warriors. Make sure you don’t call them that to their face, or they’ll cook you into their famous potato stew.”
Audrey rolled her eyes.
“So dramatic.”
She looked around the hut, taking in as much as she could while trying to appear casual. Shelves lined the walls, packed with glass jars containing dried herbs, liquids in shades of amber, green, and deep purple, and fine powders that sparkled in the candlelight.
Candles burned in every corner. Crystals of different sizes and colors were scattered everywhere – clear quartz on the windowsill, deep blue stones on a shelf, blood-red garnets arranged in a circle on a side table.
Stones carved with strange symbols lay in patterns, and bundles of dried plants hung from the ceiling beams, filling the air with the fragrant scent of sage, rosemary, and mint.
Audrey placed the basket on the only corner of the table that wasn’t covered with supplies.
Morgath cleared the rest of the table, moving jars and vials to the shelves, then pulled up a chair for himself. He didn’t offer one to Audrey.
She raised an eyebrow.
“So, this is how it is when we’re not putting on a show.”
She found herself a chair and dragged it over, sitting down next to him.
Morgath scowled at her and moved several inches away before he began unpacking the basket. He pulled out thick slices of bread, cold roasted meat still on the bone, wedges of hard cheese, three apples, and a flask of water.
Audrey reached for a piece of bread, but Morgath’s eyes flicked to her.
“I don’t remember inviting you to eat with me.”
She pouted, making her lower lip tremble just slightly.
“But I’m starving. And I was nice enough to bring you your lunch.”
He shook his head and turned his attention to the food, tearing the meat with his hands. He ate quickly and efficiently, somehow managing to get the food through the jaw opening of the skull without making a mess.
Audrey helped herself to bread and cheese, watching him from the corner of her eye. He kept his gaze away from her, looking at his food, at the walls, at anything except where she sat beside him.
“Should I sit in your lap?” she asked, her voice teasing.
“No.”
She picked up a piece of meat and examined it.
“This is hard to pull from the bone. Will you do it for me?”
Morgath looked at her, and she saw his eyes drop to her chest before he caught himself.
The blue velvet clung to her breasts, the neckline dipping low enough to show the curve of her cleavage.
His gaze lingered there for just a heartbeat too long before he jerked his eyes back to her face and scoffed.
“I’m not feeding you.”
“Why not?” Audrey smiled sweetly. “You do it so well at dinner.”
Morgath wiped his hands on a cloth napkin, pushed his chair back, and stood.
“You should go.”
“But I’m not finished eating.”
“Hurry up, then leave. And don’t come here again.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is my sanctuary, and I’d like to keep it that way. If you’re not ill or hurt, you have no business being here.”
Audrey pouted again, but he wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. He’d already turned back to his work, dismissing her.
She finished eating and packed up the basket slowly, taking her time.
As she looked around, she noticed there were three doors.
Two stood slightly ajar – one leading to what looked like a small bathroom, the other to a bedroom with a narrow bed and a single window.
The third door was closed. The heavy lock on it drew her attention.
Morgath noticed her staring.
“What are you doing? I asked you to leave.”
“What’s in there?”
“It’s a storage room.”
“Can I see?”
“No. It’s not your business, and it’s locked. So don’t even try.”
Well. If he kept it locked, it was definitely her business.
She needed to know what was in that room. But for now, she just shrugged and headed for the door.
“See you later, I guess.”
He turned his back to her without responding, already focused on mixing something in a glass vial.
Audrey stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind her, then started back down the path toward town.
As she walked, her mind catalogued everything she’d seen. The jars and vials, all marked in orc language, which she’d never bothered to learn. The locked storage room that clearly held something important. The layout of the hut and the position of the windows.
When she finally identified the killer, she’d need a way to eliminate him.
There were two options: a dagger infused with orc magic, which she’d have to steal, or poison, plain and simple.
The problem was that all of Morgath’s vials were labeled in orc script.
But if she could sneak into the hut when he wasn’t there and take pictures with her phone, she could send them to the Tusk Hunters.
They had access to the internet and could translate.
She also needed to figure out a way to get into that locked room. There had to be a key somewhere, probably on Morgath’s person or hidden in the hut. Finding it would take time and planning, but it was possible.
For now, this was the best plan she could come up with.
Audrey felt a surge of energy. She had concrete steps to follow now, actions she could take instead of just watching and waiting.