Chapter Nineteen
That night, Audrey slept in Morgath’s bed.
They didn’t do anything, because she was bandaged all over.
Even though her wounds were healing fast from all the medicine he’d given her, she pretended they still hurt.
The truth was she wasn’t in pain anymore, but she needed the distance between them, needed the excuse not to be close to him in that way.
She felt like they were too close already, like something had shifted.
This didn’t feel like lust anymore, like a simple physical attraction she could control and dismiss.
He seemed to have feelings for her, real feelings that showed in the way he looked at her, touched her, and spoke to her.
She didn’t know how she felt toward him, but she knew one thing with absolute certainty: she couldn’t feed his feelings, couldn’t let him believe there was something real between them.
She lay awake in the dark while Morgath’s arm draped over her waist. His breathing was slow and steady, and she listened to the rhythm of it while her mind worked through her next steps.
An idea came to her. She wondered if one of the keys on his key ring opened the trunk. She didn’t know what she’d find in it, but it was worth a look.
Audrey poked Morgath’s shoulder until he stirred, then poked him again harder. He groaned and shifted, his eyes opening.
She used her most whiny, sweet voice.
“I’m hungry.”
“It’s the middle of the night. How can you be hungry?”
“Will you go to the diner kitchen and bring me a slice of Maika’s apple pie?”
“Really?” But he was already getting out of bed.
“If you don’t want this to happen again, maybe you should consider stocking our kitchen.”
Morgath muttered something in orcish and walked out of the bedroom without even putting clothes on.
Audrey heard the front door open and close. She moved fast, throwing off the covers and rushing to where his trousers lay discarded on the floor. Her hands shook as she dug through the pockets until her fingers closed around the metal ring of keys.
She tried them one by one in the trunk’s heavy lock. The fifth key turned with a satisfying click, and she lifted the lid carefully, peering inside. The moonlight coming through the window gave her just enough light to see by, though she had to squint and lean close to make out the details.
Inside were old leather-bound books written in orc language, probably spell books based on the strange symbols she could make out.
There were crystals of various sizes and colors, some that glowed faintly, which she tried not to touch.
She found mage’s robes folded at the bottom.
Morgath must have worn them before he became captain and chose to take the tattoos of his rank instead of dressing like a traditional mage.
Finally, at the very bottom, she found a skeleton key. It looked identical to one of the keys already on the ring.
“Bingo,” she whispered.
She was pretty sure this was a copy of the key to the locked door in his hut.
She took the skeleton key and closed the trunk, locking it again. She replaced the key ring in his pants pocket, then ran to her own bedroom to hide the stolen key among her things.
Morgath came back just as she was returning to his bedroom. He carried a tray with half a pie on it.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “What were you doing?”
Audrey yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
“I needed the bathroom.”
“And you couldn’t use my bathroom?” he asked.
She waved him off dismissively.
“I have all my things in mine.”
She grabbed the pie from him and took a few bites, chewing slowly as he watched her.
Morgath rolled his eyes and climbed back into bed.
“You weren’t even that hungry.”
Audrey pouted as she placed the plate on the bedside table.
“I drank some water. It turns out I was thirsty.”
Morgath pulled her close. Her heart was beating wildly against her ribs, but when she heard him snoring softly a few minutes later, she knew he didn’t have a clue about what she’d just done.
He woke up early, when the sun was barely up.
Audrey pretended she was still asleep, keeping her breathing even while she felt him shift beside her.
He kissed her forehead, and for just a moment, she felt warmth spread through her chest before she forced herself to ignore it.
She shouldn’t feel anything for Morgath, shouldn’t let these small gestures affect her.
He got up quietly and dressed, moving carefully so he wouldn’t wake her. She heard the front door close but waited another few minutes to be sure he was really gone.
Audrey jumped to her feet and went into her bedroom, grabbed the radio from the bottom of a drawer, and turned it on.
Tyler was the one who answered.
“Audrey, where the hell have you been? You missed the last two check-ins.”
“I’m fine,” she said, but even she could hear how her voice sounded different.
Shauna’s voice cut in. “You don’t sound fine. What happened? Are you okay?”
“I said I’m fine. A few things happened, but I’ve got this. Don’t stress me out.”
There was a pause on the other end, and she could practically feel them exchanging worried glances.
“Listen,” Tyler said. “A few hours ago, we saw a group of orcs heading into town. It’s probably the one Morgath sent out. Just a heads up.”
Audrey’s heart jumped in her chest.
“Thanks. I have to go.”
She turned off the radio and shoved it back into its hiding spot. What if one of the orcs returning was the one she was looking for? What if after all this time, all this waiting, planning, and pretending, he was finally here?
She got dressed quickly, pulling on her jeans and a simple shirt, her fingers fumbling with the buttons.
She ran to the diner, but the group wasn’t there yet. The diner was mostly empty, with just a few orcs having breakfast.
Audrey went into the kitchen, where Maika filled a plate of food without her even asking, piling on scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh bread still warm from the oven.
Dorsha poured her coffee and set it down in front of her with a smile.
Varka and Zulka were there too, all of them moving around the kitchen in their familiar morning routine.
“We heard what happened with Brumis,” Maika said as Audrey sat down and dug in. “Morgath gave her a stern talking to.”
Zulka laughed.
“Then he sent her to hunt with Morgrim the Brooding, to expend some of that extra energy since she’s so eager for action.”
They all laughed together. The female orcs – the girls, as she called them – had become her friends over the past few weeks. She hadn’t expected it, but here they were.
“You fought well yesterday,” Dorsha said, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”
Audrey shrugged and took a sip of coffee.
“I took some fighting classes. I’m an orphan, so with no one in the world to look after me, I had to take care of myself.”
Her words hung in the air for a few long seconds.
“What happened to your family?”
“Dead,” Audrey said simply, without elaborating.
The female orcs exchanged glances but didn’t push.
“I’m sorry,” Maika said.
The others nodded but said nothing else. Death was something orcs were used to, something they respected but didn’t make a fuss about, and Audrey was grateful they didn’t try to comfort her or ask more questions.
“So, what’s new?” She tried to sound casual.
“The party the captain sent out has returned,” Zulka said, pouring herself a cup of tea. “They have a young mage with them. His name is Nezhar the Sharp, and he looks promising.”
“Why would a young mage leave his own horde?”
“Hordes only need one or two mages at most,” Dorsha said. “So, there are not enough spots for those who are gifted. Nezhar isn’t even a pure blood orc. He’s the son of an orc mage with a human bride, so he’s hybrid, but he’s very talented. Morgath is testing him right now.”
Audrey nodded.
The diner door opened, and voices flooded in from the main room.
The orcs who’d just come in were being greeted by everyone with laughter and congratulations.
She heard the sound of pats on backs and chairs scraping as they sat down at a table, and Zulka and Maika rushed out of the kitchen to bring them food.
Audrey approached the open doorway between the kitchen and the main dining area. She studied the group carefully, looking at each face.
Her heart gave a painful jolt, and her vision narrowed until all she could see was him. She gripped the doorframe with both hands. She recognized the scar that ran down his left cheek.
The orc who’d killed her family.