Chapter 12 #3
Dread coiled tight in Orlena’s chest. Her mind raced through the worst possibilities. A lifetime bound to Yambul. Endless solars of servitude. The fragile hope she had nurtured shuddered on the brink of collapse.
Bula dragged a hand down her face as if she had to restrain herself. When she turned to Orlena, there was a glint in her eyes that Orlena had never seen before.
“It says that your original contract ended five solars ago.”
The words that Bula spoke didn’t make any sense at first. They floated in the air, but there was a disconnect. Orlena frowned.
“Ended?” Orlena echoed.
“You were free,” Bula said. “Five solars ago. He added illegal clauses. False extensions. None of it is valid. He’s been holding you under a contract that no longer exists.”
Silence roared in Orlena’s ears, but there was one word she did hear.
Free.
The word expanded inside her where she almost couldn’t grasp the concept. She stared at Bula and searched her face for any sign of misunderstandings. There were none. Only anger on her behalf and a fierce, protective intensity that stalled her breathing.
“I…I’ve been free,” she whispered. She brought a hand to her mouth at the thought. She was free. No longer bound to the old orc. She could leave. “For five solars. I could have left?”
Bula nodded once.
A laugh bubbled up from Orlena’s chest. It spilled out of her, half sob, half joy. She pressed her hand to her mouth again, tears blurring her vision.
“I can leave,” she whispered. “I can actually leave.”
So many possibilities filled Orlena’s mind. Where would they go first? Energy surged through her. She threw back the blankets and leaped from the bed. Her heart raced a mile a minute. She was free.
“I need to pack,” she breathed. She looked around her small room. “I don’t have much, but I can…I can be ready quickly. We can leave tonight, or in the morning. I don’t care, I just—”
She raced over to the chest and pulled it open. She snatched clothing out of it and held it to her chest. Her movements were frantic. This was the moment she had been dreaming about since she was old enough to understand that she was bound by a contract.
She and Bula could be together. Truly together, wherever they chose to be.
Strong hands caught her shoulders.
“Orlena,” Bula said gently.
The urgency in her tone cut through the excitement. Orlena looked up, and her smile faltered. She tightened her grip on the clothing. Bula’s expression was serious. Her eyes were intense as she stood before Orlena.
“Yambul will want to know how you found out,” she said. “How you got this document. If you disappear now, he will suspect immediately.”
The joy drained from Orlena, leaving her knees weak. Her body swayed, and she tried to inhale. Her lungs burned as she fought to get air in them. Fear filled her at the thought of Yambul learning she’d stolen from him.
“He’ll…he’ll come after me. He’ll report me to the guards.” Orlena’s body trembled. The clothes slipped from her fingers. Images flashed through her mind—Yambul’s cold eyes, his scowl, clan guards coming to arrest her. She couldn’t go to jail.
“What do we do?” she whispered.
Bula guided her back to the bed and sat with her. She took her hands in hers. The warmth of her touch anchored Orlena.
“We need to come up with a plan,” Bula began slowly. Her amber eyes softened. She tightened her grip on Orlena’s hands. “For now, you will put the contract back exactly where you found it. Act as you always have. Give him no reason to suspect anything has changed.”
The thought of returning the parchment made Orlena sick to her stomach. It felt as if her freedom was slipping away from her.
“But—”
“I will free you,” Bula said. “We will do it the legal way where he will not be able to touch you. I just need time.”
Orlena searched her face, looking for any signs of doubt. Bula’s gaze was unwavering, and in her gut, she knew if she couldn’t trust anyone else, she could trust this orc next to her.
“Do you trust me?” Bula asked.
The words seemed to echo through the air. Her orc was asking her for one thing. Trust. It was a leap into uncertainty, but she had already taken that leap the moment she had let Bula into her heart.
Without a doubt, she loved her.
“I do,” Orlena whispered.
Bula’s shoulders relaxed. She brushed a thumb across Orlena’s cheek, wiping a lone tear that trailed down her skin.
“You are strong, doakir. This soon will be over.”
Orlena nodded and drew in a shaky breath. Fear still lingered, but hope remained. Besides, she had Bula by her side. She was sure Bula wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Whatever storm awaited them, they would face it together.
She folded the contract carefully. Tomorrow, she would return it to Yambul’s desk and play the part of dutiful apprentice. She would smile and work, pretending nothing had changed.
But everything had.
She was a free woman, and soon, the world beyond Soza would be open for her.
Orlena leaned into Bula’s embrace and let the steady beat of her heart calm all of the fears she held. For the first time since she’d stolen the contract, the fear didn’t feel suffocating. Tonight she was safe.
Because of Bula.