Chapter 28
Malek
Letting Fiona go was one of the hardest things I had ever done.
Every step she took away from the village carried a piece of my peace with it.
The training field, where we shared our last kiss, felt cold and empty.
My body still bore her scent—the delicious, lingering trace of our mating—but her absence left a void nothing could fill.
I didn't have time to mourn the fact that my mate had gone to the enemy kingdom.
Fenric’s invasion hadn’t just claimed lives; Oksha had lost nine warriors, and three females had been wounded. The attack had destabilized the clan.
The assembly gathered around the bonfire, the flickering light illuminating faces marked by pain. Kroshak stood at the center, his posture grave yet steady. The screams of the previous night had given way to a heavy silence.
“Fenric used the guards of Ceilte to attack us,” Kroshak said. “His goal is to destroy us and spark another war, placing the blame on Alasdair.”
A murmur of rage rippled through the crowd. As born warriors, we felt humiliated to have been caught off guard in the dead of night. Even for High Fae, the strategy had been dishonorable.
"They came in Alasdair’s name?" Grok’an asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
"No. Leone, the heir, and Fiona—" I hesitated. I still didn’t know how they would react to the mention of my krash’uk now that the truth was known. "They confirmed that Fenric is a traitor. They didn’t know about the attack."
Kroshak intervened. He didn’t need to raise his voice to silence the doubts swirling among everyone.
"Fionnuala made a blood bargain with the Ruk’hai, and they have mated. And the heir of Ceilte guaranteed that Fenric didn’t act on his father's behalf."
"And we are expected to take the word of a kir’shakur?" Akali snarled, one of the wounded females, spitting the question with venom. Her pain was evident, but rage sharpened her voice. "Trust those who have been hurting us for years?"
Distrust spread quickly. Heads tilted in agreement, and the murmurs grew louder. I couldn't blame them. Before I met Fiona—and even Leone—I had believed the same.
"I trust Fiona," I answered without hesitation, meeting the fury in the female's eyes. "You know I would never lie to you or put you at risk. I’m asking you to trust me one more time. Fiona is my mate, the krash’uk of the Okshai, and she stands on our side."
That declaration, more than any oath we had ever sworn, silenced the crowd. A Ruk’hai didn’t choose his krash’uk lightly. I had chosen Fiona to remain by my side for eternity—or until death led us to the Otherworld.
"Why was the heir of Ceilte in Oksha?" Roak asked.
I took a deep breath. This was the most complicated part to explain, because I would have to admit that I had lied to my people and sheltered the enemy right under their noses.
"The Autumn Court tortured Leone. On the day we attacked the soldiers, he was inside the magic cage. To protect him, Fiona and I made a blood bargain; in exchange for our protection, she will help us secure peace with Ceilte."
No one spoke after that.
"What do we do now?" Kroshak asked.
"Fiona and Leone returned to Ceilte with Drak to expose Fenric’s treachery and find Alasdair," I replied. "If he is rescued, peace will be the only option. Otherwise, we must prepare for war."
That was enough to calm the orcs—for now. The assembly dispersed quickly; there was much to do to rebuild our village. In such a short time, the cursed kir’shakur forces had destroyed what had taken years to build.
Back in my cabin, silence pressed in, heavy and suffocating. Fiona’s scent still clung to the air, a haunting reminder of the days we had shared—and of the fact that she was gone.
As the adrenaline faded and my body cooled, exhaustion struck hard.
We were on the brink of another war.
Oksha depended on me. If Alasdair didn't accept the deal, or if Fenric prevailed, we were doomed. And if anything happened to Fiona… the High Fae would finally understand why they had never managed to conquer us.
? ? ?
The day passed in a blur. The light shifted outside without me noticing; shadows lengthened, and the hours dissolved while I helped the orcs clear the last traces of the battle.
The bodies of the High Fae were carried to the pyre and tossed into the fire without ceremony. Ours, however, received what they deserved—a dignified funeral marked by respect and honor.
Kroshak intoned the prayer to the Great Mother, asking her to bless and purify the bodies of our brothers and sisters, and to guide them with mercy and strength on their journey to the Otherworld.
Once he finished, everyone in the clan stepped forward to pay their respects to the fallen. I was always the first in the battle line, but the last to say goodbye, for as their leader, their deaths rested heavily on me. I bore the blame for each one.
The orcs touched the bodies of the fallen; some wept in silence, while others bowed their heads, unable to find words. The entire kuturo shared the same grief. That was the cruelest part of living so long: when one of us departed, the pain became nearly impossible to bear.
When my turn came, I stepped forward and intoned the final prayer they would hear on this plane.
For all who have departed from this earth,
may eternity grant peace to a weary mind.
Though their strength has faded, their essence remains.
May the Great Mother receive them with open arms,
and may we meet again in her embrace,
when time is no longer a burden,
and our flesh returns to dust in the ground.
Let the end be not a farewell,
but simply a return to the life unbound.
When the prayer ended, we remained silent, watching the great roots of the Harksh’k close around the bodies, embracing them and guiding them slowly into the earth's depths.
With nothing left to say, the others gradually returned to their tasks. In the end, only Kroshak, Uruha, Kalisha, and I remained.
"You did the right thing, ashkru," Kroshak declared, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder. The warmth of his touch didn't erase the pain, but it made it bearable, easing the tightness in my chest for a moment.
"The dead feel nothing more. It’s the living we must worry about," Uruha added, with far less gentleness than her mate.
"You need to rest, Malek," Kalisha said, her voice softer than usual. "You’re the Ruk’hai, but you aren’t made of stone."
"I know," I agreed, closing my eyes briefly. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. "But I can’t rest until my people are safe."
I resisted the urge to fidget under Kroshak’s clouded, milky-white gaze.
"The Okshai people are safe for now, Ruk’hai. The kir’shakur have retreated. Your strength is our security, but you cannot remain strong if you are broken."
I nodded, resigned. The elder’s wisdom never failed. I would be of no use to my people if I collapsed from exhaustion.
"Very well," I said, turning toward my cabin. "But I want the sentinels on high alert. We will not be caught by surprise again."
"As you wish, Ruk’hai," Kalisha replied, bowing her head.
? ? ?
Two days passed before I heard the sweet, melodious voice I had been aching to hear—Fiona was back. They had been, without a doubt, the slowest and most agonizing days of my life. When I heard her name called outside, the tension gripping me since her departure finally unraveled.
I shot upright, the cabin suddenly too small for the urgency coursing through me. Throwing open the door, I found her there, bathed in the flickering light of the bonfire, surrounded by the other orcs.
Her hair was tangled in wild blonde strands—a reminder that I needed to teach her how to weave our braids—and her delicate face was smudged with dirt, but her blue eyes shone with their usual fierce intensity. The relief of seeing her safe struck so hard it emptied my mind.
I strode toward her, ignoring everyone else.
"Krash’uk," I growled, every protective instinct surging to the surface.
A bright smile spread across her face, heavy with exhaustion yet filled with love.
She ran toward me, and I caught her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around.
The axe I had been holding slipped from my grasp and struck the dirt.
Her body felt familiar and soft against mine, and her scent made my heart pound.
"I’m back," she whispered against my neck, holding me just as fiercely.
"I missed you," I replied, burying my face in her hair. The scent of jasmine soothed the anxiety that had weighted on me during those days apart.
"I know. I'm sorry."
I couldn't hold back any longer. Instinctively, I tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her closer, sealing her lips with mine. Fiona released a shaky breath, her body responding with the same urgency that burned through mine.
Our tongues met eagerly, craving the taste of one another. It felt like returning after a long journey—though I had never truly left home. Gradually, the kiss softened, but we remained close, sharing the same breath, reluctant to part.
"Hello, Ruk’hai," she said playfully, her eyes fixed on mine. Heat surged through my veins, and all I wanted was to carry her back to the cabin and lose myself in her.
"Hello, krash’uk," I replied with a smirk. "I have a feeling now isn’t the time to do what I want."
She laughed—a sweet sound that eased the tension gripping my body.
"I know. We have a lot to talk about."
I released her and turned to the rest of the clan. Contrary to what I’d thought, no one looked at Fiona with resentment; quite the opposite. They seemed almost as happy to see her as I was—almost.
"Are Drak and Leone alright?" I asked.
Fiona nodded, but a shadow darkened her eyes.
"Drak went with Kristan to find my mother north of An Teallach. And Leone stayed in Ceilte."
My brow furrowed.
"Kristan? Who is Kristan?"
"My childhood friend."
The idea of a High Fae traveling alongside Drak struck me as absurd, to say the least. Still, the confidence in Fiona’s voice eased my concerns.
I doubted Drak would harm her friend; on the contrary, if I knew him at all, he would do everything possible to provoke her simply because she was High Fae.
Well, that wasn't my problem.
"Come. We have a lot to do." Fiona pulled me by the hand toward my cabin. I gestured for Kroshak and several of my captains to follow.
Inside the cabin, Fiona wasted no time recounting everything they had discovered during their brief stay in Ceilte.
"Lord Fenric orchestrated the attack," she announced. "He used Alasdair’s absence to stage a coup. He made us believe the Lord was behind the attack alongside the Autumn Court, but the truth is—he’s missing."
"He kidnapped the Lord of Ceilte?" Uthak asked, incredulous.
"We don’t know if it was a kidnapping, but he arranged matters so that Alasdair would vanish. Then he seized control of the castle and, before anyone could grow suspicious, he marched here."
"And what’s the situation now?" I asked, resting a hand on her thigh.
"Leone contacted one of our spies in the Autumn and Winter Courts." A flash of pure rage ignited in her eyes. "Alasdair went to Grìosach searching for my brother and walked straight into an ambush. He's being held prisoner there."
She sighed and lowered her gaze to her hand resting atop mine. Something held her back; hesitation lingered in her expression, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I gave her thigh a light squeeze, and when she looked up, I offered a small nod, urging her to continue.
"Leone is going to march on Grìosach," she began, licking her lips. "I… damn it." Her voice faltered briefly. "I feel terrible even asking this. I know this isn't your war—that you have no obligation to help us—but…"
"We’ll help," I said without hesitation.
Even though the High Fae of Ceilte had been our enemies for millennia, Fiona and Leone were different. And above all, I knew my female would never allow her brother to face the enemy alone. I allowed myself, then, one moment of selfishness.
And, truth be told, my warriors would never pass up the chance to sink their claws into a prim and proper High Fae.
"You are mistaken, akra’yn," Kroshak intervened, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "This war is ours, too. It has always been our destiny to fight for freedom and for what we believe is right. The Okshai people never abandon one of their own—and you are one of us now. Curse or no curse."
Fiona's eyes filled with tears, but she forced them back with a discreet sniff.
"Maka’ri. You are the best thing that ever happened to me." She looked at each of us with warmth, even those she didn't yet know well.
My heart swelled with pride and affection for this fearless female, and I silently thanked the Great Mother for the blessing of having her by my side.
Uruha huffed, though even the grumpy old female’s gaze softened when it landed on Fiona.
"Brusak ashkre," she scolded, peering at Fiona over her nose—the same look she used to give me whenever I got into trouble as a child. "Now you just need to be less sappy and more ork."
Fiona didn’t take offense. She laughed instead and, with her eyes still shining with emotion, squeezed my hand.
Everything was going to be alright.