Chapter Five
Cora woke up with Never sitting at her side. “I thought I dreamed you.”
“Nope. I felt you getting hurt, and I started driving. I got here three hours ago. You are doing better. All the new holes are sealing up nicely.”
Cora squeezed the fingers holding her hand, and Never squeezed back.
“Uncle is here, and what looks like most of a belly dance troupe and their partners.” Never looked at her. “I hear you banged an orc.”
“Uh, yeah. He held back so much; I think he exhausted himself. It wasn’t bad, though. I am willing to give someone else from that race another chance.”
“What about a repeat with a better performance after the dress rehearsal?”
“Why are you...
“Why are you insisting on this?”
“Because he has had a stalker for the last five years, and her attack on you today has finally proved her potential for violence. She is the daughter of one of his advisers and tried to keep things quiet. It worked as long as Abel-ur wasn’t dating anyone.
When he saw you and then spoke to you, he decided to chance it.
Poor dude stressed himself to the limits, and the end result was the lacklustre performance.
” She chuckled. “He was worried about hurting you, despite what you said. Once he was in, he realized his mistake, but all that restraint caused him to backfire.” Never said, “Oh, and he had just come off a three-day council meditation for his clan. He was wiped out. The wedding was just another obligation until you turned up.”
“How do you know all that?”
“Well, that link you stapled in place, and I had a chat with him, orc to orc. He is going to be back to visit you tomorrow.”
“I like the link.” Cora smiled and squeezed her hand. “It makes me feel confident when I travel.”
“Are you travelling any time soon?”
“No. I like it here.” Cora thought about it. “He was a really good dancer, and I liked the way he smelled.”
“There you go. Lean into it. I think a baby orc with deer horns would be cute, or maybe a green deer. That would be hilarious. Very children’s book.”
Cora snorted and then paused. “Where is he?”
“I sent him home to rest. He is looking rough, and you aren’t going anywhere, plus you have a bajillion people waiting. He needs a bit more privacy. Now, speaking of not needing privacy, there is an under-the-bed monster in your group?”
Cora laughed. “He’s new, but they are settling in together very well. He’s also Vaia’s dad. He met her mom at the equivalent of a swingers’ party and swung a little too hard. So, now Vaia is married to a dragonborn, and King Kremoryn has acted fatherly a time or two.”
“Wow. You are hanging with an interesting crowd.”
“Yes, I am. I was supposed to have retired, but they needed a blessing that could have an effect on dark elves, so I was the one Hura called. I was in heat... again... so it worked out well until it didn’t.”
“May I act as your champion?”
Cora looked at Never with narrowed eyes. “Didn’t they find her and arrest her?”
“Sure. But as Uncle will tell you, she’s an orc who attacked my family, and I am allowed to seek justice for my family.”
Cora laughed. “Boy, is she going to be surprised.”
“So, I can do it?”
“Oh, yeah. Wait, what are you going to do to her?”
“Four punctures and remove her dominant hand. What did she shoot with?”
“Her right.”
Never grinned. “Not for long.”
Cora sighed. “I really want to be there for it, but I also know it is a sensitive matter.”
“Yup. Hot orc-on-orc action.”
“Careful, you might impress some local warlord or something.” Cora was smiling as she used the control to lever herself into a sitting position. “Little green babies of your own. Ours could go to school together.”
“So, you think you are carrying?”
“Well, the egg was in a pool when I was shot, so there is a chance it can fasten itself in for the long haul. As you know, hitting isn’t the issue with me. It’s sticking.”
“Well, if sticky is an issue, orcs are good for it. Glad you were finally ready to try to walk on the green side.”
Cora chuckled and paused; she was sore but not in agony. “How did I get so much better so fast?”
“I gave you some encouragement. I asked you twice, and you didn’t say no.”
“Bitch.”
“Cow.” Never chuckled. “I have missed you.”
“I have missed you, too. Nice haircut. Very orc warrior.”
“It fits under my motorcycle helmet.”
Cora blinked. “Is that how you get around?”
“Hey, I am pretty swift on that thing. I got halfway across the continent in five hours and six shadow jumps.”
“You got authorization for them, right?”
“Absolutely not. The king of this area is going to be getting an earful.”
“Kremoryn. He’s the shadow monster king.”
“Delightful. I will let him know who he has to blame and deal with things afterward.” Never squeezed her hand. “Glad you are up and running. I will let Uncle know he can come in and ruffle your hair. I thwarted him.”
“Go. Fill out the paperwork and get the challenge underway.”
“Oh, I will, but first, I will let the shadow king know that I have been naughty. He will be frustrated, but his partner will have an interesting time of it later.”
“So you say. Hura controls shadows as well.”
“Nice. Power couple. Okay, be well.”
“See ya, Never!” Cora laughed.
Never flipped her the bird as she left the room.
* * * *
Never entered the family room and stopped near Matthias. “You are up, Uncle. She’s awake, lucid, and I get to go play vengeance. I am having such an empowering day.”
Matthias nodded. “You are going to her clan?”
“Oh, yes. I most definitely am. Four holes for four holes.”
Matthias nodded grimly. “Of course. You have my authorization to take it to the clan chief. His is the final decision.”
“And mine is the right.”
“Of course. Now, I need to go see my sugar beet now that she’s up and awake and probably cranky.”
Leo snorted. “Sugar beet?”
“Come with me, and I will formally introduce you.” Matthias explained as they walked out of the family room, “Sixty years ago, there were some teen boys who did a summoning, and Iscorabella and Navendar were the result. Two-year-olds who bit and kicked until the headmaster arrived and handed them over to my friend Elsinor.”
Never looked to Kremoryn. “You are the shadow monster king?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“I did six unauthorized shadow jumps on the way here. You are going to be getting calls. Just a warning.”
He nodded. “Thanks for that. How many territories did you go through?”
“Three at least. I came from Nuroathic City to here in five hours.”
She nodded to the others and smiled. “Well, I am off to have some fun. See you later.”
She put her helmet on and walked to the elevator to make her way to the clan chief’s house. She was going to make him nervous and then get her way. Orcs were easy. When they saw her eyes, they couldn’t agree with her orders fast enough. Blind orcs were shamans. There was no other possibility.
When they were eight, Cora had finally realized that Never couldn’t see, and they sat and shared senses with a spell Cora wrote in crayon, sealed with strawberry jam, and written on toilet tissue.
For two little girls being overseen by a vampire, they had done pretty well.
Never had gotten vision, and Cora had gained strength and scent awareness.
They could both use their senses at the same time, and they did.
When Cora had been shot, Never had been on the way in two minutes.
Feeling her pain meant she was still alive, but Never had not spared the speed.
Now, she was not going to spare the rage, and Cora would feel it if she wanted to.
Clan Chief Abel-ur was standing in his driveway, talking to some furious orcs. Never grinned behind her helmet as she glided right behind the clan chief. She turned off her motorcycle and dismounted before turning to see the astonished orcs.
“Clan Chief Abel-ur, I claim the right of vengeance for Iscorabella’s attacker.”
He jerked. “What?”
One of the other orcs sneered. “That pasty bitch is fine. He can find a proper orc female and be a proper chief. He doesn’t need to make weak babies.”
“You are speaking of my bonded sister, bitch.” The orc jerked in outrage, and she pulled her helmet off and stared at him.
“Now. I am calling right of revenge on that cowardly little cunt, and I am going to hurt her mark for mark. Now, bring her to me, or I will get her from the tiny cell they put her in, and I will spend the rest of my considerable life span killing every single blood relative that she has.” She looked toward the orc.
“I believe that I will start with you. First four holes to match the gunshots, and then I will take your head to stop your crying.”
The orc rushed at her, and the chief tried to stop him, but the thug was too fast. She sidestepped him and used her skills to break all four limbs and leave him screaming.
She crouched next to the panicked man. She grabbed the scrub of hair at the top of his head, and she summoned her dagger.
“See? I knew you were a screamer. All the noise, all the rage, and you attacked a shaman-born. How fucking dare you?” She scraped his hair off while he whimpered and howled in turn.
When he was completely bald, she whispered, and his scalp took on orc runes.
“Now your skull says I raised a cowardly cunt who attacks from behind, without warning and without declaration. Isn’t that pretty?
You will wear it until she faces me. I would get on it.
I have already filed the demand with the local governments.
If you bring her, this will be over. She will live, and you might get to forget that you attacked a shaman.
” She looked around. “I mean, if your own people don’t kill you.
Now, fetch the little bitch so I can hurt her like she hurt Cora.
You have two hours, and then I will find her myself.
I definitely will. I am a hunter by trade. I never miss.”