Chapter 16 Calypso
Chapter sixteen
Calypso
They traveled primarily through the forest, wishing to avoid major roads after the incident with the witch trial. It wasn’t until they got far enough north that they joined a trade route for quicker progress. Except for a few stares, nobody bothered them.
With each passing day, Calypso’s strength steadily returned, invigorated by the new focus.
After her mother’s torture and death, something had broken within her, and was only held together by rage.
Even as they rescued witches, she led each day with a deep-seated anger in her bones.
For the first time, there was a tug of something else.
An unfamiliar emotion had taken root—hope.
Concern that the orc could be lying crossed her mind, but he was so vehement about not taking her that she believed him. Or at least believed that he believed he knew of the amulet.
That hope was enough for her to follow him, but she still didn’t trust him. Without a doubt, Vidorak had his own agenda, so she would remain cautious.
They were sitting together on his horse once more, her back to his front. Only this time instead of being bound and plotting revenge, her mind kept wandering to the hard support of his chest and the muscular arms that enveloped her.
That was another complication. Being attracted to this enormous male was clouding her judgement. It’d be easier if she found his green skin and harsh face revolting rather than wanting to kiss up his neck and bite his pointed ear.
The kiss had been unexpected. It was unsurprising that he would ask for something like that; men often negotiated with women’s bodies. It was surprising how much she enjoyed it. Her lips still remembered the press of his, and they tingled to repeat the experience.
While he seemed to have enjoyed it himself, he had not wanted to negotiate bedding her. There must be something seriously wrong with her, given the disappointment she felt at that.
“It is time for my question.” He suddenly broke their silence, the deep voice sending tendrils of desire through her before she could stop them. It didn’t help that she had spent the last several hours just staring at his veined, rough hands.
She needed to get fucked badly. Needed to get this craving out of her system and clear her mind. Otherwise, she was prone to do something insane like run her hand up his thigh or squirm in the seat to press her bottom against his cock.
“What?” she snapped, shaking her head to physically clear her dirty thoughts.
“Our deal,” he reminded her. “I want to know about the scar on your collarbone.”
That was as good as cold water to wash away any lustful feelings.
She remained silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts, but ultimately answered. A deal was a deal. “That happened a decade ago. I was beaten and cut during an interrogation. That area seemed to be a particular favorite, so it scarred poorly.”
Like a phantom itch, her fingers drifted to the raised scar below her left collarbone. Ker Beck had poured salt in it to slow its healing.
“Did they hurt you in any other way?” His voice was steady, but his knuckles were white where he held the reins.
“If you’re asking if they raped me, no, they didn’t.” Instead, Ker Beck’s men had raped her mother. Those thoughts were a twisted knife in her gut.
“How did you get away?”
“My mother helped me escape before she was killed.” Her voice tightened as she forced the words out.
While Nyx and Astra knew her story well, the most gruesome details of her torture were something she’d not shared even with them.
There was something about telling your dark secrets to a stranger. Something addicting to spilling memories that often repeated themselves in her head without stopping.
“Who?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter at the moment.”
“Who?” he repeated, voice a hard command.
That tone touched something in her heart, and it was too much.
He sighed when she remained silent. “Was it that lord? The one you killed in Taybe.”
Calypso snorted. “Thomas Haworth couldn’t have hurt me even prior to my power awakening.”
“Why kill him then? For the estate?”
She shouldn’t answer him. He’d already asked his question. But for some reason, she didn’t want to leave him thinking she’d just killed Haworth simply for desiring his lands.
“He testified in court against my mother. But he lied.” She turned her head, needing him to see the truth in her eyes. “His lies led to her death. I killed him to avenge her, just as I will the man who put that scar on my collarbone. Just as I will the man who put this all into motion.”
“Your mother was Seraphina Galanis?” It wasn’t really a question. He knew who she was, given the stipulations of the peace treaty, and the connection was easy to make.
“Yes,” she answered and braced herself.
He stared at her briefly before asking, “Why was she framed?”
That was a step too far. It would’ve been easier to take him questioning her claims, to recount the gossip about Seraphina Galanis. Instead, his quick acceptance of the truth shook her to her core.
Calypso closed herself off once more. “That’s all you get today, orc. I have already told you more than I needed to.”
That ended the conversation, and they rode the rest of the evening in silence. Even as her back became sore, she was relieved at the distance they were covering. The sooner she got her hands on the amulet, the sooner she would part ways with the orc who saw too much of parts she’d hidden.
They arrived in Ettera late the next evening.
Beyond this settlement, there was nothing until they reached the Orc Mountains.
Calypso breathed a sigh of relief when they finally stopped at an inn.
Even though she was recovering well, the hard travel wore her out.
She wanted to wash herself, eat something that wasn’t meat, and sleep in a bed.
They entered the inn, and Calypso ignored the judging stare of the innkeeper as he reached his hand under the counter, likely to a weapon. She was sure they made quite the sight, a disheveled, angry-eyed woman and a giant orc.
“Two rooms for the night,” Vidorak told the innkeeper.
She felt an unexpected twinge of disappointment at his request. There was no reason to get one room. In fact, it was probably a good idea to spend some time apart.
The innkeeper looked them over before speaking. “She can have one. You can sleep in the stables.”
He pointed to a sign on the counter that read, “No Orcs.”
Calypso pushed Vidorak to the side and glowered at the innkeeper. “That’s absurd! This is the closest settlement to the mountains. How can you possibly deny orcs rooms?”
“The furniture has been broken too many times. It has become a liability issue.” The innkeeper stayed firm.
Before she could grab the innkeeper’s record book and clobber him over the head with it, Vidorak placed several coins on the table.
“I will see you later.” The amusement in his eyes was enough to cool the righteous anger she felt on his behalf.
She snatched the key from the innkeeper. “Show me the room.”
Infuriating orc. Serves him right to sleep in the stables.
The innkeeper led her to her room and then signaled toward a door at the end of the hall. “The washroom is in there. If you want to take a bath, I will bring someone up with heated water.”
“That would be perfect.”
Calypso headed to the washroom and sighed with delight at the presence of soap and clean towels. Not long after, a girl entered and poured warm water into the tub.
After she left, Calypso undressed and removed the bandage from her thigh.
The wound was significantly smaller and practically healed.
There would be no need to replace the bandage anymore, much to the orc’s disappointment.
He had taken a liking to touching her thigh.
She hated to admit that she enjoyed it too.
One foot after the other, she stepped into the warm water, sinking down slowly. Closing her eyes, she submerged her head under the water, letting the world go silent momentarily before resurfacing.
She soaked until her aching joints felt better and the water became cool. Not ready to leave, she heated the water with her fire until it reached an almost uncomfortable temperature.
With time her body relaxed, but there remained one ache that wouldn’t calm.
She squeezed her thighs, remembering the feeling of his body behind her on her horse.
It was absurd how massive he was. He may have taken to calling her ‘little’ several times, but in truth she was not a small woman.
It was just that his enormous frame completely engulfed her.
She doubted there was any part of him that wasn’t pure muscle.
And her hands ached to touch all that strength.
Her nipples tightened while imagining licking up that bulky chest and running her nails over his back.
Would he like it rough? Orcs certainly didn’t give the appearance of gentle lovers with soft caresses.
No, a male like him would be demanding and rough.
Her lewd thoughts fed that ache, pushing her need higher.
Closing her eyes, her hand skimmed down her body to her throbbing clit.
She rubbed in slow circles, as images of Vidorak fucking her against a tree with the skirts of her dress around her waist flashed through her mind.
He would pull her corset down, not even bothering to get fully undressed, and grip her hair as he pounded her from behind.
Her other hand went to her breast, squeezing the flesh, wishing his clawed hand was there instead.
With his claws and tusks, fucking him would leave its mark, no doubt.
But what she would enjoy the most would be the soreness she would have between her legs after being with him.
She had seen his hard cock and knew he would completely fill her, stretching her to the brim.