Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Khorrek watched Thea sleep.
She’d curled into him, one hand fisted in his shirt, and her breathing deep and even. She trusted him, and he was going to betray the only master he’d ever known to keep her safe.
Because Lasseran would take what he wanted. Use Thea until she gave him the answer he sought, and then he would kill her because her knowledge was too dangerous. Her mind was too brilliant., and her conscience too strong.
She would never willingly help the High King enslave an entire people, which meant she was already dead in Lasseran’s eyes. Just a tool waiting to be discarded.
Like all of us.
His jaw clenched. He’d spent his entire life believing the lie—that he was special, that Lasseran valued him.
But the truth had been staring him in the face for years.
The casual dismissal of orc lives. The brutal punishments for minor failures.
The way Lasseran spoke about his own warriors—the ones he’d raised from childhood—with the same contempt he showed for the “savage” orcs of Norhaven.
We’re all disposable to him.
The knowledge was no longer devastating. Instead, it was liberating—because if he was already disposable, then he had nothing left to lose.
Except Thea.
He looked down at her sleeping face, peaceful in a way it never was when she was awake.
I won’t lose you.
The vow settled into his bones and became part of him. He’d spent thirty-five years serving a king who saw him as nothing more than a weapon. It was time to choose a different path.
Dawn was still hours away when he felt her stir.
“Khorrek?” Her voice was rough with sleep.
“I’m here.”
She blinked up at him. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Some.”
A lie, but a necessary one.
She frowned. “You need to rest too.”
“I will. Later.”
“Liar.”
He almost smiled. She could read him too well already.
“We need to talk,” he said, and she tensed.
“About what?”
“About what happens next.”
She sat up, suddenly alert. “You mean with the research?”
“I mean with everything.” He walked over to the window and stared out at the sleeping city. “You found the answer Lasseran was looking for. The knowledge he needs to complete his ritual.”
“Yes. But I also found how to stop him.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
“Which is why we don’t tell him.”
“Thea.” He turned to face her. “You don’t understand. The moment Lasseran knows you’ve translated the text, he’ll take the knowledge from you. By force if necessary.”
“I won’t tell him anything.”
“You think he’ll give you a choice?” he asked harshly. “He has ways of extracting information. Magic. Torture. Methods you can’t imagine.”
She paled, but her chin came up. “Then I’ll resist.”
“You can’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” He moved back to the bed and sat down next to her. “Thea, I’ve seen what he does to people who defy him. I’ve been the one ordered to break them when his magic fails. And everyone breaks eventually. Everyone.”
Her hands trembled, but she quickly clasped them together. “Then what do you suggest?”
This was it. The moment he severed the last cord binding him to Lasseran.
“We leave,” he said. “Tonight. Before he summons you again.”
She stared at him. “Leave? Leave the city?”
“Yes.”
“But—” She gestured helplessly. “The research. The texts. I need more time.”
“You’ll have it. Just not here.”
“Where?”
“Norhaven.”
She blinked at him. “The orc kingdom.”
“Yes. It’s the only place Lasseran’s reach is limited. The only place where we might have a chance.”
“A chance to do what?”
“To finish your research, and find a way to reverse the ritual. Stop him before he completes the final theft.”
She was quiet for a long moment, and he could see her mind working, turning over the implications.
“If we run,” she said slowly, “Lasseran will know something is wrong.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll send people after us.”
“Yes.”
“People like you.”
The words hurt, but they were true.
“Yes,” he said. “He’ll send warriors. Trackers. Mages. Everything he has.”
“Then how do we—”
“I know his methods. I’ve led hunting parties before and I know how they think, how they operate.”
“So you can counter them.”
“I can try.”
She studied him, those clear grey eyes seeing too much.
“This is treason,” she said. “Betraying your king. Your oaths. Everything you were raised to serve.”
“I know.”
“They’ll kill you if they catch you.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why—” Her voice cracked. “Why are you doing this?”
Because you matter more than oaths made by a child who didn’t understand what he was swearing to.
Because I’d rather die free than live as a slave.
Because when I look at you, I see something worth fighting for.
He didn’t say any of that. Instead, he took her hand. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
She laughed shakily, verging on tears. “You’re choosing morality now? After thirty-five years of following orders?”
“I’m choosing you.”
The words were out before he could stop them, honest and terrifying.
Her breath caught. “Khorrek—”
“You don’t have to say anything. I just—” He stopped, tried again.
“I spent my whole life believing I was serving something greater than myself. A noble purpose. A righteous king. But it was all a lie. And I can’t—” His voice roughened.
“I can’t keep serving that lie. Not when the truth is sitting right in front of me. ”
“The truth?”
“That some things are worth more than loyalty to a monster who calls himself a king. That some people deserve to be protected, even if it costs me everything.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m crying because—” She took a shaky breath. “Because no one has ever chosen me before. Not like this.”
“Then everyone you’ve known has been a fool.”
She laughed again, and wiped her eyes. “We’re really doing this. Running away in the middle of the night like fugitives.”
“Yes.”
“Lasseran will be furious.”
“He’ll be murderous.”
“And we’ll be hunted.”
“For the rest of our lives, probably.”
She was quiet for a moment, but then squared her shoulders and rose to her feet. His brave little scholar.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
Relief flooded through him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d feared she would refuse.
“We need to move fast,” he said. “Gather only what you absolutely need. The texts that are essential to your research. Anything else is dead weight.”
“What about supplies? Food? Money?”
“I have contacts. People who owe me favors. We can get supplies before we leave the city.”
“You’ve been planning this.”
“I’ve been preparing for contingencies. There’s a difference.”
She moved to the desk and started sorting through the scrolls and books she’d accumulated.
“This one,” she muttered. “Definitely this one. And these three. No, four. And—” She paused and looked at him. “I can’t carry all of this.”
“I can.”
“Khorrek, there’s at least twenty pounds of parchment here, and I need to get more from the library.”
“I’ve carried worse.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Thea. I once hauled a full-grown stag ten miles through mountain terrain. I think I can manage your research materials.”
“Right. Of course.” She went back to sorting. “Sorry. I’m just—”
“Nervous.”
“Terrified, actually.”
“That’s sensible. This is terrifying.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Would you prefer I lie?”
“Maybe a little.”
He moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “We’re going to get through this. I promise.”
She leaned back into him. “You can’t promise that.”
“I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to make it true.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s the best I can offer.”
She turned in his arms, and smiled up at him. “Then it’s enough.”
He kissed her gently, trying to convey all the things he didn’t have words for. When they broke apart, she smiled. Shaky but genuine. “I trust you.”
The words were a knife and a balm all at once.
Don’t. I might get you killed.
But he only nodded. “Then let’s get you packed.”
She selected texts with the precision of a scholar who knew exactly what she needed. No wasted motion. No second-guessing. She’d done this before—packed for research trips.
The thought was oddly comforting. She wasn’t completely unprepared for this.
“What about clothes?” he asked and she glanced at the wardrobe. “I don’t need much. A few changes. Something practical.”
“Take the warmest things you have. Norhaven is colder than Kel’Vara.”
“Right. Of course.”
She pulled out a heavy wool cloak, sturdy boots, thick stockings, and a few practical tunics and trousers. When she’d changed into traveling clothes, she looked more like the woman he’d found at the stone circle. All wild hair and determined eyes.
This is who you really are. Not the polished scholar forced to play court politics.
“What about you?” she asked. “Do you need anything?”
“I have what I need.”
“Weapons?”
“Always.”
She glanced at the sword strapped to his back. The knives at his belt. “Is that going to be enough?”
“It’ll have to be. I can’t exactly walk into the armory and requisition additional supplies without raising suspicion.”
“Right. That would be bad.”
“Catastrophically bad.”
She took a shaky breath. “This is really happening. We’re really doing this.”
“We are.”
“When do we leave?”
He glanced at the window. The sky was still dark.
“Within the hour. While most of the palace is still asleep.”
“What about guards? Patrols?”
“I know their schedules.”
“You sound very confident about that.”
“I helped design the security protocols.”
Her eyes widened. “Of course you did.”
“Lasseran trusted me to keep the palace safe. Ironic, considering I’m now using that knowledge to escape it.”
“Is irony the right word? I feel like this is more… poetic justice.”
“Call it whatever you want. The point is, I know how to get us out.”
She nodded. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”
“Stay quiet and follow my lead. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. No questions. No hesitation.”
“That’s asking a lot from someone whose primary skill is asking questions.”
“Thea.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just—” She pushed her glasses up. “I’m coping with humor. It’s a defense mechanism.”
“I understand. But out there—” He gestured toward the door. “Out there, hesitation can get us killed. I need to know you’ll trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Enough to follow orders without question?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. I trust you that much.”
Relief flooded through him. “Good. Then let’s go over the plan.”
He laid it out. The route through the palace to the library for the last few documents she needed. The servant’s tunnels he’d scouted weeks ago. The exit near the eastern wall where the guards changed shifts. A few simple hand signals for silent communication.
She listened attentively, making sure she understood.
She’s brilliant. Even now. Even terrified.
When he’d finished, she took a deep breath. “Okay. I think I’ve got it.”
“If we get separated—”
“We won’t.”
“If we do,” he insisted, “head for the Temple of the Veil.” He led her to the window and pointed out the huge domed building. It would be impossible to miss. “Vorlag will help you.”
She nodded slowly. “The Temple of the Veil. Got it.”
“But we won’t get separated,” he added. “I won’t let that happen.”
She smiled and reached for his hand. “Then I guess we’re ready.”
Not even close, but saying so wouldn’t help.
He squeezed her fingers. “Stay close to me. Don’t make a sound. And remember—”
“Trust you. I know.”
He pulled the hood of her cloak up, hiding her distinctive auburn hair. “Let’s go.”
They slipped into the hallway.