Page 49 of The Orc and the Innkeeper

He pivots on his foot and marches away before I can say a word in my defense. My gaze snaps back to Mariah, and I catch her eye for a long moment before she too turns and disappears into the crowd.

I stand paralyzed, as if staying still will stop time, give me a chance to make things right. Somehow fix this mess with Robert and the brewery. Somehow mend this rift with Mariah.

She’s gone. And it’s all my fault.

Desolation crashes over me in waves. What have I done? How could I let things spiral so far out of control?

Snuffles nudges my leg with a concerned snort, but I barely sense it. All I feel is the void opening up inside me, a black hole where my heart used to be.

I stoop to pick up Snuffles, and he huffs and settles into my arms. His warmth against my chest is a tiny comfort. I look down at him as he gazes up at me with soulful eyes.

“What just happened?” I whisper, my voice cracking with emotion.

In the blink of an eye, the entire future I’ve imagined for myself is…gone.

23

MARIAH

The sun beats down on the back of my neck as I furiously yank weeds from the overgrown garden behind the inn. Thick vines tangle around my arms, their thorns piercing my skin, but I barely notice the pain.

It’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest, the gaping wound left by Thorak’s betrayal.

I toss a handful of weeds into the growing pile beside me, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. This garden has been neglected for far too long—much like my own heart.

But no more. I’m going to pour all my anger, all my hurt into making this space beautiful again.

I envision trellises dripping with fragrant moonflowers, their pale petals glowing in the twilight. Winding stone paths leading to hidden grottos where guests can steal a private moment. A fountain, with water that sparkles like starlight. It’ll be a place of magic and wonder, an escape from the harsh realities of the world.

Like the reality that people don’t change.

I grab my shovel and start attacking the hard dirt, churning the soil with a vengeance. I should have known better than to let my guard down with Thorak. He tormented me for years, made my life a living hell.

And I actually believed he was different now? That he cared about me?

I must be the biggest idiot in Elderberry Falls.

But even as I mentally berate myself, a traitorous little voice whispers in the back of my mind. Thorak’s wounded look when I confronted him in the town square yesterday. The way his voice cracked as he called after me.

Could it be that...

No. I shake my head vehemently, squashing that flicker of hope. I won’t let myself fall for his act again. Thorak was just using me, like he always has.

Whatever game he was playing, it’s over now.

I’m so consumed by my bitter thoughts that I don’t hear the heavy footsteps approaching until a familiar deep voice rumbles, “Mariah...”

My head snaps up and I find myself staring into Thorak’s solemn face. He stands at the edge of the garden, hands awkwardly shoved in his pockets, looking uncharacteristically uncertain.

For a moment, we just gaze at each other, the air thick with tension. I’m acutely aware of the sweat trickling down my spine, the dirt streaking my arms, the loose strands of hair sticking to my flushed cheeks.

Part of me wants to scream at him to get the hell out of my garden.

But another part, the part I’ve been trying so hard to ignore, drinks in the sight of him like a woman dying of thirst. His wild dark hair, those intense metal-hued eyes, the bulging muscles straining against his shirt...

Damn him. Damn him for still affecting me this way, even after everything.

Thorak takes a tentative step forward, then seems to think better of it. He clears his throat.

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