Page 57 of Bound to the Orc Hunter

We stay like that for a long time, watching that tiny lantern of light rise and fall in the night. My moon bound relaxes in my arms, resting her head on my shoulder.

When I finally carry her back across the meadow to the tent, she whispers a sleepy, “Thank you.”

“I merely remind you of the joy you’ve already brought to this world.” I lay her on my furs and pull her close, holding her without pushing for anything more. My moon bound bride is well worth the wait.

Her breath deepens into sleep, yet I still whisper into the softness of her hair, hoping she’ll hear me in her dreams, “The joy you bring me.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Grace

The ground starts to climb as soon as we leave the meadow the next morning, the way ahead made up of gentle hills, still covered by forest, though apple and dogwood trees are mixed in.

Branikk picks more of the yellow summer apples for us. They’re not a type I’ve ever seen in a grocery store, being only about half the size of the ones I’m used to. But the taste! Dear god, the taste is amazing, tart and sweet and hella strong.

Branikk’s another thing that’s surprisingly sweet. The way he carried me in his strong arms last night, going to all the trouble of showing me the Ferris wheel. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.

Usually I hate surprises. My parents were never the kind to throw surprise birthday parties or fun things, so most of the surprises in my life have been like the prom-date prank.

But Branikk’s surprise had been amazingly thoughtful. And his words! They echo through my mind even now and warm my heart. My magical creations bring joy.Ibring joy.

It’s not a way I’ve ever thought of myself. Even though I love that part of the carnival, that most fairgoers have a great time, it never felt like I personally added to their joy. But I must have all along, because you can only enjoy a ride if the machine works.

It took Branikk and my new magic to make me see that.

“I bring joy,” I whisper under my breath.

“What’s that?” he asks.

“Nothing.” I pull out my phone and turn it on. I’ve left it off the last couple of days, trying to save the battery, but the screen’s dimmer than usual. It’s gone into battery-saving mode. I tap to start my favoriteBridgertonclip, and if I squint really hard, I can just make out Kate and Anthony facing off before they kiss. A split-second before they do, a low-power message flashes on-screen, and the whole thing turns black.

“What happened?” Branikk asks.

“The battery died.”

“Can you make a new one?”

Can I? I close my eyes and grip my crystal. A nebulous want fills me, a desire for a battery for my favorite thing in the world. A small weight pops into existence on my hand, and a spurt of joy goes through me. I did it! Then I open my eyes.

It’s a battery, all right—a battery for my vibrator, which I don’t even have with me in this world. I groan. Why the hell does my magic keep doing shit like this?

“You did it,” he says. His arm tightens around me, his deep voice warm and full of life.

My tummy starts to flutter. Bad tummy! I now know exactly why my magic thought of a sex toy. It’s him. It’s got to be.

“Not exactly. It’s not the right kind of battery.” I don’t explain any further. What would I say? I’m embarrassed just thinking about it. I shove it into my pocket beside my dead phone.

“We’re close!” Rune bounds ahead, running faster than before and goading the unicorn to greater speed. His tongue lolls from his mouth in a doggie grin. “Is that the best you can do?”

Aurora tosses her head, making the spirals of her horn catch the sunlight, gleaming gold. “Let’s strap an orc to your back and see how fast you are.”

A startled laugh bursts from me as I imagine Rune with a saddle on his back, the stirrups so short Branikk’s knees would be up around his ears, like a clown riding a toddler tricycle. The cu sith’s huge for a dog and probably weighs more than me, but Branikk’s legs are seriously long.

“You can keep the orc,” the wolf says. “I would carry the human. Now come on! We’re there!” He leaps across a stream and disappears between the lower branches of two pines.

Aurora barrels through the last of the trees to break out into a clearing at the base of the largest hill we’ve seen so far. It rises in front of us, the slope covered with rich green grass. Caves open all along the base, their shaded mouths lined with rocks that form uprights and lintels.

On top of the hill, wolf sentries create dark silhouettes against the bright blue sky. One snaps out a warning bark, then yells, “Sluagh!”

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