Page 77 of Bound to the Orc Hunter

“That’s why they’re not worried about us catching them,” I say.

Dravarr nods. “They plan to knock us all out, take on their true form, and free all the trapped birds.”

“Then they’ll feast on everyone.” Horror grips me even as the words leave my mouth. As much as I worry about everyone, my thoughts leap to only one place. My bride! I cannot bear the thought of the vile soul stealers anywhere near her.

I must protect her.

I drop the net gun and pull the bow from my back, nocking an arrow. “Help me find the falling gourds, and I’ll burst them high overhead before they get to us.”

His face set in hard lines, my warlord gives me a sharp nod. “I’ll use compass directions?”

“Yes,” I agree, pointing in a specific direction, so we both use the same bearing. “That’s due north.”

We stand back to back, so that between the two of us, we can scan all of the sky.

“South-east,” Dravarr yells.

We spin, moving as one, and I lift and shoot. My magic wraps around the arrow, sending it true. And orange cloud blossoms overhead, and I pray to the goddess it’s far enough away to not incapacitate anyone on the ground.

Because the sluagh attack and attack, taking full advantage of the fact that neither Dravarr or I can take the time to shoot them from the sky.

“Due west!”

I spin and shoot. Another explosion of orange overhead.

Satisfaction roars through me in a blaze of energy. I’m doing it! I’m keeping the deathsleep away from our fighters. I’m keeping my moon bound bride safe.

Victory will be ours

Then a sound cuts through all the noise of battle, chilling my blood.

The sound of Grace gasping in pain.

No!

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Grace

“What’s this deathsleep stuff?” I ask.

“It’s a vile concoction used only by cowards,” Aurora says.

“Translation, she means the sluagh,” Ashley adds from the unicorn’s other side.

Aurora stomps the ground. “The ogres have used it against us as well.”

“You’re right.” Ashley ties off another bird.

“That’s great and all.” No, it wasn’t. It didn’t tell meanythingthat I most needed to know, and impatience rang in my voice, no matter how much I tried to soften the words. “But what did it do to Drake? Why did Branikk yell to beware?”

“It’s an herb that knocks out all fae except the sluagh for a hundred years.”

“Filthy cowards,” Aurora mutters.

“We have an antidote now, so it’s not the hundred-years thing anymore, but if they knock out everyone…” Ashley’s worried gaze flicks to the downed dragon. “Drake’s scales will protect him for a while, but the rest of us will be vulnerable.”

“Vulnerable?” Aurora says, her voice dry. “The rest of us will be eaten by the soul suckers.”

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