Page 52 of Orc's Redemption

I turn to leave, but his voice stops me.

“Tell me one thing, Queen Rani.”

I glance back. His amber eyes burn in the firelight, unreadable and fierce.

“When the dust settles, when the Shaman is dead… what do you want?”

The question catches me off guard. My first instinct is to saymy throne.But it is not the truth. Not anymore. I look at him, and for the first time, I do not see a rival or an obstacle. I see a man who understands the burden of rule.

What do I want? I do not answer. Instead, I incline my head, turn and walk through the door, ignoring the fluttering in my stomach.

20

ELARA

The howl fades, but its echo lingers—twisting around my bones, vibrating through my chest like a warning. Ryatuv’s wings twitch once before he pulls them tight against his back. He doesn’t look at me or at Z’leni either.

“We’re moving on,” Z’leni says. No question. No check if we’re ready. He just starts walking.

I glance once at the pile of ash, then at my wrist. The skin is bruising around the claw marks, a dark and angry purple, and it’s still cold. The creature’s touch stole the warmth from me.

Ryatuv grunts low in his throat, like he doesn’t agree but won’t say the words out loud. His hand presses against my lower back, gently guiding me forward.

“Stay close,” he mutters.

Close. Right. That won’t be a problem.

We step into the cavern, and it’s like falling into another world.

The tunnel opens into a vast chamber that stretches far into the darkness, the ceiling disappearing somewhere above. The walls are carved with faded murals, their edges eroded by time and heat. Pillars rise from the cracked stone floor, some broken and leaning like old teeth. And beyond them, an arched gateway yawns open, black and gaping.

The hum grows louder as we press ahead. A low, pulsing vibration. It doesn’t sound mechanical. I think, though I’m not sure why, that it’s alive. Z’leni abruptly halts near a narrow bridge of stone that connects the platform we’re standing on to the far side of the ruin.

“There,” he says, pointing. “We cross here and there’s a passage that leads to the lower chambers. They will be safer….” he pauses for only a moment, but it feels like it’s stretching and stretching before he ends with, “maybe.”

Maybe? What the fuck, Z’leni. Way to not be reassuring in the slightest.

Z’leni moves first. I follow without hesitation—because really, what choice do I have? Ryatuv stays behind me, a constant presence at my back. The bridge is barely wide enough for one person. My heart bangs in my chest as I glance down—blackness yawns below, endless and gurgling with sounds I don’t want to understand.

Loose dirt and debris lie across the stone, making every step treacherous. Somewhere far below, something gurgles and churns in the darkness—water, maybe. Or something worse. There’s nothing but blackness over that edge for who knows how far. It’s… terrifying. One glance makes my stomach churn and knot.

We’re almost across. Ahead there is enough of the bioluminescent moss to push back the absolute black beyond the edge of the bridge. I’m careful with every step. Nervous as I am it feels like it’s taking much longer than it should. I keep my eyes focused ahead. On the end of this nightmare.

“What is that?” I ask.

Something moved on the other side. I think. It was a blink and miss it moment but I’m pretty sure there is something in the shadows. Z’leni growls, low and deep, while behind me Ryatuv hisses.

“We must be cautious,” Z’leni says.

“You think?” Ryatuv snaps from behind me.

“Guys,” I hiss, “not now.”

The last thing I need is these two deciding to throw down here on the cursed bridge. Ryatuv mutters something. I’m pretty sure he said something to the effect of he started it. I would close my eyes and sigh but I’m way too terrified to close them. I don’t think I’ve blinked since I looked over the edge.

Seriously? What am I dealing with, two children?

Z’leni snorts like he heard the thought—which, great, will just fuel more dick-waving between them.

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