Page 71 of The Orc's Innocent Plaything

“Kragorn?” I whispered, as if there were another brother I’ve been yearning for news of. “What do ye ken of him?”

Gods below, dinnae let him be dead.

“I ken…” The other male grimaced, then jerked his head over his shoulder, toward the fire and the roasting meat. “Will ye join us for a meal? ‘Twill be easier…”

Oh fook.

This was no’ to be good news.

I took a breath, willing my heart to harden, to hear whatever news I must hear. Putting it off would not make it easier, and Myra had not eaten warm food since we’d arrived on Jura, the day after the full moon.

“My Mate—” I began, but she interrupted.

“—will eat again when we are safely on the mainland.”

I glanced at her, amused by her ferocity, to see her glaring at the chief of the sea raiders.

“Love, ye must keep up yer strength.”

She turned an exasperated scowl my way and gestured over her shoulder with the knife.

“What do you think all that sea holly is for? You promised me we could speed back home!”

Home.

I had to smile. My Mate wanted me to take her home. With a sigh, I reached out and snaked my arm around Myra’s waist, pulling her against me.

“Sheath yer claws, wee wildcat. We must hear what Stormseeker would share.”

When we turned back to the other male, ‘twas to see that he’d given some kind of signal to his men. Some had drifted toward the fire, others were pushingthe ship’s bow out into the water. He, however, was watching us, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Kragorn Bloodfire is alive. At least, he was a sennight ago.”

I sucked in a breath, torn between desperate hope and dread.

“Alive?” I croaked. “Where did ye see him? Was he injured?”

Vrogul grimaced. “He was. But that did no’ stop him…” A shout rose from the ship, and he jerked his head. “We’re losing the tide. I will tell ye what I ken, but if ye want to make it across tonight, we must get yer beastie aboard now.”

I barely noted the lad who scooped up the reins of the horse and led the animal toward a ramp which had been dropped into the shallows. Instead, my full attention was on the Stormseeker, walking backward across the sand as he explained.

“I spent the last moon in the human’s world. ‘Tis a lucrative place for us, without strong defenses. Some of the human chiefs wish to make alliances to save their shores, which is also lucrative.”

I did my best to hide my disgust at such behavior, but was unsuccessful, judging from the other male’s chuckle.

“’Tis better than raiding our own people, I would say, and we dinnae do lasting damage.” He shrugged. “But I was invited to dine with Laird Tarbert.”

Hissing in surprise, I pulled Myra to a stop.

“The Tarberts are aligned with Clan Bladesedge.”

Our enemies.

“Aye,” drawled the Stormseeker.

At my side, Myra cleared her throat. “The Bladesedge chief is Mated to a Tarbert daughter, correct? But your brother was lost in battle against them.”

I nodded stiffly. Last autumn, after that alliance was in place, Kragorn had led a skirmish against our long-time enemies…and disappeared.

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