Page 75 of The Orc's Innocent Plaything

“’Tis about time ye decided to show up!” came the exasperated call from ahead of us, and I jerked with surprise in Vartok’s lap as his hold tightened.

“Nan!” he blurted, kicking the horse ahead. “What are ye doing here?”

I twisted around in time to see the small human woman glaring up at us from where she stood by the side of the path, hands on her hips.

“Waiting for ye, of course.”

Dread pooled in my stomach and I gripped Vartok’s forearm.

“Is it Avaleen? What is amiss?”

Nan shook her head as Vartok pulled both horses to a stop so suddenly they shied sideways.

“Yewalkedout here, woman!” he roared, yanking on the spare horse’s reins to pull the animal closer. “Dinnae try to make us believe naught is amiss.”

“Oh God,” I whispered, clutching my middle. “’Tis Avie? The bairn? Please God, keep her safe.”

Nan, however, rolled her eyes. “Yer sister is no’ worse. Slowly improving, in fact. And yer niece is as loud and demanding as that father of hers.”

Praise God. I couldn’t make my voice work to whisper the prayer, and my eyes were still wide, the panic still clawing its way through my body.

‘Twas Vartok who asked what needed to be asked.

“Then why are ye here, Nan, giving us a fright?”

“I need that sea holly, laddie. Ye’d better have fetched more than we thought we needed?—”

“Aye,” I blurted eagerly, glad to be able to report good news. “We made certain to get enough for several seasons.”

The old woman snorted and lifted her arms. “We’re going to need it all. Get me up there.”

“What?” Vartok glanced around.

“Yer horse, laddie! I cannae climb up there myself, no’ at my age, and dinnae think I’ll be riding by myself. We need to get back to the village as quickly as possible and start those roots simmering.”

Someone was ill. Someone besides Avaleen needed the sea holly?

I exchanged worried glances with Vartok as he wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me from his lap. I barely had time to gasp before I was settled in the second saddle and Vartok was bending to lift his grandmother.

After he settled her before him on the horse, he tossed me my reins and nodded, silently letting me know he trusted me to keep up with him.

“Aright Nan?” He gathered the fragile woman close. “We’ll get ye home to brew yer potions. Who needs it?”

“Did I forget to mention that?” EvenIheard the smirk in her voice. “’Tis yer brother. On the night of the full moon, the veil parted and Kragorn returnedto us!”

Vartok

I didn’t rememberthe ride back to Bloodfire Village, but suddenly, there we were. A grinning Torvolk met me to take the reins of our horses—had he not gone through the stones? Mayhap he had, and found Kragorn? I would get that story from him.

For now, though, I could barely concentrate as I handed Nan down to the Keeper, who was also here for some reason.

“Where is he?” I barked, desperate for confirmation of what my senses were telling me: my brother was here,alive.

Torvolk nodded toward Kragorn’s home which we’d kept ready all these months.

“He’s keeping his prisoner close.”

Prisoner? I jumped down to help Myra unstrap all the sea holly we’d collected, determined to see her safe before I went to my brother. But my Mate knew me well.

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