Page 16 of Orc Chained
“There is greater benefit in accepting a contract with me.”
She shakes her head. “I won’t abandon my aunt.”
“I’m not really your aunt,” I say gently, “and you’re entitled to your own life.”
Maezii rolls her eyes, wrapping her hand around her prayer necklace. “Uh-huh.”
The Icarian watches her, unblinking, then turns to me. “May I be permitted to accompany you? I am, as I said, interested in the outcome of this negotiation and have little of import to occupy my time the next several weeks.”
Maezii and I exchange a look. “I won’t say no to another person on the road to help me protect Maezii.”
“Us,” Rath rumbles.
Ya?onar inclines his head. “I will meet you on the road then.” He spreads his wings and lifts off.
I negotiate the fastest contract possible at the exit table. Rathhur, of course, digs in his heels and goes line item by line item, attempting to create the contract from hells that will keep him bound to me forever at the slightest infraction.
“I’m not adding a mandatory year of service for every time you growl at me,” I say flatly. “I’d be stuck with you forever.”
Rath rubs his chin, eyes crafty. “You must enforce a strict penalty for the slightest disrespect, Ky’a. It is a matter of honor.”
“It’s a matter of you wanting to lock me down for the next seven hundred years.”
He widens his eyes. “Not if I behave.”
“Do you ever behave?”
“I could. With incentive.”
I ignore his suggestive tone and stab my finger at the contract. “This contract is a disincentive.” I bare my teeth at him then turn to the orderly. “Every time he growls at me, I deduct a week from his contract length.”
“Noted,” the orderly drones. They’ve probably seen everything.
Rath’s expression darkens.
By the time we’re done, I’m ready to strangle him and Maezii is grinning. Her contract takes a quarter of the time and is couched to formalize our current apprenticeship.
We leave the exit table and head into the fairgrounds, Rath at my back slightly to the right in the traditional position of Uthilsen subservience to a female relative or wife, Maezii on my left.
“We need to resupply,” I say, “and a hot meal would be good then we can?—”
“Kyona!”
I halt. “Please tell me that isn’t Hatthar.”
“That isn’t Hatthar,” Rath says.
It is Hatthar, shoving aside a hapless Human, flashing his tusks and flexing his massive arms and shoulders. The Human wisely moves off.
“Took long enough,” Hatthar says, striding up to us. He gives me a sly look. “It was a fun chase. Thanks, ankle biter.”
“I think I’ll gut you in your sleep,” I say, without much heat.
“That’s how I know you love me. Lathhan is guarding our seats.”
“You brought two of them.”
Rath squeezes my shoulder. “Let’s go eat.”
