Page 57 of The Orc's Captive Bride
She tried to slow her breathing and failed. Tried again. Khorrek knelt in front of her, not quite touching her.
“Match my breathing,” he said. “In. Out. In. Out.”
She focused on his voice. On the steady rhythm he established.
Slowly—painfully slowly—her breathing began to even out.
The panic receded enough for her to think again. To process.
“Three days,” she whispered. “How am I supposed to decode centuries of ancient text in three days?”
“You’ll find a way.”
“What if I can’t? What if I’m not smart enough, or fast enough, or?—”
“You are.”
The certainty in his voice made her look up and meet his eyes.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve watched you work. I’ve watched you learn a new language in days when it should have taken months.” His hand found hers and held tight. “You can do this, Thea. I know you can.”
“And if I can’t? If I fail?”
“Then we’ll deal with that when it happens.”
“He’s going to hurt Mira. And Vorlag. And anyone else I’ve been kind to.” Her voice cracked. “He’ll make them suffer because of me.”
“No.” His grip tightened on her hand. “He’ll make them suffer because he’s a sadistic bastard who uses pain as a tool of control. Their suffering won’t be your fault. It will be his.”
“That’s not how it feels.”
“I know.” His other hand came up, cupping her face with surprising gentleness. “But it’s the truth nonetheless.”
She leaned into the contact, drawing comfort from his warmth. His solidity.
“I’m so tired of being afraid,” she whispered.
“Fear keeps you alive.”
“I know. But I hate it.” She closed her eyes. “I hate that he has this power over me. Over everyone. I hate that one person can cause so much suffering and no one stops him.”
“People have tried. They’ve failed.”
“Why?”
He was quiet for a long moment.
“He has… power, and he’s not afraid to use it,” he said bitterly. “He’s also brilliant, ruthless, and completely without conscience. He sees people as tools, not lives. And tools can be discarded when they’re no longer useful.”
“Like you?”
“Like me.”
“You’re not a tool, Khorrek.”
“That’s all I’ve ever been.”
