Page 68 of The Orc's Captive Bride
Vorlag studied her for a long moment, then he sighed.
“Lasseran isn’t content with containment. He wants control. Absolute, magical control over every orc in Norhaven.”
“How?”
“The same way the Curse was created. Through blood magic and sacrifice.” Vorlag pulled a new scroll toward him and opened it to reveal a series of complex diagrams that made her skin tingle. “He’s been working on this for years, perfecting the ritual and gathering the necessary components, but he’s never been able to recreate it completely.”
Thea leaned closer, studying the diagrams. Her knowledge of magical theory was limited, but even she could see the sophistication of the work.
“What does he need?”
“Power. Massive amounts of it. Drawn from living sacrifices and channeled through ancient binding rituals.” Vorlag pointed to a symbol at the center of the diagram. “There was an attempt several months ago. It failed. But he’s planning to try again.”
“With what result?”
Vorlag met her eyes. His expression was grave.
“If he succeeds, every orc in Norhaven will become his puppet. Mindless soldiers who exist only to obey his commands. An army of beasts under his complete control.”
The room spun.
“That’s genocide.”
“Yes.”
“We have to stop him.”
“I agree. But how?” Vorlag gestured helplessly. “He is the High King. His power is absolute. And any of the Veilborn who might have opposed him are either dead or too frightened to act.”
“Then I’ll stop working.” She pushed the scrolls away. “If this text contains information he needs for his ritual, I’ll refuse to translate it. Let him threaten me. I won’t help him enslave an entire people.”
“Dr. Monroe?—”
“No. I won’t do it. I can’t.”
“I understand your objection. Believe me, I do.” Vorlag placed a gentle hand over hers. “But you’re missing a crucial piece of information.”
“What?”
“These texts don’t just explain how the Curse was created. They also explain how it can be broken.”
She froze. “What?”
“The first High King was powerful, but he wasn’t foolish. He understood that all magic has a cost. So he built in a safeguard—a way to end the Curse if it ever became necessary.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he believed his descendants would be wise enough to use it properly. To release the orcs if circumstances changed.”Vorlag’s expression grew bitter. “He couldn’t have imagined someone like Lasseran. Someone who would twist his creation into something even more monstrous.”
“So you’re saying the answer to breaking the Curse is in these texts.”
“I believe so, yes. Hidden beneath the surface meaning. Deliberately obscured so that only someone with the right knowledge could find it.”
“Knowledge you’re hoping I have.”
“You’ve already proven you can read the ancient script faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. You see patterns where others see chaos. If anyone can find the hidden truth, it’s you.”
She stared at the scrolls scattered across the table as her mind raced.
