Page 83 of The Orc's Captive Bride
She smiled. “I might have an idea. About the text.”
“Tell me.”
So she explained her theory about the encryption and about the deliberate obscurity hiding a simpler message beneath.
He listened thoughtfully, asking surprisingly insightful questions, and the thought that Lasseran wasted that sharp intelligence and used it only for violence and obedience made her angry all over again.
“You should sleep,” he said eventually. “You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”
“So should you.”
“I’ll keep watch.”
“Khorrek—”
“I can’t sleep. Not with…” He trailed off. “My mind won’t stop.”
She understood that. Assuming they made it through the next three days, they only had two weeks before Lasseran tried the Blood Moon ritual again. Two weeks to save everyone or lose everything.
“Then stay awake with me,” she said. “Tell me about your brothers.”
He immediately tensed. “Why?”
“Because I want to know. Because they matter to you, which means they matter to me.”
Silence stretched between them for a long moment before, haltingly, he began to speak. He told her about the training halls, the brutal conditioning, and the other orc children who’d survived alongside him.
He spoke about Throkar, who had been the strongest, but who’d protected the smaller ones when he could without being caught.
About Grazzik, who had a gift for strategy, and who’d figured out how to anticipate the trainers’ demands.
About Vorgath, who’d nearly died in the trials but had clawed his way back through sheer stubbornness.
And others. So many others. Some had died in training. Some had been sent on missions and never returned. But a dozen of them had become Lasseran’s personal guard.
And now he’s going to kill them.
Her hands clenched. “We have to stop him.”
“How? You said it yourself—you need time to decode the text. Time we don’t have.”
“Then I’ll work faster. I’ll figure it out.”
“Thea—”
“I will. I have to.”
Because the alternative was unthinkable. Lasseran sacrificing loyal soldiers, and taking control of the Beast Curse. Turning every orc in the Five Kingdoms into a mindless weapon.
And after that? What would stop him? Nothing. He’d be unstoppable. Immortal through dark magic. A god-king ruling through fear and blood.
No. I won’t let that happen.
“Get some rest,” he said quietly. “I’ll wake you before dawn.”
“You need sleep too.”
“I’ll sleep when this is over.”
