Page 12 of Obeying the Orc
Madame Sage put an arm around me and smiled. “Get some rest, sweetie, and in the morning, I’ll introduce you to everyone. Also, I promise no one will come bothering you, but there is a lock on the door. Feel free to latch it if it makes you feel safer.”
“Thank you.”
The madame departed the room and closed the door behind her. I immediately went to latch the lock. After my ordeal with Mr. Foxthorne, I doubted I would ever go a night without locking my bedroom door again.
I slipped my shoes off and went to the basin to clean up. My dress would need washing due to my tumble on the street. I took it off and donned a nightdress, then curled up under the covers. Sleep claimed me quickly.
Thankfully, my dreams weren’t dark. Mr. Foxthorne didn’t feature in a single one of them. Instead, all night long, I dreamed about Knot Thazurok.
The orc’s dark, kind eyes. His black hair blowing in the breeze. I even dreamed of him taking his clothes off and crawling into bed with me, pressing his huge green body against mine.
But when I awoke in the morning, the memories of the dreams left me with a deep sadness. Because I shouldn’t be dreaming about another man only months after Logan’s passing. Furthermore, I shouldn’t be thinking about the handsome former priest at all.
He’d returned to his cabin in the mountains. He hadn’t stuck around town, and I’d taken it as a sign that he wasn’t interested in settling down. The pain in his voice when he’d spoken of his wife, Emalise, had been cutting. He clearly wasn’t ready to marry anytime soon, and, therefore, I needed to vanquish all thoughts of him from my mind.
Instead, I needed to focus on my new position at The Sweet Siren and my plan to make it back to the Northern Isles, where I would be free to marry again, and no one would know of my brief stint working at a brothel in a mining town.
CHAPTER7
KNOT
Back in town again,only a short time after my last trip, I departed The Bluebird Inn in a lighter mood than I’d felt upon arrival. As much as I thought I wanted to be left alone, there was a certain appeal to being around others and making myself useful.
I spent the morning helping Parcos Glade and his son work on a woodshed. Parcos and his son had built my cabin shortly after I struck it rich on my claim. It still amazed me that they’d built such a large and sturdy cabin in less than a fortnight. I’d assisted, of course, but the two humans were highly skilled in their trade and had done most of the work.
Mrs. Glade insisted I join them for lunch, and I sat at the table in absolute awe of the family. We laughed and talked over a delicious meal—me, the Glade couple, their three daughters, and one son. A sense of peace settled over me when I was surrounded by such love and devotion. It was then that I wondered if perhaps the gods were trying to reach me.
Maybe this was what I wanted. Maybe it was what I needed.
A family.
I would be lying if I claimed there weren’t times when I thought I might be able to move on and start my life anew. Totrulystart my life anew. My move to the mountains of Black Dragon Island to live in isolation far away from my friends and family in the Northern Isles didn’t count.
I closed my eyes and imagined my wife—not Emalise, but a vague image of an unknown female—cooking at the stove while our daughters helped set the table. I’d just arrived home with my young sons from a day spent panning for gold. I wouldn’t take them hardrock mining until they were a bit older. Not that we needed the money, but as a good father, I planned to teach them the value of hard work. My anger toward the gods long gone, I would say a blessing and then we would eat. Night would come and find us all tucked in our beds. Warm and safe. Loved.
Suddenly, the woman’s features became clearer, and I nearly gasped.
It was Natalee.
“Knot? You still with us?”
I shook the daydream away and focused on the question I’d half heard Parcos ask. Something about my plans for staying in town?
Clearing my throat, I leaned forward and said, “Well, I might stay for a few more days. Between your cooking, Mrs. Glade, and the soft beds at The Bluebird Inn, it’ll be difficult to leave Faircross.”
Mrs. Glade blushed at the compliment.
After lunch, I helped Parcos install a new window on a house located at the edge of town. It didn’t take long, and I soon found myself alone with no plans just before suppertime. I declined an invitation to dine with the Glades again, my thoughts on The Sweet Siren. The place had a cheery atmosphere, and the food was scrumptious. I found the wine more than decent, too. Last night I’d enjoyed a few glasses while talking with the miners who happened to join me at the bar, though the other males mostly drank whiskey.
I couldn’t deny it. Being around people helped hold the darkness at bay. Alone in my cabin, all I could think about was Emalise and feel sorry for myself. Perhaps it was time I stopped.
Taking a deep breath, I traversed between the carriages and people strolling down the main street on my way to the tavern. Two sirens looked up from serving drinks and smiled as I walked in. I headed straight for the bar and took a seat on the end. The human siren I’d learned was named Floura winked at me and reached for a wine glass.
“More of the red stuff?” she asked with an impish grin.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She giggled. “Have any more messages from Dalton?”
