The Librarian and the Orc: A Monster Fantasy Romance (Orc Sworn) by Finley Fenn

Author:Finley Fenn [Fenn, Finley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-13T16:00:00+00:00

22

When Rosa left that small, wooden-doored room again, hand in hand with a tall, silent orc, it was like something, again, had changed. Something that had swept away all her uncertainty, and replaced it with a bright, buzzing curiosity.

“Why do you have a human room here, John?” she asked, as they began walking down the corridor again. “For guests?”

John’s face had, predictably, gone blank and unreadable in the lamplight, blocking Rosa out. Denying that this room meant anything, pretending he didn’t care at all… and that, combined with that highly conspicuous cradle, was answer enough.

“Oh, I see,” Rosa said, quieter than before. “It truly is a lovely room, and I’m sure any woman would be delighted to come and stay there. Has it housed other Ka-esh mates before? Salvi’s, perhaps?”

She was probably pushing it with that question, but John answered anyway, despite the still-blank look on his face. “Salvi’s mate never came here. She did not wish to live with orcs.”

Oh. Rosa filed that away, studying John’s expression, the slight inflection of his words. “And she didn’t wish to have an orc’s son, either?” she asked carefully. “Was that true, what Simon said you did?”

John muttered something in Aelakesh that included the word Skai, and sounded suspiciously like a curse — but then he sighed as he led Rosa around a corner. “That is truth,” he said, voice flat. “Salvi’s mate needed my help, so I gave it. Efterar gave his help also, when I pushed for this” — he frowned at the wall — “but no one yet blames him.”

Without quite meaning to, Rosa bumped against John’s arm with her shoulder, flashing him a quick, rueful smile. “Of course not,” she said. “They all know you’re the brains behind this entire mountain operation, John, even if they don’t want to admit it. I mean, I’ve only been here for a few days, and I can already tell that without you Ka-esh, your people would have gone extinct several millennia ago.”

She truly did mean that, and felt a reflexive ripple of delight at the twinge of approval on John’s mouth. “There are foolish Ka-esh also, foolish woman,” he said. “But along with all this blame I bear, I at least now wield the power among my clan brothers to foist the fools away.”

“Small mercies,” Rosa replied, with a genuine grin. “What do you do, pack them off mining? Set them to digging tunnels for a few weeks, or months?”

The look on John’s face suggested that he did exactly that, and Rosa couldn’t help a peal of laughter, another bump at him with her shoulder. “Devious orc,” she said. “So why aren’t you Priest of Orc Mountain, anyway?”

Her voice was light, but the meaning behind it wasn’t — and she could almost feel the heaviness settling again, weighing on John’s shoulders. “The Priest wields much power,” he said slowly. “He walks before the captain in the darkness, and guides our kind into the unknown. He commands funds, and labour, and resources. And thus, all five clans must agree upon this choice.

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