CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR（Untitled）Branikk

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Branikk

"Fuck!" The sluagh who attacked my bride that first day stands right behind her.

Riselda assigned cu sith sentries to patrol the woods, but their numbers are reduced to a skeleton crew in order to field as many fighters as possible in the clearing. Multiple sluagh would be easily spotted, but only one could sneak through if its flock dispersed and didn't attack anyone until it reached its target.

Said target being my bride.

My lips pull back from my tusks, a growl rumbling through my chest. I should send Dravarr and continue to shoot gourds from the sky—I'm the best orc for the job.

Yet I cannot. Not when this soul stealer threatens my bride. Nothing is as important as her.

I spin and pull him to face me, shoving my bow and quiver into his hands.

Dravarr gives me a sharp nod, then turns his eyes to the sky, already searching for the next gourd.

I draw my sword as my feet fly across the ground.

Mist guards Ashley, and Aurora stands ready to defend both human witches. Yet the burden on the unicorn's back will keep her from fighting as hard as she might. Not because of its weight, but because she can't risk any of the trapped birds being freed or killed—either of which will free their flock to attack.

More and more soul stealers descend from overhead. Yells fill the air as Riselda and Rune give new instructions. Cu sith leap all around, jaws snapping closed with vicious crunches. They've given up on capturing the birds, because there's no one to bag them for them. Now they're back to trying to keep the numbers as low as possible to reduce the beak pecks that will drain their energy.

Birds dive for me as I run, red eyes filled with malice.

My sword sings through the air. I, too, have no time for finesse, no time to do anything but kill the individual birds, which doesn't hurt their flocks.

Nothing matters but Grace.

I need to tell her what she means to me. Even more so, I need to show her she is loved. If it takes a lifetime to convince her, then a lifetime it will be. Every day, I will give her all the happy, peaceful moments I can. Every night, I will satiate her with passion. She will know she is treasured.

My bride will know she is mine .

A wound on the back of her neck weeps blood, and rage burns in my chest.

I slide to a halt beside her and snarl, "You dare to touch her? You dare to hurt my bride?"

"I will do far more than touch her." The sluagh laughs, the sound made up of a multitude of voices.

My moon bound will not join its victims.

"I will feast," it hisses.

"Like fuck, you will." I swing, my sword slicing through its center.

It breaks apart into its flock, one bird disappearing on my blade's edge. But the rest of them come back together to make the soul stealer anew. "You cannot defeat me, orc. But I will enjoy watching you wear yourself down in the attempt. Then I will feast upon you, too."

I strike again to make the sluagh break apart. In those split seconds it takes to reform, I quickly say, "Grace, can you make a bigger net gun?"

Her expressive mouth twists. "Maybe?"

"You can. I know you can." My voice rings with conviction as I point to the reforming soul stealer. "Net it for me."

Magic shivers through the air, and my moon bound holds a net gun three times the size of the one I'm familiar with. Its size would overwhelm a smaller person, but my bride is built strong. She points, aiming the barrel just a bit higher exactly as I taught her. With a deep whomp, the net shoots from the nozzle, opening in the air like a gigantic spider web. The heavy white strands wrap around the sluagh.

"Fools." It laughs again. "I'm not some individual bird. This net won't subdue me. I still have my free will."

I leap forward, reaching around to twist the edges of the net tight, trapping the vile fae. "Who said I wanted you to lose your free will?" I plunge my sword into the soul stealer's chest. "I want you to feel every second of this."

It tries to break apart into a flock to get away from my blade. But the net prevents it.

"Now who's the fool?" My lips pull back from my tusks. I strike again and again. "How dare you hurt my bride!"