CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN（Untitled）Naomi

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Naomi

I wake to the sound of hushed voices, my thoughts blurry and slow. My fingers flex against the now-familiar softness of Wranth’s sleeping furs. Where am I? Back at the cat sith den? Did I pass out without getting us anywhere?

The worry that my magic failed jolts me fully awake. My eyes snap open. Instead of close rock overhead, there’s a high ceiling made of golden wood.

“You’re awake!” A woman’s face appears above me, all big smile and rich tanned skin, her thick brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her hand presses to my forehead, and a tingle of magic races through me. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I think?” My nose wrinkles. “Only, I don’t know where I am or who you are.”

“I’m Selena. I’m a healer, which is why I’m touching you without asking for permission.” She yanks her hand back. “Sorry about that. I get so used to helping people around here that I forget my manners.”

“Hey, if you’re a healer and you’re hovering over me, I’m pretty sure I should be thanking you, not complaining about a little forehead touching.” I grin.

She grins back. “I like you.”

“Where’s Wranth?” A tiny curl of disappointment goes through me. After being so certain he’d never leave me, I didn’t expect to wake up to find him gone.

“He was making himself crazy with worry.” She grimaces. “He kept pacing and growling and looking like he was about to start punching the walls. So Sturrm took him into the main room to blow off some steam, orc style.”

“Which means?”

“They’re pounding the shit out of each other in a friendly brawl.”

“Also known as warrior training,” a sunny voice says as a plump redhead with pale skin covered in lots of freckles shoves in beside the other woman. “I’m Ashley.”

“Naomi.”

“Want to sit up?”

“God, yes.”

She reaches out a hand, and I clasp it and let her help pull me up to sitting. Then I scootch backward to lean against the headboard.

There are two more human women in the room. If they weren’t all dressed in orc clothes, I’d think I’m back on Earth. But Wranth told me about each of them, including Selena and Ashley. I was simply too woozy when I first woke up to put it together.

“I did it!” A grin stretches my cheeks. “I got us to Moon Blade Village.”

“You sure did!” A short woman with light-tan skin and a messy brown bob says. She bounces on her toes, her thin frame vibrating with energy. “Teleportation is one seriously cool power!”

The tall blonde beside her nods. “Cooler than mine.”

“None of that now.” The shorter woman taps the taller one with the back of her hand. “You’re the one who makes the net guns that can shoot a sluagh out of the sky. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.”

The blonde’s fair skin blushes red, and she shuffles forward, holding out a small ceramic pot. “I’m Grace. I had the village herbalist make me some conditioner to tame my frizz.” She gestures to her wavy curls, which are up in a messy bun. “I don’t know if it’s right for your hair, but I thought it might be better than nothing.”

“Thank you!” I beam at her. “I can definitely use some conditioner.”

She gives an embarrassed smile but is clearly pleased.

“I’m Taylor.” The short woman grins. “I got the other tele-power, telekinesis.” To prove her point, she makes the pot of conditioner fly up out of my hand and settle on the bedside table.

“You’re the healer.” I point to Selena, then swing my finger toward Ashley. “And you—”

She rises up into the air a couple of feet. “I can fly.”

“We really are witches.”

“Yep!” She pops the p and grins as she floats back down to the floor. Then she points to a stack of folded clothes waiting on the foot of the bed. “I brought you some clothes that should fit, since I think we’re about the same size. We’ll get you your own things from the weavers as soon as you want, but I thought you might like to change before then.”

“Oh, god, is there a bra?” My cheeks heat. “I, uh… I kind of lost mine.” It’s not a total lie. Who knows where those pixies are or what they’ve done with it.

“No, I don’t really have any spares.” Ashley’s cheeks turn pink, but the smile she shoots me is so pleased I bet her orc has a thing for shredding underwear, too.

“I had the leatherworker measure your shoes,” Taylor points to my sneakers, which sit over against the wall. “You should have new boots by tomorrow.”

“Thank you. You’ve all been so kind.”

“This is nothing.” Ashley waves a dismissive hand. “Wait until you meet Olivia. She got the best power of all.”

The bedroom door opens to the sound of meaty smacks and deep grunts—the guys sparring. Then it closes again.

“Sorry I’m late! It was for a good reason.” A woman bustles into the room, carrying a covered plate. She’s medium height and build, with olive skin and wavy brown hair. She pulls the cloth from the top with a magician’s flourish. “Ta da! Nonni’s famous Italian walnut crescent cookies!”

The rich scent of nutty sweetness fills the air, and my stomach growls.

I grab one of the crescent-shaped pieces and bite into it. Butter and sugar and walnut explode across my tongue. Another bite, and the cookie’s gone, leaving me licking powdered sugar from my fingers. “Did you conjure these?”

She waggles her hand in the air. “So-so. I conjured the ingredients, then made the cookies.”

“That’s actual cooking, and you don’t get to call it any different,” Ashley says.

“Agreed.” Grace bites into a cookie. “Conjuring ingredients is the Faerie equivalent of grocery shopping. You’re still doing all the hard stuff by hand.”

“Well, this is conjuring.” Olivia holds out her hand, and a paper coffee cup appears. She hands it to Ashley. “Your macchiato.” Then she looks at me. “What’s your favorite coffee or tea?”

“Or soda,” Grace says.

“Oh. My. God. You cannot be freaking serious. Coffee?” I’m so excited, my voice squeaks as I stretch out my arms and make gimme hands. “Caramel latte.”

Another cup pops into existence, and Olivia hands it to me. Then she makes everyone else a drink too.

I cradle my coffee between my palms and breathe deep before taking a sip. It’s perfect, the bitter espresso offset by the milky sweetness of caramel syrup. I moan. “Oh, god, I missed this. I didn’t know how long it was going to take to get back to Earth again, but it was already too long away from coffee.”

I take another long sip, my eyes closing in pleasure. When they open again, I find all of the women staring at me. “What?”

“Did you say you’re going back to Earth again ?” Ashley asks.

“As in, you’ve already gone there?” Grace adds.

“Yeah, I went back for a little bit the very first day I got here.”

They all crowd closer, settling onto the edges of the bed all around me.

Taylor leans forward. “Tell us everything .”

I’m just finishing up telling them everything we know about the tether and my teleporting when Wranth bursts into the room almost at a run. He falls to his knees by the bed and clasps my hands in his. “My bride! You’re awake.”

“What happened to you?” I tug a hand free to ghost my finger over one of his eyes, which is swelling shut. His lip’s also split over one of his tusks.

“I happened,” a deep voice growls. Another orc leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his wide, muscular chest. He’s got a touch of gray in his hair, but looks big and fit. His left cheek sports a purpling bruise, and the neck of his shirt’s torn, showing another angry abrasion. He hooks a thumb toward Wranth. “This one gets sloppy when he’s angry.”

“It’s a good thing for you, old man,” Wranth says back, his tone more playful than I’ve ever heard.

I’m glad to hear it. There’s a loneliness at Wranth’s core, an uncertainty. I like knowing he’s had someone who’s been his friend.

“Whatever am I going to do with you two?” Selena stands, hands on hips, and shakes her head. Then she gives a soft chuckle and touches Wranth’s shoulder. A tingle of magic shivers through the air. Right before my very eyes, his cut lip seals and the swelling around his eye goes down.

Next, she walks up to the other orc and places her palm over his heart. The bruises fade from his cheek and collarbone, and he leans over to kiss her.

“That’s my friend Sturrm,” Wranth says.

His words make me remember his other good friend. I think I saw her right before I passed out, but I want to make sure. “Zephyr? Did she make it okay?”

“She did.”

I smile in relief.

He scoops me off the bed in a bridal carry and heads for the door, scattering the other women out of his way.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To the baths.”

“I want my new conditioner.” I stretch an arm back toward the nightstand, and Grace picks up the pot and presses it into my hand. “Thanks!”

Ashley hurries over to pile the new clothes on my stomach, shooting me a knowing grin.

Then Wranth’s moving again, his long legs carrying us through a cozy open living room and kitchen and outside.

Guess I’m about to see what a communal bath looks like!