Chapter 11

The woman blinks back at me, equally surprised. She must be in her late forties, her long blonde hair streaked with silver. Thin eyebrows arch over her gentle eyes and a delicate nose gives her elegant features. Her white skin is flushed on the cheeks from the cold in the large room.

It's impossible to stop my heart from fluttering with hope. Yes, I haven't had much luck with other humans lately—or ever—but if she speaks English...

She opens her mouth, and her voice is as gentle as her eyes. The lilting words rise and fall as she speaks to me.

A pity I still can't understand a word.

I shake my head helplessly. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

The woman frowns, then speaks again. This time, her tone is different, and the words tentative, as if almost forgotten. Is she trying another language?

It doesn't matter. The other language still isn't English or anything I've ever heard. I press my lips together and shake my head, incapable of hiding my frustration.

Raising her hands, she takes a step closer. I can't help flinching back. Damn it. She caught me off guard.

She opens a reassuring smile and stretches out her fingers. The woman closes her eyes and mouths more unknown words. I lean back.

What is that now?

She reaches out. Her fingertips brush my temples and a tingling warmth spreads through me.

Again, I want to pull back, but she seems okay. Right? Even if she's apparently doing some kind of witchcraft, prayer, or...

"There now." Another monster toddles over, his hands behind his back. He looks me up and down and clucks his tongue. "Humans never feed their women enough. I wonder how she survived this winter."

I gape at him. He looks older, with deep wrinkles, a bald head, thinning eyebrows, and a short white beard framing his face. Still, he has a presence, with his sheer height and the elegant leathers, the color of toasted almonds.

Wait.

Did he just speak English?

My jaw drops. It feels like a lifetime since I understood someone. I struggle with what to say first.

The woman smiles, her green eyes twinkling. "I guess the spell worked. Can you understand us?"

"Yes!" I squeak, my gaze ping-ponging between the two. "I'm so glad I can finally talk to someone." Even if it's because of… a spell? Did I hear it right?

After the monsters, magic doesn't even surprise me.

The woman motions me to a chair. She takes the seat next to me. "I spelled you to understand us. I'm Nell." She points at the old orc. "This is Drundak. We're part of the Bearclaw Orc clan. This is the infirmary."

Orcs. That's what they are. They don't look like the orcs from The Lord of the Rings, though. They're bigger and stronger.

I raise my eyes to the tall ceilings. The room is spacious and furnished with several rows of sturdy wooden beds. Orcs occupy a dozen of them, mostly asleep under layers of pelts. There are several chairs scattered near the walls, maybe for visitors, but only two are occupied. The orcs sitting there glance at me curiously.

"And that one," Nell says, making me turn my head to follow her pointed finger, "is Gorbag, your guard."

I curl my nose at him. "You didn't have to drag me here, you know? That was rather rude."

Gorbag's brows shoot up, but I turn to face Nell again.

Drundak, the old orc, takes another good look at me, his expression apologetic. "Forgive me for taking so long to get to you. We had many wounded from the battle."

"Don't apologize." This orc must be the nicest one I've met so far. "I'm sorry about your losses. There was a woman in the forest when I arrived."

Drundak tilts his head in gratitude, a hand coming to his chest. "Yes. In Masha's memory, we fight."

"We fight," echoes Nell. From the murmur behind me, Gorbag does, too. I almost go along with them, but my senses stop me. "Masha was not the only casualty. We've had frequent invasions and your arrival couldn't have worse timing."

"Yes," barks Drundak, his fingers scratching at the beard on his chin. "Our king is a very careful orc. He'll want to know about your story."

"Before he gets rid of you," Gorbag mumbles.

I shoot a glance over my shoulder at him. He grins back, a mocking smile. And I can't help but believe his words.

If the orc king is so careful, then why did he let me live until now?