Chapter 51

The tunnel is pitch black, and the entrance is barely wide enough for me. Made for children, indeed. The rushed footfalls are not far. We don't have much time. Ursha shoots to her feet and runs back to the door. At first, I think she's going after a torch.

Ursha slams the door shut and locks it. Darkness pushes into my eyes. Someone slams into the door a second later.

I wince. Eirik wails again. More orcs slam against the door.

"Ursha," I cry out as her steps come closer. "Take Eirik. You're stronger; you can protect him," I blurt out, my heart in my throat.

I feel Ursha's gaze on me, but I have no idea what her face looks like. She takes a moment to respond.

"Orc warriors don't run," she says, her voice warm. "Orc warriors stay behind so those who can't fight might escape."

"Ursha, I know we fight all the time, but I don't want you to die." The words come out breathless, stumbling together. "There must be another way to stop this bloodshed. A way to stop Eirik from losing people who love him. There's more to orcs than being warriors. There's family."

There's a beat where all I hear is the orcs punching the door. Then Ursha chuckles. Not a sneer. A real laugh. "Thorn chose right," she says, her voice strangely soft. "You'll be a good queen."

I'm so surprised by her words that I don't react when she shoves me.

A scream locks in my throat as I trip, but I stumble down the short set of stairs and land without problems. It's not as deep as I thought it would be.

"Go!" she barks and slams the trapdoor shut above us.

"Ursha!" My scream is muffled by wood and earth as the door to the classroom comes down. Ursha roars and there's the sound of steel clashing. Fear makes me hesitate.

Eirik takes a breath and cries. It's what gets me moving.

"Shh, little prince," I whisper, muffling his cries against my chest while stumbling through the blackness, my hand scraping against the rough wall. "It's going to be okay. Ursha's strong. She's the strongest, remember?"

The ground slopes downward, and the air grows damp and rank. The unmistakable sound of rushing water fills my ears. Dim light grows in the distance. I pick up my pace. We burst into an open area.

We're underground. It's a massive tunnel carved into stone with small openings in the walls that give into a canal. Slits in the ceilings let some light in. A stream runs in the middle of the tunnel.

Sewers. Of course.

I have no time to be disgusted. I wade into the chilly stream, trying to ignore the cold seeping into my bones. The river leads me forward, the current tugging at my legs, urging me on.

Ahead, the tunnel narrows, and iron bars stretch from floor to ceiling. I get it. The bars keep any invader outside—the price is that no adult orc can escape either.

"We're almost there," I murmur to Eirik as he calms down. He watches me with huge, watery eyes, his little hands gripping my coat. I squeeze myself and Eirik through the gap between bars, emerging with a silent prayer of gratitude into the cool night air.

It's dark tonight. The clouds cover the moon. I glance around and find the wall behind me. I'm outside the village.

The forest looms before me and I immediately know where I must go. I start jogging.

A sharp howl pierces the silence. Someone screams, "Here, they're here!"

They've seen us. Panic seizes me, propelling my legs faster. I look over my shoulder. Three orcs run at me.

They don't run for long.

Other orcs jump over them, tackling them to the ground. Our orcs. More appear to stop the enemy from running after me.

"Go! Run!" I recognize the voice. It"s Gorbag, my first guard. With my breath wheezing between my teeth, I do what he tells me to. I barge into the woods.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember the last nanny—how she also ran with Eirik into the trees. Things didn't end well for her.

Am I about to follow her steps into death?

Eirik's whimpers blend with the labored rhythm of my breaths. A stitch burns in my side, but I don't dare to stop. I stumble into a tree root but catch myself in time.

The clouds open. The moon blankets the forest in silver. Just like that night.

"Almost there," I pant, aiming for the portal tree. The only way out.

If I get to the portal tree and, by a miracle, the portal is open, I can leave. I can run back into my world, into the convenience store on the other side of the forest, and call for help.

How am I going to explain a baby orc? No idea. I'll figure it out when I get there. This is my only way out. I can't fight these orcs. They were born into this. I'm just a baker and a nanny.

Thunderous footsteps chase me, closing in. My heart thunders in my chest, punching my ribs. I squeeze Eirik into me. He's not getting hurt. Not while I'm here.

A memory blooms in the back of my head. The nanny. With an ax to her back.

I change my footing and dodge to the right.

Just in time.

An ax whistles through the air where I was just a heartbeat ago. A scream burns in my chest, but I don't have enough air. I zigzag between the trees, staying out of my chaser's sight.

I see the clearing. Hope makes me tear up.

Something hits my feet from behind. I stumble, try to catch myself as I trip into the clearing, but I know I'm crashing.

The ground rushes up to meet me, and I curl around Eirik, shielding him with my body. Pain explodes on my side as I roll. I only stop when I hit a tree root.

"Finally," a voice growls, triumphant and dark.

A massive orc looms over me, his eyes glinting with wicked glee. But he doesn't look at me.

He stares at Eirik with a twisted smirk.

"Hello, Grandson."