Chapter 27

Louisaspent yet another restless night. Kicking and twisting in her bed, frowning tiredly at the ceiling, shoving at the thoughts of Killik and Ulfarr that just wouldn't go away.

This is very good. You show us great honour. So sweet. You are wondrous, Louisa.

No. He cannot. You cannot.

Itwasn't at all helped by the silken wetness still seeping from inside her, or the rising dull ache deeper within. Or the cursed hunger that kept swirling at the memories of it, of Killik groaning as he'd pulsed out into her, of Ulfarr's too-large strength opening her, pushing its way inside…

Louisafinally had to use her hand to wring out her own pleasure — twice — before she could fall asleep. But even that was fraught, because her dreams were full of it, of them, of a longing so strong it felt like it was crushing her, wringing her empty beneath its weight.

Bymorning, she was exhausted and irritable, but there was also a grim, resigned awareness as she washed and dressed. As wondrous as last night had been — and as tempting as Killik's challenge of proving it had been — she needed to remember the actual truth of it. This was a deal. It was only five more nights. And maybe she should even tell Killik she was done with it again, try to abandon it, forget it for good, just like LordScall…

But— no. No. She wouldn't. Last night had been unlike anything she'd ever known. It had given her so much pleasure, so much wonder — and even those fleeting, beautiful moments of… peace. Just like the peace she'd felt seeing the camp the day before, and knowing that she was using LordScall's land for good. Not forgetting what he'd done, but instead perhaps… facing it. Helping the people he'd harmed. Making amends.

Itwas almost enough to drown out the lingering longing, and the ache of Killik leaving, and not coming back for a week. Because yes, it still hurt, it still clutched deep in her belly — but Louisa could face it. She still had five more nights with them, and then her land would be hers, forever. She could focus on the hope, and the healing, and the peace.

Soshe threw herself into the day with as much determination as she could, laughing and chattering with her staff and the children over breakfast, and then tackling the task of cleaning the kitchen's oven and chimney, a daunting project she'd been putting off for months. And while it was filthy, exhausting work — especially without the help of Elise and Gladys, who were still dealing with the venison in the cellar — it at least shoved away the memories from the night before, until they were only nattering away in a tired corner of her brain. Next week, an entire damned week, and then —

Abang. At the door behind her.

Louisawhipped around, her heart pounding — just as more bangs pounded, sharp and staccato against the door. As if someone needed in. Urgently.

Ithad to be Joan, some kind of emergency — and Louisa leapt up, rushed over to yank the door open. And found —

Anorc. A… young orc. A young, slim, grey-skinned orc, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, with pulled-up hair, and a flushed, wet, wide-eyed face. Looking frantic, and in pain, because — Louisa's eyes rapidly swept down over his tunic and trousers — he was bleeding. His trousers were badly torn at the knee, and his calf was a horrifying mass of deep, vicious-looking cuts, pooling bright streams of red down onto his soft leather boots.

Louisa'seyes held on the boots for an instant too long, and then she yanked the door open wider, and fervently waved the orc inside. "Good gods, sweetheart," she croaked, "what the hell happened to you? Did you — get attacked? By an animal, maybe?"

Theorc grimaced and shook his head, but willingly limped inside, pain flashing across his eyes with every step. And he kept glancing backwards, too, toward the still-open door behind him, toward — Louisa groaned aloud — toward Rikard. Godsdamn it.

"Stop that orc!" Rikard hollered, huffing and gasping as he staggered up toward her door, with two of his armed stooges jogging along behind him. "Get that trespasser, Louisa!"

Louisashot a look back at the young orc now hovering behind her — at his pale face, his quivering mouth, the genuine terror glimmering in his eyes. And without thinking, she shoved him further behind her, and firmly planted herself between him and the open door.

"What the hell is this about, Rikard?" she demanded. "You can't honestly be accusing this — this juvenile — of trespassing, while you're about to shove your way into my house?!"

Rikardshot Louisa a dark, baleful glare, but reeled slightly back from her open doorway, so he could loom menacingly just outside it. "I'm only seeking to uphold the law, Louisa," he snarled. "And that orc" — he jabbed his thick finger toward the orc behind her — "was caught openly trespassing, on my property! As you swore to me those odious orcs wouldn't do!"

Louisadarted another look back at the orc, at his drawn face and pleading terrified eyes, and she drew in a shaky breath, fought to follow this, to think. "I know the orcs have been very careful about the property lines, Rikard," she countered. "And do you even have proof that he was on your land?"

"Yes, I do have proof!" Rikard roared, waving a furious hand toward the orc. "He was caught in one of my traps!"

Thehorror surged in Louisa's chest, her eyes snapping back down to the orc's injured leg. To where those sharp, deep cuts suddenly did look a lot like the marks from a trap, from a strong steel wire, perhaps. And those smaller cuts all around it, those would be — Louisa closed her eyes — from the orc's own claws, scratching at the wire, desperately trying to break himself free.

"That is vile, Rikard," Louisa hissed, and suddenly she was so furious she was shaking with it. "You said your traps were snares, not steel! That is disgustingly inhumane, and a shockingly disproportionate punishment for a minor petty crime! And for the three of you to chase him all the way here, with weapons?! He's badly injured, and he's not even of age! What the fuck!"

ButRikard only bristled and glowered at her, his lip viciously curling. "Your language is unbefitting for a lady, Louisa. And he's not human, he looks full-grown to me, and he was trespassing! How is it my doing if he learned the consequences of his own illegal actions! And we did even kindly untangle him, but" — he shot another vicious glare toward the orc — "then he assaulted us, and ran!"

Louisa'sglance backwards found the young orc even paler than before, his head slightly shaking. And damn it, Louisa could easily envision how this had gone, and she squared her shoulders, glared back at Rikard's red face. "He assaulted you, or he fought you off so he could escape?" she demanded. "What were you going to do, extort a fine for his return?"

Buteven as she said it, she knew it was far too rational, especially with that familiar petulant look in Rikard's beady eyes. "Or," she continued, clipped, "you were going to keep him confined? Trap him in a dark cellar or a shed somewhere, until he told you every incriminating thing you wanted to hear, so you could use it against me, and try to force the orcs off my land? Or" — more comprehension flashed across her thoughts — "to try to force me off my land?"

Therewas a horrible moment's silence, in which Rikard's pouting face betrayed all of that as truth, damn him. "I told you, the orcs need to go, Louisa," he replied, his voice hard. "They have no right to be here!"

Louisagritted her teeth and glared back, her hands clenched tight at her sides. "They have every right to be here," she retorted. "This is still my land, Rikard, and I'm allowed to share it with whoever I please! And orcs are people under the law, just like you, so legally, there is nothing you can do about them!"

Rikard'ssnarl was more like a roar, and he furiously waved toward the young orc again. "There is," he drawled, "when they're trespassing on my property! When they're breaking the law! At that point, I can do whatever the hell I want!"

Acold chill flared up Louisa's back, but she drew herself up taller, drew up strength from the solid floor beneath her feet. "Rikard, he's not of age," she shot back. "It was a mistake, and it won't happen again. And besides" — she shot a glance back at the pale, still-bleeding orc — "he now needs urgent medical care, because of you! You ought to be grateful he escaped you and came here, because if he'd died in your custody, due to your inhumane treatment, his kin would have every right to accuse you of murder! SoI suggest you leave this at once, and get the hell off my property!"

Rikardhuffed and sneered, puffing out his chest. "At this rate, it won't be your property for long, Louisa," he hissed. "You'll be hearing from me again very soon!"

Itfired another sharp chill up Louisa's back, but she gave a cold, furious smile as she reached for the door. "How unfortunate for us both," she said, her voice hard. "Now have a good day, gentlemen. Goodbye!"

Withthat, she slammed the door in their faces, and snapped the locking bar down into place. And then she spun and sagged back against the closed door, her heart still pounding too fast, her breaths still thin and shallow. Waiting for more shouting, more demands, maybe for Rikard to try to break down the door — but wait, thank the gods, they were leaving. Crunching loudly down the lane, grumbling and clattering as they went.

Itleft Louisa finally alone with the young orc, who was now clutching at her counter, gazing warily toward her, and drawing in slow, gulping breaths. Breathing all the way to his uninjured foot, feeling the earth through it, letting it out…

Somethinghitched in Louisa's chest, and for an instant, she could only seem to stare back at him. At his breaths. His soft leather boots. And his bound-up hair, which — she swallowed — had a slim, gleaming dagger stuck through it. Just the same way Killik always wore his hair, and the sight of it jolted Louisa's suspicion higher, into something much like certainty…

"I — I'mLouisa," she said, into the stilted silence. "And you are…?"

Theorc didn't reply, only drew in another slow, deep breath, and stared at her with flinty, defiant eyes. But he didn't even need to say it, because the truth of it was shouting between them, like a shuddering drumbeat in Louisa's chest.

Itwas Sune. Killik and Ulfarr'sson.