But for now, at least we are nearly home and safe.
When I get to the house, however, I stop abruptly, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
Clem raises her head from my shoulder and asks sleepily, “What’s up?”
“Someone’s in the house. There’s a light on.”
“Maybe you left it on.”
“I doubt it,” I mutter. Then to prove my point, a light goes on in another room.
Shit.
“You stay here, I’ll go check,” I hiss, placing her gently down. This is not what I need right now. My mind churns. Could there be spies in there? Human troops even. Are they ransacking the house, or worse, stealing my computer systems, my notebooks of coding? Fear strikes ice into my heart.
I advance stealthily, peer in a window. There’s no-one there.
I feel deep in my pocket and bring out the house key. Slowly I put it in the lock and it sticks which is does every third fucking times I use it, and now I’m going to have to twist the fucker and shove the door with my foot to enter.
Which will alert whoever is inside to my presence.
I heave in a deep breath, brace my shoulders and lift my foot to kick at the wooden slats… when the door swings open from the inside.
Instinctively I let out a huge roar, arms raised and hands balled into fists, ready to strike first.
“Otis, what the fuck!” A female voice cuts through my rage.
I stop abruptly and blink.
Stare. Blink again.
A pretty green face with wide red eyes and long sweeping lashes stares at me like I’m a complete lunatic, her tight dark green curls bouncing around her head.
“Amy?” My shoulders slump and I drop my arms to my sides.
Her lips quirk. “There’s no need to fisticuff me. This is still my home too, you know.”
“Sorry,” I mutter, my brows pinching into a frown. “I thought you were an intruder.” I peer past her into the interior. “Are you here alone?”
“No the twins are with me…”
As she speaks, two other orcs, taller, wider, but just as green as my sister, come strolling down the passage, grinning.
Nathaniel and Dwayne.
“Hello bro,” they say in unison. They’re identical to look at, except Dwayne has a little green mole above his right eye and Nathaniel has one on his chin.
I can’t believe my eyes.
“How… I mean, why now…?”
When Clem steps forward from behind me, oddly, my sister doesn’t seem surprised to see her.
“Hello Amy, it’s nice to meet you in person.”
“Ah, a face to match to the voice.” Amy smiles back. And then they fuckinghug.
I look from one to the other, perplexed. “What the hell is going on here?” I growl.
