Audrey nodded.
“Do you care about the captain at all? Or was this all a game to you? Was it just about getting revenge? Were you really going to kill Jorrad and Morgath both? Do you still want that?”
That was more than one question. Audrey opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She shook her head rather pathetically. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know the answers herself.
“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she whispered. “I’m not the same person I was. So much has happened, and I’m not sure who I am now.”
Maika reached out and took Audrey’s good hand in hers.
“But do you care about him?”
Audrey’s throat tightened.
“Yes,” she admitted. “I care about Morgath. I didn’t want to, and I tried not to, but I do. And I’m sorry for what happened. For shooting him, I mean.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them. She hadn’t expected to cry, and certainly not in front of them. She tried to wipe them away with her good hand, but they kept coming, and soon she was sobbing.
Maika and Zulka moved closer, their hands rubbing soothing circles on her back. They murmured words of comfort, telling her it was all right, that she was allowed to cry, and they were there for her.
“I’m all alone,” she choked out between sobs. “I’ve always been alone. My only family are the Tusk Hunters, and now, because of me, they’re locked up somewhere and in danger. This is all my fault.”
“You’re not alone,” Maika said. “You have us now. The horde is your family.”
“Even the orcs who are against you will come around,” Zulka said. “You’re the captain’s mate. The captain’s mate is always loved and respected, even if things are tough sometimes. That’s how it works.”
Audrey shook her head, fresh tears streaming down her face.
“I don’t think Morgath will want to be with me after this. And I don’t think that’s what I want either. How can we be together after everything that’s happened?”
Maika wiped a tear from Audrey’s cheek with her thumb.
“Don’t think about it now,” she said. “You need to rest and heal. Everything else can wait.”
Audrey wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She felt wrung out and exhausted, and her arm throbbed with renewed pain.
“I need to use the bathroom. I need a minute alone.”
The female orcs helped her out of bed, supporting her on either side as she stood on shaky legs. They walked her slowly to the bathroom door, and Audrey gripped the frame.
“Are you all right?” Zulka asked.
“Yes. I just need a minute.”
“We’re going to head back to town,” Maika said. “But we’ll be back later to check on you. If you need anything, just call out. The captain isn’t far.”
Once alone, Audrey stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
She used the toilet, then stood at the sink and turned on the water. She splashed her face and drank a bit. When she looked up at her reflection, she barely recognized herself. Her eyes were hollow and red from crying, her skin pale and drawn.
There was noise coming from the other side of the door. The sound of heavy footsteps on the creaky wooden floor. Morgath must’ve come back to check on her. She wasn’t ready to face him, but she couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever.
Audrey ran her fingers through her tangled hair, trying to make herself look a little more presentable. She walked to the door and pulled it open, plastering a smile on her face. She didn’t want the orc captain to know she’d been crying. It was enough that she’d broken down in front of Maika and Zulka. Hopefully, they wouldn’t tell anyone. Audrey hated showing weakness in front of people. Even more so in front of orcs.
The orc she found herself face to face with was not Morgath.
It was Jorrad the Brutal.
He carried a sword that glowed with magic, the blade humming with barely contained power. He held it at his side as his dark eyes locked onto hers.
