Read Online [Queen of Orcs 01] - King's Property by Morgan Howell - Free Book Online

la’s children were calling to her in the darkness, and Dar sensed their loneliness and yearning. The voices conjured visions of spirits departing life, leaving warmth and light behind forever. Perhaps, if Dar understood the words, she would have found comfort in them. Instead, she felt desolate and utterly alone.
    The song gradually dwindled until only a single voice echoed in the dark. When it died away, the night was still. With muffled sobs, Dar cried herself to sleep.

    A hand grasped Dar’s ankle, jarring her awake and whisking her from her hiding place. Dar briefly glimpsed the orc that dangled her upside down; then her robe slid over her head, blocking her sight. Her captor began to shout angrily in Orcish, emphasizing each word with a violent shake. Dar recalled seeing a man grab a kitten by its hind leg and slam the helpless creature against the ground to break its body. She feared the orc was about to do the same to her.
    Dar kicked at the orc with her free leg, but only hurt her bare foot against his metal armor. The orc began to swing her to build momentum for the first bone-shattering blow. Already, her leg felt as if it were being wrenched off. She gritted her teeth, expecting to die.
    A second orc arrived, and the swinging stopped abruptly. It sounded as if the two were arguing. One orc began to growl, and when the growl approached the intensity of a roar, the hand let go of Dar’s ankle. She dropped to the ground and lay there, stunned.
    When Dar’s eyes could focus, she saw that Kovok-mah stood over her. He was watching another orc retreat. Presently, he leaned down and spoke. “Dargu, you should not have slept there.”
    Dar was too dazed and shaken to do more than moan.
    “Are you broken?” asked Kovok-mah.
    Dar sat up and moved her leg. The red beginnings of a bruise encircled her ankle and there was a shooting pain deep in her thigh, but her bones seemed intact. “I’m still in one piece. Why did he do that?”
    “He did not like your smell.”
    “I washed before I served.”
    “I told him that,” said Kovok-mah.
    “You also said ‘Dargu nak muth,’ that I am a mother.”
    Kovok-mah curled back his lips. “You understood that?”
    “I understood the words, but not the meaning. I have no child.”
    “Washavokis have strange thoughts,” replied Kovok-mah.
    “We don’t kill people for the way they smell.”
    “You find other reasons,” said Kovok-mah. He gazed at the crowd of people standing outside the circle of branches. “You should leave,” he said, lifting Dar to her feet. When Dar was standing, he strode away and disappeared into the ranks of orcs. They were staring at Dar, as were the soldiers and women. Slowly and painfully, Dar limped to her own kind.
     
    Murdant Kol was waiting with the others. His eyes bore into Dar, yet his face remained a mask. Dar could see no way to avoid the murdant without being oblivious, so she walked directly to him. At the moment, he seemed as terrifying as any orc. When she left the circle, he gripped her arm. “Come with me,” he said, his voice cool and official.
    Kol set a quick pace, forcing Dar to hobble as best she could. The effort was agonizing. Dar noted that the crowd of onlookers hung back. When they were out of earshot, Kol halted, but he didn’t release Dar’s arm. “What was the meaning of that stupid trick?”
    Dar had a ready answer. “I was afraid.”
    “Afraid?” said Kol, his hard voice almost mocking. “Afraid of what?”
    “The men. They were drunk and rowdy. And you…” She forced some tears. “…you weren’t there.”
    “You were perfectly safe,” said Kol, his voice a bit softer. “You nearly got yourself killed.”
    Dar knew she should throw her arms around Kol, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she grasped her leg with her free hand. “Ohhhh, my leg. It feels torn off!”
    “Be grateful it isn’t.” Murdant Kol seemed to be making up his mind. After a moment, he released her