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A s Rosa had promised, she escorted Daisy toward the sickroom, deep in the heart of Orc Mountain .

Daisy should have found it shocking to walk through Orc Mountain . To realize that Filak had truly brought her all the way here, to this huge, underground maze of rock and rooms and tunnels. And on another day, in another life, she might have stared and wondered and marvelled at it, or frantically drawn it in her sketchbook, capturing as much of it as she could. The elegantly arched tunnels, the intricate wrought-iron lamps lining the walls, the craggy, curious orc faces passing by in the corridor, and peering out through darkened doorways.

But instead, it all seemed strangely distant. Muddled , faded, far away. Daisy only vaguely heard Rosa’s chattering voice beside her, maybe offering explanations or asking questions — and it was only Rosa’s firm hand on her arm that kept Daisy moving at all. Putting one foot in front of the other, her eyes held straight ahead, her vision occasionally blinking away into darkness.

Murder. Poison . Kraitish . Sybil . Lord Nash . Every last orc, human, and child . Nei , Daisy . Mine .

“Well, here we are, then!” cut in Rosa’s too-cheery voice, as she guided Daisy into one of the rooms lining the corridor. A room that indeed appeared to be an actual sickroom, lined with rows of beds separated by tall dividers, all softly illuminated by a crackling fireplace. “ Our healer will get you sorted out right away, I’m sure!”

The rising note of panic in Rosa’s voice sliced through some of the fog in Daisy’s thoughts, and up ahead, a tall nearby orc instantly whipped around, and frowned toward them. He was lean and handsome, his long black hair gleaming against the elegant jewels hanging from his ears, and around his neck. And Daisy’s numb staring eyes seemed caught on his jewels, on the hazy awareness that she would have liked to draw them, if her hands weren’t still bloody and aching, if her sketchbook wasn’t lost forever, if she was a real artist…

Rosa and the handsome orc had begun speaking together, Rosa’s voice still far too shrill, and soon Daisy found herself being guided down onto a nearby fur-covered bed, and gazing up at yet another tall, unfamiliar orc. This one with harsh, scarred features, and a large hand that came to hover over her face, lingering with strange, alarming purpose.

“It’s just shock and sleep deprivation, and a few superficial lacerations,” this orc’s deep voice said, becoming louder, clearer, with every word. “ She ought to be fine, with a bit of rest and healing. Does that feel better, Ka -esh?”

Oh. He was talking to her , Daisy realized, his dark eyes searching her face — and somehow she cleared her throat, drew in a shaky breath. “ Er , m-maybe,” she stammered. “ I think?”

The orc nodded back, and gave her a brief but genuine-seeming smile. “ Good ,” he said. “ I’m Efterar , Orc Mountain’s Chief Healer , and this” — he nodded toward the handsome orc with the jewelry, now standing close behind him — “is my mate Kesst , our Infirmarian . We’d like to keep you here in our sickroom for a few days, so you can rest and heal. Is that all fine with you? Do you have anyone we ought to send word to?”

Daisy twitched as Lew’s face loomed behind her eyes — poison, murder — and then rapidly shook her aching head. “ N -no,” she replied, quiet, ashamed. “ No one.”

But there was no judgement on the orc’s harsh face, and his still-hovering hand shifted downwards, now hesitating over one of Daisy’s raw, stinging hands. And suddenly, she could feel the pain… prickling. Itching . And then… fading?

Daisy blinked down at her hand, where the broken skin on her palm somehow seemed — healed . Fully and entirely healed, and her mouth opened and closed, as a shocked, shivering certainty flared up her spine. This orc had… magic . Just like… like Filak .

But he’d helped her, he’d healed her — and his hand had already moved to her other palm, which was now prickling just like the first. And Daisy almost sobbed as she watched the broken skin smoothing, lightening, knitting itself back together. “ Th -thank you, sir,” she whispered. “ This is — very kind.”

But the orc — Efterar , he’d said — only waved it away, and cast another brief, assessing glance up and down her body on the bed. “ Is there any other pain, or anything else you need?” he asked briskly. “ Some pregnancy prevention, perhaps?”

What? Daisy blinked wide-eyed toward him — he could prevent pregnancy , too?! — and then shook her head, too quickly. She ought to be still well covered by that extra-strong contraceptive concoction Lew had foisted upon her — her last dose would be good for at least another few weeks — and after all this, there was no way she would ever go near Filak again. No way she would ever speak to him again. Right ?

“N-no,” her hoarse voice told Efterar , a beat too late. “ I’m — fine.”

Efterar’s thick brows slightly rose, but then he shrugged and nodded. “ Just let us know if you change your mind,” he said. “ Or if there’s anything else you need. Otherwise , we’ll check on you regularly, and I suggest you stay here for a while, and get some rest.”

It was again very kind, and when Daisy stammered her thanks, Efterar waved it away, and then strode off around the divider. Leaving her still lying there on the bed, with a relieved-looking Rosa sitting beside her, and the handsome orc — Kesst — still standing nearby. But this Kesst looked rather stiff, now, his arms folding over his lean chest as he angled a narrow, meaningful look behind him, toward…

Toward Filak .

Daisy froze, her heart thudding loud and panicked in her chest. Filak . Filak had followed them, Filak was here . Only a few steps away, almost near enough to touch.

Daisy only distantly noticed Julian standing beside him, too, because her eyes were caught, trapped, on Filak’s gaunt, pale face, his shadowed staring eyes. Eyes that glittered on hers with menace, with rage. With … murder.

Nei, Daisy . Mine .

Daisy’s terror jolted louder, screaming through her skull, and she scrabbled backwards in the bed, shaking her head. “ N -no,” she gasped. “ P -please, Filak . Nei .”

Filak’s watching eyes flickered, and his jaw flexed, his hands clamping into tight fists at his sides. “ ég vil bara fá ae tala ,” he said, fast and clipped. “ Til ae biejast afsokunar .”

Daisy shoved back further in the bed, shaking her head, wrapping her arms around her shivering chest. While beside her, Rosa loudly snorted, and snapped back toward Filak in those same tangled words, swift and angry and entirely incomprehensible. But Filak’s expression only hardened, the rage flaring higher in his eyes. No , no, no…

“ Bíddu ,” Julian cut in, lurching forward, his eyes darting wide and urgent between Daisy and Rosa . “ Wait . Filak does not wish to hurt you, Daisy , or frighten you any further. He only wishes — to apologize.”

What? To — apologize? Daisy blinked dully toward Julian , and then toward Filak’s pale, staring face. Now he wanted to apologize? After — after —

“Look, Julian ,” Rosa cut in, her voice cold. “ I realize that Filak has an unusual background, and that only exacerbates our existing cultural differences. But even you must realize that his behaviour in this” — she flapped her hand at Daisy — “is beyond appalling!”

Julian winced, and Rosa drew in a deep breath, her chest puffing out. “ Filak mated Daisy ,” she continued sharply, “and then he kidnapped her, and pushed that kraga on her, and chained her up, and left her! Alone and bleeding in a dungeon !”

Julian winced again, while Filak just kept staring at Daisy , his head slowly shaking. Until this Kesst — who had still been standing there listening — let out a long, low whistle, and then a merry little laugh. “ Did he, now?” he asked, his voice unnervingly light. “ What a delightful way to treat one’s lovely new mate. I’d like to say I’m surprised, but we would all know better, wouldn’t we?”

A fierce chill raced up Daisy’s trembling back — of course they’d all known Filak was a monster, of course — but Julian stepped closer, whipping his head back and forth. “ Filak thought Daisy tricked him,” he replied, though his voice wavered. “ He thought his new mate sought to kill us all. He thought she had mated him with the sole purpose of destroying us. Destroying our home, our children, our culture, our skill, our history. Our entire people !”

Their entire people. It juddered into Daisy’s chest, still far too shocking to be real — but this Kesst appeared entirely unmoved, and gave another tinkling little laugh. “ And it turned out that Filak was mistaken in his assumption, I presume?” he asked smoothly. “ I don’t suppose he thought to actually ask his new mate if she was involved in such a dastardly plan?”

Julian sharply exhaled, his eyes narrow and flinty on Kesst’s face. “ He could not have asked her,” he stiffly replied. “ They do not — share a language.”

Kesst’s laugh was cold and brittle this time, and didn’t at all reach his eyes. “ Ah , of course,” he drawled. “ And faced with such a complicated conundrum, it didn’t occur to Filak to fetch someone who did share his mate’s language, and ask them to translate? Perhaps the oh-so-helpful Ka -esh who’s been trailing worshipfully at his heels for the past two years, hmmm?”

There was something pointed in his voice, in his cool eyes on Julian’s face, and suddenly Rosa’s words from the dungeon stabbed into Daisy’s thoughts, bright and painful. Just because you like it when he chains you up and has his way with you, she’d told Julian , that doesn’t mean his newest unfortunate target is going to feel the same.

It meant — it meant Filak really did want Julian . Like — like that . It meant they were — lovers .

And blinking at Julian’s flinching face, Daisy only felt a distant, sinking comprehension. She’d never been one to judge such relationships — they were common in artist circles, and she’d had several interests that way herself over the years. And there was no denying that Julian was very handsome, with his symmetrical, finely carved features, his supple mouth, his large, long-lashed eyes. He had the kind of face real artists loved to paint, the face they would give to faeries and angels — and of course Filak would want that too, just like Lew had wanted the beautiful Sybil . Neither of them had actually wanted Daisy , she should have known better, stupid …

“Filak and I are friends ,” Julian’s strained voice finally said, slicing into the thick silence. “ And this is all .”

But Kesst laughed again, even sharper this time. “ Oh , is that so?” he asked, his arched brows rising. “ And the things Filak does to you down in that ghastly Ka -esh wing are just friendly , too?”

Daisy’s stomach painfully churned — so stupid, so stupid — and Julian shot her a brief, hunted look. “ Ach , this is only friendly,” he snapped back toward Kesst , with surprising vehemence. “ It was . Neither of us had a mate, so why should we not find relief together, as best pleases us both? With someone” — his eyes narrowed toward Kesst — “who shall not look upon us with mockery and judgement and contempt?!”

Kesst betrayed a grimace, while Julian’s glare deepened, his jaw tight in his handsome face. “ I ken you all think of Filak as some foolish foreign fiend , come from the north only to vex you,” he hissed. “ But he bears much weight, and upholds much honour. And he has always spoken truth to me of his longing to find a mate — and now that he has finally found one, he would never break his vows to her!”

His vows to her? Daisy blinked at Julian , and then at — at Filak . Who was still looking back at her, his bottomless black eyes glinting with something like frustration, or bitterness, or maybe… regret.

“Your loyalty is admirable, Julian ,” Kesst’s clipped voice cut in. “ Touching , even. But perhaps you might consider that Filak locking his new mate alone in a dark dungeon would be quite a severe violation of those precious matehood vows, hmmm? With all those pesky little promises about keeping one’s partner safe and content?”

What? Filak hadn’t sworn such things to Daisy … had he? But he was still looking at her like that, oh gods, while Julian’s low groan scraped into her ears. “ Filak left Daisy alone for not even one night ,” he countered. “ Whilst he ran to find the people he knew could learn the truth! You ken he was fool enough to march her all through our mountain, when he thought she wished to learn its layout and ventilation systems, so she could help our enemies flood it full of poison gas, and choke us all to death?”

Kesst wrinkled his nose, while beside Daisy , Rosa drew in a deep breath. “ Well , no matter what Filak thought,” she cut in, “he still had no right to force a kraga on her! Or chain her to a wall, and abandon her!”

But now Julian rounded on Rosa , his eyes hard, his cheeks flushed. “ Ach , so instead he should have let her run free?” he demanded. “ Back to this partner of hers, mayhap? Even if Daisy knew naught of this man’s plans against us, he could easily have yet forced all of this from her, and wielded it to our doom! This is a man, Filak says” — Julian’s voice cracked — “who wrote, at length, in his own hand , of how much belladonna a newborn orcling would need to drink with its milk, to ensure its death!”

Oh, gods. Oh , gods. Lew would never have written something like that, and planned for something so horrible… would he? But mass murder, poison, Kraitish , Sybil , Lord Nash . They ought to have gone extinct millennia ago. Nei , Daisy . Nei …

Daisy shook her head, too fast and jerky, but it was all still here, crowding her, crushing her. Filak’s regretful staring eyes, Julian’s rigid body, the fear and fervour in his voice. And the way Kesst and Rosa had glanced at each other, and then at Daisy , with something new, something uncertain, flickering in their eyes.

“You ken a death from poison is easy, or quick, or kind?” Julian demanded, between heavy breaths. “ You ken what it must wreak upon your body, to bring about your death? And you ken” — his inhale sounded more like a sob this time — “how oft poisons like these have been wielded against our Ka -esh kin, in the north? Why they have gone so deep underground, and may never again come out?!”

His eyes were far too bright now, his clawed hand scrubbing at his flushed face. “ Filak is the first Nor -ka-esh to come home in our lifetimes ,” he hissed. “ And if he had not come, and found Daisy , and seen this attack for what it is — we might all have been dead by the next moon . Our home lost, defeated, forever. ”

His voice thudded through the air, through the sudden ringing silence, clanging into Daisy’s aching skull. No . No . She should have known, should have seen, stupid, stupid…

The room had slowly begun to spin before her eyes, the sobs jostling dangerously in her throat. She was going to weep, she was going to scream, she needed her lost sketchbook, needed to draw something stark and hideous, needed to run, to disappear deep into a cave, to vomit. Poison , mass murder, nei, Daisy , nei …

But even as the bile surged into her throat, the Efterar orc stalked over, and sharply waved his hand between them. “ You’re distressing my patient, all of you,” he snapped. “ It’s time to leave her alone and let her rest . Perhaps I could help you to fall asleep, Daisy ?”

Sleep. Yes . Sleep , please, gods, and Daisy fervently, desperately nodded. Anything , anything, to escape this endless hell, this nightmare. Lew , Filak , poison, murder, herself…

And finally, with a wave of Efterar’s clawed hand, and a small shaky sigh, it all flickered into darkness.