Page 52 of The Orc Chief’s Baker (Orc Mates Of Faeda #4)

Chapter

Forty

brOVDIR

S he loved him. She loved him!

He refused to lose her!

Brovdir barreled toward the willow and sprang halfway up the tree. His plan to call on Elder Plog for aid would work. It had to! There was no other choice!

The willow buckled and swayed with every one of his motions. Already a third of its roots had been washed out, but where the wall leaned toward the village, the willow leaned away. With any luck, tying them together would hold the oaks in place or even pull them away from Oakwall entirely.

The water was so loud he could barely hear anything else. The desperate need to turn back and look to ensure Trinia was still out of danger was overwhelming.

He couldn’t. One wrong move and the tree would topple.

The tree buckled like it had been struck by lightning. The sound of the ground tearing out from under the tree was deafening.

The sinkhole was taking the willow.

“Brovdir!”

Trinia’s scream made his teeth gnash, and he heaved his weight backward, hoping it could shift the tree away from the swirling death trap of water.

It leaned and leaned. The water was right there.

And then the tree swung back.

“You’ve got it! Keep going!”

Trinia’s voice drew his attention, and he saw Sythcol at the edge of the sinkhole on his knees.

The swirling tendrils of dark magic hooked into him like blades, tearing through his arms and carving jagged black patterns in his flesh.

His face was screwed up tight and he let out a roar that chilled Brovdir right to his core.

But there was no time to fear for the conjurer. The willow was going down. He had to jump.

Brovdir took his chance and leaped from the willow’s shuddering branches toward the leaning wall.

He hit the oaks hard. His hands scrambled, his feet kicked to find a foothold among the tightly twisted, twining branches.

He found a hand grip first. Then another.

There was a tremendous splash as the willow fell into the water. He watched in horror as it contorted, breaking up. It was sucked beneath.

And disappeared.

The water continued to rage, and the wall was wavering, threatening to fall.

A shriek pierced the air and made his blood run cold.

He turned to find Trinia panicked at the edge of the sinkhole, trying to drag Sythcol’s unconscious body away as the water sucked the ground beneath her.

She wasn’t going to make it.

He bellowed in terror.