Page 76 of The Savage Vow
Now she knew exactly what he’d meant.
Her jaw tightened so hard it ached. She wished she could go and kill him again. This time she’d do it slow and painful instead of quick and painless.
These orcs would hand over their own land to the trolls in exchange for survival. They would trade human women as livestock to secure their place in a society that would crush them.
This was more than rebelling.
This was treason in the highest form.
“Face us like a true warrior!” Hagu’s voice echoed through the air.
Well, it looked as if she was being summoned. Nargol’s lips pulled up into a grin. A calming sensation came over her as she stared out at the frantic orcs. There was no need to wait for an army to take these males on. She could handle them all herself.
She emerged from the tree line without warning.
The remaining orcs barely had time to react before she attacked. Nargol was no stranger to combat. She’d spent most of her life fighting on behalf of her people and for her father.
Tonight, she fought for her mate.
And this made her even deadlier.
One large orc lunged at her. This was one mistake he shouldn’t have made. Had he had any sense, he would have run away. Maybe he would have lived to see another day. She pivoted and drove her dagger into the soft space beneath his arm, ripping it upward. He screamed and fought to get away, but she held on to him and drove her weapon farther into him. Warm blood rushed out of the wound and onto her hand and arm, but she ignored it.
She withdrew just in time; another orc swung a deadly mace toward her head. She ducked and rolled across the ground, then came up behind him and slashed the backs of his knees. He dropped with a roar. She ended him immediately once he was on the ground with her dagger deep in his heart.
Footsteps charged toward her. She lifted her head in time to see Hagu racing her way. She grinned and snatched her dagger from the dead male.
“Cydassi whore!” Hagu bellowed.
He held a wickedly gruesome axe. It came down with brutal force. She snatched another dagger from her waist and barely caught the axe with her twin blades. The impact shuddered up her arm.
“You think you can stop us? Stop Rujin? Just you alone?” He snarled. His breath was rancid as he growled. “Your father will kneel to the new king.”
She shoved him back and circled him. Her exhaled and tightened her grip on the daggers.
“My father kneels to no one,” she replied cooly.
Hagu laughed and lunged at her again. Another orc joined him from her left.
Two against one.
She’d faced worse odds.
She welcomed it.
The first swung high with his axe. She jumped out of his reach and twisted way. She ended up behind him and kicked out. Her foot landed on his back, sending him slamming into Hagu. They collided into one another, and the minute one turned, she drove forward, slicing him across his neck with her weapon. She was able to spin away to avoid Hagu’s retaliatory strike. Her knife slashed out, catching Hagu on his cheek. He bellowed a roar and pushed the other orc away from him.
The other orc fell to the ground, grasping at his neck, bleeding profusely. Hagu ignored him and stepped over him. He was angry, and anger made warriors extremely sloppy.
“You should have left,” he growled. Blood rushed out of the wound and slid down his face.
“You should have never sided with the trolls. It will be you kneeling at my father’s feet, begging for forgiveness,” she said.
That would only happen if she allowed him to live.
He roared and charged again with his massive axe raised in the air. She stepped aside at the last moment and buried her dagger straight into his heart. His eyes widened in disbelief. She pressed closer to him where he could hear her.
“You will never see Nogora,” she whispered. “Nor will you feast in the Halls of Ironfang.”
