Page 13 of The Savage Vow
“It doesn’t matter.” Orlena blew out a deep breath. It pained her to utter such words. She had taken on some of the best archers in their village and she had won. She’d even bested this stranger who was apparently very experienced. It was quite obvious that she had been holding back and missing on purpose. Orlena had watched the female the entire contest. The only question was why had she tried to lose?
“It does to me.” She stepped closer to Orlena. She reached out to the table underneath the display and picked one of the arrowheads from a bowl. She studied it, turning her attention back to Orlena. “I’m Bula.”
The name created a flutter in Orlena’s chest. She studied the female. There was a curious glint in her eyes as she waited for Orlena to respond. The orc offered her free hand to Orlena. Her gaze dropped down to it.
“I’m Orlena,” she replied softly. She slipped her hand into Bula’s. Her breath stalled in her chest at the feel of Bula’s hand enclosing hers. An electric current raced up her arm. She jerked back as if burned.
Something in the air shifted around them. She didn’t know what it was, or if this orc was casting some kind of spell on her, but she wanted to know more about Bula. Where did she come from? Why was she in Soza? How did she learn to shoot so damn well? All of these questions and more floated around in her head, but she remained silent.
It was none of her business.
But for some reason, she felt a draw to this orc. A warmth spread through her like a slow-burning ember. Confusion filled her at the feelings she was experiencing.
She’d never felt anything like it before.
Was this an attraction to an orc? Her eyes widened as fear released the confusion she felt. This was not supposed to be. She pushed down the attraction she had for this orc.
Even though it was undeniable.
Bula placed the arrowhead back in the bowl. She jerked her chin toward Orlena.
“You shoot like someone who knows what they are doing,” she noted.
“So do you,” Orlena replied automatically. Her eyes widened at the words that had tumbled out of her lips. She spun around and headed back to the counter.
Bula didn’t make a sound, but Orlena sensed the orc behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and found the orc’s heated gaze still on her.
She escaped behind the counter and faced her. “Where are you from?”
“Everywhere but nowhere,” Bula replied.
“Well, that doesn’t make sense. You have to be from somewhere?” Orlena blinked. She kept her hands busy with straightening up the items on the counter.
“Why can’t I be from nowhere but everywhere?”
“What does that mean?” This time it was Orlena’s turn to arch an eyebrow at her. She reached for the few signed receipts from the purchase orders she’d received and put them away in the drawer. “You have to have been born somewhere or lived somewhere before you came here. Where were you before you came here?”
Bula paused for a moment. She came to stand in front of the counter and rested her palms on it. Her hands were large and strong. Orlena’s breathing stuttered at the image of those same hands sliding over her soft brown skin. She blinked and tore her gaze from them. She shouldn’t be having those kinds of thoughts.
“Well, before here, I was in Udenia.”
“The capital?” Orlena gasped. That was a long way away from their small village. That had to take almost a week’s worth of travel. “Is it as beautiful as they claim? I’ve always wanted to go there. The castle? Is it as dashing as they describe?”
The questions tumbled from her lips before she could even stop them. She’d always dreamed of going to Udenia. She’d heard word that the town was a wonder with its markets, tournaments, and beautiful landscape. She’d been here in Soza for so long and she’d never had a chance to go anywhere else.
“You’ve never been?” Bula murmured.
“No. I’ve never traveled from Soza since—” Orlena paused. She didn’t want to share her sad little story with the orc. It was apparent that the orc had traveled a great deal.
“Since what?” Bula’s husky voice dropped low.
Orlena swallowed and shyly met her gaze. She gave what she hoped was a casual shrug.
“Well, since I’ve arrived here in Soza.” She’d keep it simple.
She sidled along the counter and gathered a few of the items that customers had left after changing their minds. She’d have to hurry to put them away in order to ensure the place wascompletely tidied up. Yambul would have a fit if it wasn’t to his standards tomorrow when he returned. She picked up the bow that one male orc had left with the promise he’d be back. That had been hours ago. She walked through the shop to place it back where it belonged. She hung it up on the rack and spun back around.
She gasped, running into a solid figure. “Oh!”
