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“A big group of were-monkeys moved into the Wasteland, set up camp, lit fires. Brought in a whole lot of other scavengers and then went on a rampage on the streets of the East Quarter. So we moved them on.”
“Where to?”
“To the Tip.” She made a shooing motion with a big green hand.
“Isn’t that just shifting the problem around?”
“Sure, but we can’t relocate past the city walls, can we? Unless we put them in boats and send them out to sea—but selkies wouldn’t touch them for all the money in Motham. So unless we can rehabilitate them, it’s just move ’em around when they cause problems so they can cause problems somewhere else.”
Tor shook his head. While some things had improved in Motham, it seemed the underbelly of the city had gotten worse since he left.
Katrina sighed. “At least Maisie has set up her drop-in center now, so street kids have somewhere to go during the day.”
“Maisie?”
“The boss’s wife. The sweetest human you could meet. She’s done wonders for Grayson. He’s no longer the world’s grumpiest gargoyle.”
“Talking of humans…” Tor drew in a breath. “Sis, can you take a break? Grab a coffee with me? I need some advice.”
“Wow!” Her eyes popped. “My big bro who knows everything, wants his sister’s advice.”
“Stop pissing around. It’s relationship stuff,” he hissed close to her ear.
“Yeah, well, you’re probably not the best on that.” Katrina knew he’d been a rolling stone as far as love went up until now.
But… was this love? Too soon to start using that word, surely.
“Since we’re quiet, yeah why not?” Katrina said.
They walked down the street and found a little diner with a neon sign outside that flashed the words “Big Kahuna Lunch Bar.” Inside, a pretty gelfin was running around taking orders, and the blue gnome in the steamy kitchen out back was barking numbers at her quicker than she could deliver.
They took a table by the window.
“So what’s happening? Is my big bro in lurvvvv?”
“It’s awkward.” He suddenly felt his cheeks burning. “I—um, gods, you’re my sister. Now I’m wondering why I decided to tell you anything.”
He laid his big palms on the tabletop and patted it, a nervous habit he’d had since he was a kid. “There’s this human. Only, she’s kind of working for me.”
“The realtor.”
“How did you guess?”
Katrina rolled her eyes. “Orcs with a crush are so useless at hiding it. You’re as green as an apple.”
“That obvious, eh? Anyway, she’s beautiful and sophisticated and really above me, but we… we um, got stuck on Orc Island and something happened and we…”
Katrina’s eyes rounded. “Did you do the deed?”
Tor avoided her gaze, aware he was blushing an even brighter green.
“Ooh, my! Next you’ll be telling me you knotted her.”
Silence.
“O-M-G. You did—holy orc blood, you fucking knotted her, didn’t you?”
Tor’s eyes swung around the busy interior. “Keep your voice down,” he muttered.
