Chapter Ten
Feeling smug, Neversat up and texted a sit rep to Cora.She didn’t know how she managed to interpret the message as purring, but Iscorabella was smug.
Never confirmed that the implantation had occurred the previous night.Cora was delighted.They were going to meet that afternoon for tea and coffee.
Never stretched and went to take a shower.There were no traces of Tam-or in her bathroom or downstairs.Well, not quite.The coffeemaker was set, and there was a plate under a heating cover.She started her coffee and went to investigate the dome.
She grinned when she lifted it.A stack of pancakes, a slice of bacon for a mouth, and two banana slices for eyes.The syrup was next to it.
It was eleven in the morning, and she took her breakfast outside to the deck and ate while overlooking the view of the orc neighbourhood just beyond the fence.
Wearing a cotton robe, she enjoyed being human-sized for once.She was an orc when she was working and a smaller orc on her days off, but when she really wanted to relax, she was green, humanish with pointy ears and no tusks.She looked a lot more like Cora than they let people know.
She wondered what she could do as a hobby.With the bulk of the hunter work outside the city, she might not be called as often as previously.Hunters usually retired around her age, no matter their race.She was just following the path.Maybe a family and a partner.
Tam-or seemed keen, but things were complicated with a speaker.She was having fun playing with him, but it was difficult to make a long-term arrangement with speakers.They were bound to their people.Shamans were bound to the land.Constant outside forces tested unions.
She was sitting, enjoying the silence, when she got an alert.“Shit.”She lifted her phone, and her blood ran cold.The name and face were familiar and a dear friend.She took the assignment with a jab of her thumb and went upstairs to get her leathers.
This wasn’t a normal assignment.They wanted her whole and alive and in a distant city.So much for settling in Redbird.
She sent her sister a notice and another to Matthias.She lifted her head and scented for her friend.She needed to find her before anyone else did.
* * * *
Cora checked her phone.“Oh no.”
Abel-ur and Tam-or looked at her.“What?”
“She’s on her way to find another target.She’s not happy about it.”Cora frowned.
Tam-or blinked.“I thought we had more time.”
“So did she.She grabbed this assignment.We know the target, and there is no way hunters should have been sent after her.She’s sweet and courageous and generally adorable.”
“So, you know her as well.”
“Yes.I can’t conceive of any circumstance that would get someone to set a hunter on her.”She sent Never a text.
