Page 66 of Ogres Don't Play
I blinked him back into focus, because seriously, everything was incredibly blurry. “Sure. Rook sing.” I sounded like an ogre.
He gave me a wry smile. “You caught the heart of Rook himself? That old, sly devil?”
I shook my head. “Pretty sure he caught me.”
He laughed, the sound of silver tinkling waterfalls that fell down into crashing waves that would drag you deep, deep under. “Do you have elves at your music hall? Every music hall has at least a few elves.”
“Just one, Tiago.”
He sneered. “Tiago works at your music hall? You’re surrounded by old devils.”
“He’s so good at teaching and tuning the lamps.”
“Of course he’s good at teaching and tuning lamps. He’s an elf. What elf wouldn’t be able to teach music and tune a lamp? Why would you want a lamp tuned by music?”
Did he seriously not understand about Singsong City?
I smiled at him. “Go walking in the streets as night falls and the lamps come on, and you’ll understand. Singsong City was built on music. I’d walk with you, but…” I tried to stand and fell back down into the chair.
I blinked up at him as he stood over me, looking rather tall and imposing. Was he going to kill me?
He sighed heavily and glanced away. “You think that I would bother instructing you if I were going to kill you? I’ll forgive you for the assumption since you don’t know elves in general or me in particular.”
“I do know that an elf assassin tried to kill me.”
“Because you burned the arrow out of someone using instinctive magic that you don’t understand. That’s the ogre in you. They say an ogre has to experience a spell before they can learn it, but I don’t think you can call instincts education.”
I narrowed my eyes at the snooty elf who had bothered to lower himself to my level to defeat a mountain troll. “Did you actually seduce an ogre that you captured?”
He raised a brow. “Certainly not. She seduced me. I believe she allowed herself to be captured for the sole purpose of toying with an elf. Women are like that. Not you. You’re an angel. Youwill love Rook with a true heart and fixed mind for the rest of your life. Which will be very short if you don’t get right to bed. Lanise!”
Lanise burst into the room, looking around for the danger.
He pointed at me. “Carry the princess to bed. Have her true love sing her his strength through the night. If he doesn’t do so, she will not survive tomorrow.”
She nodded and came over to pick me up. No, she picked the chair I was in up, and carried that, like it was just as easy. The look on my grandfather’s face was rather humorous.
“I don’t know your name,” I said as she carried me to the door.
“Ask your Rook. He knows me well enough.” He tsked and shook his head. “We mustn’t underestimate the wiles of another species. Although lack of wiles can be just as dangerous as I’m sure Rook discovered when he met you.”
He waved one hand in a farewell as Lanise carried me out of the room, down the hall, and to the exit, where many ogres were still waiting even though the day’s performances were over.
Lanise left the chair at the curb as she helped me into the back of the car Driver had running. It felt like cheating to sneak out without meeting anyone unpleasant, but I was too exhausted to deal with anything miserable.
“Is Rook at the Music Hall?” I missed him, and I hadn’t seen him all day. I’d kept expecting him to come in and yell at me for being an idiot.
She grunted. “Gone.”
My heart ached suddenly and hard. She’d said that he was gone, but he’d definitely come back. He wouldn’t leave me to defeat his betrothed without giving me moral support, would he?
“Oh. We should stop at the Cat’s Pause and get some sushi.” I needed to drown my misery and impending doom in something.
“Home,” Lanise growled.
I couldn’t raise my arms, so she was probably right. Still, I was encased in a protective shield that would probably keep me alive for a few minutes tomorrow. How much evil magic could one person have? I guess I’d find out.
Finally, we pulled up at the Music Hall, and Lanise growled, short and hard, before getting out, abandoning me in the back seat.