“I’m sure,” Delysia said. “I don’t know about the elf, but the two men are damaged. We do them much good by giving them a home.”

“Yeah,” Tarlak said, still not convinced. “You’re probably right, at least about the damaged part, mentally and physically. But we’re acting on a dream.”

Delysia frowned, and her small face curled up in a clear expression of hurt.

“No dream,” she said. “And no hallucination. Prayer, quiet and certain. They’re the ones we were to help, and help them we will. It is not my fault Ashhur is more comfortable talking to me than you.”

Tarlak laughed.

“Ashhur’s just scared that if he says hello to me, he’ll find himself missing a few lovely angels.”

“Speaking of lovely angels,” Delysia said. “You should go check on your new friends.”

“As you wish, milady,” Tarlak said.

W hen Tarlak returned to the upstairs room, he was pleasantly surprised by the half-orcs’ progress. Qurrah had supervised while Harruq did the grunt work, as was common between them. Crates originally stacked against the wall they piled twice as high, and any empty crack did not remain empty. After about an hour of pushing and stacking, they had cleared a small space in the heart of the tangled jungle.

“I’d say it’s about suppertime, wouldn’t you?” Tarlak said, whistling at the sight. “By the way, remind me to have you two do my heavy lifting from now on.”

“What’s to eat?” Harruq asked.

“Come and see,” the wizard said with a mischievous look. The two were more than willing to comply.

Supper was a feast that put many feasts before it to shame. Evidently Aurelia and Delysia, both skilled in forms of magic, had spent a good half hour conjuring up the most exotic, rare, and mouthwatering cakes, meats, crumpets, pastries, bread, and fruits, most of which the half-orcs had never seen before.

“Great leapfrogging Karak,” Harruq said when seeing the food splayed out on the table.