Page 105 of The Umbra King

“Will you show me?” she asked. “I need to start training in case someone tries to attack me again.”

He squeezed her hand. She was right. Her independence and pride meant he wouldn’t be able to stay with her every second of the day, nor would she allow a guard. She needed to be able to defend herself. “Sam, Lauren, and I will teach you self-defense.”

She bristled, offended. “I know self-defense. My abilities were taken, including my strength and speed, and I need to reacclimate to my new body.”

“Who trained you?” If it was a boyfriend, Caius would train her ten times better.

Her eyes grew sad, as they always did when someone from her past life was brought up. Caius would do anything to take that pain away. “Dume, myAatxefriend.”

He nodded. “We’ll make sure you fend off anyone who tries to hurt you,” he promised.

“Thanks.” She looked at him with a small smile, and he couldn’t help but kiss her on the forehead.

33

ERDIKOA

Dume,Keith, Kordie, and Sera sat in a corner booth in Whiplash, waiting for Sam. After their first meeting, Sera charged into Whiplash one day, looking for them, and demanded they help her clear Rory’s name.

From there, she became a fly, always buzzing around with her bossy attitude, and it drove Dume crazy.

“Where did this guy come from?” Sera asked the group. “I mean, he showed up out of nowhere, demanding information about Rory, and you guys just gave it to him?”

Dume scrubbed a hand down his face. “He said it was to help her.”

“What Dume is trying to say is that the guy is terrifying. He’s bigger than my truck,” Keith chimed in.

Kordie pushed Keith’s head playfully. “He’s not that big.” Keith winked at Kordie and leaned forward to whisper something in her ear, making her blush.

The two were closer than before, and Dume suspected they were sleeping together at the least, if not in a full-blown relationship.

“Get a room or join the conversation,” Sera scolded the two, and they broke apart.

“You’re terrifying, too,” Keith told the small redhead, and Dume swore something akin to pride shone on her face.

“Good evening,” Sam said robotically, appearing from nowhere. How did someone that big move around undetected?

“What kind of mystic did you say you were?” Dume asked him.

“I didn’t.” Sam sat down beside Sera, and Dume had the urge to make her switch seats. “Who are you?” the giant asked Sera.

“Sera,” she said, holding her chin high. “Rory saved me.” That was all she said, offering this stranger nothing more, and Sam appraised her before nodding.

“Have you found anything else?” Sam asked, directing his question at Dume.

“Two more victims came forward,” Sera answered before Dume could open his mouth. “That’s six out of thirteen. Seven if you count me.”

Sam’s eyes went from Sera to Dume, and Dume saw him fight a smirk.Smug asshole.“And what of her mother? Do you still care for her?”

Kordie shook her head. “We are taking care of her the best we can, but she’s been… acting out.”

Sam leaned back and draped his arm along the booth behind Sera, and Dume’s eyes tried to saw it off. “What do you mean ‘acting out’?”

Keith rubbed the back of his neck. “Her babbling has gotten worse. She’s had a few good days since Rory left, and each one, she tries to leave, saying she has to save Rory.”

Sam remained impassive. “She has seen something.”

“Before Rory left, she spouted a prophecy,” Keith said. “Rory was freaked out by it.”

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