Page 121 of The Umbra King

“Locks aren’t allowed,” Bellina reminded her. “I appreciate what you’re doing, and I know you feel responsible, but you’re not. You can’t blame other people’s actions on yourself.” She sighed. “The black hole in my memory is more unsettling than waking up broken,and I just want to be in my room to see if it will jog my memory. Alone.”

Rory nodded. “I understand. I’ll send someone down with a lock as soon as possible.”

Bellina gave her a small smile and slipped through the sliding bookcase where Sam stood.

“Sam!” Rory called, as the shelf closed.

He stuck his boulder-sized hand out to stop it and poked his head in. “Have a lock installed inside of Bellina’s room, please.”

He smirked. “Yes, Your Grace.”

The title didn’t bother her this time, and that scared her. She looked at the bookshelf on the opposite end of the room that led to Caius’ quarters and released a long breath.

She meandered through the hallway to Caius’ room, and with each step toward him, her anxiety eased a fraction. He sent word last night to put enforcers with Kit, Tallent, and Cat, and now that she knew Bellina would have a lock, a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Not bothering to knock, she pushed the button to open the door to Caius’ room, and when she stepped inside, her body lit like a match. A towel hung low on his hips, and tiny water droplets fell from the tips of his blonde hair.

She didn’t know what it was about his inability to dry his hair, but damn, was it attractive.

His mouth lifted when he saw her, and the clothes in his hands dropped to the floor. “Please tell me I don’t need these.”

Her laugh was genuine as she went up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. She’d seen him that morning when he came in to check on Bellina and bring them breakfast, but seeing him now made her realize she missed him last night.

“I came to see if you wanted to take a nap with me.” She had slept little the night before, and judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he hadn’t slept either.

In reply, he grabbed a pair of boxer briefs to put on and turneddown the comforter. Grateful, she joined him in bed and moved closer, needing to feel him. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, she burrowed farther under the blankets. “I will be.”

“Tell me about your mother,” he said, banding his arm around her. “You only talk about her when you’re sad. Tell me something happy.”

Rory swallowed past the knot in her throat and called upon her favorite moments. “She danced when she cooked.” She laughed lightly. “It was terrible, but she loved cooking, and it was like her body couldn’t contain the joy within her. My sister and I would join when we were younger.”

She felt his smile against her hair. “Will you dance?”

“When?” she asked, not understanding his question.

“If you have children. Will you dance in the kitchen?” His voice was airy, and she wondered if he was picturing their children dancing with her.

“If I decide to have them, yes. I’d want them to remember me happy.” She’d never given much thought to having a family, but now it seemed… nice.Not that having children was the only way to be happy.But if she had them, she wouldn’t hate it.

“When we did something we weren’t supposed to, she never yelled. We had to sit down at the kitchen table and explain our reasoning for our actions. She listened without interrupting, and when we finished, she said her piece. She was kind, like Cora, and it showed in everything she did.”

“You’re kind, too,” Caius added.

She stayed quiet, knowing kind wasn’t the right word to describe her.

He nudged her. “You are. After you destroyed my office, you insisted on cleaning it yourself. You organized a huge going away party for your friend, and you helped Max in the gardens.” His fingers stroked her arm. “Only a person with kindness thinksof others.”

Seeing herself through another’s eyes was strange because, until now, she hadn’t thought of those actions as anything special. “When is your release exactly?” she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

His heart picked up speed beneath her cheek. “A little over a week.”

She shot up. “Why didn’t you tell me it was that soon?”

“Because I’m not leaving you,” he replied. “I’m not like the others. My memories are not erased, and I can move between realms as I please.”

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