Page 124 of The Umbra King

The memory of her face when she told him she’d been sneaking food made his chest tighten. To think she endured cruelty because he’d been quick to judge her made him physically ill.

He set his burger down. “I’m sorry for everything.”

Her brows pinched together. “For what?”

“For humiliating you and putting a target on your back. I don’t treat my inmates that way, and I should have looked into you more before making a snap judgment.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “I was still plotting to kill you then, so it was a pretty sound decision on your part.”

“My little butcher,”he crooned.

“Have you ever loved an inmate before?” she asked, making him pause mid-bite.

“I’ve never loved anyone before,” he replied. “Except my family and friends. Would you be jealous, Miss Raven?”

She pointedly ignored his question. “In five-hundred years, you’ve loved no one?”

“No, I haven’t,” he said truthfully.

“Then how do you know you’ll love me?” Her eyes conveyed her uncertainty, and hope took seed within him.Was she falling for him the way he was falling for her?

He pushed his plate aside and rested his elbows on the table. “How could I not?”

She tucked a loose hair behind her ear and stared at her food. “I’ve never loved anyone either.” She looked up. “But if I were going to love anyone, it would be you.”

“Oh, you will love me, Aurora, because how could you not?” He smiled to put her at ease, and she rewarded him with a small laugh.

“Are you planning a celebration for the end of your contract?” She changed subjects quickly, and his head spun.

“No. I’m not leaving,” he reminded her.

She set down her potato sticks. “It’s still something to celebrate. Five-hundred years stuck in the same place is a long time.”

“I love my realm,” Caius replied easily. “Do I miss visiting Erdikoa? Yes, but were it not for my score to settle with Gedeon, I wouldn’t mind being stuck here for eternity. It’s beautiful, and mostly, the people are pleasant. I have my friends, and if my siblings wanted, they could visit. That’s what I miss the most. My sisters.”

“I miss my family, too,” she said solemnly, and he wanted to rip the realms apart to wipe the sadness from her eyes. It killed him she was here for crimes that saved people.

Was she wrong?Yes. Did she deserve half a millennium?No.

He cleared his throat and prayed he could make his idea come true. “Once I am released, I will try to arrange a visit.”

Her face brightened. “You can do that?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I would need to clear it with Adila and Gedeon.” He was thoughtful. “Gedeon doesn’t know that I know he killed Atarah for sure. I always assumed he did, but really, there’s no way for him to know because I never confronted him. I could play it off like I’m glad to see him, and it’s possible he would grant my request.”

Rory fidgeted with her napkin. “I want nothing from him.”

Caius didn’t blame her. “At the very least, I will visit them regularly and bring back pictures and reports.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Thank you.”

They talked about everything they could think of until the Erdikoa sun went down, and that night as they lay in bed blanketed in post-coital bliss, Caius fell for Aurora Raven.

38

A few days later,Sam walked into Caius’ office with a bag of potions and a grim look on his face.

“Welcome back,” Rory said in greeting, leery of his demeanor. He seemed off, and dread seeped into her bones. “Were you able to find the potions?”

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