Page 28 of The Umbra King

“What are you doing?” Nina asked. “Don’t let her ruin our fun.” Her smile was coy as she ran a hand up his chest.

He pushed her arm away. “We’re done here.”

Nina’s sharp intake of breath made him dress faster. He needed to leave.

“Caius,” she said before he held up a hand.

“I’m leaving, and you will not follow, nor will you question my decisions again.”

Her mouth snapped shut, and anger took over her sharp features. As he left, she stomped to her bathroom and slammed the door as Aurora had.

The difference was he didn’t care if Nina opened hers again.

9

ERDIKOA

Dume walkedinto Whiplash and sidled up next to Keith, who was staring glumly at the man tending the bar. Just because they learned their best friend was a mass murderer didn’t mean they would stop meeting after work as usual, especially when they needed each other the most. When he left The Capital, he called Kordie to confirm they were still meeting.

He didn’t remember what happened, but he read the transcripts. When there was a trial, one copy of the transcripts was kept at the palace and another in the sector where the offender was captured.

The three friends could have picked a different meeting place, but Whiplash was centrally located to their jobs, and deep down, Dume knew they were holding on to a small piece of Rory, despite what she did.

TheShifter’seyes moved to Dume. “You’re back earlier than I thought you would be.”

Dume grunted and signaled the bartender to order a beer.He didn’t drink, but today he would make an exception. “The trials are never long.”

A heavy cloud settled over the conversation.Rory was The Butcher.Dume still couldn’t believe it. How she had fooled them all was beyond him.

“Was she scared?” Keith asked quietly.

Dume grabbed his beer from the bartender and chugged it. “I don’t remember, but you know as well as I do nothing scares Rory.”

Keith swallowed hard. “I figured going to hell might be an exception.”

Dume held up his mug for another. “She wasn’t sentenced to hell.”

Keith’s head swiveled toward Dume so fast, he thought it might twist off. “What do you mean? She murdered thirteen people.” His forehead wrinkled, the confusion Dume felt blanketing Keith’s face.

“The Scales of Justice sentenced her to five-hundred years in Vincula.” Dume chugged his new beer. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Are you talking about The Butcher?” a high-pitched voice asked from behind them. “She worked here, didn’t she?”

They both spun to look at her, and Keith nodded. News of The Butcher’s identity spread through Erdikoa within hours of her arrest.

A small woman who looked to be a few years younger than Dume stood at their backs. She had strawberry blonde hair, and light freckles covered every inch of exposed skin. Her green eyes widened with excitement. “The Scales of Justice spared her?”

The hope in her voice had Dume and Keith looking at each other stupidly.Who was this woman?Dume thought he knew all Rory’s friends.

“You knew Rory?” Keith asked cautiously.

The woman shook her head. “Her name is Rory? The news said Aurora.”

“It’s a nickname. Who are you, and why do you care?” Dume said curtly.

The woman set her jaw and pulled herself to her full five-foot nothing height. “My name is Sera, and I care because she saved my life.”

“Who saved your life?” Kordie’s voice said from behind Sera, causing the woman to spin around.

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