Page 40 of The Umbra King

She practically ran through the door, moving faster than she ever had before.

When she burst through the exit leading to the dais, she spotted Nina climbing the steps. The woman stopped, and a sneer transformed her pouty mouth. “What were you doing in there? Everything beyond that door is off limits.”

“Not for me,” Rory replied coyly, taunting the woman who was making her life miserable, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Nina looked like someone with a vicious streak, and the last thing Rory needed was more shit from her.

“Not likely, gutter trash,” Nina fumed. “Get back to your room and stay out of sight. It would be a shame if you were caught by the wrong person, wouldn’t it?”

Rory didn’t dignify the maid with a response as she left. Nina opened the dais door, and for some reason, it pissed Rory off. It would be difficult to seduce the king with Nina occupying his dick.

A sigh left her lips. She would figure it out. She always did.

Caius staredat his office door.What made you think the cock was yours?He couldn’t decide if he wanted to cut her tongue out or suck it into his mouth.

“Fuck you, Adila,” he said into the empty room and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

If he couldn’t feel the suffocation of Aurora’s black soul, thenwhy couldn’t he have her warm his bed? This was assuming she wanted him, of course. While he wanted nothing more than to fuck her mouth into submission, he would never force her.

He stood, frustrated. What was he thinking? It didn’t matter if he could feel her soul or not; he knew what resided within her, and he hated it.

There was a knock on his door, and he foolishly opened it, thinking it was Aurora. Nina smiled and walked into the room, swaying her hips, and he fought a frustrated sigh.

“I’ve missed you.” She pouted, and he forced himself not to grimace.

“What do you want, Nina?”

Her nostrils flared slightly. “Did Aurora bother you? I saw her sneaking through the door.”

“That is none of your concern. Leave.” He gave her his back as he crossed the room. Nina made a noise but wisely kept her thoughts to herself and left, slamming the door.

The door to his office opened again, and in walked Samyaza, his eyes watching Nina. Once she was out of earshot, he turned back to Caius.

“Why do you look like that?” he asked as he took a seat on the large, cushioned bench Caius had brought in to accommodate his friend’s wings.

Sam could shift into a wingless form, but theAngelhated to, unless necessary. Caius eyed Sam’s wings and was thankful he wasn’t born with any.

Sam threw a dinner roll and hit him on the side. “Stop staring at my wings and answer me.”

Caius popped a brow. “Did you pull a dinner roll out of your pocket?” He toed the bread.

Sam brought another roll to his mouth, ripped off a bite, and smiled as he chewed. “It was in my hand, but you were too busy stewing to notice.”

“I was reading,” Caius argued. It wasn’t a lie. He was reading earlier.

“You were standing with no book when I walked in.” Sam shoved the rest of the roll in his mouth and, after swallowing, said, “Tell me.”

“Nothing is wrong.” Caius picked up the roll and tossed it in the trash bin next to his desk. Aurora’s contract peeked out from under a few papers, and he reached for it. Normally, he would file it away the same day the inmate arrived, but he couldn’t stop himself from rereading her charges.

Thirteen murders, most of them men. It was unbelievable. When Max, the palace gardener, was speaking with her in the kitchens, she’d said, “I am a monster.”

“What is your obsession with Aurora Raven?” Sam asked from directly behind him.

Caius didn’t scare easily, but when an oversized pigeon snuck up behind someone, even the bravest of men would yelp the way he did. “You need to wear a bell,” he griped. “And I do not have an obsession, but I am curious as to why Adila sent her here.”

Sam took the contract from Caius’ hand and walked to the cabinet to file it away. “It is not your place to question the Scales of Justice. She would not have sent Aurora here without reason.”

“I don’t trust it,” Caius said, taking a seat at his desk. “I want you to go to Erdikoa and gather whatever intel you can on the woman. Her mother is aSibyl, and her sister is dead.” He rubbed his jaw. “I want to know everything.”

Sam looked skeptical but said nothing. They may have been best friends, but at the end of the day Caius was in charge.

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