Page 44 of The Umbra King

“You couldn’t handle me,” Rory told him and took a drink of her whiskey. “Good try, though.”

The table erupted with more laughter, and Asher feigned offense. Rory’s shoulders eased a fraction as she fell into easy conversation with the people she hoped would become her new friends.

“What does everyone do?” Rory asked the table.

“I work at the bakery downtown,” Cat said with pride. “I’m damn good at what I do.”

“Do you make donuts with cream cheese in them?” she asked. “I would kill for one. Not literally. Well, maybe.”

Asher’s drink shot through his nose as he laughed.

“Of course I do,” Cat replied. “I’m no amateur.”

“I work at the library,” Kit added. “If you like to read, I can suggest any type of book.”

“I didn’t know there was a library here,” Rory replied thoughtfully. She didn’t like to read, but if there were history books to give her more insight into Caius, that would be helpful.

Kit nodded. “There’s a lot of neat stuff in Vincula. I’m sad I’ll have to leave.”

“What did you do?” Rory asked.

Kit smiled deviously. “I broke into one of the administration buildings for the local grade school and burned it to the ground.” Rory gaped, and the woman shrugged. “They were trying to ban books they deemed unfit. It was bullshit.”

“How did you get in? Aren’t the schools locked down tighter than The Capital?”

Kit turned her head and pointed at her mark. “I’m anEidolon. The roof of the building didn’t have iron in it.”

Rory almost dropped her glass. What kind of supermystic shit was that?

She turned to Tallent. “And you?”

The man took a long drink. He was quieter than the rest. “I work at the hobby store, and I sold stolen art in the underground market.” He shrugged. “I’m a hawkShifter.”

“I’m aSylph, and I shot my brother in the leg,” Cat added casually.

“What did he do?” Rory asked her.

Cat took a drink and smacked her lips. “He cut off my hair in my sleep.” She motioned to her short, curly hair. “I look like a paintbrush.” The table burst out laughing, but Rory was a little scared of the pint-sized woman. Her short hair was cute, but clearly she hated it. Who shot their brother over a haircut?

After some time, Rory excused herself to the bathroom, and on her way back to their table, someone knocked into her shoulder, hard. She almost lost her balance, and a burly man with a long, black beard sneered at her.

Unease skittered across her skin when he took a step toward her, invading her space. “Excuse you,” she said as she stepped back.

His hand tightened around his beer bottle, and she wondered if it would break from the pressure. The look of pure hatred on his face was one she’d not encountered yet, and it unsettled her.

“You don’t get to speak to me as an equal, little butcher bitch,” he snarled and took another step forward. Was butcher bitch her nickname now?Original. “If I see you disrespect Nina again, I will return the favor tenfold.”

“Is everyone here fucking her?” she said, poking the already enraged bear.

His sheer size had her heart racing, and she cursed her smartass mouth, but before she could figure out an exit plan, the old man from the kitchen grabbed the man’s shirt and pulled him back. “Get out of here, Ronny.”

Ronny spit on Rory’s shirt, and she stared down in shock. Theolder man had surprising strength as he hauled Ronny toward the door and said, “Go home.”

Ronny shrugged the old man’s hand off his shoulder and stalked out of the bar. Asher and Bellina pushed their way through the crowd, calling Rory’s name, and it was then she realized the bar had gone quiet.

“What happened?” Asher demanded, all jest from earlier gone.

“Ronny,” was all the old man said.

---