Page 6 of The Umbra King

She turned to the ES with a frown. They’d found this victim fast. Because of the locations she picked, it normally took days, sometimes weeks, to find the body.

She turned back around. “Maybe the victims deserved it.”

Keith nodded. “You could be right. Remember last year when they said one victim was wanted for suspected murder?” TheShifterlooked thoughtful. “If The Butcher is a vigilante, that’s a different story.”

Dume rubbed his forehead. “This isn’t a supermystic movie.”

Keith ignored him and took a drink.

There was a sinking feeling in Rory’s gut. What would her friends think of her if they knew? She would lose them all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by yelling on the other side of the room, and when she looked up, fists flew. “For aether’s sake,” she muttered and rounded the bar. Secretly, she was thrilled at the prospect of hitting someone after that unflattering news report.

Dume stopped her. “Don’t even think about it.” He stood and made his way to the fighting duo as other patrons stood back, giving them ample room. He grabbed one man by the arm and pulled him back, earning him a right hook to the jaw.

Dume’s head snapped back, and when the man saw who he hit, his face drained of color as he backed away with his hands raised. “I was aiming at him,” the guy claimed, pointing at the man in Dume’s hold.

“Fighting is not permitted. You could have hurt someone,” Dume said calmly. “I won’t take you two to headquarters, but if I see you in this bar again, I won’t be lenient.” He turned to the crowd. “Who can take them home?”

A few people raised their hands and approached each man, grabbed them, and hauled them to the exit. The first two men passed through the door without opening it, and Rory shuddered.

They wereEidolons, otherwise known as phantoms. They couldpass through any non-living objects, except iron, and it was unsettling to witness. Most buildings had iron built into the walls and entrances, but Whiplash had iron bars that pulled down after closing.

The other man from the fight was being led out by a woman who spoke in a heated whisper, and Rory shook her head.

Dume kept a level head despite taking a punch to the jaw, but Rory would have swung and relished in the crunch of bone. She closed her eyes, disgusted with herself. After Cora died, her obsession with vengeance turned her into a monster more and more every day. Now she understood why no one other thanAatxecould be enforcers. Enforcers upheld the law and protected the citizens of Erdikoa.

Dume was anAatxe, and they were well known for their gentle souls; they wouldn’t abuse their power as enforcers and would treat offenders like mysticsinstead ofanimals, no matter their crimes.

AllAatxehad similar builds and tiny, bull-like horns sticking out of their hair that Rory and Cora teased Dume about when they were kids. He’d threatened to headbutt them both on more than one occasion.

Once the crowd settled down, Dume returned to his seat.

“You should have decked that guy,” Keith said to him. “You’re going to have a bruise.”

Dume ignored him and turned his dark eyes to Rory. “Can I get another water, please?”

She reached across the bar to pat his head, but he swatted her hand away, the brief contact making his almost white soul flicker. “Sure, you can, you big ol’ teddy bear.” He mumbled something under his breath as she refilled his glass and gave it back.

A large, handsome man sat down at the other end of the bar and lifted his hand to get Rory’s attention.

“I’ll be right back,” she told the trio in front of her.

She approached the man and smiled, but the moment she was infront of him, her breath caught. Something was off, and anytime she felt this way, it meant a black soul was near.

The man looked her over before his mouth pulled into a sexy smile. “It must be my lucky night.”

There was something sinister behind his words, and it made Rory sick to her stomach. “What can I get you?”

The man leaned on the bar. “I’ll have a RollMan beer, please.”

Once she was clear of the stifling air surrounding the man, she released a long breath. It was unusual for her to encounter two black souls this close together because there weren’t as many black souls as one would think.

Sure, there were plenty of shades of grey, including dark grey, but they still had a chance of redemption. Once a soul was black, there was no hope for them. Silently, she ran through her options as she grabbed a bottle from the cooler and popped the top. She would tail the man tonight, but to do that, she needed to keep him here until closing.

She set the beer down and smiled. “I just need to see your mystic card.”

Annoyance flitted across his face as he pulled his wallet from a messenger bag sitting on the floor. Rory thought she heard the distinct clink of glass from the giant bag but brushed the thought aside when the man held out his card. Rory made quick work of memorizing the address before handing it back.Jessie Hines.“Anything else I can get for you?”

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