Page 63 of The Umbra King

She planted her hands on her hips defiantly. “Are you fishing for compliments?”

He growled in frustration and looked around. Grabbing a red bowl from the counter, he held it in front of her. “What color is this?”

Her eyes flicked from the bowl to his face, and anger colored her cheeks. “Youarean asshole,” she seethed.

“What color is the fucking bowl?” he thundered.

She flinched and looked at the bowl again. “Grey.”

“Fuck,” he swore, dropping the bowl to the ground. “What color are my eyes?” he whispered. The pleading in his voice should have embarrassed him, but it didn’t.

She looked away, and the red in her cheeks turned from anger to embarrassment. Her voice was so quiet, he barely heard her when she said, “Gold.”

Caius grabbed the counter for stabilization as his knees nearly gave out. He turned, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he walked to the sink to splash water on his face. A steady rhythm shook his ribcage as his heart beat harder than ever before.

“How old are you?” he croaked.

Rory fidgeted, and he could almost taste her confusion. “Twenty-five.”

His head hung over the sink, and he closed his eyes.

“Caius?” she said with uncertainty. “What’s going on?”

He turned to her and drank her in. She was beautiful, wild, andhis. On shaky legs, he ate up the distance between them and reached his hand out. He hesitated before placing his palm against the smooth skin of her face and watched her realm explode.

When Caius’hand touched Rory’s face, a jolt knocked her off her feet, but he caught her before she hit the ground. She screamed as she fell, and when she looked around, an overwhelming sense of dread and awe coursed through her.

“Wha… how?” Her eyes roamed everywhere and the more she saw, the faster her breaths came until her limbs were tingling and heavy. “What did you do?” she choked out.

Caius pulled her into his lap, and had it not been for the chaos running through her, she would have pushed him away. He looked down at her and murmured, “What color is the bowl?”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as they found the bowl still lying on the ground. “Red.”

Caius openedthe door to Rory’s room with her cradled in his arms. She welcomed his help because her legs refused to work, and her eyes were engrossed in the scenery.

Bright orange flames lighting the hallway, red and gold ornate rugs lining the floors, bronze doorknobs, and brown wooden doors.

Caius placed her on her bed, and she ran a hand over the bright yellow comforter. Looking around her room, she noted that her furniture was grey, but the rug in her room was a deeper shade of yellow that complimented her bedding.

The king was silent, and she turned to him with wide eyes. “Thank you.”

His brows creased. “Why are you thanking me?”

How could he be humble when he just changed her life for the better? “You did this somehow. Did you know?” she asked. “Did you know I had grey-scale sight that you could have fixed?” If his answer was yes, she was too enamored with her surroundings to be upset.

“I didn’t.” He rubbed a hand through his hair. “You should have told me.”

“Why would I tell you?” she retorted.

His eyes were sad. “I would have fixed itsooner.”

She saw him in a new light as she regarded him carefully. There was more to the king than she thought. “You brought me food.”

For the first time since meeting him, he looked uncomfortable. “I do not let my inmates want for anything.”

Yet another show of kindness from the notorious king. It confused her. “Thank you.”

He opened her door with a final glance back. “You’re welcome.”

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