Page 76 of The Umbra King

Then there was the matter of his feelings for her. A part of him still wondered if some of her victims were innocent, and the other part knew they weren’t. He didn’t love her, not yet, but one day he would. The need to protect her would become so strong, resisting would be futile.

“Damn you,Seraphim.” TheAeternumwas said to be aRoyal’sperfect match and the bond only enhanced what was in their souls. By that logic, it didn’t force them to love each other; it made their souls connect with their counterparts, and their hearts did the rest.

He chuckled. Maybe their soulswereperfectly matched. The need for vengeance fueled them both. The thought gave him pause, reminding him of his greater purpose. He would certainly be sentenced to death when he killed Gedeon.

If the bond was solidified, he didn’t know if he’d be able to follow through and leave Rory forever.

He couldn’t allow his brother’s evil to stay within the realms, and Caius knew Adila wouldn’t spare him a second time. A pit of despair opened in his chest, knowing what he had to do.

His connection to Rory couldn’t grow, and keeping her hatred for him alive was the only way to do that. Would theSeraphimdamn him to hell when he was executed for his crime, or would they allow him in theaether?

Would they permit him to meet his Aeternum in the afterlife?

It didn’t matter. He would do what needed to be done. He only needed to avoid her for a little while longer until his sentence wasover. Shadows darkened the room as his anger at his own stupidity intensified.

He couldn’t risk her safety by putting her back on kitchen duty. His fist came down on his desk, cracking it down the middle.How dare Adila send her here? She knew what Rory was to him, he was sure of it, and she knew what Caius intended to do. Did she find it entertaining to torture him?

“Fuck!” he thundered into the empty room as he knocked over anything he could reach. Damn his siblings for putting him in this position, and damn him for allowing things to get this far. The chance at happiness blinded him, but he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

The door swung open, and Rory stood in the doorway, looking at the destruction. “What…?”

“Clean this up,” he said, fixing his sleeves. Treating her like his maid when it was not her position made bile rise in his throat.

Surveying the room, she scoffed. “I’m not cleaning up your temper tantrum.”

He stalked across the room and held out his hand. She shoved his lunch toward him, and he motioned for her to get started. “You will clean this up, or I’ll have you shadow Nina until her sentence is complete.” His voice was lazy, but his body was coiled tightly.

Her skin flushed with anger, and the familiar loathing returned to her eyes. He didn’t wait for her retort as he stepped around her, slamming the door on his way out.

26

Rory was shakingwith rage as she picked up the books strewn about the office. Caius needed to pull out whatever stick was up his ass.

The large stack of books she held tipped over, and she screamed, kicking at the heap on the floor.

“What did those books do to deserve your anger?” Samyaza asked as he waltzed into the room. He stopped and looked down when a lamp crunched beneath his foot. “What did he do?”

“Ironic you knew it was the king,” she muttered as she bent over to pick up the books. “He was fine, nice even. I left for lunch and when I came back, the office was destroyed. He snatched his lunch and told me to clean up.”

Sam cursed under his breath and gathered the shards of the broken lamp. Rory should tell him he didn’t have to help, but she didn’t want to spend all night picking up the wreckage.

“Caius is dealing with some life altering news,” Sam said as he picked up shards of glass. “Please, give him grace.”

Life altering news?Interesting,but not good enough. “Are you shitting me?”

Sam’s brows furrowed. “Shitting you? That is disgusting. No, I am notshittingyou.”

“Why should I be the one to cater to him?” she asked as she shoved books onto the shelves harder than necessary. “We all go through tough situations; it’s the nature of life. Doesn’t mean we get to be twats to everyone.”

He didn’t bat an eye at her name calling.

“You do not understand,” he replied, gathering books. “I am asking you to be patient with him.”

Rory snorted. “You can take my patience and shove it up his ass.” Right next to the stick.

“You are impossible,” he said as he turned to Caius’ broken desk.

“And you are bigger than a mountain troll, but you don’t see me pointing it out,” she returned.

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