Page 79 of The Umbra King

She snuck a glance at his mark. Nope, definitely aMunin.

He didn’t elaborate on his statement, and no one asked. Something Rory noticed was that Max’s word was taken as truth. The old man didn’t say much, but when he did, they listened.

“I’m going to miss you,” she said, nudging Max’s shoulder with hers. “You too, Asher.”

The table fell silent again until Cat said, “Way to be a buzzkill, butcher girl.”

They all chuckled, but it held none of the amusement from before. “We need to send you guys off with a bang,” Cat said. “We can throw a party at my apartment!”

“I bet we could host it at the palace,” Rory supplied. “I can ask Caius. As much as he hates me, he has a soft spot for everyone else.”

Kit tipped her glass. “I vote for the palace.”

“Me too,” Bellina said. “Especially since you’ll miss the Plenilune ball,” she said to Asher. “It’s the day you leave.”

Asher threw back the rest of his drink. No one had gone for a refill yet, and Rory waved down a server. While they waited, Asher said, “I won’t remember it anyway.”

“You guys really know how to ruin the mood,” Cat muttered, making everyone laugh again.

27

Rory’s dayswere the same. Showing up to work, reading a list of things to do that Caius left on her desk, and running whatever menial errands he asked of her. She never saw him, as he seemed to avoid her.

She shoved it all behind her. Tomorrow was Asher’s going away party, and Rory spent half her day making plans for it.

She’d left Caius a note requesting the use of one of the many banquet rooms that went unused. There were never any visitors, and the large rooms seemed pointless. It’s possible they were used before he was convicted of murdering his sister.

She needed to speak with the head cook about food for Asher’s party and the Plenilune ball next week, and she rushed out of the office, hoping to finish early enough to find Bellina before dinner.

Caius’ notes always instructed her to buy herself lunch every day, and dinner still appeared on her bed every evening. His behavior made little sense, and it drove her crazy.

She now used the main door to the office because it led into a hallway to get around the palace instead of having to cross theenormous throne room, and when she rounded the corner to descend the stairs toward the kitchen, she was shoved, hard.

The force knocked the wind out of her before she ever hit the stairs, and once she did, she screamed out in pain and terror. The momentum was too much, and she couldn’t stop herself as the sharp edges of the stairs delivered blow after blow.

Something cracked, and eventually, she hit the landing below in a bloody heap.

Warm, sticky blood covered various parts of her body, and she gingerly touched her face. When she pulled her hand back, it was red and shaking. Her vision spotted, and an excruciating pain in her ribs made it hard to breathe.

She tried to roll over on her side to expel whatever was in her throat, crying out with the movement. When she coughed to clear her airway, blood splattered on the rug beneath her.

Pictures crashed to the ground as shadows slammed against the walls with the king’s arrival. He was calling her name, she thought, but everything was fading in and out.

There was yelling, but it sounded garbled. She was floating now, and as she rose, she tried to cry out, but it was interrupted by more coughing. More blood.

Someone cursed as she bounced in their arms, but she never found out where they were going because the realm faded away.

“SOMEONE BRINGA DOCTOR TO ROOM 21030, NOW!” Caius roared through the halls as he cradled Rory in his arms. The hospital was in town, and he didn’t know if she would make it that far. There was a doctor on staff at the palace, but it housed no official infirmary.

Shadows were crashing through the halls with his unchecked emotions, and it was all he could do to keep from bringing the entirepalace to the ground. Her room was closer than his, and when he arrived, shadows blew the door off its hinges.

His hands shook as he gently laid her on the bed to survey her injuries. Blood covered her face, the bottom of her leg was bent at an odd angle, and her breaths were shallow.

Running a hand through her bloodied hair, he whispered, “Rory? Can you hear me?” He knew he shouldn’t have left her alone. It was only a week, and already she was lying lifelessly in front of him. He’d been a fool. “I need you to wake up, baby.”

He’d never felt more helpless in his entire life. His eyes closed as he focused on releasing the shadows. When they were back where they belonged, he looked at hisAeternum’slifeless body and ran a hand through his own hair.

The doctor hurried through the broken door and approached the bed. “Are you hurt, Your Grace?”

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