Sam was quiet, as always, before saying, “I have little to say.”
“I would love to hear about your job as a commander,” Patrick returned. “Have you always been over the Vincula legion?”
TheAngelshifted uncomfortably, and Rory held her breath, hoping the question wouldn’t send him back into the foul mood caused by the Coopers. “No. I once led an army ofAngelsin the aether.”
Patrick awarded him with an impressed look. “That is nothing to sneeze at.”
Sam’s brow wrinkled, and Rory leaned over before he could say anything. “It’s just an expression. He didn’t mean to actually sneeze.”
He shook his head. “Mystics are strange.”
“Not here, we’re not,” she fired back playfully. “You’re the outcast.”
They prattled on, pulling Sam into conversations he probably didn’t want to be a part of, until her father stood. “I’m heading to bed. I didn’t sleep much this morning.”
Rory got up and hugged him. “I love you, and I’ll see you at breakfast.”
“I love you, too,” he said and turned to Sam. “Goodnight, Sam.”
Sam tipped his head and pushed back from the table. It was still daylight outside, but the sun would set soon. “Lauren and I change shifts tonight.”
She nodded. “I know the drill. Stay here, or I’ll die.”
Sam pressed his lips together, but the corners lifted slightly. “Yes. I will see you later this week.”
He left without another word, having never been one for goodbyes.
Rory’s phone vibrated with a text from Sera, and after going back and forth, Sera decided to come hang out since Sam was gone and Patrick was asleep. Rory stood and stretched, running upstairs to change into a pair of leggings and a hooded sweatshirt.
When she passed by her mirror, she stopped and surveyed herclothes. It was her butcher outfit, but it no longer meant that to her. Funny how things changed.
Rory rolled the tension from her shoulders and ran downstairs to wait on the porch. Excited to have a girl’s night, she reached for her phone, having forgotten to text Kordie about coming over. Neither of her girlfriends knew about her getting married, and she needed to tell them.
Earlier that day, she’d spoken with Dume on the phone and told him everything she’d learned, including Adila being on their side and why she couldn’t send Rory to Vincula at will. She also told him she married Caius, and she could hear his heart attack through the phone.
Despite them seeing each other every day, she hadn’t wanted to bring her friends down with more talk of her situation and held off on bringing it up. But Dume often took people accused of crimes before the Scales of Justice, and she didn’t want him saying something terrible to Caius’ sister. Dume might have a pure soul, but he was also protective to a fault.
He told her she needed to let the others know because they’d be hurt to learn she kept it from them.
If she survived Gedeon and reunited with Caius, Kordie and Sera would insist on throwing an outrageous wedding reception. She just had to tell them she was married first.
Before she could fire off a text to Kordie, a car pulled into the driveway, and Rory looked up with a wide smile. “Took you long enough!”
Sera parked and jumped out of her car with a grin. “I wouldn’t miss tonight for anything.”
45
VINCULA
Caius fellto his knees as headlights and a small girl with bright red hair assaulted his mind. The girl was smiling and walking toward him like they were friends, and he didn’t understand what was happening.
When his vision cleared, he stood on shaky legs, holding on to the bathroom sink.What was that?
He went over everything in his mind. There were trees behind the car, and the redhead climbed out of the driver’s seat.
His blood turned to ice as fear blanketed him. The vision was in Erdikoa, and the only reason he’d have a nightmarish episode while awake was anAeternumvision. Usually in his visions, he felt fear, pain, anxiety, or whatever Rory felt, but this time, he felt nothing but excitement.She was oblivious to whatever danger awaited her.
Unchecked emotions flooded him, circulating between fear, anguish, and pure, unadulterated rage.
