A nervous laugh scratched Rory’s throat as she averted her eyes. “Something like that, but no one knows I’m out. I would be dead within the week.”
“You’re right,” Fiona agreed, nodding. “The public is split down the middle on your case. Some think you’re a monster.” She eyed Rory up and down and shrugged. “I suppose you are, but not all monsters go bump in the night.”
She did.
“Thanks, Fiona.” She glanced back at Lauren’s SUV. “I have to go. I just wanted to say hi.”
Fiona nodded with a small smile. She was a tough businesswoman, and her soul was a darker shade of grey, but there was good in her, too. She was far enough away from black that her soul didn’t suffocate Rory when they touched. “You stay safe, girl, and come see me at the market sometime.”
“I will.” She waved as she crossed the street and jumped back into the car. Approaching Fiona was stupid, and she didn’t shirk the rules intentionally, but she thought it’d be fine.Hopefully.
When Lauren came back and climbed into the car, she handed Rory her new identity. It was the picture from her old card, but all the information was different.
“Memorize that,” theAngelordered as she pulled into the street.
Rory grunted and looked around for her purse, realizing she didn’t grab it. “Can you hold on to it until we get home?”
“You’ll need it at the bank,” Lauren reminded her. “When we get there, hand them your mystic card and tell them you need to pick up the new bank card you ordered.”
Rory blew out a long breath. “And if they recognize me?”
Lauren lifted a shoulder. “Say it’s a coincidence. Say you’re a cousin. Say whatever you want. It doesn’t matter because everyone thinks The Butcher is in prison.”
As Rory neared the entrance of the bank, a man thrust a flyer into her hands. “He’s coming any day,” he cautioned. “Guard your loved ones.” The man sounded delusional, and when she scanned the paper in her hands, she sucked in a sharp breath.
The end is almost near.
The Umbra King has returned.
“What does this mean?” she asked the rambling man.
His wide eyes met hers. “He has been released. His sentence is over. Everyone forgets, but not me.”
She sidestepped him with a tight smile. “Okay, thanks.” Her mind drifted to Caius. If he was the Umbra King, and he was free, would he find her? Shaking off the notion, she hurried toward the door.
Once inside, Rory adjusted her cap to conceal her face. She wasn’t nervous, but her senses were on high alert in case she needed to defend herself.
“Hello, what can I do for you?” the woman at the counter asked. Her smile faltered when she saw Rory’s face.
Rory slid her mystic card across the counter, forgoing pleasantries. “I ordered a new bank card, and I was told it’s ready.”
The woman forced a toothy smile. “I’ll check on that for you.”
She set Rory’s card down next to her computer keyboard, andwhen she looked at it, her entire body sagged with relief as her eyes scanned the information.
The woman glanced up. “Senka? That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thank you,” Rory replied with a close-lipped smile. “I got it from my father.”
The joke didn’t land. “One moment, Miss Senka,” the teller said with a tight smile. “I’ll grab your bank card from the back.” She handed Rory’s mystic card back and disappeared through a side door.
About five minutes passed before the woman returned, holding Rory’s new bank card and a packet of paperwork.
“This is your new card,” she explained, handing the card over. “If you lose it, call us, and we’ll replace it the same day.” Rory nodded along as the woman rattled off general information, showing Rory where to sign. “Thank you for banking with us, Miss Senka. You’re a gold client, and we are at your disposal anytime, day or night, at this phone number.” She pointed to a number on the front of the packet.
Gold member?Rory glanced at the paper and almost passed out when she saw the balance. She couldn’t spend that many moedas in her lifetime if she tried. “Thank you,” she uttered and left quickly. Lauren said not to ask questions, but this was too big to ignore.
“What the hell?” Rory snapped when she opened the car door. “What is this?” She waved the packet at Lauren and shut her door.
