Rory looked at the address.Would Max help her?Releasing a nervous breath, she nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be back shortly.”
It was agreed upon that only Rory and Lauren would go. They weren’t sure if a big group would make the couple nervous or not.
“We’ll be right back,” Rory told them as she and Lauren slipped out the front door.
They loaded into the SUV, and Rory shook out her hands to expel her nerves. “This is your last chance to back out,” Lauren said, starting the engine.
“I’m not backing out. This is my last option.” Rory handed Lauren the paper with the address, and within minutes, they arrived at a cute white house with beautiful landscaping. There were flowers and plants of all colors to accompany the lush grass.
“Let’s get this over with,” she mumbled and opened the car door.
As they walked along the sidewalk, an old man appeared around the edge of the house holding a weed eater. His skin was weathered, but his eyes were kind, and Rory felt a sense of familiarity.
“Are you Max?” she asked when he approached them.
“I am,” he said, leaning the weed eater against the porch. After wiping his hands on his overalls, he stuck them in his pockets. “And who might you be?”
He hadn’t taken his eyes off Rory, and she hoped he wouldn’t send her away once he realized who she was. “I’m Rory, and this is Lauren,” she answered, adding another person to the roster of those who knew she was back.
He stepped forward and held out his hand. “You’re The Butcher.” She winced, and her heart sank. “We must have met before.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “You remember me?”
“No, but we were in Vincula together. It’s why you’re here.”
Rory and Lauren exchanged a bewildered look. “CanMuninread minds?”
“I can’t reveal all my secrets.” His eyes ticked between Lauren and Rory. “Well, say what you came to say.”
Lauren pushed Rory forward, and she shot theAngela sharp look over her shoulder. “Before you say no, hear us out. Please.”
Max stood watching and waiting, and when she said nothing, he motioned for them to follow him. Once in his backyard, he ushered them inside his garden shed. “You want me to restore your memories or at least attempt to?”
She needed to read up more onMunin.Couldthey read minds? “Yes.”
Lauren’s wings burst from her back, and Rory startled with a yelp, but Max didn’t flinch. She smirked at Rory. “This is the fastest way to convince him we are telling the truth.” She turned back to the old man. “I work under the Umbra King, and long story short, we need Rory’s memories back. Her life depends on it, and she’s a very important person.”
Max stayed quiet for an eternity before nodding. “All right, come here.”
She hadn’t expected him to say yes. Lauren moved behind Max and laid a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her hand. “Trust me,” she said.
He turned back to Rory. “I need to touch your temples.”
She stepped closer, and he grabbed the sides of her head. “Keep your eyes open,” he instructed.
His eyes bore into hers and turned a bright blue, making her gasp. She felt a buzzing under his hands right before they sparked, throwing them both backward.
Rory shrieked as she fell to the ground, but she couldn’t focus on anything but her memories as they came flooding back.
The Scales of Justice.
Falling into Caius’ throne room.
Her friends, her foes, her life hanging on by a thread.
“Hello, Miss Raven.”
She sobbed on her hands and knees as memory after memory pounded into her.
