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The scent of freshly cut apples fills the air, and I know there is someone behind me. I release the hold on my power an ounce, allowing the shadows to intercept my spy. They lash out and grab the wrist inches from my shoulder, and I spin to face the culprit.
“Kira,” I say, my voice flat and low.
Nyx startles beside me and jumps back, bow drawn.
“What gave me away this time?” She scoffs at me for ruining this little game of hers.
She likes seeing how close she can get to someone before they notice her.
I have to hand it to her. She’s a spectacular spy. Quick-footed and deadly when the situation calls for it. She uses her petite frame to her advantage and can usually hide in places others can’t. But I know every inch of her. Every little smell and noise that comes from her body.
“Maybe next time, don’t use your bath oils before heading out on a quest,” I motion for Nyx to lower his bow, and after a few breaths, he does.
I recoil my shadows, and they quickly respond. They don’t want to linger longer than they have to in Kira’s presence. They have never seemed to care for her. The best way to describe it is indifference.
But let’s face it, they only ever really responded to Theo. Once when we first kissed and again in the alley. The thought of him brings an ache to my heart and between my thighs.
“He keeps demanding to speak with King Asher. No matter what we’ve threatened or done so far, he just keeps saying, ‘King Asher,’” Kira debriefs as we step from the trees.
“Well, maybe we should just give him what he wants,” Nyx says, looking over his shoulder at me.
I nod. While I’m highly skilled in getting what I want through the torture Oren taught me, the mere presence of Asher sends terror through anyone who’s unfortunate enough to meet the shadow king. This man doesn’t know what he’s asking for. He will probably cave before Asher utters a word. I love quick and less messy results. It means we can get home faster.
I step aside to summon the king. Igniting the dark bond between us, I call upon Asher. Shadows swirl along the forest floor, flooding the space around us. Ash settles on my tongue as the king makes his dramatic appearance. The shadows thicken before revealing a towering, floating figure cloaked in darkness.
The Umbra Brutus, or beast of the shadows, steps from the grove of trees. His dark mass is so thick that not even moonlight pierces the surface. Nyx backs up to give space for the swirling black tendrils as Asher glides from the tree line. No words are needed. Asher knows what to do. I pull my cloak over my head, obscuring my hair, as the king and queen of Umbra set off from the trees.
We follow Kira across the grass and through the back door of the rickety house. The place looks worse on the inside and reveals its lack of upkeep. Holes and failed mending attempts dot the walls. A putrid smell of rotting food fills the air, causing my stomach to turn. I swallow down the bile threatening to escape.
Hiram stands near a table where he has tied a gangly, middle-aged man with thinning hair to a chair. Up close, the man’s condition is vile. Dirt coats his skin, leaving streaks from where he has wiped the sweat from his face. He cocks a grin as we approach, revealing broken and rotting teeth.
“You don’t look as scary as everyone says,” he boasts with a fake arrogance that grates on my nerves.
It’s easier when targets quiver at the sight of Asher and our crew. I hate when people weep, but I’ll take crying over forced bravado.
The Umbra Brutus hovers over the man, forcing him to crane his neck to look up. The man scoffs. A tendril of shadow caresses each side of the man’s face in a slow, placating draw. The man’s breath hitches in his chest. As the shadow retracts, the man swallows hard.
Nyx steps forward, opening a scroll provided by the requesting lord.
“A lord of Terra has accused you of stealing several pieces of gold, silver, valuable gemstones, art, and clothing. How do you plead?” Nyx’s voice is even and commands authority.
The man throws his head back in a hardy laugh. It’s a reaction we rarely see in Asher’s presence.
“That’s real rich coming from the biggest thieves in all of Omnia,” he says between laughs.
Nyx steps closer, bending to be even with the man’s face.
“We are not the ones accusing you of theft. We’re here to collect a debt. Give us the items you stole, and we will let you live to see another day.”
This only makes the man laugh harder. His body completely relaxed in the chair.
“He thinks this is all a joke,” Kira interjects.
He won’t be thinking that for long.
“Silence,” Asher’s cold and menacing voice echoes throughout the home. The man stiffens and halts his annoying, condescending laughter.
“Where are the items?” Nyx’s voice has more bite to it now, seeming just as irritated as I am.
