Chapter 778 (1/2)

“No,” Rumera said with her arms folded.

“It is just dinner. You are my woman. There is no reason to refuse.” Shal said firmly.

“Does that normally work for you? Using the ‘my woman’ line all the time?”

Shal gave an innocuous smile to Rumera. “Never before. Because I will only have one woman in my lifetime. That is you.”

It was clear from her face that Rumera was torn between vexation and amusement. The two were standing near the banister at the edge of a rooftop cafe. Although there were few enough restaurants in Hastam, especially considering the looming threat of the Wights slowing business down, the C Corp was doing its best to ignore that reality of the situation. With her hands gripping the railing, Rumera leaned back and looked up at the sky to hide her expression.

Of course, Shal was taller than Rumera. It was clear she was grinning toward the sun. He felt somewhat smug with this proof that she would soon capitulate to his demands.

But to his surprise, her expression was serious when she looked down toward him. “Don’t you think it's strange that you were so instantly were drawn to me?”

“Such is the fate of two people who were meant to be. Our bond is…” Shal frowned. Not that he questioned the feelings he had for Rumera, but he was unsure how to describe them. “Our physical bodies feel ancillary to the connection. If we were to die, it feels as though our souls would snap together and form a perfect whole. Which is why I look forward to our children.”

Shal’s tone was relatively even, so it was a few seconds before what he said seemed to register with Rumera. Her annoyed smile hung on her lips until it fell right off with her dropping jaw. “Our… our children?!?”

“Of course,” Shal said with an amused nod. “What do a man and his woman do but make children?”

Rumera punched Shal in the gut with enough force that he grunted in discomfort. Instantly, his eyebrows rose. Truly, he had excellent taste. What a sharp and decisive punch…!

“We are not having children,” Rumera said with a sharp gaze. There was something else there too, in the tightness around her eyes, but Shal couldn’t figure out what it meant. “If you force the issue, I’ll leave.”

“Aye, it is a talk for another time. It was foolish of me to rush. Let me make it up to you. Dinner tonight, anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere…?” Rumera thought about it. Shal stood calmly by her side, waiting. She purposefully dragged the silence out for almost five minutes and Shal said nothing. He was confident that if he simply waited-

“Well,” Rumera began, but she was interrupted.

“Shal, to me now.”

Ophelia’s voice boomed out of the area, projected by a strange Skill. Instantly, Shal grimaced and shot Rumera an apologetic glance but leapt from the roof. As soon as he hit the ground, he transformed into a phantom, weaving through the people at an almost impossible speed. Within the minute, he was back at the impromptu headquarters that Ophelia had erected.

“What is it?” He asked shortly. Not that he really thought that Ophelia would purposeful fake the concern and cause a commotion to ruin his time with Rumera, but since Ophelia insisted he dine with her there had been some growing suspicions in his heart.

But her first words put those worries to rest. “There is news from East. There has been an attack.”

“Have the Wights made landfall in the Heart School?” Shal asked with raised eyes.

But Ophelia shook her head. “Further. The Death School. It is… we believe…”

“The Death School was under attack since the beginning of the war,” Shal said, somewhat surprised at his own callousness. But to be fair, he had spent several months cutting down Witch Kings there. “Even if they gained an advantage-”

“We haven’t received a message from a single person on the Death School for a week,” Ophelia said quietly. “Even Versault. Despite our… disagreement, he would not remain silent for so long willingly. He would take every opportunity to lecture. We believe… the Autarch himself moved. The Death School has fallen.”

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