The Umbra King (Vincula Realm Book 1)

Bellina’s memory was foggy when she woke, even after taking the potions provided by the doctor. She looked fine once they kicked in, but Rory could tell she was shaken.

Rory was shaken. Seeing her friend lying unconscious was like watching Cora through the window all over again.

“I’m going to sleep in my room,” Bellina said, standing. “I want to be in my own bed.”

“It’s not safe. You should stay here,” Rory insisted. Caius had Bellina brought to the sky room and gave the two women space for the night. He was thoughtful, and every time she was around him, another layer was revealed.

Bellina tried for casualness, but failed miserably. “I want to be in my room.”

“Wait,” Rory tried again. “At least let me get you a lock for the inside.”

“Locks aren’t allowed,” Bellina reminded her. “I appreciate what you’re doing, and I know you feel responsible, but you’re not. You can’t blame other people’s actions on yourself.” She sighed. “The black hole in my memory is more unsettling than waking up broken, and I just want to be in my room to see if it will jog my memory. Alone.”

Rory nodded. “I understand. I’ll send someone down with a lock as soon as possible.”

Bellina gave her a small smile and slipped through the sliding bookcase where Sam stood.

“Sam!” Rory called, as the shelf closed.

He stuck his boulder-sized hand out to stop it and poked his head in. “Have a lock installed inside of Bellina’s room, please.”

He smirked. “Yes, Your Grace.”

The title didn’t bother her this time, and that scared her. She looked at the bookshelf on the opposite end of the room that led to Caius’ quarters and released a long breath.

She meandered through the hallway to Caius’ room, and with each step toward him, her anxiety eased a fraction. He sent word last night to put enforcers with Kit, Tallent, and Cat, and now that she knew Bellina would have a lock, a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Not bothering to knock, she pushed the button to open the door to Caius’ room, and when she stepped inside, her body lit like a match. A towel hung low on his hips, and tiny water droplets fell from the tips of his blonde hair.

She didn’t know what it was about his inability to dry his hair, but damn, was it attractive.

His mouth lifted when he saw her, and the clothes in his hands dropped to the floor. “Please tell me I don’t need these.”

Her laugh was genuine as she went up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. She’d seen him that morning when he came in to check on Bellina and bring them breakfast, but seeing him now made her realize she missed him last night.

“I came to see if you wanted to take a nap with me.” She had slept little the night before, and judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he hadn’t slept either.

In reply, he grabbed a pair of boxer briefs to put on and turned down the comforter. Grateful, she joined him in bed and moved closer, needing to feel him. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, she burrowed farther under the blankets. “I will be.”

“Tell me about your mother,” he said, banding his arm around her. “You only talk about her when you’re sad. Tell me something happy.”

Rory swallowed past the knot in her throat and called upon her favorite moments. “She danced when she cooked.” She laughed lightly. “It was terrible, but she loved cooking, and it was like her body couldn’t contain the joy within her. My sister and I would join when we were younger.”

She felt his smile against her hair. “Will you dance?”

“When?” she asked, not understanding his question.

“If you have children. Will you dance in the kitchen?” His voice was airy, and she wondered if he was picturing their children dancing with her.

“If I decide to have them, yes. I’d want them to remember me happy.” She’d never given much thought to having a family, but now it seemed… nice. Not that having children was the only way to be happy. But if she had them, she wouldn’t hate it.

“When we did something we weren’t supposed to, she never yelled. We had to sit down at the kitchen table and explain our reasoning for our actions. She listened without interrupting, and when we finished, she said her piece. She was kind, like Cora, and it showed in everything she did.”

“You’re kind, too,” Caius added.

She stayed quiet, knowing kind wasn’t the right word to describe her.

He nudged her. “You are. After you destroyed my office, you insisted on cleaning it yourself. You organized a huge going away party for your friend, and you helped Max in the gardens.” His fingers stroked her arm. “Only a person with kindness thinks of others.”

Seeing herself through another’s eyes was strange because, until now, she hadn’t thought of those actions as anything special. “When is your release exactly?” she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

His heart picked up speed beneath her cheek. “A little over a week.”

She shot up. “Why didn’t you tell me it was that soon?”

“Because I’m not leaving you,” he replied. “I’m not like the others. My memories are not erased, and I can move between realms as I please.”

She knew that, but it didn’t make it any better. “You’re planning to confront your brother. That’s a big deal.”

“It won’t be immediate.” It was then she saw the worry lines etched in his face. Killing his twin wouldn’t be easy; it was unfathomable to her. They were two sides of the same coin, and when Cora died, so did a piece of Rory.

“I’ll meet with Adila and see if she can sentence him to hell,” he continued.

“And if she doesn’t?” Rory’s voice shook. Gedeon deserved hell. Adila must understand that.

Caius was quiet, and she dreaded his next words. “Then I will do as promised and kill him.”

It was what she wanted, but at what cost? What if Gedeon killed him first, and when did she change her mind from wanting retribution over everything, to wanting Caius’ safety above all else?

“Come back to me,” was her response, because it was all she cared about now.

He turned to her. “I can’t guarantee that.”

“You have to.” Fear crept over her, and she wanted nothing more than to lock him in Vincula for another five-hundred years. “When I’m free, we can make Adila understand, or we can deal with him together.”

He tilted his head to look at the ceiling. “Please don’t ask this of me. I have spent five-hundred years planning.”

“You would leave me so easily? After all your proclamations of our future together?” Dread consumed her, no longer tamable. Was this what love felt like, this all-consuming need to be with someone?

It felt fast, but in hindsight, it wasn’t. It’d been about three months since they first met, and the bond was always there, pulling them together, and who knew how many soulscapes they’d met in over the years. They didn’t remember them, but their souls did.

“Leaving you will be the hardest thing I will ever do, but I thought you’d understand that our sisters deserve this. Your sister’s soul is trapped, and she deserves to ascend into the aether.”

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t throw her in my face. We will find her.” She swallowed hard. “But if Adila refuses to help, we will find her together. You have waited five-hundred years. What is five-hundred more?”

The silence that filled the air was heavy, and she prayed he would reconsider. She lay back down and pulled herself as close to him as possible, and before she drifted to sleep, he murmured, “I will always come back to you.”

The next day, Rory sat in the office with Lauren, Sam, and Caius, discussing the possibility of Nina being involved in Bellina’s assault and the attempts on Rory’s life.

“Who else could it be?” Rory asked, throwing her hands up. This was exhausting.

“She was in her apartment all night,” Lauren informed them. “It’s possible she convinced someone else to do it, but she hasn’t corresponded with anyone outside of her new job at the hobby store. Caius’ last visit seemed to have shaken her.”

“We need to find out who attacked Bellina and make them tell us who put them up to it,” Sam said. “Lauren can get anything out of anyone.”

Lauren’s mouth spread into a feline grin. “Gladly.”

“How do we do that?” Rory asked, determined to put this to rest as soon as possible.

Caius shifted in his chair. “We have enforcers questioning the staff with hopes someone saw who entered Bellina’s room or other suspicious persons.”

Lauren began pacing. “How did they wipe Bellina’s memory? Her concussion wasn’t that bad, and once healed, her memory should have come back.”

They pondered the observation, and Rory remembered something Kordie told her once. Never accept food or drinks from anyone. Some harmless potions mixed together can be dangerous.

“They mixed potions,” she guessed. “An alchemist friend back home told me regular potions can be mixed to make dangerous ones.”

“Sam, bring every alchemist in for questioning,” Caius told his commander. “Lauren, stay with Nina.” He paused, cursing. “Nina is an alchemist. Question her first. Meanwhile, Rory and I will speak with the palace doctor to see if there is an antidote to reverse memory potions. We’ll have it imported from Erdikoa if needed.”

They broke apart with a plan in place. Rory wanted to check in on Bellina, who insisted on returning to work, and when Rory walked into the seamstress quarters of the palace with the king, everyone stopped to stare.

“Please return to work,” Caius said, addressing their audience. Rory held in a laugh at the expressions on their faces as they ducked their heads and started snipping and sewing furiously.

Bellina looked up with a smile. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Her cheery tone was forced, and Rory’s stomach hurt, knowing it was her fault.

Rory perched on the edge of Bellina’s workstation while Caius stood with his hands in his pockets. “We just stopped in to say hi.”

Bellina pointed her scissors accusingly. “You’re checking up on me.”

Rory lifted a shoulder. “Guilty. How are you feeling?”

She sighed. “I feel fine. The potions made me feel as good as new.”

That wasn’t what Rory meant, and they both knew it, but her friend needed time. Rory understood. She didn’t like discussing her attacks, but now that she was on the other side of it, wanting to comfort her friend, she understood why people asked.

“I can ask everyone to dinner tonight,” Rory offered. “They want to see you.”

Bellina smiled, and it seemed genuine this time. “I appreciate everything you’re doing, but I want to work and rest for a while. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

Rory nodded. “Okay. I’m here when you need me.”

“Thanks. You two have fun,” Bellina said smugly, a bit of her old teasing self seeping into her words as she looked between Rory and the king.

Rory waved her off as they left, and Caius tugged lightly on her ponytail to get her attention. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She took one last look at Bellina before they stepped into the hallway. “Being friends with me did that to her, and she didn’t deserve it.”

Nothing he said would make Rory feel better, and he knew it, because he knew her. “We need to get going,” he said, placing his hand on her lower back. “The doctor is expecting us.”

Caius chuckled as Rory practically bounced out of the doctor’s quarters. He knew of a few potions that reversed memory potions and assured them it wouldn’t hurt Bellina to take them all.

“I’ll send Sam to Erdikoa to fetch the potions as soon as possible,” Caius said as they walked back to their room to change into gym clothes. He wanted Rory to train now more than ever.

They stood in the middle of the gym as Rory did pull ups while Caius supported her legs. Her bare stomach was on display between her bra and shorts, and it glistened with sweat. Remembering their last gym session, he stopped to adjust himself.

When Rory finished her set, she released the bar, landing gracefully on the ground. “I want to spar.”

“I would annihilate you.” Caius waved his hands over his body. “Immortal strength, remember?”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Exactly. If I can hold my own against you, I can beat anyone without mystical abilities. Besides, I can take potions to heal whatever injuries you cause.”

“Fine,” he grunted.

They moved to opposite sides of the mat and counted down. Circling each other, they analyzed the other for weaknesses. She dropped her arm, and he took his chance, jabbing at her jaw and stopping short before contact.

“You let your guard down,” he said and grabbed her arm. “Keep it up to cover your face at all times.”

“And you pulled your punch.” Her agitation was cute. “If you refuse to fight me, I can’t learn.”

He opened his palms. “I won’t hit you.” He lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Ask Lauren. I doubt she has reservations about hitting anyone.”

Rory shuddered. “She is vicious. I thought watching her rip a throat out was bad, but it had nothing on the spinal cord.”

Caius agreed. Lauren did nothing halfway; if she was going to kill you, she would make it a show. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

She made a show of tapping her finger on her chin as she thought. “Burgers. We can pick it up to go; I don’t feel like dealing with your explicit behavior in public again.”

He licked his lips and raked his eyes down her body appreciatively. “I would rather be explicit in private, anyway.”

“Feed me, and maybe you’ll get lucky,” she said as she sauntered to the door.

He would buy as many burgers as the shop could make.

Caius and Rory sat at the table in their room, eating. “Good call on the burgers,” he said, taking a bite.

She grinned with a giant bite in her mouth. “I didn’t know Vincula had burgers until you left one in my room.”

The memory of her face when she told him she’d been sneaking food made his chest tighten. To think she endured cruelty because he’d been quick to judge her made him physically ill.

He set his burger down. “I’m sorry for everything.”

Her brows pinched together. “For what?”

“For humiliating you and putting a target on your back. I don’t treat my inmates that way, and I should have looked into you more before making a snap judgment.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “I was still plotting to kill you then, so it was a pretty sound decision on your part.”

“My little butcher,” he crooned.

“Have you ever loved an inmate before?” she asked, making him pause mid-bite.

“I’ve never loved anyone before,” he replied. “Except my family and friends. Would you be jealous, Miss Raven?”

She pointedly ignored his question. “In five-hundred years, you’ve loved no one?”

“No, I haven’t,” he said truthfully.

“Then how do you know you’ll love me?” Her eyes conveyed her uncertainty, and hope took seed within him. Was she falling for him the way he was falling for her?

He pushed his plate aside and rested his elbows on the table. “How could I not?”

She tucked a loose hair behind her ear and stared at her food. “I’ve never loved anyone either.” She looked up. “But if I were going to love anyone, it would be you.”

“Oh, you will love me, Aurora, because how could you not?” He smiled to put her at ease, and she rewarded him with a small laugh.

“Are you planning a celebration for the end of your contract?” She changed subjects quickly, and his head spun.

“No. I’m not leaving,” he reminded her.

She set down her potato sticks. “It’s still something to celebrate. Five-hundred years stuck in the same place is a long time.”

“I love my realm,” Caius replied easily. “Do I miss visiting Erdikoa? Yes, but were it not for my score to settle with Gedeon, I wouldn’t mind being stuck here for eternity. It’s beautiful, and mostly, the people are pleasant. I have my friends, and if my siblings wanted, they could visit. That’s what I miss the most. My sisters.”

“I miss my family, too,” she said solemnly, and he wanted to rip the realms apart to wipe the sadness from her eyes. It killed him she was here for crimes that saved people.

Was she wrong? Yes. Did she deserve half a millennium? No.

He cleared his throat and prayed he could make his idea come true. “Once I am released, I will try to arrange a visit.”

Her face brightened. “You can do that?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I would need to clear it with Adila and Gedeon.” He was thoughtful. “Gedeon doesn’t know that I know he killed Atarah for sure. I always assumed he did, but really, there’s no way for him to know because I never confronted him. I could play it off like I’m glad to see him, and it’s possible he would grant my request.”

Rory fidgeted with her napkin. “I want nothing from him.”

Caius didn’t blame her. “At the very least, I will visit them regularly and bring back pictures and reports.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Thank you.”

They talked about everything they could think of until the Erdikoa sun went down, and that night as they lay in bed blanketed in post-coital bliss, Caius fell for Aurora Raven.