The Umbra King (Vincula Realm Book 1)

Once again, Rory was dying. Nina so graciously switched Rory to the evening shift and put her on toilet duty. Gracie explained where she would go, and that she was to clean every toilet except those occupied by staff, per Nina’s orders. Every other room, including those of the legion, was cleaned by the staff.

The palace was enormous, and Nina said Rory couldn’t stop until every toilet was clean. She would scrub all night and into the next day, and she considered slamming her hand in a door to get out of it.

Rory decided to start on the top floor and work her way down, but as she stepped onto the final landing, she regretted her decision. Her legs were jelly, and it would have been wiser to start from the bottom and work her way up, taking breaks on each floor. It was too late now.

Her mouth parted in awe as she looked around the top floor. Instead of a group of hallways, it was a large lobby. Velvet couches lined some walls, and tables with various games such as chess sat around the room with chairs.

There was one door at the back, and she hurried across the room and pulled it open. She was greeted by a wide hallway with a single door at the end. It must be the bathroom for the game room, she guessed. She knocked softly to ensure she didn’t walk in on someone taking a shit, and when there was no answer, she turned the knob and stepped inside.

She cursed under her breath, looking around the massive room that was definitely not a bathroom. It was decorated with black furniture, and instead of looking old-fashioned and ostentatious like the rest of the palace, it was modern, with clean lines.

She gasped when she realized the room had power, like the sky room. Essence lights adorned the ceiling and an essence screen hung on the wall.

It must be Caius’ room. She opened the first door on the side wall to a closet full of finely tailored clothes. His scent filled the air, and she took a deep breath like a stalker. The door clicked softly as she closed it, and when she opened the other door beside it, she died of a heart attack, she was sure of it.

In front of her, lounging in a black porcelain tub, was Caius. Steam curled around him, and his broad back rested against the back of the tub.

Strands of his hair fell into his face as his arms rested on the sides. Despite her entrance, he seemed unbothered.

“If you wanted to see me naked, Miss Raven, all you had to do was ask.” He stood, and Rory let her eyes trail down his naked form, and her blood heated at the sight. He was huge.

“What are you doing here?” he asked as he reached for a towel.

“Toilets,” she croaked. “Nina told me to do every room in the palace.”

His skin glistened as droplets of water ran down his chest. “Stop gawking, Miss Raven.”

Her eyes snapped to his, and her shock turned into annoyance. “Excuse me, Your Grace. I didn’t expect to see a penis today.”

He moved closer, and for a moment, his eyes reflected what she felt on the inside. “It’s night. What exactly did you expect to find in the palace bedrooms?”

Her fist tightened around the bucket handle. “Your girlfriend is the one who moved me to the night shift.”

The corner of his mouth lifted with amusement. “Is that so?”

The realization hit her that Nina did this on purpose. She knew people would be pissed Rory was barging in late at night to scrub their toilets. “That bitch,” she hissed under her breath.

A beautiful smile spread across the king’s face. “Yes, Nina is a vicious little thing, isn’t she?”

“Would you like me to still clean your toilet, Your Grace?”

“Of course,” he said with a flourish toward the toilet. “I wouldn’t miss another opportunity to see you at my feet.”

She bit her tongue to hold in a retort. Gone was the tender man who cradled her in his arms after giving her a realm full of color. The memory made her hesitate. “Were you telling the truth about Cora’s file?”

He stood at the sink, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. “My answer doesn’t matter. You will believe what you wish.”

“I need to hear it,” she insisted. Why was she so desperate to believe him innocent? She was losing it.

His eyes met hers in the mirror. “Yes, Rory. I was telling the truth.”

She nodded and turned to the task at hand. As she cleaned his toilet, she dreamed of creative ways to punish Nina.

Caius stood close enough for her to smell the soap on his skin. “Are you jealous of Nina?”

Rory set her jaw. “No.”

He crouched behind her, and his lips pressed against her ear. “Liar.” She heard that word often lately.

Goosebumps traveled the length of her arms, and her breathing picked up speed. “Don’t presume to know what I am feeling.”

He moved her hair to the side and placed a kiss on her neck that made her bite back a groan. “Jealousy looks good on you, Miss Raven.”

She was painfully aware he was in nothing but a towel. She’d only have to reach back…

He stood and backed away, and she closed her eyes, trying to force her libido to calm the fuck down. Throwing her cleaning supplies into the bucket, she stood to leave, but his hand caught her arm.

She looked at him over her shoulder, and a flash of uncertainty flickered across his features. “You’re done working for the night.”

Her face was blank, but not for lack of effort. “Are you trying to give Nina another reason to hate me?”

He sauntered past her to his room and said, “You won’t be seeing much of Nina anymore.”

Rory’s brows pinched together as she trailed behind him. “Is her contract almost up?”

He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of silk pajama pants. “Unfortunately, no.”

“Unfortunately?” she parroted. “I thought you’d be happy to keep your plaything.”

He dropped his towel and stood in all his naked glory. Her eyes found the appendage she skimmed over earlier, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

“I have a new toy to play with,” he said, breaking her trance.

His eyes seared into her, the insinuation clear.

“You seem the type to break your toys,” she murmured. He wouldn’t break her.

After donning his pants, he moved toward her, his blonde hair dripping water onto his chest. “I am.”

A shiver ran down her spine as he walked away. “You will report to my office at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.” He turned down his comforter. “Starting now, you work for me.”

There was no hiding her bewildered expression. “I already work for you.”

He gave her a wry smile. “Miss Raven, starting tomorrow, you are my personal assistant. I no longer wish to do menial paperwork.”

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Did she hear him correctly? Reaching up, she pinched her arm. A slight shock of pain pricked her skin.

“You’re not dreaming,” he said, reading her thoughts.

“You don’t need an assistant,” she sputtered, losing control of the situation. There was no paperwork to be done, and they both knew it.

“I didn’t say I needed one,” he replied. “You’re dismissed.”

Rory walked into Caius’ office a minute after eight the next morning. “You’re late, Miss Raven.”

Caius watched Rory glance at the clock on the wall and scowl. “One minute does not count as being late.”

He took in her hideous maid uniform and beckoned her closer with his hand. “What are you wearing?”

She looked down. “My uniform. Unless you wanted me to wear casual clothes or the dress you ripped, this is all I have.”

He preferred the sinful dress from the ball. “This is unacceptable.” He stood. “You’re going to town to get a work appropriate wardrobe.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m out of credits for the month.”

He ignored her and motioned for her to follow him out of his office and into the throne room. “I wouldn’t make someone pay for their own work clothes, but thank you for reminding me how little you think of me.”

He heard her mouth snap shut as she walked after him. Sam met them in the foyer and fell in line beside them. “You have an arrival today,” the Angel reminded him.

Caius came to an abrupt halt and pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d forgotten. What he wanted was to watch Rory model tight skirts for him, not greet an inmate. “I need you to take Rory clothes shopping,” he replied.

Sam looked ready to throttle him. “What about me makes you think that is a good idea?”

“I can go by myself,” Rory protested. “I am an adult.”

Caius ignored her. “Where is Lauren?”

“Right here,” Lauren said from the far entrance of the room. “What can I do for you, Your Grace?”

He almost rolled his eyes at her formal greeting. He’d known her as long as he’d known Sam, and they were long past formalities. “Take Rory to town. She needs a wardrobe befitting her new position.”

“Do you not trust me to buy clothes on my own?” Rory asked incredulously from behind him. “No offense,” she said, looking at Lauren wearily.

“Full offense taken,” the Angel deadpanned.

“It’s for your protection,” Caius told her as his eyes glanced at her neck, remembering the bruises that colored her delicate skin. “She needs business attire. Preferably skirts and blouses.”

“I am not wearing skirts every day,” Rory informed him haughtily.

Caius turned to her and gestured to her dress. “You already do.” He gave his attention back to Lauren. “She’ll need enough outfits for at least two weeks and however many pairs of shoes to match.”

Rory scoffed and shook her head. “Who needs fourteen outfits? They do our laundry twice a week!”

He ignored her and motioned for Sam to follow him back to his office. Rory’s protests fell on deaf ears, and he smiled to himself as she trailed Lauren out of the room.

“You have an assistant now?” Sam chuckled. “Since when do you need an assistant?”

“Since I need to protect her,” he replied. “She was attacked once, and I won’t risk it happening again.”

“If you’d stop being a prick to her, she might end up liking you,” Sam said as he pulled an entire banana out of his pocket.

“How did you fit a banana in your pants?”

“My pants already carry something much larger.” Sam grinned as he peeled the fruit and took a large bite.

Caius pushed open the door to his office and realized he forgot to lock it again. It didn’t matter because no one would steal from their king, but it was a habit that lent him comfort.

He paused and shook his head with a wry laugh. Rory admitted to breaking into his office. Guess I’m not as forgetful after all, he thought.

A small knock echoed through the room, and Caius looked at Sam. “Did the arrival come early?” They were always notified before a trial to prepare for a possible new arrival. Trials happened at the same time of day, and they still had another hour.

Sam shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

Caius called on a shadow to open the door, and Nina stood on the other side. She was the last person he wanted to start his day with. “What is it?”

She stepped inside, and her eyes flared slightly at the sight of Sam. “One of the staff shirked their duties and disappeared.”

Caius sat behind his desk, pretending to look at papers. “Are they sick or hurt?”

“They weren’t in their room, Your Grace.” Her face was smug, and Caius was immediately suspicious.

He already knew what her answer would be, but he asked anyway. “Who was it?”

“Aurora Raven.” She was positively giddy, and he took a deep breath.

“I told her to stop last night.” He pinned Nina with a scathing look. “She is no longer your concern.”

The maid perked up. “She’s gone?”

“She works for me now,” Caius replied. “Now, if you will excuse us, we have matters to discuss that do not concern you.”

Nina’s rage was palpable. “Excuse me? What does that mean?”

Sam stood to his full six-foot-six height and stalked across the room. “It means there is no need for you to speak to her again. Leave.”

Nina flinched and looked to Caius for help, but he ignored her as he looked over his fake papers. “You heard him, Nina. Leave.”

After the woman left, Sam said, “She needs to be moved out of the palace.”

Caius sighed and set his pen down. “I know. I’ll have Rory arrange it tomorrow.”

Sam released a booming laugh. “Already trying to woo her, I see.”

Caius lifted a shoulder and sat back. “She can’t hate me forever.”

“If she thinks you murdered her sister, yes, she can.”

“I need something tangible to convince her it wasn’t me,” Caius said, twisting one of the rings on his hand.

“We both know it was Gedeon,” Sam replied. “The question is why?”

Rory admired her ass in the red pencil skirt in the dressing room as Lauren huffed from the other side of the door. “Let me see, or I’m coming in.”

Rory opened the door and swept a hand over her body. “What do you think?”

Lauren twirled her finger in a circle, and Rory turned around. “Are you trying to get the king to fuck you?”

Rory jerked around. “What? He told me to get skirts!”

“I’m kidding,” the Angel replied. Her expression said she wasn’t kidding.

Rory grabbed Lauren by the arm, tugged her into the room, and shut the door. “Are you trying to get me labeled as the king’s whore?”

Lauren laughed loudly and shook her head. “You are not a weak little lamb. What they think of you is irrelevant unless you believe it, little butcher.”

Rory stared after her and could almost see Cora’s sweet lamb form frolicking around her. Had she really lost sight of what was important that fast? There was a chance Caius was Bane, despite what he said.

“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered and grabbed at the zipper on the back of the skirt.

The truth was the only thing that mattered, and once she had it, she would either kill the Umbra King, or…

Or what?