The Umbra King (Vincula Realm Book 1)

“Are you insane?” Keith demanded as he stared at the forest in front of them. “There’s no way in the seven rings of hell you can beat me. I’m a wolf, Rory.”

“And I am a Fey, Keith,“ she returned.

Dume stood between Keith and Kordie with his arms folded across his chest. “It’s a fair match. I’m interested to see who wins.”

Keith’s mouth fell open as he looked at their friend, and Rory tried not to laugh. “You’re all delusional.”

Kordie, whose hair looked white, said, “I’m just happy to be excluded from today’s activities. I hate running.”

Months ago, they arranged their work schedules to have Wednesday afternoons free.

They did random things like going to the movies, hang out at someone’s house, go out to eat, and sometimes, they’d go to the sports complex downtown and swim in the indoor pool, play paddle ball, or whatever else they felt like. It was the highlight of Rory’s week. Today, they stood at the edge of the park, staring into the woods.

“I can put you on my back, and we could race with them,” Dume said, smirking down at Kordie.

She glared at him, and Keith rolled his shoulders. “Let’s get this over with. Loser buys everyone a round of drinks.”

Rory bounced on the balls of her feet. “Deal.”

Keith shifted in a flash. Rory would never get over how fast they changed, or that when Shifters changed back, they were fully clothed. She used to beg Cora to shift when they were little, then try to ride her. It drove her sister crazy.

Kordie moved forward and turned to face them. “To the treehouse and back. No cheating.”

There was an old treehouse deep in the woods that Rory, Cora, and Dume found when they were kids. No one knows who built it or where it came from, and most of Rory’s childhood memories with Dume revolved around it.

Kordie raised her arms. “On three. One. Two. THREE!”

Keith and Rory took off side by side. They stayed close together, not wanting to lose sight of the other, and Rory grinned as she pulled ahead. Not by much, but enough. She heard the wolf growl beside her, and she laughed as the wind whipped through her ponytail.

Sweat trickled down her forehead as the treehouse came into sight, and she pulled up, touched the tree trunk, and ran back. She could hear Keith on her heels and pushed faster, but before long, the dark wolf met her stride for stride. As they approached the treeline, Keith pulled ahead and crossed their imaginary finish line seconds before her.

Rory slowed and fell to the grass, breathing hard. Keith’s snout appeared in her line of sight with a lupine smile, and she swatted his nose away. “No need to gloat, you mutt.”

Keith shifted and held out his hand. “Don’t be a spoilsport. I told you I was faster.”

She sat up and grabbed his hand. “You barely beat me.”

Keith tugged Rory’s hair. “You’re too competitive for your own good.”

“Good job,” Dume said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Kordie placed her hand on her chest in mock surprise. “Did you give Keith a compliment? Is the realm ending?”

Dume frowned. “I give credit where credit is due.”

“You owe me a drink,” Keith said, pointing to Rory. He wasn’t even out of breath.

“How about a cold beer?” she asked, poking him in the side. “But not at Whiplash. I need a break from that place.”

“Birdie’s?” Kordie suggested. “They have the best potato sticks.”

Potato sticks were exactly as they sounded—potatoes cut into small sticks and fried. They were Kordie’s biggest weakness.

Keith picked a leaf from his hair and flicked it to the ground. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” Dume said. “We need to hurry before it gets crowded.”

They all tromped across the grassy field toward Keith’s truck. He was the only one of them with a vehicle because his parents were both Munin and lived in the Munin compound outside of the city. Everyone else walked where they needed to go or took public transport.

When they were all piled in, Rory leaned her head back on the seat. “I’m beat.”

Keith pushed the button on his truck, making it roar to life before reaching over to pat her knee. “Perk up, or I’ll shift and lick your face.”

The group sat around a tall table at Birdie’s and ordered drinks from the server. Birdie’s was a small sports bar near the park with good food and cheap drinks.

“Where were you the other night?” Keith asked her with his eyes glued to the arrowball game on the ES behind her. “You weren’t at work.”

Rory flicked her eyes to Dume, and he looked back knowingly. “I called in and went to Wonder.”

“Was he any good?” Kordie smirked.

“For aether’s sake,” Dume mumbled, but Keith’s attention was on Rory.

“He was a virgin,” she muttered, and the others paused before they burst out laughing. “Shut up.”

“Did he at least stick it in the right hole?” Keith asked through his laugh.

Rory lightly banged her head on the table. “I had to show him where my clit was.”

A deep laugh rumbled from Dume’s chest, and Rory lifted her head as she twisted her mouth to the side to hold in her own. Despite his shy nature, Dume wasn’t a timid virgin, and when they were in their late teens, he’d asked Rory what he was supposed to do. She’d drawn a diagram, and he studied it like it was the most important test of his life.

“At what point did you realize it?” Kordie asked, taking her drink from the server.

“As soon as he was inside me, he looked like he’d discovered gold,” she groaned. “It wasn’t that bad once I told him what to do until he came in three seconds.”

Keith slapped the table as he laughed. “This is the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

“That’s not all,” she said, smiling at the ridiculousness of the situation. “He dropped the condom on my stomach when he took it off. There was cum everywhere.”

Kordie slapped her hand over her mouth, and Dume’s laughter boomed through the air. “When is the next date?”

A balled up napkin bounced off his head. “I hate you three,” she grumbled and held up her glass. “Cheers to me beating the wolf next time.”

They all raised their glasses as Keith added, “And to your delusional dreams.”

Rory woke with a start to a loud banging sound. She jumped out of bed and bolted to her mother’s room, finding it empty, and panic seized her as she raced to the living room.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she looked around. Writing covered the walls, and her mother stood on a chair, scribbling with a marker. Rory jerked when she realized her mother was writing the same phrases over and over.

Two were one, and one is yours.

Do not let him fool you.

His darkness is poison. 

Only the golden child can save you.

“Mom,” Rory rasped. Her mother ignored her as she continued to write. “Mom, please stop.”

She touched her mother’s side, worried she would fall. “Mom, please.”

Her eyes burned as she fought the urge to cry. Finally, her mother stopped and turned. “I must make you understand, Aurora.”

Rory nodded her head. “I understand. Come down before you fall.”

Her mother finished the phrase she was working on and held Rory’s shoulder as she stepped down. “Only the golden child can save you. Trust him.”

“Okay, Mom, I will. I promise.”

Her mother seemed pleased and walked to her room in a daze. When her door clicked shut, Rory sank to the floor and let the tears flow freely.

After the day’s events, Rory worked on muscle memory alone. She couldn’t get the message from her mother out of her mind. Yes, it was true a Sibyl’s mind was scrambled, but it was scrambled with every possible future in the realms. What her mother said was a real prophecy, but the question was whether it was actually meant for Rory.

Two were one, and one is yours. Do not let him fool you. His darkness is poison. Only the golden child can save you.

What in the hell did that mean? She would never know. Instead, she would agonize over it for the rest of her life.

A knock on the bar top pulled her from her spiraling thoughts, and Keith’s concerned face looked down at her.

“Everything okay?” he asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this down.”

For all of his antics, Keith’s soul was kind. It was a vibrant blue Rory loved to look at from time to time.

She dropped her rag on the bar top. “No.” Leaning forward, she whispered, “Do you know anything about prophecies?”

His head popped back. “Prophecies? Did your mother say something?”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Do you know anything about them or not?”

He sat down, watching her before finally saying, “I don’t know much, but I know if a Sibyl can speak one clearly, it is to be heeded. What happened?”

She hung her head, not wanting the stress of worrying about her future to this capacity. “My mother spouted a prophecy when Dume was over. She was having a clear day, and everything was great, until it wasn’t. She grabbed me by the shoulders and demanded I listen to her.”

Keith whistled. “What did she say? Also, why wasn’t I invited?”

Rory ignored his whining. “Two were one, and one is yours. Do not let him fool you. His darkness is poison. Only the golden child can save you,” Rory recited for the thousandth time. “And that’s not all. When I walked into the living room this morning, she had scribbled it on our walls.”

Keith reached out and grabbed Rory’s wrist, and when their skin connected, his soul throbbed that beautiful blue she loved so much. “You need to take this seriously,” he said. “I have heard of Sibyls delivering coherent messages like this.”

“What does it mean? Gold? Darkness? A child? I don’t understand it,“ Rory groaned. She assumed the darkness was her secret pastime, and she wondered if this was a sign to stop. The only thing that didn’t fit was the ‘he,’ but it could refer to the change Bane caused within her.

“I don’t know, but pay attention to everything around you.” The graveness of his tone worried her.

She patted the top of his hand that held her wrist. “I will. Thanks for listening, Wolfy.”

He pulled his hand back, and the blue winked out. “You know I hate when you call me that.”

She grinned. “What do you want to drink?”

Before he could answer, a group of enforcers led by Dume stepped through the door, and the look on Dume’s face made Rory’s body go numb as the group headed in her direction.

“Dume?” she asked, forcing herself to stay calm, but deep down, she knew what this was.

Dume shook his head and brought his fist to his mouth before speaking in a broken voice, “Aurora Raven, you are under arrest for the murder of Jasper Witlow and the suspected murders of twelve others.”

Keith stood, knocking his stool to the ground. “Dume, what’s going on?”

Another enforcer with a long, pale braid stepped forward when Dume was unable to speak. “We have video surveillance of Miss Raven entering Mr. Witlow’s apartment around the time of the crime and leaving approximately two hours later.” The Aatxe’s blue gaze hardened as she looked at Rory. “And judging by the state of the crime scene, we suspect she is The Butcher.”

Rory hated herself for not turning away when she saw how nice the building was, but in the end, she’d gotten the information she needed. What she didn’t understand was how they knew it was her. She’d kept her hood up while entering the building. Until Jessie answered the door, she remembered, cursing herself for being stupid. There must have been cameras in the hallway.

Keith’s face leached of color as he turned to her. “Tell them you didn’t do this.”

She grabbed her purse and stepped around the bar. Before she allowed them to take her away, she turned to Keith. “I had my reasons, though I’m sure they aren’t good enough to excuse what I’ve done.” Her voice warbled. “I love you, and tell Kordie I love her, too.”

She turned to Dume, who was staring at her with so much pain on his face, it almost brought her to her knees. “And you, please don’t let my mother suffer because of me.”

With that, she held out her hands and let her oldest friend cuff her before the other enforcers grabbed each of her arms and hauled her away. Their souls were bright, blinding almost, a direct contrast to hers.

She guessed her mother’s prophecy was right; the dark turned out to be her destruction.

Dume insisted on being the one who rode in the back with Rory, and seeing him across from her made her wish she was alone.

“You must think I’m disgusting,” she whispered.

He stared ahead, refusing to look at her.

Her chest stung. “Don’t worry, you’ll be rid of me soon enough. My soul is as black as theirs were, and I’ll meet them in hell soon enough.”

Silence followed her declaration as they continued to The Capital.

They were taking her to the Scales of Justice, a Royal who was said to look upon someone and know the perfect punishment for their crimes. There were only three Royals in the realms; Gedeon, the Lux King, who controlled light; Adila, the Scales of Justice, judge of the guilty, and Caius, the Umbra King, who controlled shadows.

Historical texts state there had once been a fourth Royal, Atarah, who ruled over Erdikoa as the Lux Queen, but Caius murdered her, caught standing over her body, soaked in blood with his dagger in hand.

Upon her death, Atarah’s power transferred to Gedeon, and Adila locked Caius away in Vincula. Rory shivered at the immense power the Royals possessed.

Now, she would go before the Scales of Justice, and there was nothing anyone could do to save her, not that she wanted them to. She only wished she’d found her sister’s soul first.

Rory had never seen The Capital or the palace, and when she stepped from the van, her breath caught in her throat at the sight. It was the largest building she’d ever seen and must have been the size of six city blocks in every direction. It was white with metal details the same color as gold moedas, and it shined like new, despite being thousands of years old.

“Holy aether,” she breathed.

At first, she wondered why Dume never mentioned how grand the palace was, but then she remembered the Seraphim enchanted The Capital so that anyone who left, other than the Royals, lost their memory of anything inside The Capital’s walls, but when they reentered, they remembered everything.

Her teachers in school said it allowed the Royals to move around outside The Capital undetected. It was also why there were no pictures of the Royals in their history books or museums until after their deaths.

Rory’s trance broke when Dume stepped away and another enforcer guided her through the side entrance. They must not want the scum of the realms gallivanting through the ornate palace where anyone could see.

They led her down a dark hallway lined with empty cells, and the sight sent a chill down her spine. Supposedly, the punishment was swift; either you went to Vincula, or you went to hell. Rarely did a person have to await trial.

At the end of the hall was a set of large doors, and once opened, they revealed a small chamber. The floor was concrete and slanted toward a drain in the floor, and at the front of the room were three concrete steps leading to a small dais.

This was not what she expected. “What is the drain for?” she whispered to the enforcer on her left.

“The blood,” he answered with no emotion.

Rory’s body shook. All her strength disappeared as she stared at the drain that would soon be filled with her blood. She hoped her death was quick and painless.

A door to the left of the dais opened and in walked one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her hair was the same shade as Keith’s, and the front was pulled back with the rest hanging down her back in waves. Rory was surprised to see the woman’s ears had the same slight point as hers, and she found it difficult to look away.

Were Royals a type of Fey?

An eerie quiet filled the room as the Scales of Justice took her place on the dais and turned to Rory. The woman nodded her head to the enforcer holding Rory’s arm, and he pulled her forward until she was in front of the breathtaking Royal.

She refused to cower. She’d made her bed, and now she would lie in it. Staring down the woman in front of her, she wondered why they needed this meeting at all. Everyone knew what the verdict would be.

“I am the Scales of Justice,” the Royal began. “Though I’d prefer you to call me Adila.”

Rory jerked in surprise. Why would she need to call her anything? “Nice to meet you,” she replied, unsure of what to do. “I’m Rory.”

Adila inclined her head. “I know who you are, Aurora Raven.” She continued to stare as she descended the stairs gracefully and held out her hand. “Show me your soul.”

Rory looked away in shame. “We both know what you will see.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Adila countered. “Give me your hand.”

Her tone was commanding, and Rory had no choice but to obey. Once their hands were touching, Adila stared at Rory’s chest, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. The Scales of Justice must enjoy sending dirtbags to hell, she thought to herself.

Adila motioned for the enforcer to let go. When he dropped her arm and stepped back, Rory closed her eyes. She didn’t need to see whatever they were going to do to her.

“Aurora Raven, you are sentenced to five-hundred years in Vincula, effective immediately. Your next of kin will be informed of your incarceration. When you return, you will have no memory of your life in the dark realm, but you will remember your transgressions and your life until now.”

Gasps were heard around the room, including Rory’s, as her eyes flew open. “Pardon me?” she said, dumbfounded.

Adila held out her hand, and an enforcer handed her a clipboard with a pen attached. She looked it over, nodded, and then scribbled something before handing it over to Rory. It was filled with typed text, and at the bottom, Adila had written the length of her sentence and signed it.

“Sign,” the enforcer next to her said. She jotted her name and handed the document back.

Adila gave her a small smile. “Your soul is a beautiful shade of grey, Miss Raven. I will see you soon enough.”

Without waiting for a reply, Adila reached forward and touched Rory’s shoulder. A force pulled at her, and within seconds, the realm faded away as she fell into nothing.