The Umbra King (Vincula Realm Book 1)
The Umbra King: Chapter 27

Rory’s days were the same. Showing up to work, reading a list of things to do that Caius left on her desk, and running whatever menial errands he asked of her. She never saw him, as he seemed to avoid her.

She shoved it all behind her. Tomorrow was Asher’s going away party, and Rory spent half her day making plans for it.

She’d left Caius a note requesting the use of one of the many banquet rooms that went unused. There were never any visitors, and the large rooms seemed pointless. It’s possible they were used before he was convicted of murdering his sister.

She needed to speak with the head cook about food for Asher’s party and the Plenilune ball next week, and she rushed out of the office, hoping to finish early enough to find Bellina before dinner.

Caius’ notes always instructed her to buy herself lunch every day, and dinner still appeared on her bed every evening. His behavior made little sense, and it drove her crazy.

She now used the main door to the office because it led into a hallway to get around the palace instead of having to cross the enormous throne room, and when she rounded the corner to descend the stairs toward the kitchen, she was shoved, hard.

The force knocked the wind out of her before she ever hit the stairs, and once she did, she screamed out in pain and terror. The momentum was too much, and she couldn’t stop herself as the sharp edges of the stairs delivered blow after blow.

Something cracked, and eventually, she hit the landing below in a bloody heap.

Warm, sticky blood covered various parts of her body, and she gingerly touched her face. When she pulled her hand back, it was red and shaking. Her vision spotted, and an excruciating pain in her ribs made it hard to breathe.

She tried to roll over on her side to expel whatever was in her throat, crying out with the movement. When she coughed to clear her airway, blood splattered on the rug beneath her.

Pictures crashed to the ground as shadows slammed against the walls with the king’s arrival. He was calling her name, she thought, but everything was fading in and out.

There was yelling, but it sounded garbled. She was floating now, and as she rose, she tried to cry out, but it was interrupted by more coughing. More blood.

Someone cursed as she bounced in their arms, but she never found out where they were going because the realm faded away.

“SOMEONE BRING A DOCTOR TO ROOM 21030, NOW!“ Caius roared through the halls as he cradled Rory in his arms. The hospital was in town, and he didn’t know if she would make it that far. There was a doctor on staff at the palace, but it housed no official infirmary.

Shadows were crashing through the halls with his unchecked emotions, and it was all he could do to keep from bringing the entire palace to the ground. Her room was closer than his, and when he arrived, shadows blew the door off its hinges.

His hands shook as he gently laid her on the bed to survey her injuries. Blood covered her face, the bottom of her leg was bent at an odd angle, and her breaths were shallow.

Running a hand through her bloodied hair, he whispered, “Rory? Can you hear me?” He knew he shouldn’t have left her alone. It was only a week, and already she was lying lifelessly in front of him. He’d been a fool. “I need you to wake up, baby.”

He’d never felt more helpless in his entire life. His eyes closed as he focused on releasing the shadows. When they were back where they belonged, he looked at his Aeternum’s lifeless body and ran a hand through his own hair.

The doctor hurried through the broken door and approached the bed. “Are you hurt, Your Grace?”

He was going to fire the doctor for being an idiot. “Do I look hurt? Help her,“ he snapped.

The doctor motioned to Caius’ head. “Your hair is smeared with blood.”

Caius looked at the hand he ran through his hair, the same hand that ran through Rory’s.

“I’m fine. She fell down the stairs,” he said as worry crept into his voice. His chest burned with the possibility of her dying. She was supposed to live a full life without him, not die because he foolishly left her alone.

“Your Grace, I need to examine her,” the doctor said cautiously.

Caius stepped around the bed to the other side and kneeled, taking Rory’s hand in his. “Don’t leave me,” he quietly begged.

A maid assisted the doctor while another stood by the door. Caius looked at her and said, “Go find the commander and bring him here immediately.”

The doctor worked quietly while Caius stared at Rory’s face, silently willing her to wake up. Samyaza’s imposing form stepped through the door and inspected the room. “What happened?”

Caius turned. “I don’t know. A vision knocked me to the ground as the stairs battered me until it was over. I ran to the stairs as fast as I could and found her on the third floor landing.”

Sam stared at Rory with a flash of fear on his face, and Caius gripped her hand tighter. The doctor turned to Sam. “She needs healing potions from the hospital as soon as possible. Her internal bleeding is filling her abdomen, and her broken rib punctured a lung.”

Without thinking, Caius ran for the door, but Sam stopped him. “I’ll go. Stay with her.”

“She needs a potion for a concussion and broken bones as well,” the doctor continued. “I mean no disrespect, commander, but hurry.”

Sam nodded and left. “If she gets the potions in time, she will be fine, Your Grace. The worst of her injuries will heal within a few hours, and tomorrow, you can send for potions to take care of her surface level injuries.”

Caius nodded, never taking his eyes off Rory. “Thank you. Please stay until Sam returns.”

The doctor gave a curt nod and stepped into the hallway. “I’ll be out here if you need me.”

Caius didn’t know how much time passed before Sam returned, but it felt like an eternity. The doctor made quick work of rubbing different potions on different parts of Rory’s body.

He held her knee and foot in each hand and looked at Caius. “Do you have a weak stomach, Your Grace?”

Caius paid him no mind as he shook his head and watched Rory’s chest rise and fall.

The doctor pushed and pulled on her leg, and a loud crack filled the air. The maid assisting him fainted at the sound, and Sam scooped her up, handing her to Lauren, who Caius hadn’t realized was in the hall.

Once Rory’s leg was set, the doctor rubbed another potion on the area.

He grabbed another bottle and shook it. “I need her to drink this for her internal bleeding, but you need to hold her up. I have to do a miniscule amount at a time so it will be absorbed by her tongue instead of entering her lungs.”

Caius stood, and with the doctor’s help, sat Rory up. He slid in behind her, both of his legs on either side, and laid her against his chest.

“Hold her mouth open,” the doctor instructed.

Bit by bit, the potion dripped onto her tongue until it was gone. Sam stood quietly in the doorway, and Caius’ heart tried to rip its way out of his chest.

“What now?” he asked.

“Now, we wait,” the doctor said grimly. “There is nothing more I can do. The potions are already working.” He gestured to her leg. “Send for me when she wakes up.”

Normally, Caius would never allow someone to give him orders, but the doctor was the only one who could save her. He could tell Caius to fuck off if he wanted.

“I’ll be back, brother,” Sam said before he disappeared.

Caius settled against the headboard with Rory on his chest and closed his eyes. She took those stairs every day, and even though her Fey ability was gone, she was a graceful woman.

He knew deep in his gut someone did this to her, and Seraphim help them when he found out who.

Caius heard yelling from the hallway, and his arms tensed around her.

“Let me in there, or I will shove those horns up your ass!” a woman’s voice threatened.

The Aatxe standing guard rumbled something in return and he walked past the doorway with Rory’s friend in tow.

“Wait,” Caius called out. The Aatxe halted. “She can come in.”

The woman whose name Caius couldn’t recall stepped into the room with one last glare over her shoulder at the retreating guard. When she turned back to Rory, her hands flew to her mouth as she crossed the room.

“What is your name?” Caius asked.

She sniffled, and tears filled her eyes. “Bellina. I’m a seamstress here.”

“You killed your wife’s abusive father,” Caius recalled, and she nodded.

Bellina rushed to the bathroom and came back with a damp towel. “What happened?”

As she began wiping the blood from Rory’s face, Caius internally slapped himself for not thinking of doing the same. “I found her at the bottom of the stairs.”

Bellina gasped. “Did someone push her?”

“We don’t know.” He clenched and unclenched his jaw repeatedly to keep from screaming at the Seraphim for allowing this to happen.

“She wouldn’t fall,” Bellina insisted. “People have had it out for her since she arrived, thanks to you.” The seamstress looked ready to rip Caius’ head from his body, and he didn’t blame her.

He couldn’t change the past. Lauren reappeared in the doorway, and Caius beckoned her closer. “Pack up her belongings. It’s no longer safe for her to stay in the staff quarters.”

“I’ll help,” Bellina volunteered.

They both moved quietly around the room as they pulled her things from her drawers, packed her toiletries, and set them in a neat pile near the door.

“Leave us,” Caius instructed. When the room was vacant, he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Caius walked through the empty halls of his palace, looking for something. No, not something. Someone. A sense of urgency overcame him, and he moved faster, throwing open door after door.

He approached room 21030, pushed it open, and skidded to a halt when he saw Rory sitting on her bed. 

Her mouth pulled into a wry smile. “What are you doing here?”

Memories came flooding back—she was hurt. They must be in the mate soulscape. Once two mated souls were both of age, they sometimes shared a soulscape, though they had no memory of it when they woke. Once the bond solidified, they only met in the soulscape when separated, and they remembered it in vivid detail. It was said to help connect their souls. He assumed they were meeting now because she needed him.

“You need to wake up, Rory,” he pleaded. 

Her head tilted to the side as she regarded him. “I am awake.”

“You’re dreaming,” he insisted. “Please wake up.” His words were growing more frantic. He had to make her understand.

She moved away. “What has gotten into you?”

He kneeled in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. “Baby, you need to wake up.”

A crease formed between her brows. “What’s wrong? I’m fine here.” 

Desperation clawed at his chest. “There was an accident, and you’re unconscious. You need to wake up.” He had to make her understand.

Her hand touched her hair and pulled away, covered in blood. She screamed and stood, knocking Caius over.

Feeling her head again, she looked at him. “I need to wake up.”

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