Chapter 21: The Umbra King: Chapter 19

keys to unlock his office after his with Nina. The thought made his skin crawl.

His office was already unlocked, and his hackles rose. Throwing open the door, he stepped inside to survey the room. No one was there, and nothing was out of place. In his haste, he might have forgotten to lock it on his way out.

He ran a hand through his hair and sat in his reading chair as he replayed the night at the pond. It had only been a week, but the image of Aurora as she lost control consumed him, and it was all he thought about.

He was adjusting his pants when his door opened, and Samyaza stomped in. The was large and stomped everywhere, and sometimes Caius thought he felt the entire realm shake.

Sam eyed the king. “You look annoyed.”

Caius sat at his desk and huffed out a breath. “I am annoyed. You’re back from Erdikoa sooner than expected.”

The nodded and took a seat. “I was lucky. Rory’s friends were at her place of employment. It took little effort to get information.”

“Rory?” Caius asked. “Who is Rory?”

Sam’s mouth pulled into a wide smile. “It is what Aurora goes by. It is much more fitting, is it not?”

“And what did these friends tell you about ?“ Caius rolled the name around on his tongue, savoring the taste.

Sam sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. “They were already looking into her victims.”

“Why would anyone in Erdikoa be looking into the murders?” Caius mused. The cases were solved.

When Sam raised his head, satisfaction blanketed his face. “Because, according to them, she was a good person.”

Caius gave a humorless laugh. “She murdered thirteen people and sewed their hands to their arms.”

Sam nodded. “So far, five people have come forward claiming Rory saved them from one of her victims, and her last victim was an undocumented with a room full of empty jars in his apartment. They think Rory released the trapped souls.”

Caius sat back. “Come again?”

“You heard what I said,” the said smugly. “Her friend will keep looking into the other murders, and I suspect he will find more of the same.”

“Was the her lover?“ Caius asked tightly. “He could have been trying to free her.” The thought made him want to destroy his office again.

Sam smirked, and Caius considered strangling him. “They did not say, but you and I both know Adila’s word is final.” He rubbed a large hand down his face. “I think they need to know she was not a monster, for their own sakes.”

Caius nodded, mulling over the new information. If she was saving people, why the disturbing display? He couldn’t make sense of it.

“And her mother?” Caius asked.

“Taken care of by the .”

Caius’ frown deepened. How close was Rory to this friend? “The reasons she killed don’t matter,” he said after a beat.

Sam stood, unfolding his long legs. “Yes, it does.”

He left, and his cryptic comment hung over Caius like a guillotine.

This woman would be the end of him.

Later, Caius fisted his cock as the warm water of his shower trickled down his chest. Visions of Rory on her knees were at the forefront of his mind, and he imagined kneeling behind her in that silk dress while she convulsed with pleasure. The slits of her barely there dress would give him easy access, made even easier by her lack of panties.

He hated himself for wanting her, and he hated Sam for giving him hope she wasn’t as heartless as her crimes would suggest.

Up and down his hand went, imagining her riding him with slow, sensual movements. His name on her lips as her head fell back, and her long, dark hair brushed her breasts.

His fist moved faster as her lust filled eyes met his, and he groaned, slapping his hand against the cool tile as his balls tightened, and waves of pleasure spread through his body.

Hot strings of cum splattered against the wall and floor, and he stood beneath the stream of water, panting. He wished he’d never seen her face.

As he wrapped a towel around his waist, the venom she spewed at him came rushing back. She hated him, blaming him for her sister’s death, but she wanted him, too. He understood the sentiment.

A knock sounded at his door, and with a single thought, the shadows opened it. Everyone called them shadows, but they didn’t belong to him. They were the shadows in the surrounding spaces that bent to his will. The very shadows used by the to create the realms.

Nina waltzed in with a smile. “I enjoyed our date tonight, Your Grace.” He stared at her with a blank expression, feeling nothing for the woman in front of him.

Earlier, the thought of touching Nina disgusted him, but maybe he could force himself to forget the grey-eyed woman occupying his every thought. His feelings for Rory were hot and cold. He moved between wanting to fuck her and make her jealous and wanting to rid himself of her.

Nina sashayed toward him as she unbuttoned her dress, and he met her halfway, sliding his hand across the back of her neck to thread his fingers through her thick locks. “I’m always ready to fuck that dirty cunt of yours.” The words were a bitter lie.

She dropped her dress to the floor and removed her bra and panties as he watched and dropped his towel. The faster they started, the better. He grabbed her by the throat and walked her to his bed. “On all fours.”

She bit her bottom lip with an excited smile and turned her back to him before falling to her hands and knees. He rarely took her from the front because the faces she made annoyed him.

His palm met her skin with a resounding slap, and she giggled. Her arousal was visible from this angle, but he couldn’t bring himself to run his fingers through it.

Rory’s face flashed in front of him, and his body tightened. Once again, she robbed him of the pleasure he needed to clear his mind. “Fuck,” he muttered as he stepped back. “Get dressed and leave.”

Nina’s head turned slowly, and anger filled her voice. “What did you say?”

“Watch the way you speak to me,” he warned as he grabbed a pair of sleep pants from his dresser. “Leave.”

Her expression was unhinged as she stood. “It’s Aurora, isn’t it? You want to sleep with that vile woman? I saw you watching her tonight.”

The words she spat at him made his insides boil, and he fought to stay calm.

“I do not answer to you.” He took a menacing step forward and lowered himself, so they were eye to eye. “Speak to me that way again, and I will reassign you. You’re lucky I allowed you to live in the palace. Your transgressions were hardly serious enough to warrant extra supervision, yet you requested to stay here, anyway. I will not bat an eye at moving you. Are we clear?”

Her lower lip trembled. “Yes, Your Grace.”

She donned her dress and was out the door before she finished buttoning it. He hung his head, and realized he needed to fuck Rory out of his system, but he knew if he had a taste, she would be his until death.

Rory looked around before bolting up the small staircase leading to her secret room. She was eager to see the sunshine, even though it was night. Her alarm clock and a clean uniform were tucked under her arm as she turned the lock and snuck inside.

Tonight, she would sleep in a soft bed under the sun. When the door was closed, the light left the room, and Rory looked for a light switch to turn on the screens. After finding none, she looked up and covered her mouth in awe.

A beautiful starry sky with a crescent moon replaced the sunshine, and she walked to the bed for a better look. “It must be on a timer,” she surmised, remembering the setting sun from the night before.

Her eyes slid to the bookcase nestled on the opposite wall. Toeing off her shoes, she slipped into bed and relished in the feel of the soft sheets against her freshly shaved legs. Her eyes drifted closed with a contented sigh.

Seraphim Please S

Rory shot up in bed and looked around. She was in the sky room, and her alarm was loud enough to wake the dead. Her hand swatted the stupid thing onto the floor, and she threw herself back on the pillow with a huff.

Her pussy was wet and aching, and she groaned as she rolled over. Of course, she had a wet dream she couldn’t remember. It was bad enough she wasn’t getting any, she didn’t need her own mind teasing her.

With a sigh, she threw back the comforter and stood to stretch. She needed to pee and sneak downstairs to her room undetected, and for once, she was thankful she had third shift.