Page 28 of An Empress of Earth & Darkness

Gasps came from the crowd. She didn’t dare move until the commander broke the stare first. When he did, turning to see the reactions of those on the panel, Emara finally let her gaze float over to Torin for the briefest second. She found no smile, but there was a twinkle of sly amusement in his eyes.

“A woman?” The Minister of Coin snorted, finally sitting back in his chair. “Why are you wasting our time today?”

She ignored him, turning her head to the alpha. “In fact, I have asked for you to hear me speak at this meeting to honour your daughter for the position, Alpha Baxgroll. I wish to appoint Breighly Baxgroll as one of my guards. She is bright, fierce, and brilliant, and I believe that she is the perfect fit for my cluster.”

The large wolf stood, and another unified gasp made its way through the room.

Emara sucked in a secret breath too.

“Let me get this straight, Empress.” His inability to wrap his head around the conversation showed on his face. “You are asking for my daughter, a wolf, to be a member of your guards?”

“That is what I want, yes.” Emara’s gaze did not falter from his face. Her posture did not change even though her muscles ached from tension.

It was then the Minister of Coin let out a chuckle so vile even Murk looked towards him.

“You cannot be serious.” His hacking laugh spread nothing but anger over Emara’s skin. She pulled on the reins of her magic as it burned to be released to smother him. Air was building in her blood, and it wouldn’t be long before fire did the same. “The House of Air would be disgraced if you let a wolf in amongst the hen house, let alone have a woman as a guard.”

A slight growl came from some of the wolves in the crowd, and she could see the bulking muscles that Murk held on his frame flexing in distaste of that comment.

“I disagree, Your Grace.” She used the term lightly on a man so filled with secrets and atrocities. “I believe a woman could make a difference for the greater good in my trio. It could widen the horizons for us all, giving us more choice and less pressure on the current men on post, who are spread thin across every coven. We must open our eyes to the possibility of women guarding for our kingdom just as well as a man. We have just as much to fight for. This move would certainly allow room for some of your exhausted men to be relieved from posts. And since you still require the clans’ protection, it could open up doorways for everyone, including you and the protection your faction requires.”

The minister sat up straight in his chair, his eyes already dazzling with the idea of conflict. “Then I suppose your coven should bear more sons in aid of your cause, Miss Clearwater, so that women do not need to fight. If the clans are spread so thinly, then why do you not see it as your duty to produce more warriors?”

“My coven,” she punched back, feeling that fire in her belly, “have protected and given magical aid to your faction for longer than the gold on your fingers has shined.” She knew her eyes glistened with darkness, but she didn’t care. “Therefore, I think you should leave the decisions of childbearing to the sex who know something about it. Even the magic of a witch cannot determine the gender of the child, therefore, we cannot guarantee the birth of any sons. I think we should be making more strategic and progressive moves than leaving it up to fate, Your Grace.”

Witches in the crowd agreed, and she heard a few male voices too, including Artem’s.

The Minister of Coin scoffed as he twirled a diamond ring on his pinkie finger. “I have never witnessed a decent-bred female wolf fight. How can we be sure that she is up to par with the hunters? Are you sure she will want to get her claws dirty?”

Just as Emara expected a comment from the alpha, a voice came from behind her.

“I am not the kind of woman that you normally deal with in your world, Minister of Coin.”

Emara’s head turned to witness Breighly standing tall just behind her shoulder. Emara had to control the smirk on her face as she turned back to the panel, who were still staring at her, wide-eyed.

“I am not the kind of girl from your world that is wrapped in silk and told when she can and cannot speak, Your Grace.” She walked forward and took her place next to Emara. “I am skilled in many ways; I am as destructive as my pack when in wolven form and I can fight just as well as the hunters in human form. I am the kind of woman our enemies should fear. If you want to see me in battle form, all you need to do is ask.”

“Yes!” A booming clap came after a shout from the crowd. Emara didn’t have to turn to know that it was Artem Stryker. They evidently had his support—or at least Breighly did.

A few muffled voices could be heard agreeing.

Breighly lifted her chin to Aerrick Stryker. “Chief Commander, I would be honoured to stand beside Emara, the Empress of Air, as her guard, and would take the oath in the same way the hunters do to prove my loyalty and devotion to the role. I have thought about this thoroughly, and I am prepared to make that choice for myself. I have my pack’s agreement. I just need my father’s blessing in front of the prime.”

Emara glanced over to where the Baxgrolls were sitting. Waylen certainly wasn’t happy about what was unfolding, but it wasn’t like he could stop his sister. Roman had a protective glare in his eyes that posed danger to anyone who spoke out against her. All the others looked on edge.

Emara had taken a risk even asking Breighly to entertain the thought of being a member of her guardianship, let alone vow to take an oath, but it was a strong step for Breighly to play that card. It showed her tenacity to the cause.

“You are a wolf.” Murk’s deep voice hit off the back wall of the room. “And a wolf does not take the same oaths as a hunter. You do not vow anything under the God of War, but only to our God of Life and Beauty.”

Breighly shifted her weight. “I worship the same Gods as everyone else in this room. We all worship the Light. And if you can think of an occasion when the Dark Army has stopped to ask us about what Gods we worship on the battlefield before slaughtering anyone, then I will step away from this honour and never look back.”

A positive acknowledgement came from the crowd, and Emara swallowed.

Breighly seemed to be a popular choice.

“Vanadey may be Breighly’s factional god, but in the light, she stands like I do. Therefore, we should show no distinction when we speak of the Light Gods and how our factions come together to unite as one.” Emara held the commander’s gaze. “The Baxgrolls have shown time and time again that they defend these lands fiercer and prouder than any other, so why would it be so unnatural to have a wolf as my guard? Have you not fought with the Blacksteels before to come together to protect your territory?”

Another stir from the crowd proved that Emara’s seeds were taking root. However, she did hear some grunts of disapproval, but she couldn’t focus on that. Not now.

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