Page 46 of Scales and Seduction

I don’t know how much I believe in myself. The council has never been easy, even in the best of times. They see me as weaker than my brother, knowing I’m less powerful and often prone to illness. Now with the draugr attacks and the doubt about who to blame, they don’t have the luxury of ignoring what I demand of them.

“I need you beside me for this, Ruby. You belong with me.” I tip her chin upward so I can see her lavender-browneyes. “You’re my mate, and from now on, you’re part of every decision.”

Ruby’s gaze changes from doubt to certainty as she gives me a small grin. “Alright, then I’ll be beside you.”

The gates loom ahead, and as we approach, the guards pull them open with a low moan. I hate coming to this place. I hate the weight of it all on my shoulders, the endless cycle of decisions and wearing the mask of propriety, but perhaps that ends today.

The moment we’re inside, the air feels stifling. There’s a faint scent of old magic that clings to the walls, and inside the chamber, I can hear their angry voices buzzing like a nest of hornets. Ruby’s hand brushes mine as we approach the doors, and the moment I look down at her, I notice the concern in her eyes. She doesn’t ask anything, but I know that look.

“I’m fine,” I reassure her, though it isn’t entirely true. My anxiety holds my stomach captive, and my hands are trembling. She cocks her head to the side, pursing her lips as if saying she doesn’t believe me, but I know she won’t say it to me.

I shove open the chamber doors, and the noise hits us in a wave. The council members are already sitting in their positions around the large wooden table. Their voices are clashing over one another as arguments and accusations fly.

Clenching my jaw, I clap my hands together to get their attention. “Quiet!” I command, my voice cutting through the chaos. The room falls silent almost immediately, though Carlisle, the large minotaur, glares defiantly at me with his cigar hanging limply from his snout.

“We have no time for arguments,” I begin, letting my gaze sweep the room. “The situation is dire. The draugr have already attacked three times now, and they have grown bold by coming into the town, destroying our businesses and the power grid. We can’t afford to waste another moment on petty disputes.”

I pause, allowing the words to settle before I continue, “I’ve made a decision, and it was not one made lightly.”

Ruby and I walk closer to the table, pausing just in front of where Silas’s mother, Calista, is sitting with a tiny knowing smile on her lips. “My engagement to Avalon has been dissolved. Though I am sure you all have heard the gossip by now. Instead, she and the Night Weavers will lead the effort to form a barrier around the Vale and become a part of the guard. I have offered Avalon a seat on the council as my way of proving that our alliance still stands.”

The room swells with mumbles, and I hear among them, “Why is the human here?” and “As if we can’t protect our own, those insects don’t deserve a seat.”

I slam my hand down on the wooden table as the shock ricochets around the room and immediately silences them. This is a side of me they’ve never seen. I’m often the one to allow them to tell me what to do, but I’m done being the pawn. It’s time I take control, just like my brother would have.

I inhale through my nose, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Enough. They are the only ones capable of handling it because they’re properly trained to handle that magic.” I look at Loran’s father, Dothan, pointing at him, knowing he will have the most to say. I urge him to say anything, but he sits there, arms crossed. “It will happen.”

Protests rise again, spilling over one another.

“You can’t just?—”

“They don’t belong here…and all for your human whore.”

Then Calista clears her throat, allowing her horn to glow in the deep violet color associated with her and Silas’s magic. The threat looms over the room, and they all quiet as her rage blooms under her not-so-subtle threat.

“We do not call women that here, isn’t that right, Xavier?” She points to the only vampire who has ever been on thecouncil of elders. All through history, kings have refused them, knowing they were the least trustworthy. My stepfather thought otherwise.

“If I recall, you quite enjoy sampling my son’s wares at his strip club when you have an appetite. We allow you to eat there on the condition that you do so discreetly, so unless you want him to ban you, I suggest you keep your disgusting beliefs to yourself.” She is full-on grinning now. “Okay?”

I raise my hand, and it grows quiet again. My gaze hardens, daring anyone to continue. “Wewillwork together,” I say, my tone sharp. “I don’t care if you disagree. This isn’t about your personal biases or the power struggles, or even your prejudices againstmy mate. If we don’t come together now, there won’t be a Vale to argue over.”

The silence that follows is thick and filled with discomfort. Good. They need to feel that discomfort, to sit in it and realize just how much power I truly have but have never used prior to now. I am their prince, and once my coronation is complete, I’ll be king.

While they may run the town, I control their seats, not the population. I kept my father’s choices for council members because I felt as though Atticus would come back one day. I was also terrified of the power that came with being the new heir. I allowed them to order me around. I allowed my mother to do the same, so if they want to keep their positions, they should listen.

“There’s more,” my voice lowering brings their attention back to me. “I believe what is happening here, the aggression, is all tied to Atticus’s disappearance.”

The room shifts as unease ripples throughout. Everyone looks at me with wide eyes, though they don’t say a word, knowing Calista will use whatever means necessary to keep them in line.

“Atticus was onto something,” I say, my jaw tightening. I have to tell them about the app, but hesitation burns inside me. I have to trust that these people my stepfather placed on the council have the Vale’s best interests in mind. “Ruby was brought here through a mix of technology and magic.”

I step toward them, tossing my phone onto the table with the app open. “This is a dating app meant to connect you to your fated mate. I don’t fully understand how it brought her to the Vale, but it is part of this. Whoever created the app intends to break the curse that keeps our realms separated. I believe Atticus knew about its existence, and I believe the draugr are trying to find it and stop its use.”

The weight of what I’ve said settles over the room in hushed whispers. Glancing over at Ruby, I hold out my hand for her to take. She steps forward slowly, and the moment her hand finds mine, I feel settled. I know I don’t need to spell out what it means.

“My Prince, then how do we stop this, if this app can bring outsiders in? Why not allow them to take it and keep things the way they are?” Xavier asks, their blood-red eyes filled with terror. “Humans hunted my kind.”

“Yes, what do we do if this app brings more of them in? Surely whoever is controlling the draugr will find out.” Carlisle tamps his cigar into the ashtray beside his hand. “If they haven’t already.”

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