Page 56 of Craving His Venom

Velna whips around, tail striking the dais in frustration. “This is pointless. The law stands?—”

I cut her off, stepping closer, voice ringing. “Then challenge me by your law, not in secret. Let me present my case, let Vahziryn present his. If your tradition is fair, you’ll allow a trial for our unborn child’s right to exist.”

Silver-Scaled Councilor bristles. “A trial? You demand rights for a half-breed fetus?”

My pulse surges, but I hold fast. “I demand you honor your own legal proceedings. If I must stand trial, do it openly. Let all see how you judge an unborn life.” The hush intensifies, watchers straining to hear the council’s response.

Vahziryn’s tail slides across my waist, a protective gesture that steadies me. His eyes gleam with renewed hope, as though seeing me fight stokes his courage. “Listen to her,” he says, voice echoing. “We call for an open tribunal, not a backroom verdict. Let the entire capital witness your fairness, or your cruelty.”

Frenzied whispers break out. Councilors exchange alarmed looks. The hubbub grows, even among the nobility crowding the chamber. Then, in a decisive move, Jade-Scaled Councilor hisses for silence. “This is highly irregular,” she snaps, but I sense her wariness. They can’t simply ignore an open challenge with so many onlookers. The capital thrives on spectacle.

Velna seethes, glaring between me and Vahziryn. “You’re playing with fire,” she spits, tail slamming the floor. “Do you think a public trial will absolve you? We will still brand your child a threat.”

I return her glare, refusing to waver. “Then do it in the open, with the entire city watching. Let them see if you truly uphold justice or if you fear the truth of a child’s innocent potential.”

She bares her fangs, but the council hushes her. Silver-Scaled Councilor confers with the others in frantic undertones. Tension mounts. At last, he turns to the dais. “Very well. The council acknowledges a formal challenge. We’ll convene an open tribunal in three days’ time to address the so-called half-breed’s fate and Vahziryn’s exile. Until then, the human is confined to the city, under guard, but not harmed.”

Relief and terror jolt through me. I stare at Vahziryn, chest tight. We’ve forced them into a public hearing, but that’s no guarantee we’ll win. Yet a spark of triumph courses in my veins. I haven’t let them bury our fate behind closed doors. The watchers murmur, enthralled by the spectacle.

Velna hurls a venomous look at me, then at the council. “You coddle them. This hearing should be moot. The child is an abomination?—”

Silver-Scaled Councilor waves her off. “Enough, Lady Velna. We will proceed by the letter of law, or risk turning the city’s crowd against us.” His gaze flicks to me. “In three days, appear before us. If you flee, we’ll consider you guilty by default.”

Vahziryn grips my hand, tail brushing my hip in a protective swirl. “We won’t flee,” he says, voice resonant. “We’ll face your trial. And if you doom us, let it be done in the harsh light of truth.”

With that, the council’s session closes in chaos. I stand, trembling from adrenaline, as guards attempt to corral the crowd. Talli and Crick slip closer, relief etched on their faces. But we’re quickly flanked by watchers, some intrigued, others disgusted. Vahziryn shields me with his tall frame, ignoring the hateful mutters that swirl.

Despite the rancor, I feel a pulse of victory. We didn’t let them finalize our doom in secrecy. By forcing an open tribunal, we give ourselves a fighting chance. My body quakes with the aftermath of defiance, but Vahziryn’s presence steadies me. For once, he doesn’t push me away. Instead, his tail tightens around my waist, an unspoken vow that we stand together.

Outside, the city’s daylight stings my eyes. Guards insist on escorting us, ensuring we don’t vanish. Talli flanks me with stoic calm, her staff tapping the cobblestones. Crick hovers behind, scanning for threats. Vahziryn holds my hand in silent support. We walk in uneasy formation down the broad steps, watched by throngs of naga, many of whom gossip openly about the “human mother” who dared to speak in the council’s face.

My head throbs with the tension, and nausea stirs again, a reminder of the child that drives me to risk everything. The guards direct us to a city guest compound, a glorified prison where we can’t easily slip away. But I cling to the knowledge that in three days, we’ll speak our truth to the entire nest. If the city’swatchers see the council’s cruelty laid bare, perhaps sympathy might shift in our favor.

Once inside the compound’s tall walls, we’re shown to separate quarters—an arrangement that rankles, but I suspect the council wants to keep Vahziryn from me. I glance at him in alarm, but he squeezes my hand, forcing a tight smile. “I’ll find a way to see you. Stay strong.”

Before I can reply, a guard tugs me away. My heart aches, but I lift my chin and follow. Talli and Crick are directed to smaller cells on the perimeter, while I’m led to a modest chamber with a barred window. The guard tosses me a cynical glance, then leaves, locking the door behind him. My stomach twists with a wave of sickness, but I fight it down. We’ve come too far to succumb to despair now.

The day passes slowly. I pace the cramped chamber, ignoring the stone cot in the corner. My thoughts whirl with half-formed arguments for the upcoming tribunal, ways to sway public opinion, or at least shame the council. Exhaustion weighs on me, but each time I close my eyes, I see the council’s scornful faces.

Night settles. A guard brings stale bread and tepid water. My appetite is minimal, though the baby’s constant demand for nourishment forces me to nibble. After hours of fretful tossing, I slump on the cot, tailing a single blanket around my shoulders. Sleep comes in fits. Vahziryn’s face haunts my dreams, alongside images of a child caught in the council’s claws.

At some point, a muffled scrape at the door startles me awake. I sit up, heart hammering. Then the door creaks open, revealing Vahziryn’s tall form, slipping in with feline grace. He secures the latch behind him, casting me a hushed, urgent look.

“Vahziryn,” I whisper, standing unsteadily. “How did you?—?”

He presses a finger to my lips, tail winding around my hips. “Hush. I paid off a guard. We don’t have long.” His eyes blaze with a desperate light. “I had to see you.”

Relief floods me. I throw my arms around him, face buried in the crook of his neck. The tension of the day dissolves into a wave of yearning. He murmurs my name, voice thick with longing. His tail slides up my spine, and we tangle together in the dim lamplight, savoring this stolen moment.

My breath catches. Despite the heaviness of our predicament, or maybe because of it, I feel an urgent need to reaffirm the bond that’s carried us here. I sense the same spark in his trembling hands, the coil of his tail, the hitch in his breath.

He cups my cheek, eyes flicking to my abdomen. “Are you well? The baby?”

I nod, tears prickling. “I’m fine. We’re fine.”

He bends, capturing my lips with a tenderness that melts me. The kiss deepens swiftly, fueled by the knowledge that any second a guard might disrupt us. Our desperation collides, and I moan softly, parting my mouth for him. His tail tightens, pulling me flush to his chest. Heat crackles in the confined space, overshadowing the chill of the stone walls.

He drags me against him, lips trailing down my neck. “I thought I’d lost you to their cruelty,” he murmurs, voice rough with emotion. “Then you returned, defying the council. How can I ever let go?”

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