Page 65 of Taken By The Dark Three
She grips my wrist, voice tinged with urgency. “But if you abandon Orthani to the Red Purna’s wrath, countless lives will pay the price. Humans, orcs, even some elves who never embraced cruelty. And the city’s resources—someone will fill that power vacuum, maybe someone worse. You can’t pretend your hands are clean if you walk away. You have the strength to intervene.”
My chest tightens, recalling the last nights with Eryx, Vaelith, and Zareth. Each man once loathed or feared me, yet I unitedthem, turned them into something more than rivals. If I harness that synergy, could I reshape Orthani? A swirl of defiance pulses in me. The city burned my life to cinders, but Ai’s right—my moral burden extends beyond personal revenge.
I cradle her cheek, voice shaking. “I can’t do it alone. Orthani is massive, the Red Purna unstoppable. Even with my men, we’d be outnumbered.”
Her expression flickers with a faint smile. “Since when has that stopped you? You made Vaelith bend, Eryx betray his old loyalties, Zareth kneel. Orthani, too, might bow if you demand it.”
My breath catches. The notion of making an entire city kneel unsettles me, yet a forbidden thrill sparks in my core. Could I claim Orthani as I claimed those men? The thought stirs a dark excitement, tempered by fear of becoming just another tyrant.
Gently, I guide Ai to sit upright, smoothing her nightclothes. The threads of her aura calm, though a faint hum lingers. “We’ll discuss it more, but for now, your magic must remain stable. Rest, if you can.” I stand, scanning the small room. The wooden furniture is skewed, a testament to her outburst. “I’ll stay close in case it flares again.”
She nods, sliding under the blankets. “Selene?” she whispers, eyes half-lidded. “Promise me you won’t let them use me. Not Orthani, not the Red Purna.”
I place a hand over hers. “I swear. None will harness you as a weapon.”
She exhales, tension easing, and her eyelids drift shut. Within moments, her breathing steadies. I linger, heart swirling with Ai’s cryptic warnings. Must I burn Orthani, or shape it? My plan was always to escape, letting the city devour itself. But Ai sees a bigger picture, one that demands I become something more than a fugitive.
A soft knock at the door startles me. I slip out, carefully closing it behind me. In the hallway stands Vaelith, arms folded, expression grave. “I felt a surge,” he mutters under his breath. “Ai’s power?”
I nod, stepping away from the threshold so our voices won’t wake her. “She lost control for a moment. I calmed her, but she had… visions.”
Vaelith’s brow furrows. “Visions?”
I recount how Ai spoke of the city’s uncertain future, how she claims I must choose my fate. His gaze shifts, mouth set in a grim line. “So she sees you as the hinge Orthani’s future swings on?”
I run a hand down my arm, unsettled. “It’s madness, right? I’m just a purna who once wanted to sabotage this place. But Ai suggests I might rule it instead.”
He stares at me, tension flickering. “You know I serve Orthani—once, I never questioned it. But seeing the council’s cruelty, Zareth’s attempts to enslave you, I realize Orthani rots from within. Maybe you can shape it. If you become a figure the city fears or respects enough, you might dethrone the old order.”
A swirl of conflicting emotions tugs at me. “You’d watch me seize Orthani’s reins, after everything?”
His voice comes out hushed but laced with reluctant admiration. “I told you I’d share you if it meant keeping you. If you claim Orthani, perhaps I’d share that throne with you. Or stand guard at your door, ensuring no one takes you from it.”
My pulse races at the idea of Vaelith’s unwavering support, but doubt lingers. “What if I become what I hate—a tyrant who lords over others?”
He sets a hand on my shoulder gently. “You’re not built to revel in oppression, Selene. You’d bring change, not cruelty.”
A flicker of warmth surges. The sincerity in his gaze stirs something reminiscent of the night I took him. For all hisstoic nature, he sees me as more than an adversary. I swallow, pushing aside the swirl of emotion. “Let’s focus on saving Ai from the Red Purna. Then we’ll see if Orthani stands or falls.”
He nods, stepping aside as I slip past. We walk in tense silence toward a side corridor leading away from Ai’s chamber. In the flickering torches, I sense Vaelith’s presence radiating a quiet protectiveness. My mind still reels with Ai’s words. Burn Orthani or shape it. She believes I have that choice. Which do I want?
We round a corner, nearly colliding with Eryx. He leans against the wall, arms crossed, that roguish smirk flickering. “I felt the ripple of Ai’s magic from across the courtyard. She okay?”
I nod. “Yes. We calmed her. She’s asleep now.” A hush drapes over us, the three of us gathered once more in this dim hallway. Eryx’s gaze roams me, perhaps recalling our last heated group tangle. My cheeks warm at the memory, but I steel myself. There’s too much at stake for distraction.
Eryx sighs. “The Red Purna moves soon. They want Ai, or they’ll kill her. We can’t let them get near her. But the city’s watchers also pose a threat.”
Vaelith clenches his jaw, shoulders tense. “We’ll get Ai out first. Then decide how to handle Orthani. Let them fight the Red Purna if they want, or we intervene. I’m still uncertain.”
Eryx’s smirk fades. “Selene, you’re the anchor here. Without you, we’d tear at each other. If you plan to shape Orthani, I’ll stand with you. But if you want it to burn, I’ll help with that too.”
Conflicting gratitude and dread swirl in me. “Ai seems convinced I’m meant to do more than run. But I still want to keep us all alive. I can’t rule a city that tears me apart.”
We stand in uneasy reflection. Then Eryx, always the cunning one, smirks. “We’ll discover your path soon enough. For now, let me handle feeding the Red Purna false leads. Bytomorrow, they’ll be salivating at an easy Orthani infiltration.” He glances between me and Vaelith. “Then we exfiltrate Ai the night before the assault, leaving the Red Purna swinging at shadows.”
I let out a slow breath. “Good. Meanwhile, I’ll talk to Zareth about neutralizing wards near Ai’s wing. We do this carefully. If the city suspects we’re stealing her, they’ll mobilize an entire legion.”
Eryx nods, stepping back into the shadows. “I’ll go. Meeting the Red Purna requires my full attention.” He darts me a final look, expression flicking with that fervent devotion he tries to mask. Then he slips away, a whisper in the darkness.
