Page 78 of Taken By The Dark Three
Silence stretches. His gaze is a silent war. Finally, he sighs, adopting a more diplomatic mask. “I see your point. My citycannot endure repeated ruin. The old ways must adapt. So, we talk terms. Let’s begin with your request for a council seat.”
I cross my arms, the swirl of tension in my belly coiling tighter. “I demand a voice in Orthani’s decisions. Let me join the council as representative of purna interests. We’ll gather any purna who wish to live here peacefully. In return, we vow to keep them from allying with the Red Purna’s extremist agenda.”
He narrows his eyes. “And if they refuse your lead? If some purna incite further chaos?”
I snort lightly. “I’ll handle them. I have no love for renegades who tried to use Ai as a living weapon. Anyone who tries that again will face me.”
He tilts his head, fingers tapping a small ring on his index finger. “You wield considerable power, both magical and political. This arrangement could stabilize Orthani or place it at your mercy. But I’m a practical king. Very well, I’ll accept your seat on the council—under conditions. You must discourage any purna insurrection, and if any new threats to Orthani arise from your kind, you address them swiftly.”
I step nearer, reading the subtle flicker in his gaze. He’s not offering this lightly. He’s cornered by circumstances. “Agreed. Provided Orthani’s council does not attempt to enslave purna again. We want open doors for them to settle peacefully, to form a hidden refuge if needed, but not hidden from your laws so much as protected from vigilantes.”
“Hidden refuge within my city?” he asks with mild skepticism.
I let a soft laugh escape. “Call it a coven, call it a small quarter. We won’t be harassed by old prejudice. I prefer ‘quiet refuge’ so we don’t alarm your populace with the term ‘purna stronghold.’ Willing purna can live there, maintaining purna traditions while abiding by Orthani’s new laws.”
Rython purses his lips. “You speak as though you craft those laws.”
I smirk. “That’s the point of a council seat, yes?”
His gaze flickers, grudging admiration in it. “You are every bit as formidable as the rumors say, Selene. Very well. I’ll see that the council accommodates your requests: a seat, a designated purna quarter or ‘quiet refuge,’ and no harassment of purna who come peacefully.”
A slight weight lifts from my chest. I expected more pushback. He must see that Orthani’s battered state leaves him no choice. “Then we have a truce,” I say softly. “I, in turn, assure you no new wave of Red Purna infiltration. I’ll keep them at bay.”
He nods, stepping aside to reveal a small desk with a parchment. “We’ll formalize this agreement. I’ll draft a royal mandate welcoming purna, provided they register under your oversight. You will present it to the council, and they’ll sign off. With our forces depleted, none will dare openly defy me now.”
Approaching the desk, I scan the parchment. Even in battered Orthani, the King’s scribes remain efficient. It outlines the seat on the council, the refuge for purna, and a clause forbidding any enslavement attempts. I sense Rython’s fear hidden behind official words. He wants my guarantee of no new conflict as much as I want purna acceptance.
He hands me a quill, eyes lingering on me. “Add your mark. Then we are bound by Orthani law.”
I hold the quill, pausing. “One last matter. What about Ai? She’s a child of extraordinary power. I want her recognized as under my guardianship, free from Orthani experiments or Red Purna meddling.”
His jaw tenses, but he dips his head. “Understood. I will not force her into any labs or arcane dissection. If she remains in Orthani, she’s your responsibility.”
My pulse steadies, feeling relief. Carefully, I sign the parchment with a flourish, sealing the negotiation. Rython sets his ring’s signet in hot wax, pressing it to finalize. It feels anticlimactic for such a momentous shift in Orthani’s traditions. But that’s how changes begin—on scraps of parchment, in small rooms heavy with tension.
He turns to me, expression a blend of curiosity and guarded acceptance. “You’ll find ruling from a single council seat far more complicated than leading a band of rebellious purna or forging alliances in secret. Orthani’s bureaucracy will test your patience.”
I tilt my chin, lips curving. “I’ve tamed three dark elf warriors, defied a city’s worth of prejudice, and forced the Red Purna to retreat. I suspect your bureaucracy can’t be worse than that.”
An amused snort escapes him. “We shall see, Lady Selene.” He extends a hand in a gesture of goodwill. I meet it with a firm grip, swallowing the sense of surreal calm. I, a once-hunted purna, am shaking hands with Orthani’s King, forging a path for my kind in his domain.
He inclines his head, stepping back. “I must address my remaining generals. We can’t appear weak. But know that I expect you at the next council session. We’ll announce your appointment publicly.”
I dip my head in acknowledgment. “I’ll be there.”
He pivots, his advisors flocking around him, and they sweep out of the chamber. I remain behind, letting the tension slowly ebb. A gentle exhale escapes me. We’ve done it. The city that once would have burned me at the stake now acknowledges me in its highest seat of power. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a start.
I exit the antechamber, crossing the corridors with a newfound sense of calm. My men wait in the hallway beyondthe double doors—Vaelith, Eryx, and Zareth. They spot me, their expressions taut with anticipation. I approach, the swirl of desire and partnership crackling between us.
Vaelith arches a brow. “Did he threaten you, or yield?”
I meet his dark gaze, a soft grin touching my lips. “We have a formal agreement. Purna acceptance, a refuge in Orthani, and a seat on the high court for me, in the royal council. In exchange, I promise no new Red Purna infiltration. Ai remains in my guardianship.”
A flicker of relief crosses Vaelith’s face. He nods, tension easing from his stance. Eryx whistles low, stepping closer. “So you truly have your piece of Orthani’s power. Where does that leave the rest of us?”
I smirk at him, letting my voice drop. “Right by my side, obviously. We’ve already proven the city can’t stand without us. This only cements it.”
Zareth approaches, gaze intense. “The King yields just like that?”
