Page 50 of Taken By The Dark Three
I consider telling him Vaelith spied on us, but hold back. Maybe the knowledge is a weapon I can use later. I push Eryx away gently, sliding off the battered table to fix my clothes. “Nothing,” I lie smoothly, forcing calm into my voice. “Just a flicker of movement. Probably a rat.”
He pulls his tunic back on, adjusting straps. “We should slip out soon. I can’t guarantee your new watchers won’t track us here.”
I nod, ignoring the dull ache between my thighs. My entire being feels electrified, mind still reeling from the intensity of our raw coupling. “Yes, let’s be gone. We have the sabotage plan set, right? Two nights from now, we strike the wagons. I’ll feed you any last-minute changes. We’ll finalize a signal.”
He leans in, pressing a final, rough kiss to my lips. “Don’t keep me waiting. If you want to keep dancing with me, you’d better show you can handle the next steps.”
I return the kiss with equal fierceness, then tear myself away. “Oh, I will. Count on it.”
We gather ourselves, exchanging a quick, loaded glance that says more than any words. The candle sputters, nearly extinguished. Stealthily, we push aside the door. The corridor stands empty now—no sign of Vaelith lurking. My thoughts swirl. He’s likely retreated in quiet rage, or maybe he plans to confront me later. I almost relish that confrontation. Let him bring it.
Eryx and I part ways in the dilapidated hall, each slipping into the gloom of Orthani’s undercity from different angles. My body hums with lingering aftershock, both from the sex and the knowledge that Vaelith glimpsed it. A twisted triumph. I chart awinding path back to the estate, illusions of innocence ready if the guards question me.
Inside my mind, a sharper sense of power forms. I’m no one’s pawn. I have Vaelith’s reluctant protection, Eryx’s conspiratorial bond, and the memory of Zareth’s defeat. Let them all watch me weave these alliances into a net that can trap Orthani from within. My heart still pounds with savage excitement, recalling the way Eryx’s breath tangled with mine. Danger wraps around us both. But I welcome it, if it leads me closer to the city’s downfall—and Ai’s salvation.
As I approach Vaelith’s estate, slipping through a side gate, a guard waves me in. My mind churns with the final fleeting image of Vaelith’s silhouette in that safehouse door. He’s no fool; he likely recognized Eryx. He might demand an explanation or unleash his wrath. A thrill zips through me at the thought of confronting him. For now, I keep my face neutral, ignoring the suspicious stares of a few soldiers as I cross the courtyard.
Once I reach the quiet corridor leading to my chamber, I press a palm to my chest, feeling the rapid beat of my heart. The warmth of Eryx’s touch lingers on my skin, and the knowledge that Vaelith hovers in the shadows intensifies every breath. My steps carry me back to the door of the east wing suite, the lock simple enough that I open it swiftly. Inside, the lamp flickers, revealing the modest bed and desk.
Shutting the door behind me, I lean against it, letting out a trembling exhale. My reflection in the mirror near the bed shows flushed cheeks, eyes bright with a mixture of triumph and apprehension. I can’t quite smother the smirk that creeps onto my lips. In these twisted games of Orthani, each step draws me deeper into a labyrinth of alliances and jealousies.
Ai’s whisper echoes in my mind: “One will betray.” Maybe more than one. But if betrayal is inevitable, I’ll be the one orchestrating it, claiming each man’s strength until my goals aremet. Eryx wants me for sabotage and craving. Vaelith tries to hold me in the name of duty and desire. Zareth thirsts to enslave me. None realize how fiercely I guard my own will.
Slipping off my cloak, I pad across the room, ignoring the bruises that form the ghosts of Eryx’s rough handling. The memory of him surges again, my body tingling. Shadows dance along the walls, reminiscent of how Eryx and I must cling to secrecy. The thought that Vaelith saw my betrayal—saw me riding Eryx’s chaos-laced heat—sends a twisted sense of power through me. Let him seethe. Let them all realize I refuse to kneel.
I settle onto the bed, mind swirling with plans. Two nights remain until the sabotage. I’ll gather any final details from Vaelith’s war councils, pass them to Eryx at the last moment. The city’s next supply line will burn, fracturing Orthani’s war machine. And then Ai might slip free in the ensuing chaos. After that, who knows? Maybe I’ll carve a path to the Red Purna, returning as a conqueror instead of a pawn.
My heartbeat slows, exhaustion sapping the last of my adrenaline. The flickering lamp reveals a swirl of dust in the air. I let out a breath, letting the day’s tension roll off my shoulders. I have a new certainty: I can juggle these alliances. Eryx’s cunning meets Vaelith’s discipline, fueling my agenda. If Zareth tries again, I’ll blast him deeper than before.
Staring at the dimly lit ceiling, I allow a fleeting grin. Tonight proved I can claim Eryx as thoroughly as any man tries to claim me. And if Vaelith lurks with envy, so be it. He might lash out, but that only deepens my hold on him. I might be the caged purna in Orthani’s eyes, but behind these stone walls, I orchestrate a new order.
Slipping out of my clothes, I crawl under the sheets, the memory of Eryx’s rough hands ghosting over my skin. My muscles ache from the exertion, from the raw friction we shared on that battered table. Sensation throbs at my consciousness. Adangerous satisfaction hums through me. Two nights from now, the city will witness the first crack in its fortress. Then the real unraveling begins.
Curling onto my side, I extinguish the lamp with a flick of my fingertips, letting a tiny spark of arcane force snuff out the flame. Darkness enfolds the room. My thoughts remain bright with possibility. I have no illusions that this path will be smooth—Ai’s cryptic warning haunts me. But for now, the swirling excitement of what we did, what I’ll do next, keeps me smiling even as sleep teases the corners of my mind.
As I drift off, I picture Eryx’s smirk, Vaelith’s silent rage, Zareth’s humiliated sneer. This new power I’ve claimed is not an illusion. It’s real, coursing in every stolen breath, every clash of bodies, every cunning plot. If I’m a caged viper, then let me strike until Orthani has no choice but to kneel. After all, I’ve never feared betraying those who tried to own me first.
18
VAELITH
Istride through the estate corridors long after midnight, fury pulsing in my veins. Torches along the walls bathe the polished floors in flickering light, creating dark pockets where I can vanish if I choose. But I don’t bother hiding my presence this time. My guards bow their heads when I pass, sensing the roil of tension that grips me. No one dares ask why I’m out so late or what unsettles my calm. They know only that I’m the Commander, and something has triggered my wrath.
In truth, I’ve been prowling these halls for hours, driven by the maddening image I witnessed earlier—the sight of Selene locked in a savage embrace with Eryx. I came upon them in a ruined safehouse, following a suspicion that she was sneaking off to meet someone. I told myself I was merely ensuring her safety, but I’d be lying if I denied the surge of jealous heat that twisted in my gut when I realized it was that self-proclaimed assassin entangling her.
Remembering how she straddled him, the glimmer of raw desire twisting across her face, still sets my blood ablaze with anger and something else—something far more painful. The memory is seared in my mind: her half-bare skin, the fiercerhythm of their union, the way she arched her back as if to declare she’s no one’s captive. And Eryx, that cunning viper, meeting her with equal hunger. Even now, my hands clench at the thought of him placing his mouth where I once did.
I approach the door to her chamber in the east wing—the private room I granted her in a moment of uncharacteristic leniency. Two guards stand watch, roused by my approach. They straighten, eyes flicking to me for orders. I snarl a single command: “Leave us.” They exchange wary glances but obey, retreating to the corridor’s far end. The tension in my posture warns them I’m in no mood for questions.
I rap my knuckles on the door. My heart thuds in my chest, anger vying with a gut-twisting form of yearning. There’s a pause from the other side, the faintest shuffle, then Selene’s voice: “Yes?”
Without waiting for further invitation, I twist the handle and push into the room. She’s on her feet near the small writing desk, a single lamp illuminating the space. My entrance is anything but subtle—wood scrapes as I fling the door shut behind me. I see her stiffen, eyes narrowing at my obvious temper. She wears a dark tunic that clings to her curves, black breeches tucked into boots. Simple attire that does nothing to hide her fierce allure.
“Commander,” she says, voice laced with icy politeness. “Breaking in after midnight? Something gnawing at your discipline?”
My rage flares at her cavalier tone, yet I force myself not to roar. I stride closer, ignoring the sinking in my gut that’s half jealousy, half longing. “Don’t feign innocence,” I snap. “I know you left the estate earlier. I saw you, Selene. With him.”
She doesn’t even blink. “Him?” she echoes, tilting her head in mocking ignorance. “You’ll need to be more specific. There are many men in Orthani.”
