Page 61 of Taken By The Dark Three
I push myself up, ignoring the quivering in my thighs. They watch me in silence, unsure if I’ll demand more. A faint grin curves my lips. “This,” I say, voice hoarse, “is how I claim power over your desires. You crave me, each for your own reasons, but I stand above your rivalries. Remember that.”
Zareth, still kneeling, flushes but doesn’t deny it. Eryx snickers softly, then nods in grudging agreement. Vaelith’s gaze flicks between them, tension in his jaw, but he keeps silent, acknowledging the vow we struck: to share me or lose me. He can’t bear losing me. None of them can.
I sweep my tousled hair aside, releasing a shallow exhale. My body hums with lingering pleasure, a reminder of how far I’ve come from captive to queen of their desires. “Rest if you like,” I say, stepping away. “But we’re not done with Orthani’s downfall. Don’t let this moment lull you into complacency. We move soon.”
Eryx sits up, a lazy grin crossing his face. “No fear of complacency from me, dear queen. I anticipate your next order.” He winks, a roguish charm in his tone.
Vaelith quietly dresses, the conflict in his eyes far from settled. But he nods, gathering composure. “I’ll return to my quarters soon. My soldiers suspect nothing tonight.” He meets my gaze. “Don’t vanish without telling me.”
Zareth, slower to rise, glances at me with an uncharacteristic flicker of reverence. “I… remain at your disposal,” he mutters, shame coloring his cheeks, but also that enthralled glint. “If youdesire me to kneel again, I—” He can’t finish, embarrassment choking him.
A wave of savage pride swells in me. “I’ll decide when, Zareth,” I say calmly, reaching out to brush his cheek in a gesture both tender and mocking. “For now, remember your place.”
He dips his head in silent acceptance, reaffirming his new role in my orbit. The trifecta formed tonight—my submission from none of them, my mastery over all—solidifies. Each man is uniquely bound to me: Eryx’s chaotic devotion, Vaelith’s protective discipline, Zareth’s forced surrender. I glean strength from each, turning their obsession into my weapon. If Orthani’s downfall requires their combined might, so be it.
One by one, they rise and dress, tension still swirling but overshadowed by the memory of what we shared. Carefully ignoring their stares, I gather a spare robe, shrugging it on. My limbs ache in the best way, a dull throb that reminds me I seized all three men’s hunger for my own.
Eryx lingers near the door, exchanging a final glance with me before slipping out into the corridor. Vaelith follows, casting me a last longing look. Zareth stands uncertainly, then bows his head in grudging respect. “Until you summon me,” he murmurs.
I nod, letting him feel my power. He exits, leaving me alone with the fading embers of the fire. My breath slows, the quiet returning to the chamber. I’m exhausted, but victorious. The fleeting group scene told me what I needed to confirm: I reign in their hearts and bodies now, not Orthani or the Red Purna.
Collapsing onto the cushions, I close my eyes, a faint smirk tugging my lips. They might have thought me a captive once, but the lines have blurred beyond recognition. I feed on their devotion—Zareth’s newfound willingness to kneel, Vaelith’s stoic acceptance, Eryx’s roguish support. This trifecta cements my position. Soon, we’ll strike Orthani’s core, sabotage the city’swar machine, and liberate Ai. But for tonight, I revel in the memory of their combined heat, how their bodies bowed to my command.
Yes, I think. I’ve become more than just a purna on the run. I’m a force that binds these ruthless men to my will. Let Orthani tremble. Let the Red Purna realize I’m no pawn. Let the darkness beyond these walls quake at the woman forging a new path—where I conquer with my body as surely as I do with my mind. And as I drift into a heady doze, every fiber of me hums with a single truth: I am unstoppable now, with three men at my feet.
22
ERYX
Ipace along Orthani’s alleyways under the low-hanging moon, mind pulsing with the memory of Selene’s scorching dominance from the night before. My body still tingles from that spiraling heat, the way we all converged around her, surrendering to her magnetism. Even hours later, I can’t shake the echo of her voice, her unflinching gaze that pinned me in place as she claimed Vaelith, Zareth, and me in one triumphant moment. She turned what should have been a chaotic clash of jealous men into a single tapestry of twisted desire. And, damn me, I reveled in it.
But tonight, I’m drifting through the city for a grimmer reason. My contact from the Red Purna has demanded a face-to-face exchange, a sign they’re planning something big. Perhaps the sabotage of Orthani’s supply lines wasn’t enough bloodshed for them. Though I initially allied with them for revenge—Orthani purged my family, left me broken in the seedy underbelly—I’m growing uneasy. Their methods reek of reckless cruelty, as though victory justifies any cost. The memory of how they used Selene as bait still chafes my conscience.
I slip into a disused wine cellar behind a boarded-up storefront. Dust coats the barrels, the faint stench of rot clinging to the damp stone walls. My contact stands in a corner, lantern set on a crate. She’s a tall purna woman with cropped raven hair, lips pressed tight in a perpetually grim expression. I know her only as Ravana, a low-tier Red Purna operative who passes me updates. She glances up, posture coiled with tension.
“You’re late,” she mutters, eyes flicking to the dagger at my belt.
I shrug, stepping closer to the lantern’s meager light. “Orthani’s wards are thicker near the palace. I had to circle around.” A partial lie—I lingered outside Selene’s wing, hesitating to watch her window. The memory of her voice, telling me I belonged to her for the night, left me hungry for more. But that’s not for Ravana’s ears.
She offers no courtesy, simply hands me a folded parchment. “Read it. Orders from the Red Purna’s inner circle.”
My pulse hitches. “Orders? Did they forget I’m not a mindless soldier?” I tear open the parchment, scanning the spidery script. Each line deepens the knot in my gut. They talk of a mass infiltration, a coordinated strike on Orthani from multiple angles. They plan to unleash Ai’s power—use the young purna as a living bomb, or harness her magic to tear down Orthani’s wards. They haven’t pinned down the method, but they’re set on capturing Ai at any cost.
My jaw clenches. “They want to invade Orthani with full force? That’s insane.” My voice echoes in the cramped cellar, stirring dust motes.
Ravana’s eyes narrow. “You should be pleased. Isn’t that what you wanted? Orthani in ruins, the nobles kneeling?”
I bark a mirthless laugh. “I want revenge, yes, but not mindless slaughter. And Ai… she’s a kid with raw power. Using her as a weapon is reckless.”
She crosses her arms. “We do what we must. The Red Purna sees Ai as the key to our victory. If we let Orthani keep her, we lose any advantage. You know that.”
My temples pound. I recall Selene’s determination to save Ai from being a pawn. If the Red Purna storms the city, Ai could be the center of a bloodbath. My chest tightens with conflicting loyalties. “I joined you to topple Orthani,” I say, voice thick. “But we never discussed turning a child into a living weapon.”
Ravana sneers. “You’re growing sentimental. Have you forgotten Orthani’s crimes? If Ai is the key to ensuring their downfall, so be it. Our matriarchs authorized it. We converge in three days. The infiltration you started on the supply lines was just the prelude.”
I grit my teeth, scanning more details. The plan references covert squads creeping through old catacombs, a coordinated assault timed with the moment Ai’s power can be triggered. They even mention sacrificing her if the power overloads. “Sacrifice,” I hiss, reading the word. My hand clenches around the parchment, crumpling its corner. The Red Purna truly means to toss Ai aside if they can’t control her?
Ravana shrugs. “Sometimes sacrifices are necessary. You know that.” She snaps the lantern shut, plunging the cellar into near-darkness. “Your part is to guide them inside, sabotage any final wards. Then deliver Ai. Simple.”
