Page 64 of Taken By The Dark Three
Eventually, I unstrap my boots, letting them thump to the floor, and lie back on the cot. My eyes drift shut, imagining Selene’s voice calling me to her side. My chest warms, recalling how she touched me last night, how she made me feel both alive and under her thrall. She’s forging a new path with our combined cunning, drawing on each man’s strength in a way no one else has dared. I can’t help but admire it, as dangerous as it is.
A soft breeze rustles through the broken skylight, carrying the faint scents of the city night. In three days, that breeze might carry smoke and screams. The Red Purna’s rampage could tear Orthani to shreds. But if we act swiftly, we’ll slip Ai away, scuttle the worst of their plan, and vanish amid the chaos. My heart thrums, half exhilaration, half dread.
I let out a long breath, forcing myself to relax. This is my path now. No turning back. My eyes slide shut, welcoming uneasy sleep. Dreams swirl—Selene’s laughter, Ai’s frightened eyes, Vaelith’s grim scowl, Zareth’s kneeling posture. I see Orthani in flames, the Red Purna marching. Then I see our small group escaping with Ai, forging a future beyond this city’s cruelty. A faint smile curves my lips, even in slumber. If we can pull it off, we become free of Orthani’s chains and the Red Purna’s madness. Selene becomes more than a captive—she becomes a queen of her own making, with me at her side, Eryx the assassin turned savior.
Sleep finally claims me. In the morning, I’ll begin the final act of deception, weaving false leads for the Red Purna, stalling them just enough for our plan to succeed. But tonight, I dream of the swirling intensity in Selene’s eyes, the surety in her voice as she said we’d rescue Ai. And I vow, if the Red Purna comes to tear us down, I’ll betray them without hesitation. Selene’s cause, her blazing will, has become my own. I’ll see it through—even if the city ignites around us.
23
SELENE
The moon hangs low above Orthani, shedding a faint glow over the city’s winding rooftops. I cross a silent courtyard on the way to Ai’s chamber, each step echoing in the hush of night. My mind roils with conflicting impulses—just hours ago, Eryx came with news that the Red Purna plan to storm Orthani, seeking to weaponize Ai. The thought that they’d sacrifice her to crack the city’s wards sparks fury and dread in my veins.
I quicken my pace, slipping past slumbering guards. With Vaelith’s help, I’ve learned the estate’s interior nooks and hidden corridors. The watch rotation is thin at this hour, leaving me free to navigate unnoticed. My boots brush along polished stone, leading me toward the corridor where Ai is kept under close observation. If the Red Purna rush in, we won’t have time to negotiate. We have to spirit Ai away before they or Orthani’s nobles seize her.
The door stands at the end of the hall, unguarded this late—likely because Vaelith discreetly shifted watch duty to give me access. My pulse quickens as I recall the plan forming among my improbable allies: Eryx subverting the Red Purna, Vaelith clearing gates for our escape, Zareth neutralizing wards. Thememory of them all pinned to me in that heated union lingers in my mind, a savage reminder that I’ve claimed each man. But now is not the time for such reflections. Ai needs me.
I press my palm to the door, easing it open. The room is dim, lit by a single ember in a lantern. At first, I think Ai’s sleeping in the corner bed. Then I notice flickers of pale light drifting along the ceiling. She’s sitting upright on the sheets, small shoulders tense, silver hair shifting as though stirred by an invisible breeze. My heart stutters—her magic hums through the air in intangible ribbons, warping the space around her.
She lifts her head as I step inside. “Selene,” she says in that quiet voice that always sends chills along my spine. Even though she’s only a child, there’s an eerie calm in her tone. A swirl of tension floats around her, as if the shadows themselves want to converge at her feet.
“Ai,” I say softly, easing the door shut behind me. “It’s late. You should rest.”
She shakes her head, eyes wide, an odd glow flickering in their depths. “I can’t sleep.” Her breath sounds unsteady, as though something churns inside her. “The air around me feels… heavy. Something stirs.”
I edge closer. “Is it your magic?” She’s been known to levitate small objects or ripple the air when her emotions spike. Now, a faint pulse throbs in the room, rattling my nerves. “Can you control it?”
She curls her fingers around the blankets, trembling. “I’m trying, but it grows stronger. The city’s tension, your tension... I sense them. Everything collides in me.”
My chest tightens with empathy. “We’ll figure it out.” I step closer, sliding onto the bed’s edge. “Let me help calm you.”
She exhales a trembling breath, and the faint glow intensifies. The lamp flame flickers wildly, and I see a subtle rift forming in the air, quivering like a tear in reality. Startled, Ireach out, gently cupping her shoulder. “Easy,” I murmur, voice soothing. “Focus on me. Breathe in, slow. Breathe out.”
She attempts it, but the swirl of magic around her spikes. My hair lifts in a soft static crackle, and the entire room seems to shift. For a heartbeat, I see an image superimposed—a shattered corridor, or a glimpse of another place altogether. The air warps, threatening to unravel. Ai lets out a whimper.
I gather my own magic, though it’s nowhere near as volatile as hers. My transformative gifts and faint psionic talents are more subtle. Still, I can anchor her. I slide an arm around her shoulders, pressing my free palm to her temple in an effort to funnel calm. “Look at me. We breathe together.”
She meets my gaze, tears sparkling in her eerie, pale eyes. The swirling magic around her vibrates with unstable force, stirring the curtains and scraping a small wooden table across the floor. My heart pounds. I’ve never seen her power surge this wildly.
“Focus,” I whisper, voice firm yet gentle. “You’re stronger than this storm. Slow your heart.”
She nods, gulping air, and I murmur a low incantation the purna often use for centering. The words flow, pulling my energy to envelop her chaotic aura. Gradually, the rift in the air flickers, fading to a faint shimmer before vanishing. Ai sags against me, limbs trembling. The tension in the room eases, though the lamp still flickers unsteadily.
“There,” I breathe, brushing a strand of silver hair from her face. “It’s passing.”
She hides her face against my shoulder, voice muffled. “I keep seeing… fragments. Pieces of Orthani in flames. People screaming. I sense the Red Purna, Orthani’s nobles, all colliding in violent ways. And I see you, standing in the center.”
My stomach clenches. The child’s magic likely grants glimpses of possible futures, or some heightened awareness. “Tell me more,” I say softly. “Do you see which path prevails?”
She pulls back, gaze locking with mine, eerily calm again. “No single path is certain. But you must choose your fate soon. Will you burn Orthani to ash, letting vengeance devour it? Or will you shape it into something new?”
A shiver crawls up my spine. “Shape it? How would I shape a city that’s built on cruelty?” My voice trembles with the memory of how Orthani enslaves humans, hunts purna, and fosters a caste system that crushes the weak.
Ai’s eyes hold an unsettling clarity. “You stand at the crossroads. If you flee, the Red Purna might succeed in their rampage, or Orthani might strike back, plunging the realm into deeper shadows. But if you stay, you can tilt the scales. Not by running from power, but by claiming it.”
I chew my lip, heart pounding. My plan with Vaelith, Zarix, and Eryx is to slip Ai away before the Red Purna’s assault, let Orthani and the Red Purna collide. Then we vanish. But Ai’s words suggest that simply leaving Orthani to burn might cause untold suffering. Could I truly shape Orthani rather than watch it crumble?
I sigh, smoothing her hair. “Ai, I never meant to lead a city. I just wanted to free us from being hunted. To keep you safe.”
