Page 57 of Ravaging Red
Her gaze locked on Rael, not me. "You are mine now, son of Thoryn Mavryn. The Hollow Woods must have a voice again. And you will sit in your father's place whether you wish to or not."
Rael didn’t flinch. "You want to chain me to this throne? Make me into a pet for your politics?"
"We want your presence. Your name. Your obedience," Verrian snapped. "The realm demands it."
He looked ready to protest, but I squeezed his hand and stepped closer to him. He leaned down as I whispered for only him to hear. "Take it."
"No," he growled under his breath.
"Take it Rael, if you do you can protect us," I tugged on his hand. "You can speak for the ones who don't have a voice. For us."
Rael’s brow furrowed. His jaw clenched. I could tell he hated the idea. I could feel it in every taut muscle of his arm. But when his eyes met mine, I saw the conflict give way to something steadier. Resignation.
He turned back to the Council. "If I do this, I will not live by your rules. If you want me in that seat, then you’ll deal with me as I am. I do not follow the Old Ways. I won’t pretend to."
A quiet ripple passed over the Council, then Drayx stood again, his smoky form shifting faintly. "Perhaps we don’t need the Old Ways. Perhaps we need something new and I am willing to accept that. Will you stay, Rael?"
Rael looked at me ad I nodded.
He took a breath and let it out slowly. "Then I will stay."
Verrian smiled, not with warmth, but with a knowing satisfaction that she got what she wanted.
"You dared to defy me and the High Council. For this I issue punishment, one I know you will abhor. The Hollow Woods are yours, Wolf. And the burden of them will follow you for the rest of your cursed life on that throne."
She pointed to the empty seat, and I could feel Rael’s entire being grow dark.
What did I just do to my love?
Chapter 23
Relishing In Punishment
RAEL
The doors of the inner sanctum groaned shut behind us, sealing their judgement. The cold stone at my back did little to calm the fire crawling beneath my skin. The weight of the vote, of Verrian’s final words, pressed harder than any burden I'd carried before.
They'd bound me to a seat I didn’t want. A legacy I never asked to inherit. A life I’d turned my back on. And now it was mine again.
Red walked beside me, quiet, but I could feel her uncertainty. She waited for me to speak, knowing better than to push.
The flicker of shadow caught my eye just before Drayx emerged from a column of mist near the hallway arch. “You are a strong presence, Rael Mavryn. I am surprised.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you believe in forward thinking. You take risks, and sometimes those can pay off to your advantage.”
“I don’t think that’s the case here.”
He nodded. “We will see. You’ll need quarters for the night,” he said, his voice edged with kindness. “There is space within thecouncil walls. A safe and private location, no one will bother you until morning.”
He waved a hand, summoning a pale fae female with long blonde hair and a gown made of something that shimmered like spun glass. She approached without a word and bowed slightly.
“This is Kaelith. She will show you to the High Fang’s Quarters,” Drayx added, his eyes briefly locking with mine. “You’ll find they’ve been kept… intact.”
Intact.Like some fucking museum.
Red placed a hand against my arm as we followed the fae through the hall. “Are you alright?” she whispered.
