Tala led Wren down the stone corridors and up the stairs with his hand around his arm. The gesture was to urge him quickly with them, but also to reassure him. The occasional worried glances from Tala back to him told Wren as much as he needed to know. Clearly, his presence was not looked well upon by the vampire council, nor was his living. That being the case, Tala let Wren go as they neared the meeting chambers, and they crawled around the corner separately but together.

Eight men awaited in robes that hid their heads beneath hoods–half white and half black–standing in front of the three empty thrones of the Sol throne room. The color divide signified the balance of territories represented by the members. These were the most powerful and influential vampires in the world, and even Tala would fall if they decided on anything that meant Wren's death. Tala knew that, and as soon as they entered, took a knee with Shan to bow to them. Seeing as he was Tala's, Wren followed suit.

The man in black furthest to the right murmured something to a white cloak, but Wren kept his eyes averted from theirs. It would be easy for him to offend these men, so he would follow Tala's lead. Tala and Shan stood when they bid, but Wren remained on one knee, sure that he was not an equal here.

"It is polite," the man in the dark robes said, pulling back his hood to reveal the dark skin and hair of the Zehirs. This was Tanya's predecessor without a doubt, though all family ties were separated when they stepped up to the council. "You may meet my gaze, Wren Song." It wasn't so much permission as a demand, and Wren lifted his eyes to the man's.

They were blue, such a vivid shade for his dark complexion, but also piercing as the man looked into Wren's soul for every hint as to what he thought and where his loyalties lay. Whether true or not, whatever the man discerned would bear weight, so Wren was as passive and obedient as he could be. It wasn't as if the council could use allure on him, so there was nothing to fear in that respect, though being an infiltrator class mage made it worse rather than better diplomatically.

"How may we be of service?" Tala asked to them, keeping a respectful stance despite standing, and Shan was silent and vigilant at his side. It was strange seeing Tala's arms not crossed over his chest or half strangling someone, something he was sure the council noticed as well.

Another councilman took a step forward and dropped his white hood to reveal long golden hair tied back into a neat ponytail and another pair of powerful blue eyes, these as light as the sky. Wren knew the man as Nicholas Arc, the vampire who'd sired Vincent.

"Wren Song is no longer in your dungeons, I see," Nicholas said, dropping his gaze down to Wren with malice. Nicholas, more than others, loathed mages and was in no way favorable of the Mage-Vampire Alliance even if his legacy, Neil Arc, was spearheading it. The man was certainly interested but also skeptical of its extended survival.

"I do not require a cage to keep him as he will wither without my house's magic in a matter of half a day, Tala replied cordially. "That much, I'm sure you've heard, but I also consider Wren one of my own and commit to him the same protections as any in my house."

Shan shifted uncomfortably next to them, but Wren didn't need the gesture to understand what Tala had just said. Tala was protecting him under vampire law by formally declaring him as one of his house. That meant that anything that blew back on Wren would take Tala down with him. That was unnecessary, especially if they were about to demand his death.

"Quite committed to a pet," a vampire murmured from the back.

"Wren is not a pet. Respect is due to any member of my family, regardless of personal opinion," Tala snapped, and Nicholas narrowed his eyes. This was a fine line Tala was walking, and Wren couldn't keep his heartrate down even if he wanted. Being a human was awful in stressful situations when everyone could hear a pin drop like cannon fire.

"You intend to protect his existence with your life then, Talamayas Sol?" Nicholas asked. "I will only ask once."

"That is correct," Tala responded without skipping a beat. "If you kill him, you execute me as well. I will not watch one of mine fall to your order without going with them."

"Tala!" Wren rasped a bit too loudly before he closed his mouth. Tala had commanded him not to speak unless bid. Every head turned on him, Tala's gaze sharpest of any, but he couldn't just sit quietly and watch the man kill himself.

"You needn't be defensive of your master, Wren Song," the Zehir said with a little more curiosity in him than the others. "We are not here for a death order. What we want is your magic sealed. If you do so, then you may live out the remainder of your days in your master's territory."

"I refuse," Tala said in a slicing tone that forced Wren's lips closed again. He'd been about to agree and Tala had seen that, but why? If it was his magic or his and Tala's lives, it wasn't a huge choice here.

"This is not a negotiation, Talamayas Sol," Nicholas said, his dark magic fluctuating aggressively. It made Wren sick just to feel it circling his body and hungering for his blood, but Tala didn't back down.

"It is," Tala argued. "I am not Wren's master but intend to take him as my soul bound. Sealing his magic would weaken and brand my house as lesser. The Sol's live upon the power I represent, and it would drive my people into a corner that others will target. Not all mages are in the Alliance, neither are all vampire adherent to your laws. You would not condemn my people to their demise that way."

Nicholas eyebrows were near his hairline as he looked from Tala down to Wren, and the vampire noticed how lost Wren himself was. It was impossible for Wren to hide how little he'd gotten out this exchange, and he worried it would condemn Talamayas.

"It's the male version of a mate, Wren," Shan said down to him. "A mate who has his magic sealed weakens a house's leadership and makes Tala a target, especially if you're as notoriously hated by our kind as you are."

"Yes, but I can't refuse if they will harm Tala." Wren couldn't stop himself from objecting. "I would assume a house without a head is just as doomed, is it not?" Wren was desperate for a way out of this that would protect Tala from his own stubbornness.

"You are concerned for Talamayas?" Nicholas asked, stepping into Wren and lowering his hand to his face. Boney fingers dug into Wren's chin, and a hiss escaped Tala, but Shan held him back as Nicholas scrutinized him.

"I would have no harm come to him or his people because of me," Wren said into Nicholas face, and the man must have liked the look in his eyes because he dropped his hold on him and stood.

"You intend to take Wren Song as your soul bound with all of the ceremonial rituals?" Nicholas asked to Tala, and the man stood up straighter despite his teeth clenched in rage at Nicholas having touched him.

"I would have it no other way," Tala said, giving him a bow despite his boiling anger. "It will be committed with a blood seal and declaration mark."

"Very well," Nicholas took a step back to the council, and the Zehir took a step forward.

"We will accept your soul binding, however, his magic will still be sealed." Tala stiffened, and the Zehir raised a hand to silence him. "We will, however, amend our order. A mate without magic is a crippling blow to any vampire house, and our kind's wellbeing is our first priority. For us to allow such a mating of our kind to a mage of such... reputation and ability to harm our own, the offending magic must be sealed."

"You want to seal my puppet magic?" Wren asked, and the Zehir nodded.

"You have other magic, and though you will be weak for a time, someone of your abilities will adjust, I'm sure. Will you consent?"

"Gladly," Wren said, bowing his head, and when he raised it, the Zehir seemed perturbed. "I no longer feel as I once did about your kind, and fighting with my chains in the last conflict reminded me how wrong they are in essence. I am eager to have my life here with Talamayas, and I have accepted him as well as his people. If I must offer my life from before to begin anew here, shedding the nightmares of my past is a blessing and not a curse."

There was silence for a moment as all of the vampires eyes landed on him, varying in color like the gems of a crown, all waiting, watching, and measuring his worth, life, and sincerity. Finally, Nicholas took a step forward and gestured for Wren to stand. He did so, slowly as all eyes watched him for signs of a threat, and bowed as Nicholas approached him.

"Palms," Nicholas said, gesturing.

Wren would have given them immediately, but he was worried what Tala would do if the man touched him again. It was a fleeting look to Tala that crinkled Nicholas' brow in disdain, but Wren couldn't offer his hands until Tala gave him a stiff nod. The muscles in Tala's face were defined and showed just how hard he was clenching his teeth, and Wren couldn't say he was at all excited for this either.

To rid himself of his puppet magic, sure he was ready to move on from his past. But sealing magic was no walk in the park when done by mages who bore parallel magic. It was more invasive when done from a creature of the dark to a mage or vice versa.

Dark magic circled Wren's wrists, and he did his best to grit his teeth as it tore into him, but a whine of pain still escaped as the seal magic set into his flesh. Lines crisscrossed over the symbol, winding a cage over an inscription that targeted his puppet magic, and as it solidified, it burned a bright red. A pulse of pain rocked him but it would fade with a few days just as the mark would disappear and hide under his skin. It was just excruciating because Nicholas had chosen the least kind way to cut off the magic.

There were always two ways–to either nullify the spell so the magic would fail upon casting, or to inscribe a counter, one that would rip him apart from the inside out if he ever dared touch the forbidden spell. Both rendered the spell useless, but the latter devoured the caster if they dared try.

The ground tilted, and Wren didn't realize he'd been about to fall until arms came around and pulled him away from Nicholas. A growl escaped Tala that was disrespectful to say the least, but also understandingly protective as his future soul bound because none of the council said anything in rebuke.

"It has been done," Nicholas scoffed as he spun on them, golden hair flipping through the air one last time before he lifted his white hood over his head.

"We will be back to validate your soul binding," the Zehir said, pulling up his own pitch hood and glancing down to Wren where he was half crumpled in Tala's arms. The ocean rolled under the shadow of a storm before he turned to the rest of the council.

They departed in a spell with little else to say, a Sol with them to guide them through the sands, and Tala allowed Wren to collapse onto the ground with him. Wren clutched Tala's shoulder as he waited for the foreign magic to ebb off, and Tala held him against his dark magic to sooth the feeling a bit. It would fade in a day or so, but for now it was like right after one was burned, the wound festering in the open air until a blister formed around it.

"I can handle the questions of our people, Tala," Shan said, leaning down and touching the shoulder Wren didn't own. "The sun is growing higher and most are ready for slumber anyway. Take Wren with you and allow him rest."

"Thank you," Tala growled the words angrily, but it was not directed at his general.

The room did a somersault as Tala scooped him up and started to move, shaking everything like a ten on the Richter scale for Wren. A groan escaped him that had Tala cursing and smoothing out his movement until it felt as if they were still again. It was manageable until Wren opened his eyes and nearly swallowed his tongue as Tala hopped over the stairs and fell to the lowest level without using them.

Wren mumbled some incoherent complaint but sank into Tala's arms as they progressed down the hallway back to their room. It was pleasantly dark, and the sheets of the cot welcomed Wren with their familiar chill and swallowed him. The only thing more pleasant was Tala falling onto the cot next to him, curling himself around Wren's front and cradling him near his chest.

Wren expected Tala to say something, but he was silent as they sat in the dark for so long that it started to make him worry. So much had just happened, but Wren was in too much pain to process much or know what he was supposed to say. Tala had been angry, and though Wren didn't feel that it was with him, he was notoriously bad at interpreting Tala's mood or dealing with him when he was frustrated.

"I'm sorry," Tala said around the time Wren was losing his mind.

"About what?" Wren whispered with disbelief. None of this had been Tala's doing, nor his desire.

"I did not ask you before declaring you as my soul bound, and now it is being forced upon you. I never wanted–"

"Tala," Wren groaned, feeling up the arm around him until he found Tala's shoulder, his chin, and then his cheek where he slid his hand against it. "Weren't we just talking about this a moment ago, before the council showed up? I don't feel forced into anything. It's okay..." Wren gasped air as another wave of pain hit him and pressed face into Tala's cool chest. There was something undeniably pleasant about having his arms around him but also be curled up so parts of him were still cool. "I do have a question though."

"Anything," Tala said against his hair, tensing his hands nervously.

Wren chuckled, and the amusement had Tala stiffening like he always did when he was confused. "If I'm your soul bound, can we finally move out of this storeroom? Or is this non-negotiably your favorite spot in the castle?" Wren barely finished speaking before Tala tightened the hand that clutched the back of his neck in frustration.

"Wren this is serious..." Tala growled, but Wren couldn't drop his smile as he stared at the shadows in front of him. It wasn't fair that Tala could see him completely and he was blind, but he didn't mind it all so much.

"I am serious. I know you slept here to be close to me before, but you have other rooms. You certainly don't like it for the scrolls and books. I'm pretty sure I've never seen you read. Are you literate?"

Tala grabbed Wren by the front of his throat and yanked his face up to his own, his crimson eyes glowing with dark magic that illuminated the curve of his frustrated smirk. "I can read."

Wren chuckled, and Tala sighed into his face before nuzzling him with his nose in a far to affection gesture for the man.

"Wren there is more to being my soul bound than just a name. Remus Shade and Neil forwent most of the rituals they should have gone through with a mate who was a mage."

"For which, I imagine there was a reason," Wren said. "It is all right, Talamayas. Anything we need to do is okay with me. We're going to be together, and I want to be together. This was already said, and if I have to bind myself to you in some dark bloody ritual, so be it."

"It's not that bad." Tala growled when Wren chuckled again. Running a hand up over his face, Tala extinguished the glow of his eyes. "You were teasing me, weren't you?"

"You're catching on," Wren whispered, the room starting to waver in front of him. There was little time left before he passed out, and he had things he wanted to say. "Tala, I know you're worried about this, but I'm not. I can't say I love you in the same way a normal person would, because I'm not familiar with the feeling and I feel like what we have is just different. I can however tell you that I would kill anyone who tried to harm you, that I care for you more so than anyone I've known in my life, that I cherish being one of your people, and that it doesn't feel right to sleep alone anymore."

"I'm also not going to serenade you. You know I haven't the faintest what love is supposed to look and feel like. I hear obsession is close," Tala trailed his fingers over the sides of Wren's face and leaned into him, pressing his forehead to his, their noses side by side, and their lips barely a breath apart.

"I'll take your obsession over anyone else's love any day, Talamayas Sol." Wen barely got the words out before he succumbed to the pain from the seals and the warmth of Tala's arms around him, but as he faded, cool skin grazed his lips.

Word Count: 3076