“It’s unanimous, we all agree the new head of the Council will be Vivian,” Morgana calls, looking thrilled, but unsurprised.
Two things hit me at once. First, she orchestrated my fight with Sin this afternoon. She wanted me to use my powers in order to make an impression on the rebel army leaders. Second, she just called me the head of the Council.
A wave of nausea rolls over me.
“Sin, we were just voting in the interim leader for the war. Right?” I ask mildly, even though my palms are starting to sweat.
He gives me an apologetic smile. “The head of the Council leads the war, kitten.”
My voice gets stuck in my throat. I’m pretty sure my breath does too.
Sin pulls me against him in a gentle hug. From this position, no one can see my expression. “You’re a natural leader. You’ve been doing great,” he soothes.
I pull back so he can see my disgruntled look. “You’re all insane. I don’t want the job! I have no experience.” I hiss, and small currents of purple energy escape, snapping over my arms.
He rubs them, and for everyone else, it probably looks like he’s reassuring me. But there’s a tingle where our skin meets as he dissipates my power.
“You’re perfect for the job because you care about others, and because you don’t want the job. The best leaders tend to be the ones to rise out of necessity, rather than a thirst for power,” he whispers.
“Then you should take the job!” I whisper-shout.
He grins. “You’re the people-person. Not me. You see this crowd?” He nods over my head. “The only reason they aren’t swarming around you is because they think I might kill them if they try. But they’re drawn to you. Even though you made it clear today that you’re more powerful than I am, you make them feel hope. Not fear.”
“I’m still mad at you,” I huff at his fervent words, and stick my tongue out at him like the mature adult I am.
Desire flashes across his eyes. “Was that an invitation, kitten?”
A shiver of anticipation trickles down my spine, but I ignore it. I know Sin believes what he’s saying, but I’m feeling petty. After all, he did just blindside me.
“It could have been. But you just made me a queen, Sin. I’m pretty sure that means you have to share me with everyone now,” I answer, giving him a heated look as I pull away and walk into the crowd.
My internal spiraling is far from over, but sassing him makes the anxiety at least somewhat bearable.
The conclave has officially become a party. Music plays from a speaker, and some rebel army leaders havemoved tables to start dancing. Everyone wants to blow off some steam before we get to business tomorrow.
I’ve finally made my way around the room, thanking people for their vote, and listening to their ideas for the war. Morgana tagged along while I did it and assured me that she wouldn’t forget a single suggestion. She’s going to transcribe them into a list for us to review in the morning.
Sin has been watching me from the corner of the room with a lazy smile. He’s been remarkably calmer since we fought this afternoon. I think he’s less worried now that he knows I can take on a Destroyer’s power.
I’m relieved that at least one good thing came from the training. Still, I didn’t appreciate the way Morgana orchestrated it behind my back.
We reach an empty corner of the room, and when no one immediately comes to talk to us, I confront her. “You tricked me into using my powers in front of the leaders.”
She gives me a look that screams ‘no shit, Sherlock.’
“Vivian, I literally killed you in Atlantis, out of hope that this day would come. Of course, I tricked you into using your power. You wouldn’t have done it otherwise. Just like you wouldn’t have shown up tonight if you knew we were all planning to elect you.” She gives her explanation matter-of-factly and without apology.
I want to stay mad at her until I remember that, like Sin, Morgana isn’t one to form friendships. She prefers to distance herself as a leader. She and Ragna seem to get along, but their interactions seem largelyprofessional. The reminder is enough to have me swallowing my frustration.
“But that’s not what friends do,” I reply softly.
Morgana jerks back like I’ve slapped her. “You think we’re friends?”
“Uhm, yes?” The disbelief in her voice is doing wonders for my confidence.
“Huh,” she muses, now frowning.
I’m not sure if she’s about to agree, since in the next moment, her eyes catch something behind me.
