My gaze flickers back to the throne.
I’m in a position to help.
Whether I feel like I deserve the job or not, how can I walk away when others are still trapped?
Clearing my throat, I finally answer, “No. I don’t belong there anymore.” My eyes find Sin’s.
At some point during the hugging, everyone shifted to make a circle, and he ended up standing across from me. “My home is here,” I finish.
The others continue talking, but their voices fade to the background as I take in his expression. He looks at me with fierce pride, and something warm swells in my chest.
I’m proud of myself, too.
An elbow lightly bumps me in the ribs, and I only catch a glimpse of Sin’s darkening expression when I look over my shoulder and find Magnus, Damien, and Varian standing behind me.
They offer their congratulations, and everyone shifts to make room for them.
When Varian immediately tries to take the spot beside me, Damien shoves him and takes it instead.
Magnus rolls his eyes at the exchange, and there’s something almost frazzled about his expression. It catches me off guard, since I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look anything other than suave and composed.
Damien and Varian don’t look quite as bothered until I watch them more closely. They’re smiling and laughing, but a muscle in Damien’s neck is clenched, and Varian’s hands are tightly fisted behind his back.
But before I can mull the thought over any further, Varian pokes his head out from behind Damien to grin at me. “Nice speech today,” he says, his eyes gleaming.
I frown. “What speech?”
His grin turns wolfish. “You know, the one where you moaned your way into a revolution. Though, if I may, you don’t smell nearly satisfied enough. Shame, really.”
Magnus smacks him in the back of his head. “Down, boy,” he warns. It’s a playful gesture, but some unspoken tension sparks between them.
Damien, on the other hand, starts howling with laughter, and Conner soon joins in.
I shake my head at them and turn to Sin, wondering if he’s about to go all possessive Destroyer again.
He smirks back, and his tattoos give the faintest pulse of power.
A moment later, I feel it – the faint, yet familiar slithering sensation in my mind.
Sin is in my thoughts.
He cocks his head to the side, wordlessly making sure this is okay.
I arch a brow, considering my answer. Sin wouldn’t dig through my deepest thoughts in the middle of a party.
Whatever he’s up to, it’s for fun.
There’s a slight knocking sensation in my mind, and I bite back a smile before giving him a slight nod.
He grins and turns his attention to the others, looking thoroughly invested in the conversation. At the same time, his voice rings out in my mind, as clear as if he were standing beside me, “I happen to agree with the dragon. We should pay a second visit to your throne. This time, I’ll make sure they hear you scream.”
I choke on air, and Rosie hands me a glass of water. There’s a pause in the conversation as the group looks at me, concerned.
I flush, needing to turn their attention before Sin says something else that will make me forget how to do basic things like breathing.
“So, did you guys know each other before all of this?” I ask Damien, Varian, and Magnus.
Magnus looks… embarrassed?
