“I do.”
“Do you swear not to allow your people to repeat the mistakes of the past? To be swift in action when called for against threats within or without the barrier, and to strive for peace and prosperity above all else?”
“I do.”
“Then rise, Sovereign Finella, and lead us into a new age,” Tawv commands.
Suryn does just that, and as she stands up, Tawv fits the crown on her head. She dips her feet in something next to Tawv and then makes her way up the steps to the middle throne. The room is so quiet I can hear her bare feet as they move across the stone of the floor. She turns around in front of the middle chair, and the room goes fucking mental.
Applause and cheers roar to life as Suryn fists her right hand and places it across her left bicep. The room grows even louder, and I add my own voice to Tok’s and Marn’s and my Chosen’s. We all give Suryn the same gesture back, and I watch as she blinks away tears. She sits down on the throne, joy all over her face, and it’s like a weight is lifted in the room.
I look around to see people openly weeping happy tears, and I can only imagine what this day feels like to them. There’s a palpablehopefloating around this place, and it’s so different from the somber, almost beaten down feel that existed around Suryn’s aunt. I can’t help the massive smile on my face as I take it all in. I’m so fucking honored to see this, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for these people in the future.
The room slowly quiets, and I spot Sauriel wiping at his eyes as he stares up at his daughter, with pride and love shining in his eyes. I look over at Vaughn and smile when he notices me watching him. He gives me a smile back, and my chest grows tight when I see that same pride and love in his gaze.
“Sovereign Finella, have you selected your Quorum?” Tawv asks, his question booming through the long room filled to the brink with the Sentinels of Tierit.
“I have,” she declares, and the room settles into silence once more. She looks through the crowd and smiles when she finds Ory. “To my left, I will call Ory Lark,” she announces, and quiet excitement bubbles up in the room again.
Ory looks shocked as fuck by Suryn’s announcement. I don’t know why I find that amusing, because I don’t think anyone here is surprised by it at all. He looks at Suryn, and I can tell he’s asking her if she’s sure with just a look. She smiles even wider at him and waves him forward.
“Why is he so shocked?” Sabin leans forward and quietly asks Tok.
“Because Ory will be the first of his kind to sit in a leadership position over the people who once enslaved his ancestors,” Tok explains.
Surprise runs through me as Tok’s words settle in my mind. Ory walks up slowly, shock still radiating out of his features. He kneels just like Suryn did, and Tawv starts the series of vows over.
“Wait, so what is he?” I ask, confused. I thought Ory was Light Born or Pure Blood or whatever the fuck they call a Born Sentinel instead of a marked one.
“Ory is part Ouphe of old and Gryphon,” Tok whispers to me as Ory’sI dorings out into the room.
Gryphon?
“I guess that explains the wings,” I mumble, and Tok nods. “Bummer, I was hoping it was a rune I could jack somehow,” I admit, and Bastien and Knox both laugh quietly.
I lift a hand to rub at the rune under my chin but stop myself. I still haven’t brought myself to touch it or activate it in any way to confirm what it is.
Ory rises, gets his crown, dips his feet and walks up to the chair on the left of Suryn. When he turns to face the room, the crowd goes wild again. Even Suryn claps hard and hoots her approval, and I can’t help but join in again, even if the dude is a prick. Ory smiles and shakes his head as the Sentinels of Tierit make it clear that they’re happy with the Sovereign’s decision. I wish I knew what was going through his head; he looks so humbled and taken aback. It’s a far cry from the cocky troublemaker mien he usually wears.
The room slowly quiets again, and Ory takes his seat. Tawv turns back to Suryn expectantly.
“To my right,” she starts, looking down at Tawv with a wide smile.
I give a small nod, liking her next choice. Tawv is a good choice to help guide her.
“I will call Vinna Aylin,” she announces, looking over at me, and my fucking heart plummets to my feet.
Wait. What?
My Chosen all voice their shock, and even Tok and Marn look over at me like they didn’t see that coming. I stand there, doing my best impersonation of a confused statue and try to make sense of what the fuck is going on. Suryn chuckles, and the sound of it snaps me out of my stupor. Just like with Ory, she waves me down, and it’s as if I’ve just been lassoed, because I automatically start moving toward her.
The crowd parts as I make my way through them until I find myself kneeling at the feet of a widely smiling Tawv. I look up to see the gold crown he’s holding over my head is in fact vines and flowers intertwined with my symbol and with that of my Chosen. I feel breathless and unsure of what the fuck to do. Does this mean we aren’t leaving as planned? Is this like a public proposal where you say yes so the other person can save face and then, behind closed doors, ask them what the fuck they were thinking?
“I, a former member of the Quorum, crown you, Vinna Aylin, a member of the Quorum and right hand to the Sovereign of the Sentinels. Do you swear to uphold the laws of our people?” he asks.
I pause.Shit, do I? Can I swear to uphold them if I don’t know what they are?
“I swear to uphold the laws of our people as long as those laws are moral and don’t hurt innocent people,” I state, and then I wait for Tawv to throw my crown aside and tell Suryn she needs to pick someone else.
