Ellian steps up, I’m sure shocked and confused. I’m not positive since I won’t take my eyes off the High Chancellor. I imagine, though, a disruption of this magnitude has him concerned.
“Amick.”
“Hold on to this for me if you will.”
I pass him my parchment and Harriseen’s face fills with a fury I’ve never seen from him before.
His arm snaps out toward Ellian.
“You are so far out of line, Amick. I will not allow you—”
I plunge his own dagger through his heart.
The room descends into a hush that weighs as much as the Athenaeum. The only noise to be heard is Harriseen’s gurgles, struggling gasps, and my voice.
“I, Amick, God of Knowledge, find you, Harriseen, unworthy of the title High Chancellor. Your crimes and betrayals will come to light and shall be recorded.”
His blood spatters the ground as I snatch the dagger free. I hold his gaze the entire time he takes to crumble to the floor in his precious robes.
I feel nothing but satisfaction that the last emotion to cross his eyes was fear.
“He’ll find no place among the Valories.”
Creed’s low words echo around me as his arm stretches toward Harriseen’s body and his irises blaze white.
“Holy shit,” Thayla mumbles as she presses her back to mine.
“This is the fucking best day of my life. I’m so excited, I’m about to scream.” Riven giggles.
“Take one more step closer, and it’ll be the last thing you do,” Kyzen warns someone.
All the Valtrue’s in the room have drawn their weapons. They haven’t merged more than a foot forward. The uncertainty of what I did has them stunned still.
“Amick. What have you—”
Ellian’s question is silenced as a gasp slips through not only his lips, but mine, and Chancellor Gulliver’s, Laven’s, and Wick’s. The essence of the Volreen shoots from its bowl and wraps around the five of us.
With no permission from any of us, it tugs us until our hands are buried together in the bowl.
“What the fuck is happening, Amick?” Thayla asks with pure panic lacing her voice.
“It’s the Chancellor’s Choosing,” Ellian answers as his gaze collides with mine. “The Godsdawn must have a High Chancellor.”
Oh no.
I did not factor that into my last-minute decision.
“Amick, take your hand out of that gods damned bowl right now,” Thayla shouts as she comes to my side and grips my arm.
My heart thunders in my ears as I stare at her.
“I can’t,Mysenta. It won’t allow it.”
My breaths fall faster from my chest and Ellian grips my shoulder on the other side with his free hand.
“Everything’s going to be as it should, my boy.”
The life I lived those first few weeks here flashes across my mind as I stare at the worried wrinkles in his forehead.
