by Ivy Asher
“Still split down the middle?” I question.
“Uh...no. Becket is the only one who doesn’t want to stay,” Enoch informs me.
My eyebrows twitch up in surprise, and I turn to Becket. He rolls his eyes and huffs out a breath.
“I know I should hate you. The night you told me about my dad, I decided right then and there that I would always hate you.” Becket trails off, his voice cracking with emotion, and I nod and look away, giving him space to collect his thoughts.
“When Adriel took me, when I found out that you were telling the truth about my dad, it didn’t change things for me the way I thought it would. Truth or not, I was going to hate you all the same. But that plan got a lot harder when we were in the cell together, because I hated you, but I also started to respect you too,” he tells me softly, and I can hear the conflict in his voice.
“I don’t know Suryn, and I don’t feel all twitterpated or curious about her like they do,” he tells me, gesturing to the rest of his coven. “I respect you, Vinna. Fuck, I even admire you despite my efforts not to,” he admits with an amused grunt.
I grin and shake my head.
“Your magic marked me as your Shield, and I just can’t bring myself to abandon that or you in hopes that some other Sentinel chick will eventually throw us her occasional table scraps,” Becket finishes.
Enoch scoffs and opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.
“I don’t know if I would have come out of that cell the same, or maybe even at all, if it hadn’t been for you being there, Becket. So I just want you to know that the feeling is mutual,” I tell him, and he gives me a nod and a small smile.
“When Getta was telling me about where Sentinels come from and about my abilities, she said something about you guys that I’ve been thinking about ever since.”
Someone steps out of their house on our right and fists their hand over their bicep to us. I smile at them and wonder if that gesture will ever stop meaning so much to me. We continue to stroll down the circular street, and I take another second to collect my thoughts.
“So I brought up the whole trust the magic thing to her. My magic marked you for a reason, and that was pretty much that to me. But she made a good point. Yes, I marked you guys for a reason, but was that reason really mine, or could it be something or someone else’s? Maybe I marked you to lead you here. So you would meet Suryn.”
They all kind of nod thoughtfully but stay quiet.
“I’ve been trying to think that through since then, and this is what I’ve come up with. When you all showed up at my house with marks, I felt this underlying need to keep you with me.”
“You mean, after you felt the overwhelming need to gut us, right?” Kallan teases, and we all laugh.
“Yeah, after that part, of course,” I joke back.
“I felt the pull in Solace and in Belarus when we decided to leave and look for Sentinel City.” I pause.
“You don’t feel it anymore, do you?” Enoch points out, and I shake my head.
“No. I don’t,” I confirm. “I’m not saying that you’re not welcome with me and my Chosen. You don’t even have to be tied to me or to Suryn if you don’t want. Tawv says there are ways to unmark you, if that’s what you’d like. All I’m saying is that, yes, my magic marked you, but I can’t say for sure why that is now, any more than I could when it first happened.”
We all fall silent again, walking and lost in thought.
“Suryn and I got in a fight over it,” I announce out of nowhere.
“What?” Enoch asks.
“When?” Kallan demands.
“Who won?” Nash questions, and I shake my head and chuckle.
“She took off before it was really decided officially one way or the other.”
“Why?” Becket asks, clearly judging her for leaving a fight.
“Because of you guys,” I tell him, and confusion takes over Becket’s face.
“She just gasped and called out my Chosen and then took off without a second’s hesitation. It must have been right when the Sovereign attacked you guys,” I finish, and I give them some time to let that soak in.
“I don’t know what the future holds for you guys, but it might be worth trying to find out if that future could be here. I mean, worst case scenario, you can always meet up with me and the guys at any point. Or strip your runes and go home if you decide Sentinels are more trouble than they’re worth,” I tease, and they chortle. “I just think it might be good to see why her magic marked you too,” I finish, looking over at Becket as we complete the circular path we’ve been traveling, and the castle’s front gates can be spotted in the distance once again.
He and I stare at each other for several steps, and then he gives me a small nod and looks away.
“Besides, Getta could obviously use some worthy opponents. Fuck knows these Tierit Sentinels aren’t giving her a run for her money,” I joke, and we all crack up.
I leave it at that, not pressing them to make a decision or putting my nose any further into their business than I already have. Time will tell what they all choose to do. Whatever they decide, I’ll be here to support it.
34
I fidget, wondering what the heck is taking so long. Marn reaches out for my hand and gives it a comforting squeeze. I squeeze her hand right back and then reach out and pull her into my side for a quick hug.
She and Tok took my I’ll pass on the Sovereign announcement better than I expected they would. Suryn had already dropped the bomb when I walked back into the round table room. Maybe that gave them some time to wrap their minds around it, but when I confirmed what Suryn was saying was true and then mapped out what my Chosen and I wanted to do, Tok and Marn looked kind of proud and not at all upset like I thought they’d be.
Marn fixes the leather tie on the terracotta colored dress she forced me into. The dress is soft, flowy, and sleeveless, with a blackberry colored leather strap that comes forward from the back of my neck and crosses under my breasts and across my torso several times before tying at the back. I get a slit on each side of the skirt this time, which I wasn’t a big fan of until Siah reminded me why easy access wasn’t such a bad thing.
I can practically feel his fangs scraping against the inside of my thighs as he teased me right before—
“All hail Sovereign Finella, Ruler of Tierit, the Dawning of New Hope, Liberator of Illusions, Savior of the Sentinels, Light Blessed, and Gate Keeper,” a guard bellows out, his announcement echoing around the walls of the packed throne room.
The hum of low murmuring that was just filling the room stops, and everyone goes quiet. Suryn walks steadily and gracefully into the long room, her emerald green dress strikingly similar to mine. I look over at Marn quickly to see if she’s got a look of who wore it better on her face, but she seems excited rather than annoyed.
As Suryn walks, I notice rings of markings on her upper thighs, like she has several garter belts of runes wrapped around her legs. She has a couple more on her calves too. She’s barefoot just like I am, but I don’t spot any markings on her feet or toes. Suryn walks confidently up to her father, where he stands next to Tawv at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the thrones. The old gilded chairs the previous Sovereign had up there are gone, and in their place are three large, light gray wooden high back chairs.
Suryn stops in front of Tawv and kneels, his almost white eerie gaze running over her. He gives a nod of satisfaction, and her shoulders seem to relax slightly. He reaches to his right and lifts a new gold crown over Suryn’s head. Her red hair is reflected in the shine of what looks like vines and flowers that are twined around various runes.
I’m fascinated by all of this, but I’m also eager to get it over with. The guys and I agreed to stay until Suryn was crowned, but as soon as this is over with, we’re out of here.
“I, a former member of the Quorum, crown you, Suryn Finella, the new Sovereign of the Sentinels. Do you swear to uphold the laws of our people?” he asks
.
“I do,” Suryn immediately responds.
“And do you swear to devote your life to leading your people into the light, to strengthen them, unite them, to know them and their needs?”
“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 palpable hope floating 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’s I do rings 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.
“And do you swear to devote your life to leading your people into the light, to strengthen them, unite them, to know them and their needs?” Tawv continues, instead of demanding someone else.
“I swear to devote my life to leading all people into the light; to strengthen them, unite them, to know them and their needs,” I declare, once again waiting for someone to boo at me or call out the fact that I’m fucking with their vows.
“And 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,” I answer, this time not feeling the need to alter any of the wording.
“Then rise, Vinna Aylin, and help to lead us into a new age,” Tawv invites me.
I take a deep breath and get to my feet. He places the crown on my head, and I’m surprised by the weight of it. It looked so delicate but feels far from it. Tawv beams at me, but my smile is still radiating what the fuck.
“Now, Vinna, dip your feet in Dragon’s Tears and make your way to your seat,” he tells me, and my eyes go wide.
“Dragons are real?” I whisper, surprised, as I dip my bare feet in the same large bowl that Suryn and Ory did.
Tawv smiles. “It’s actually sap from a Dragon plant,” he explains. “We do it to clear away the remnants of the steps that have come before yours so that you can stand in your own reign and not someone else’s,” he tells me, and it makes goosebumps spring up on my arms.
I step away from him and make my way up the stairs. Suryn gives me a wide welcoming smile, and I have to stop myself from asking her what the hell she was thinking and flipping her off. My heart hammers against my ribs, tired after its climb from my feet back into my chest. I’m two steps from reaching my throne—that’s fucking weird to say—and I don’t know what’s going to happen when I reach it and turn around to face the people of this city.
Will they glare at me? Shout out their rejection? Politely applaud? Just stare?
I take a deep breath, square my shoulders
and turn around.
A wave of deafening sound blasts me. My dress flutters against my legs as cheers and applause reach out and blanket me in their approval. The Sentinels of Tierit don’t hold back at all, letting me know loud and clear I am exactly where they want me to be. I fist my right hand over my bicep, and just when I think it can’t get any louder or rowdier, the people take it to a whole new level. They salute me back, and I will never forget this moment for as long as I live. Just like Suryn and Ory before me, I have to fight back tears as I’m overwhelmed by the love and support of these people. I look over to find my Chosen bellowing their lungs out and saluting me back.
Tok and Marn are hugging, tears dripping down their cheeks and pride shining in their eyes. My smile is massive and genuine as they welcome me. I look at Becket and wonder if we just might get that parade he was hoping for. My cheeks ache by the time the crowd starts to wind down, and I sit on my throne to the right of Suryn.
She rises from her seat, and the room goes silent once more. “Sentinels…” she calls out, her clear voice ringing out into the crowd like a welcome and simultaneous call to action. “Today is the day we embrace the new, and prepare for a better future. We have long been safe within the borders of our barrier, but the time has come to see our seclusion for what it is: a death sentence,” she declares, and a low rumble of agreement and nodding fills the room.
“Generation after generation thrives less and less within our magical walls, and we have to put a stop to the deterioration of our light and the slow depletion of our people. The leaders you see before you will be like none other as we pave the way for Sentinels not only here in Tierit but out there in the world.”
The crowd explodes into cheers, and Suryn smiles and waits for them to settle. “It will take time. It will take your trust and support. But we will find a way to thrive again. We will find our way in the world again. We will lead ourselves into a new age where we can thrive and be better than we have ever been before. Are you with me, Tierit?” she shouts out into the room, and I bellow out my own approval.