I roll my eyes. “Do you ever get sick of fluffing up that ego of yours?
“Never.”
“Shouldn’t you be downstairs overseeing the final tally?” I ask.
“Shouldn’t you be at your mate’s side to comfort him when he loses?”
We both stare at each other for a beat.
“I saw you speaking with Catarina before she returned to Dimhollow,” I say, wondering if he wants to talk about it. I am one of only a handful of people who knows the truth.
He releases a heavy sigh. “She’s my mother.” He runs a hand over the top of his head. “Explains some things, honestly.”
“Will you see her again?”
He nods. “We’ve agreed to meet. It feels…odd. I’ve spent so long thinking of the Rivertoads as my only family.”
“The Rivertoads are your family, but having more people in this world who love us is a good problem to have.”
His answering smile is wistful.
From the hall, voices call to us. “It’s time!”
We shadoweave to the throne room, where a group of shades is counting and recounting the votes, their tallies documented on a large roll of parchment spread on a table at the center of the room. Damien, along with the lords and ladies of the realm, hover over their work. Jaqual steps forward to join them.
I remain at the end of the aisle, waiting for the outcome that will frame my future, and knowing, whatever fate befalls us, anywhere Damien is will be home for me. Whatever happens, it will be okay.
“We have a clear winner.” The head accountant hands what I assume is the final tally to Damien and Jaqual, who each hold a side and read the results.
“Did you?—”
“Are you?—”
“Certain—”
They blubber back and forth, looking at each other and then at the accountants. Tempest, Thane, Odette, Undaku, Eudora, Prandle, Nyx, and Karyl all read the results, their mouths dropping open a little. I walk forward, now acutely curious about who our new king is. Is it a tie? Someone unexpected, like Karyl or Roslyn?
Damien turns to meet my gaze, his expression unreadable. “We willnotneed to move, little dragon.”
I step onto the dais. “You’ve been elected?” I say excitedly, but he shakes his head.
Jaqual steps aside so that I can see the results. Both Damien and Jaqual received a sizable number of votes, as did Nyx and Karyl, but my jaw drops when I see the winner.
My name is scrawled at the top, victor by more than double.
The people have electedme.
“She who tames the dragon rules the world,” Jaqual says, a lazy smile breaking across his face.
I’m too flabbergasted to speak. Or move. My arms hang at my sides like dead weights.
Damien and Jaqual exchange glances under raised brows. “Shall I call Catarina back to restore you with a curative tea?” Damien asks. “By the goddess, breathe, woman!”
I try, but my breath rattles in my throat. It takes all my will to fill my lungs. “Are we sure about this? Is there any room for error?” I eventually manage to ask.
But everyone shakes their heads. “They were counted three separate times by separate employees, my queen,” the head accountant says, then catches himself. “You will keep the moniker queen, I assume. We can change it, if you dislike the traditional title, but some habits are hard for people to break.”
I turn to Damien, wanting to ask him if this is okay. He has the second-highest number of votes. If I step down…
