Amir frowns. “My job is to ensure the safety of Wintermoon.”
“And killing a bunch of junkie witches and warlocks will do the trick?”
“That is the cost of being a royal leader, Angie. Sometimes you must do the one thing you wish you didn’t have to.”
“That’s your excuse for everything.” My mother steps toward him. “Because you don’t want the position you were born for.”
Amir’s mouth curves and I take a half-step back. “I did not birth witches and warlocks. That was Mother Fate, and you know this, Angie.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” My mother snaps at him.
“And I’d like to argue that you were born strictly as my family’s replacement.”
My mother opens her mouth but Amir holds his hands up. “Am I wrong? Please correct me if so.” His gold eyes sweep the room. “There is nothing left of my bloodline. Just Hazel, and my son Solomon.” His voice drops. “I am alone.”
“No, you are not, Father.” Damon’s voice cuts in fast.
Amir clasps his hands behind his back and the entire room goes silent.
“You want me to be a king. Very well. Then I will make the decisions no one else is willing to make.” He looks at my mother. “I did not ask for this, Angie. No one else stepped forward.”
Damon holds his head down when Amir’s attention passes over him, and my mother’s hands ball into fists at her sides. “So that’s it? The Witching Glen is gone and there’s nothing we can do about it?”
“I am a just king. The Witching Glen needs a warden.” He looks at my mother. “You find one, and I will spare the Glen. You have three days.”
He turns and starts to walk away, then stops and looks back over his shoulder. “Oh, and Angie. If you aren’t happy with my authority, you’re more than welcome to do something about it. Because we all know that you can.”
“Fuck you,” my mother yells.
Amir raises an eyebrow. “Absolutely not. That is my Anora’s job.”
Jacob grabs my mother’s arm before she can say something worse. She turns on him, hissing, but she goes quiet when he gives her a look and shakes his head.
“Either he is your king or he is not,” Jacob tells her. “But if he is your king, do not disrespect him.”
She snatches her arm away. “Fine.”
She dismisses herself and storms up the stairs. Amir watches her go and I decide to keep my mouth shut.
He turns to me. His eyes drop to my hand wrapped around Mara’s.
“My offer still stands, Aaron.” He holds my gaze. “You can also stop this. Be the king you were born to be.”
He teleports away in a blink of magic.
Mara moves closer to me and her tail brushes against my hip. Tiana is already looking at me, arms crossed.
“Excuse me,” Tiana says. “What is Amir talking about?”
I groan. That is the last thing I want to discuss right now.
She walks straight to Damon with our mother’s stride, that same set in her shoulders, and Kiara and Samara follow.
“I want all the information you have on Henry,” Tiana tells him. Her chin lifts. “You aren’t doing this alone.”
She deserves the truth about what I saw and why I lost control, not the half apology I gave her at the clinic. I’m done shutting my sisters out and pretending it keeps them safe.
Seth is pressed into Jacob’s chest and Jacob’s arm is tight around him. My stepfather holds my brother like he’d tear the world apart before he let anything touch him. Eric never held me or my sisters like that.
