Page 86 of Microburst

I nodded, not knowing enough to be able to say anything useful.

“We can’t let this eat us and have to somehow accept that we won’t understand their twisted minds,” she said with a shaky voice. “I don’t know how either, but we have to. They don’t deserve us giving them this energy.”

“If you know where the switch is to shut it off, please tell me,” I grumbled.

“Fair. I’m doing the same, but I’m just…”

“I know.” I reached over and took her hand, both of us chuckling when they were a bit sticky from the baklava.

“I’ll bribe Myriam to get us more, but I’m not stopping. This is—I’m so glad you’re making this your home and what you need.” She moved closer. “I’m sorry I was so blind to Raquel. She was—things just always… I still hear my parents in my head that tradition cannot be touched.”

I snorted. “Hypocrites.” I glanced at her. “We’re so far from the founding traditions that—hypocrites.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to see that.” She let out a slow breath. “Fraser and I are disappointed in our other siblings.”

I decided to share what Belinda had told me. “They’re hoping I’ll fail and you and Fraser will be tainted along with me so their kids have a chance to be next.”

She was quiet for so long I thought she was going to let that go. “How?”

“Belinda.”

“She really—her magic?”

“No, all the favors and… Actually, I don’t know if it’s favors or just being ancient means you meet a lot of people along the way. She’s—I think she’s seen something or knows something that makes it clear that I have to be queen. I don’t know. She stares at me funny sometimes and then her eyes fill with fear but also determination.”

“No pressure,” she drawled.

I snorted.

“Will they hurt you?” she worried.

“I don’t think anyone in this family is stupid enough to try,” I answered honestly. All my father’s siblings knew what I was and had witnessed what I could do as a child. They might want their kids to take my place, but they fully believed if anyone found out I had two dragons, it would be the end of our family ruling.

I wasn’t sure why they thought that—maybe some influence from my father’s beliefs—but they did.

“We should focus on the wins,” she whispered, sounding sad.

I snorted again.

“I know it’s two steps forward and one back, but you’ve had them.”

I shot her an annoyed glance. “Yeah, but those steps forward Ilimp, Maple.”

She bobbed her head and stared out at the night. “But they’re big fucking steps. The fires are out in Fiete and Idunn, and what we’re getting in return is huge. Even your biggest critics are saying it was bold and you’re smarter than they gave you credit for. The embargo with Khirriln is lifted, and those elders’ companies are going under already.”

“People are furious some are losing their jobs because of that,” I countered. “And others are giving me shit that our government isn’t stronger and we need the help from other countries.”

She kept bobbing her head. “Yeah, it’s always going to be like that. Even if you’re perfect, people will still bitch. They will always find something to bitch about. They will make it up even. Butyou knowyou did the right thing. You did the best possible thing with the information and options you had.” She reached into her pocket and handed me something.

I read it over and chuckled. “Thanks, Maple.”

“I’m proud of you, Sagan. Fraser and I mean it when we say you’re going to be a much better ruler than your—Rhys. I believe that.”

I was starting to truly hear them when they did. I was reading the proof of it. She’d written an op-ed fighting back saying instead of people complaining that they were losing their jobs working for corrupt elders who had hurt our country… Why weren’t they hurrying to apply at the import companies who would now need to expand since Khirriln was ready to sell to our people?

Fine, people who were dairy farmers probably couldn’t make the switch easily, but stranger things had happened. There were also other dairy farms. There were always other opportunities. I was working on making the economy stronger.

What were they doing besides bitching?