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We’re worthy of this power, and we won’t take it for granted. We will make the most of it. We will be the change that the world needs.
Our future might be full of secrets, but behind the Looking Glass, the world will thrive.
Our lives will flourish.
Together.
That I vow.
30
Fame
Epilogue
“Areyousureyou’reready for a meeting? We could skip two more weeks and still be okay. The chapter is fine, and everyone has settled down since the aftermath of the bastard.” Talon adjusts my robe, pulling the hem up as I stand in the Queen’s chamber, every aspect of Kenneth and his court now gone. This isn’t a place for secret meetings or plotting. It is a sanctuary to reflect and remember what our purpose is from here. The weight of darkness still hangs over us, and our business still might be morally gray, but we use it to our advantage to better those who need more and deserve more.
Like the rehab center I have created free of charge and with the best care for those who need it, named for my mother. I refuse to let the world forget her, even if she had long been thrown out by the world because of her disease.
And as for the Looking Glass chapter, we no longer have wealth as part of the stipulation to grow among the elites. We want those who aren’t afraid of using their voices, working hard to create change. We need those who can build a path that others can follow without worrying about a minefield left behind by those who would rather kill to get ahead than realize that we’re all in this together.
“I just don’t want you to get stressed out. I know it’s hard being here.” Talon glides his fingers under my robe and across my stomach, resting his palm just below my navel. “Stress isn’t good for the baby.”
I drape my arms around his neck and pull him in to kiss me. “The last thing I am is stressed, birdie. I’m excited. I don’t want to put this off again. It’s time to step up, don’t you think?”
“They already know you’re the perfect Queen, and they’re thrilled to have you back. But let me be nervous. I prefer to hide you from the world.” Talon kisses me softly. “Don’t fault me for wanting to protect you.”
“William arrived. He will bear witness to the shift in power.” Leandro remains expressionless standing in the doorway, keeping it mostly closed so no one can see into the brightly lit sanctuary of our office, now full of color and plants and light, unlike the dark tomb, Kenneth had created.
I tense at William’s name, just the thought of him igniting rage inside me. But it has to be this way. We don’t have a choice otherwise. His signature is necessary in the declaration of a new ruler of our chapter.
“We’ll be right out,” Talon says, turning toward me. He sighs and rests his head on my shoulder, bowing into me. “I can handle this.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to give him a reason to doubt me. If it were up to him, he’d take over our chapter and combine it with his.”
“Fuck that. He doesn’t have the finances. Me and you—Christos, Esteban, and Leandro—we have a motherfucking empire. Our reach goes beyond the Looking Glass. We’ll make it known.” Talon pulls away from me and helps me adjust my diamond-encrusted masquerade mask.
I take a deep breath and twine my fingers through his, letting him guide me toward the meeting room. Bianca waits outside the door. She smiles at me, taking her place at my side, her Duchess nickname, showing that she is no longer just the heir of Juan. She has surpassed him in power. And from the grin on his face as he stands next to Marge-Louise proves that he doesn’t care. He might have his flaws, but he loves his daughter.
I touch my stomach. The kind of love I already feel with the life inside me growing every day, getting as powerful as the rest of us. My future heir. She will be raised far better than I was, doted on, and guided, taught and shown the love that she deserves and more.
“I call to order this meeting and have come to issue the initiation for Her Majesty,” William says, his voice laced with annoyance. Hatred even. He’d prefer to see me begging on my knees, instead of standing before him, my head high and my shoulders back, embodying more power than he will ever know. He is just as weak and limp as his small dick.
“Please step forward, Your Majesty. As it is customary, the Queen must pass the initiation to claim her leadership position. Do you accept the challenge?” William says, twisting his lips to the side. I want so badly to smack the smugness off his face, but Talon squeezes my hand, keeping me in control.
“I’m taking the initiation for her,” Talon says, speaking up. “As acting enforcer, it’s in my right to do so for the person I vow my loyalty to.”
William sneers, shaking his head. “That only works for an initiation to be an heir. If she wants to be Queen, she must complete the challenge.”
I tug from Talon’s hand, stepping in front of him before he lunges at William. “I accept the challenge,” I say, my voice coming out strong, echoing over the silent room. A couple members mutter under their breaths from the front row, and I make a point to look at them, spotting a few men that want nothing more than what William wants. I know these are the men that helped Kenneth and managed to escape, though they still claimed that they were following orders. They didn’t want to be deemed traitors, and they accept that power now belongs to me.
Except I don’t believe them.
I will prove a point.
“You are tasked with sacrificing one of our very own to prove to the Society of Secrets that you are worthy to lead and are capable of making the most difficult decisions for the greater good of our people.” William turns toward the altar and tugs off a cloth covering a jewel-encrusted gun, one that has probably been in this chapter for a century.
My heart hammers, and I turn my attention to the crowd, looking at everyone. Nerves hang heavy in the air, and I smell the sweat of those who fear that I will choose them.
