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“Yeah, Mum, everything is fine.” My voice is dry; it sounds foreign even to my ears.
“Sweetheart, we’ve been worried,” she says softly, the same script as always.
“I know.” I let out a sigh, glancing back at the faces behind me—my Four Cardinals—and find braveness in their silent encouragement. “But listen, we need to talk. About... everything.”
There’s a sharp inhale from her end of the line and then silence, a drawn-out pause that stretches the tension to a near-breaking point. “We were hoping you’d come to us when you were ready,” she finally says, her voice careful, masking the turmoil that must be churning beneath.
“I’m more than ready, Mum. I need answers,” I insist, my grip on the phone tightening. The Four Cardinals stand like statues, their expressions unreadable yet imposing.
“Your father and I... We wanted to protect you, Ever. From the burdens and the responsibilities,” she tries to explain, but her words only stoke the fire of betrayal burning inside me.
“Protect me? Or control me?” I challenge, the bitterness in my words, searing as it leaves my lips. “You kept this hidden from me for my entire life. You’re part of the sect, and you kept it hidden. You could’ve reclaimed what was taken from our family, and you didn’t. Why?”
There’s another pause, and I can almost picture her exchanging a worried glance with my father before she replies. “Yes, we’re part of it. But it’s not what you think, Ever. There’s so much history you need to understand.”
“I do understand. I understand everything. I’m the queen of the Four Cardinals, part of the sect, and I’m going to take thatroyal title stolen from us. If you want it, kinda tough shit. It’s mine, and I want it.”
“It is yours, love,” Mum says. “I never wanted it because I knew this moment would come. We are so very proud of you, Ever. You are claiming your destiny, and that’s all we wanted for you. But we couldn’t tell you any of this. It was yours to find out on your own.”
The line goes quiet for a beat, and I can feel the weight of my destiny crushing down on me, but there’s also a surge of power that comes with it. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
“Fine,” I say, because what else can I say? “I’ve found out. And now it’s time to change things.”
“You will be magnificent,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice now, the relief that the secret is out, that the burden is lifted. But for me, the real work has only just begun.
“I might be,” I concede, then add with a sharp edge to my words, “but don’t think this means you’re off the hook. We’re going to have a long conversation about all this, soon.”
“I—we look forward to it,” Mum says, and there’s a tremble in her voice.
As I end the call and the screen goes black, I feel Ben’s hand on my shoulder—solid and reassuring.
“You did good,” he says simply.
Charlie steps forward, his eyes gleaming with respect. “That took guts. We’ve got your back, remember that.”
Alistair just nods at me, his nod an unspoken pact of allegiance as Damien takes my hand and squeezes it.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. My phone no longer feels like an explosive; it’s my sceptre now, a symbol of power and connection. To my past and to my future.
“Speaking of parents,” Charlie starts with a smile that seems almost nervous.
“What?” I press when he doesn’t continue right away.
“I may have asked them to fast-track the whole reclaiming your title thing. They are high-ranking in both the sect and the nobility. It was an easy option.”
“Okay,” I murmur. “Why did you think I’d be mad about that?”
“You like to do things yourself.”
Giggling, I take his hand. “Not when I have zero clue what I’m actually supposed to do. Thank you. That helps enormously.”
“Phew.” He lets out a chuckle as he wipes his brow. “I was worried you’d yell at me. Or withhold sex or something.”
I snort. “Ha, not the last one. You get me off too good, Viscount. But not the first one, either. Thank you.”
“In that case, I’ll also tell you that they were already on it. They want this for you.” He searches my eyes as if looking for an answer I don’t have.
“I’ll have to thank them then, really soon.”
