Page 61 of Insurrection
I hesitated before meeting both of their gazes, "I know your loyalties lie with your families and houses. I hope what you are saying isn't true—"
It was.
I continued, "But if it is, I also understand that you probably don't want to stand with me as I accuse them of what happened last night."
"Wrong." Finias stepped up close to me, smoothing his fingers up my jaw. “I stand with you.”
“Oh.” I could feel my cheeks heating as Nico shifted, drawing my attention.
“My house is not who I am. I have always thought my parents were bastards…but this is different. Their games have turned ruthless and deadly.”
Was it wrong that I already felt ten times better going into this meeting? I knew their opinions wouldn’t change the votes, but the emotional support really altered my perspective. Plus, while the votes were important, there was a deadly game being played, and support when it came to that was far more essential.
My gaze flew to Adrien, who was watching me with an affection that shouldn’t have been possible in the short time we’d known one another.
“My house stands with you,” Adrien stated without hesitation. “But you don’t ever need to question me, even if that wasn’t the case, beauty.”
Damnit. These men, I swear. How was I not supposed to have feelings for them when they acted like this?
“You should get ready,” Drayven suggested. “The vote starts at noon.”
My gaze met his. It was shadowed with concern, but the normal aggression that existed around the others was extinguished. He just seemed worried. I nodded and moved towards the bathroom right as Damien walked out. I leaned into the hug he gave me, his arms wrapping around and enveloping me.
I had been nervous about the voting ceremony before because I’d felt the need to prove myself. Now, I was cautious and furious because proving myself wasn’t the concern…it was surviving this damn Summit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adrien
Ihad never felt this way before. I wasn’t anxious—that wasn’t the correct word for it. It was a mixture between fury at what had occurred last night and an overall uneasiness about what was going to occur today.
I was on edge, wanting everything to go to plan because, if it didn’t, Ama’s life would continue to be in danger. I didn’t trust these bastards to leave things at the voting ceremony. The House of Runes and House of Sin wanted power too much. That much was clear from the manner in which they’d achieved their status.
They also hated Ama enough that I could see them justifying violence. Easily. As I’d told Ama, where the other house rulers had a secured place appointed by the devil himself, Sin and Runes had taken that into their own hands, and they were still extremely defensive over the fact. They felt as though they had to constantly fight for power, which bred a very dangerous attitude towards anyone they considered a threat.
I should have considered the House of Fallen a threat, but I didn’t. They might have been assholes, but they lived by a code of conduct that was stiff and unyielding. They wouldn’t kill Ama unless she attacked first, even if they despised her. Of course, the House of Shadows and House of Hellfire were no threat to her, so I found myself solely focused on the villains on either end of our u-shaped table.
This entire Summit had thrown me off my normal, calm and collected method of operating. All because of Ama. My stunning beauty.
I could practically feel her nervousness, despite not being within sight of the room and her power being concealed, and it was making me want to go to her. To comfort her. Of course, she had every right to be anxious, considering the circumstances, but I still didn’t like it. The woman deserved to live in the sun and experience every bit of beauty and glory that this realm had to offer her. Not to be stuck inside this estate with shady political dealings and the judgement of the purists who infected our realm.
I could handle that for her.I could handle anything for her. I would live in the shadows for her so that she didn’t have to. I inhaled, realizing that this…draw, a word I wasn’t sure quite described the compulsion I felt towards Ama, was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was so much more than attraction, and the more time I spent with her, the more I realized that there was no escaping it. I didn’t want to, but even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.
I wasn’t the only one, either.
Which was why we were here, in this room, without her, waiting and watching for Ama to make her appearance. But not before we confirmed our suspicions about who was to blame for last night. As we waited for voting to begin, I could see certain people growing more surprised that my beauty had yet to show up. The ceremonial voting room was silent, yet screaming with tension, the air thick with a mixture of emotions that were practically rolling over my skin like rain water.
I could feel my mother watching me, and I was surprised she hadn’t asked me if I knew about Ama’s whereabouts. I had made it no secret to them how enamored I was with the woman, and instead of being surprised, they had seemed genuinely happy. Of course, they’d been concerned about her motivations for getting close to me, but I’d explained that Ama wasn’t like that. She didn’t play games. She destroyed them.
The woman was a goddess among men. Unconcerned about trivial political agendas and focused on the quality of life of those around her.
The lights within the room were low and relaxed, as if that would somehow ease the moment, and the front of the room was more brightly lit in the place where a podium stood, vacant and lonely. In a few short minutes, each house would plead their case, explaining why they should be voted in as Supreme. It was a pointless endeavor because I already knew who should be voted in, and now it was just a matter of convincing the others.
Our u-shaped table faced towards the podium, and my parents sat to my left side, the open seat to my right normally reserved for the current Supreme—or in this case, Ama, who was filling the position for her father. We had chosen to get here early to ensure her closest allies were nearest to her. So, on the opposite side of Drayven, who would be sitting next to Ama, were Damien and his parents. Next to them was the House of Fallen, followed by the House of Runes. On my parents' other side was the House of Sin.
“Where is she?” Nico’s father’s voice was filled with malice, and I watched his clear agitation with some measure of enjoyment. I knew he wasn’t directly asking the House of Runes, who had most likely arranged for the failed assassination, but you wouldn’t know that from how prickly and tense Finias’ father seemed to grow.
“Maybe we should just start the process,” Finias’ mother suggested as my father shook his head and let out a sigh. It was a barely noticeable move that let me know he was as frustrated with this process as I was.
