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He hesitates, just for a second, before the tension in his face begins to melt.

“He almost killed you,” he whispers, the words coming out haltingly. “I thought—” His voice falters, and he swallows hard.“Rowan, I don’t think I can ever live without you again. Not after this.”

The confession hits me like a punch to the gut, and I have to blink hard to keep my tears from falling because I feel the same.

I can’t live without him either.

“I know,” I whisper back, my voice soft but steady. “I know. I’m not going anywhere.”

He opens his mouth but Cordelia’s voice slices through the room.

“There is not much of a point in voting.”

All eyes turn to her, the guards, the Keepers, maybe even my father.

“I believe it’s unanimous,” she continues.

Alex pulls away from me, and I look at the raging flame on the dais again. My father is still slumped on the floor, but everyone else is looking at me now.

“Rowan Vasilyev, I believe you are the new Head of The Snake.”

There is a breathless silence for a second where everyone looks like they are not sure what to do next until Hayden starts clapping. The rest of the sanctum follows, muted and staggered applause sounding around me.

No sense of pride swells through me. My father lies on the floor and The Keepers look more confused than happy.

I may have gotten the title, but I know what comes next, and it’s nothing good.

I glance at Alex, who gives me a small, proud smile. I clutch his hand, squeezing tightly. He squeezes back.

And for now, that has to be enough.

My father is carried away to get medical attention for his fall. He’s groggy and confused, blood gushing out of his wound at alarming pace. I would have preferred him to be carried out ofhere in a body bag, but we’ll need to question him, see just how far the rot goes.

“That was both dramatic and anticlimactic at the same,” Hayden says, coming up to me and clapping my on the shoulder. “Congratulations, Rowan.”

He looks like he’s aged ten years. We probably all do.

“I’m more concerned about Dad,” I say. “He wasn’t working alone. We need to know who else is in on this.”

“Leave it to me,” Xander says. “I’ll root every single one of them out.”

“Xan—”

Before Hayden can continue, Kingston White appears in front of me, a bright smile on his face.

“Congratulations, Rowan. I know you’ll make an excellent Head.” He looks at the floor where some of my father’s blood still sits in droplets. “A shame about your father, though.”

He doesn’t mean it, but I match his smile anyway and continue smiling when more Keepers come over to congratulate me.

Many tell me how happy they are it’s me. Some offer their condolences and ask about my father. But most are determined to gain favour, get an early foot in with the new Head. I smile through it all, revelling in it.

In a few days, I will be given the second tattoo on my back during The Ritual and officially crowned Head of The Snake.

I turn to Alex as the room empties. Through the commotion, he disappeared to stand in the back, but now he steps forward to meet me, his eyes searching mine.

He has made me realise a power inside myself that I didn’t know I had. He has given me the most important thing—someone to lose.

He glances past me, then focuses back on my eyes. “Can we get out of here?” he asks. “I want to go home.”