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“You should be thanking me!” he calls after me. “Without me, your mother would still be alive, and she would have never chosen you!”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I don’t stop to look back at him. I walk out of his makeshift cell, a guard shutting the door and locking it behind me.

The echo of his voice clings to me

She never would have chosen you.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the lingering doubt. He’s trying to get into my head, to make me question myself. But thetruth is, he’s not entirely wrong. My mother didn’t trust me. She didn’t believe I was ready.

Still, at the end of the day, I’m alive and she is not.

When I emerge into the upper levels of the building, the dim fluorescent light of the underbelly gives way to the golden glow of chandeliers. The air is warmer here, filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and polished wood. It should feel like a reprieve, but it doesn’t.

Alex is waiting for me at the end of the hallway, leaning against the doorframe of my office. Two weeks ago, it was my mother’s office.

He straightens as soon as he sees me, concern flickering in his eyes.

“How’d it go?” he asks.

“About as well as expected,” I say, brushing past him into the office. He follows, shutting the door behind him.

I move to the window, staring out at the rain-soaked streets of Senna. The Serpentine faces south to the river, The Snake’s territory vast. Across the bridge lies Canning and The Scarlet Ravens. I’ll have to worry about them too now.

I take in a sharp breath, turning to find Alex, who is looking at me with those warm eyes that leave me floundering. I like that he’s here, that even though I feel unbalanced after seeing my father, everything still feels like it will work out. Figuring this all out won’t be easy, but with him, I think I can do it.

“He said some things,” I begin.

“About Haze?” Alex asks.

“Yes, but also about The Scarlet Ravens and our men’s loyalty. It looks like the peace treaty won’t last forever.”

He doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he crosses the room, coming around to my side perching on the edge of the teak desk. I can’t help it. I move closer to him like a moth to a flame and he lets me, opening up his legs so I can slot in between them.

He gazes up at me. “You have to take whatever he says with a grain of salt. He’s trying to get into your head.”

I nod. “I know, but I think he’s telling the truth, only because he’s smug enough to think I can’t do this.”

“He’s wrong,” he says, his voice not wavering and his eyes trained on me. “This is what you were born for, Rowan. No one else can say that.”

I’m compelled to believe him, but as reassuring as his confidence is, I know there is more to come. Being chosen as Head of The Snake was one thing. Keeping that position is another.

“I don’t know who to trust,” I say, more to myself than to him.

He smiles warmly. “Let’s start small. You have me and your brothers. We’ll work our way up from there.”

His hand finds mine, grounding me. His words settle something in me. The coiled tension eases, just slightly.

“I love you,” I say quietly.

He smiles, a small, warm thing that feels like the first light after a storm. “I love you too.”

I grin. “Come with me,” I say, a buzz of excitement firing up on skin.

He frowns, confused. “Where?”

“You’ll see,” I say, offering my hand.

He takes it without hesitation, and I feel the last of the weight in my chest lift.