Page 176 of Queen of Volts

As it turned out, she hadn’t been as different as she’d thought.

She’d been raised with Charles and Delia like a sister—that much had been true. But her uncle had never kept the truth from her. About Leah. About Harrison. Sophia had gladly given that part of herself to the Bargainer. Omertas were despicable talents, and whether or not Vianca Augustine ever knew about the existence of her granddaughter, Sophia had never wanted to knowher. And Harrison, for as long as she’d ever remembered, had been gone—a character from the North Side’s history so mysterious he’d been downgraded to ghost.

But there was another good that had come from Bryce’s demise. Once all of Bryce’s and the Bargainer’s shades had been undone, Sophia had gotten her split talent back.

And omertas couldn’t be cast on an Augustine. It was impossible.

That contradiction made Harrison’s omerta over her snap. It madeallhis omertas snap. Delaney and Harvey were no more prisoner to them than she was.

“Are you sure this is still a good idea?” Sophia asked. “Some people look at you and see, well...”

“See what?” Harrison asked.

“The Families. A don as Chancellor.” She frowned. “And at least before you’d been, well, family-less. But once you tell everyone that I’m your daughter...and I’m a Torren—”

“Then they’ll be pretty surprised when my first act is to institute a term limit,” he responded.

“And a new currency,” Enne said politely from the room’s corner.

“And Roy’s medal,” Levi added.

Harrison cocked an eyebrow. “Are you two even old enough to vote?”

Levi laughed. “Are you old enough to be a dad?”

Harrison snorted, then cringed, placing a hand to his stomach where he’d been shot. One of the service members instantly lunged over to make sure he was all right, and Harrison swatted away the offered crutch.

“The last two Chancellors died within months of each other,” Harrison said. “I need to look—”

“Youthful?” Levi suggested.

“Spry?” Sophia added.

He frowned. “Capable.”

One of the staff members cleared their throat. “Sir? We’re going to need to start soon.”

Harrison nodded, then turned to Enne. “Is there anything you’d like to say?”

She smiled faintly. She’d worn a simple gray dress today, one she must’ve bought for herself to work at the National Bank. A dress that told Sophia that after months attempting to sway New Reynes’ hearts, today Enne didn’t want to be seen. “Actually, there isn’t. If that’s all right.”

Harrison straightened his tie again. “It’s quite all right. I think Miss Sanguick’s article said more than enough, don’t you?”

“She told the story better than I could’ve,” Enne managed.

Harrison gave himself one last look-over in the mirror. He licked his finger and slicked down a stray hair, and Sophia resisted the urge to tell him not to do that, it made him still look gangster. But then she caught her own reflection—dressed in green, rather than her usual red. Even with the medal adornment, wearing her usual thigh-high boots, her bright lipstick, and with her dice clutched in her hand, she looked no more reformed than he did.

“If only my mother could see me now,” Harrison muttered.

“She would hate it,” Sophia told him.

He grinned, but then his expression faded into something more serious, something better suited for a politician. He placed his hand on her shoulder. It was very paternal, and though Sophia didn’t mind, though she did care about Harrison, it reminded her of how fast her life had changed. Even after losing Jac, she had people around her to support her. Not just Harrison, but Poppy, Delaney, and the others. She could be defined by more than a goal, more than a sacrifice.

“When they offered me this position, I wasn’t sure if I should accept,” Harrison told her. “A lot of the things they say about me are right. I have been far from good.”

“I don’t need an explanation,” Sophia said. She wasn’t perfect, either.

“No, but I’ve always been especially hopeless with family. And that was where I wanted to start. But I remembered when you told me that my destiny was my responsibility, and I thought of what I could do with this position. And I hope you don’t mind that I’ve started here, instead.”