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19

HANK

All three of us sit bolt upright at the sound of Callie's footsteps on the stairs. Nerves flutter in the pit of my stomach.

Will said she isn’t angry at us anymore, and the three of us have made the decision to trust her. She's always going to be our leader, and we all know she'll do the right thing for the coven; there's no doubt about that. But this time, we're agreeing to trust her with our hearts. Callie has the ability to shatter all of us completely. I'm not even sure our friendship would survive her leaving us.

Ugh, it sounds so cheesy. But it's true.

“Fran left,” Callie says as she walks into the room. “To arrange a town meeting at the Circle.” Her voice is strong, but there's a hint of anxiety behind her words. She still isn't completely comfortable with her role in the coven. I can't blame her for that. I'd be the same in her situation.

It takes a moment for what she's saying to finally sink in. What she's going to do is dangerous, even if she is the rightful heir. She'll put herself in harm's way. But I recognize that there's nothing else for it.

I glance at my two best friends, unsurprised to find my shock mirrored on their faces. Neither of them expected this.

“When?” James asks, breaking the silence.

She shrugs. “I just told her as soon as possible.”

All three of us start speaking at once. But Will and James stop so I can continue.

“It’s too dangerous,” I say, voicing the same concerns I'm sure they're both feeling. “It’s too soon.” Though, if I'm honest, I'm not sure what we're waiting for. There's never going to be a good time, especially when it means having to watch Callie walk into danger.

She holds up her hands. “The solstice is a few weeks away. What better time?”

“But you’ll be exposed!” James looks terrified. I can’t blame him.

“That has to happen. We have to go head-to-head eventually. I can’t hide forever, or what’s the point of all this?”

She’s right, of course, but that doesn’t mean it has to happen now.

“Callie, think about the timing. Shouldn’t you do it closer to the solstice? Like the day before?” Will suggests.

Her tinkling laugh fills the room. We scoot around on the bed so she can climb up with us. We’re all cross-legged, in a circle. I lean forward and take her hand.

“We don’t want you hurt,” I assure her.

She looks more confident than she has so far as she squeezes my hand and takes Hank’s. “If I wait too long, it won’t give the coven time to choose a side. It’s going to help me tremendously, help me survive if I have people on my side.”

I believe most of the coven will want her as the catalyst. They hate the king. But I appreciate that she'll feel more comfortable if she gives them a choice.

“It’s happening so fast; I don’t know how to react.” I say the words quietly, even though I know none of them will judge me for it. In all likelihood, all four of us are feeling the same way.

“Guys, this boils down to one thing. It’s my choice. Not yours. You’re by my side, and I don’t take that lightly, but I believe this is right. It feels right.” The firm set of Callie's mouth convinces me her mind won't be changed.

We’re all silent for a long moment. I know they want to argue more as badly as I do, but the problem is that she’s right. If she’s going to be queen, she’s going to have to learn how to make her own decisions and to deal with the consequences. Our job is to support her with them, no matter what. I don't want Callie to think our love is conditional.

“We trust you,” James whispers at last.

And his words help me to find my own. “You’re handling this better than anyone would ever expect. I don’t know how I, we, got so lucky as to have you align your stars with ours.”

Callie scoots closer and presses her lips to mine. For a second, I just enjoy the moment. It feels right .

When she pulls away from me, Will leans over and bumps his forehead to hers. Nothing in me is upset at seeing the move of affection between them. Which is oddly nice.

When she leans over again and exchanges a soft kiss with James, I smile. “I think this is going to work.”

“You’re just now realizing that it’s very possible I’ll be able to take the throne?” Callie asks.

“No, I mean this. Us. Our odd relationship. I think it will work.”

James and Will grin while Callie ducks her head.

“I sure hope so," she says, looking between the three of us with adoration on her face.

An emotion all three of us shared. We shouldn't worry about Benny or any other guy. As far as Callie is concerned, we're the only guys who matter that way.