24

Six Weeks Later

W e were gathered in the square again. There’d been some hiccups, but the final vote had been cast and the three newly elected leaders of our Tri-Electorate governing body were preparing to address us from the bandstand.

Despite the ice front that had blown in during the night, it seemed like every man, woman and child was on the streets, packed here into the square with us or around a screen somewhere. Stalls were set up throughout Capra, offering cups of hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies, not quite on the same scale but reminiscent of Foundation Ball festivities.

Today had been declared a national holiday, the first amendment to Capra’s legislation. The first of many. This was just the beginning.

I stood near the bandstand, but toward the edge of the crowd. Jessie and her husband, Harry, stood by my side. Lisa and her husband Brian stood on my other side.

Roman stood behind me, his arms around my waist, folding me in his strength and warmth and scent—my rock, the support and love that underpinned the foundation of my world. He wasn’t dressed in warden black. He was here as my husband. For now, we were firmly based in Capra. James had stepped down and Roman’s promotion to senior warden had come through. He hadn’t yet decided whether he’d pursue the position of High Warden when the time came. Our future was an adventure in the making.

I rested the back of my head against his chest and looked up at him.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, murmuring, “All okay?”

“Perfect.” Some days I wondered how we got here, then I looked into his eyes and saw the answer.

Movement on the bandstand drew our attention.

Daniel Edgar stood forward and raised a hand, preparing to address the crowd. Maybe it was the comfort of familiarity, or some version of the old regime rearing its head, but he’d been elected with the highest vote count. He wasn’t the old council, though. His beliefs aligned with mine and when he spoke, it was impossible to doubt the innovative transformation he championed for.

Beside him stood Geneva. I wasn’t disappointed with her election. She would always be a fierce advocate for women and when her methods inevitably strayed toward intolerance and aggression, well, that was the point of our tri-electoral system. Three rounds of voting, the first for a wide field of nominations, the second to whittle the candidates down to ten, the third to elect our three very different leaders to enhance each other’s strengths, balance out the weaknesses and ensure every voice is heard.

Our third leader was a silver-bearded man whom I didn’t know, but my father vouched for him. Apparently he was a sturdy man of integrity and representative of the people. We’d see. I didn’t have anything to say about him, but the people of Capra obviously did. And if he didn’t deliver, they could change their voice when the next election came around in three years.

Lisa nudged my shoulder. “That’s going to be me, one day, addressing Capra with my acceptance speech.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second.” I smiled at her. “You’ll have my vote.”

Brenda was also up there on the bandstand, seated in the row of chairs behind our standing leaders, basking in the glow of her husband’s success.

I didn’t begrudge her that.

After all, here I stood, basking in the glow of my husband’s embrace.

Every relationship had its own path to travel, and Daniel seemed happy enough with the path he and Brenda were on.

Once all three leaders had delivered their short address, a large red, black and gold banner unrolled behind them, heralding three base flames rising to form a single fire that burned through the TRI-ELECTORATE signature.

Jessie slipped her hand in mine and leaned in. “That’s you!”

She was referring to the flames.

“It’s all of us.” I squeezed her hand. “A flame can flicker, or be stamped out with one boot. But many flames rising together become a fire that can rage and burn this world down if it is not tended to with care.”

** Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the final bookof my Sin of Duty series.**

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