I almost clapped my hands together I was so happy. “Then let’s do that! I can marry whoever I want, and be your daughter, and we don’t have to worry about anything else!”
Plus, if they elected another heir, my sisters would be safe. They wouldn’t be seen as a threat... hopefully. I didn’t want to bring them up sooner than required.
Maybe they could organize some sort of official document passing on the idea of being the heir. Bella would sign it in a heartbeat. Courtney... probably, although I wasn’t as sure about her the way I was about Bella.
Tavlor grabbed my hand, and my attention.
“Ava, do you know what you’re saying?” he asked, tilting his head to the side, his eyes intense as they scanned mine.
I glanced from my father, back to my lover.
“Yes, of course. Don’t you agree with me?” I asked. “I mean, isn’t it the perfect solution? I can just be a normal girl. I don’t have to worry about stepping into power or having the Council breathing down my neck and pointing out everything I screw up, because I’m pretty sure I’d screw up a lot.”
He didn’t look convinced. His lips were turned down and there was a sadness in his eyes I didn’t understand.
“What’s the problem?” I asked, my voice tentative. I pulled back from him, but only slightly. “I mean... this means we can be together. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Or was there another reason Tavlor wanted to be with me?
“Unless... did you want to be the next High Warlock or something?” I asked. I hated myself for even thinking it, but I couldn’t help it. Why else would he be disappointed?
More than that, it would make a lot of sense considering his background, and his breeding. Was he wanting the connections and the power that came with the role? To get back at those who had made him feel like he was nothing, worthless?
Tavlor’s eyes widened.
“Are you seriously asking me that?” His tone sounded offended, but his eyes were filled with hurt.
“Well, why else would you want me to take on the role. I can’t see any advantages, and only disadvantages,” I said quickly, ignoring the guilt pooling into my stomach.
Tavlor shook his head. “The Council will never accept me as anything other than a guard,” he pointed out. “If you decide to marry me, you will never be High Warlock, Ava. Never. This has nothing to do with what I want, and everything to do with what is the right thing for you. And your family.”
I swallowed hard. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
I still wasn’t convinced that he didn’t want the position, but that may be my extremely compromised and stressed out brain talking.
I chewed my bottom lip, unsure where we went from here. I knew what I wanted, but I couldn’t help but think Tavlor had a point as well. I just wasn’t sure what that was.
“So, what are you saying?” I finally decided to ask.
“I’m saying that you don’t know what you’re giving up.” Tavlor’s voice was gentle, even understanding, which bothered me more than I wanted to admit. “The High Warlock has a beautiful house, money, power, and influence. But the main role of the High Warlock is to affect change, moderate the Council. If you step away and they elect one of their own children...”
He trailed off and a feeling of dread washed over me.
“What would happen then?” I asked. I already knew the answer, but I was compelled to hear it from them.
“Well, anything,” Tavlor said. “Truly anything. They could change laws overnight. Imprison the Fae, the Shifters. Their power and influence would be unlimited, and they would have someone whose strings they would successfully pull, not someone like Matlock who knows when to fight and when to concede.”
“But the Fae and Shifters wouldn’t handle that, would they?” I asked. “They wouldn’t just let the Council lock them away for no reason?”
He shook his head with a sad smile. “No, they wouldn’t. So there would be a revolt. Wars. Death. And all because the Council’s new puppet is as evil as they are.”
I let my head drop forward and I closed my eyes. Was he serious? The happiness and safety of half the Universe was now on my shoulders?
I lifted my head and stared at him. “So you’d rather me choose to serve the community and spend the rest of my life fighting the Council over marrying you and being a daughter to my father? Even if it means I have to marry... and have sex with a man I don’t even know! To have children with him the Council can use as pawns in their sick, twisted game?”
Tavlor grimaced, then he clenched his jaw.
“You don’t even know what you’re doing,” he pointed out. Though his tone was soft, his words were harsh. “You haven’t lived here. You haven’t seen the oppression of the people. Watched your father fight for the rights they currently have. The Council will destroy everyone if there isn’t someone there to stop them.”