Page 83 of Elven Crown

To make matters worse, she wasn’t simply expected to be present at this celebration while her mind could wander off on its own, attempting to strategize for future problems that hadn’t risen yet. Because Leonard was determined to draw her even further into it.

Titus handed the mage a paper cup of whatever liquor he’d already opened for the toast, chuckling when Leonard dipped his head over the rim for an experimental sniff. His nose twitched, several more people laughed, then the mage dove right in. “This will be quick and painless. I promise. For me, anyway.”

More laughter followed as drinks were passed around or refilled or poured for the first time.

“Let’s hear it for Knox!” Leonard shouted, thrusting his drink in the air.

Shit.

The entire task force launched a volley of cheers and laughter before several operatives called out at the same time, “Thon-Da’al! You’re toasting theThon-Da’al, you idiot!”

“Yeah, yeah,okay!” the mage shouted back. “If we’re getting all fancy and formal here, fine.”

He waved off the jokes, then lifted his cup toward Rebecca where she’d frozen in place the second he’d called her by her fake last name.

“To theThon-Da’al,” he said, grinning. “Or for anyone who still gets a little creeped out by using old-world titles, to our Commander! Couldn’t have done it without you.”

As the others broke into cheers and applause, Leonard lifted his cup in Rebecca’s direction again, pounded a fist against his chest, and nodded once more, this one meant specifically for her.

Rebecca jerked her head up at him, which was as much of an acknowledgement as she could manage, and wished she’d gone right to bed as soon as they’d climbed up from the parkinggarage. Just because she was Shade’s commander now didn’t mean her feelings about being in the spotlight had changed.

She still didn’t want it. Yet here she was.

When the cheering died down, Leonard laughed and called out, “Come on, Knox. It’s a celebration. You gotta stay and have a drink with us! Just one.”

He just couldn’t let it go, could he?

Dozens of smiling faces all turned toward her again, putting their commander squarely in the center of all the attention she absolutely did not want. The rising shouts for her to join them with a drink drowned out all her other thoughts before she realized they wouldn’t let this one go.

She pretended to think about it, folding her arms and leaning back against the wall beside the closest branching hallway, then rolled her eyes. “Fine. One drink.”

The others cheered. Leonard let out an exuberant whoop and ordered Titus to pour the commander a drink.

After standing in the discomfort long enough, Rebecca realized how different the general air in the common room tonight was at any other time. The celebration of her rise to commander had been one thing, then there had been the after-party following Rowan’s notable performance in successfully completing The Striving.

Tonight it was something different.

Tonight was a celebration for all of Shade, for everything they’d already achieved, and for everything they would achieve in the future.

At the docks tonight, a Shade team had successfully completed a mission with no deadly command interference and zero casualties. That was a massive step in the right direction and a big deal.

Leonard wanted to credit Rebecca for that success, but in reality, the greatest advantage the team had had tonightwas a complete lack of Aldous Corriger among them, ruining everything they attempted and almost getting them killed.

Who wassheto bring down the mood by correcting that misconception?

She couldn’t refuse the credit or the gratitude.

She couldn’t let herself soak up the celebratory vibe, either.

Her thoughts centered on preparing herself for when everything went wrong, because it would.

She could feel it in her bones now, just like she’d known from the moment she first saw him in the holding room that Rowan’s presence here meant nothing good, even when all signs so far still pointed to the contrary.

But she wasn’t just Rebecca Knox anymore, who could make herself invisible within Shade at the drop of a hat, whenever she wanted.

She was the Thon-Da’al now, their commander, and everything she did was under some kind of scrutiny. For a while, that would include comparing everything she did to how bad Aldous Corriger had been. Eventually, though, once that novelty wore off, she would still be noticed every day, at every moment, everywhere she went.

Rebecca was behind the wheel now, driving this task force toward their next destination, and the next, and the one after that.

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