77

Isabella

Damon looked deep in thought for a moment, and I could see the gears in his mind working. "In the end, it's up to you," he said finally.

"If you want another family to replace it, then fine. If not, then the space remains vacant, and only five ruling families, along with yours, will take over the leadership of Aalia."

"I see," I said as my hand reached up to rub my chin. "Then perhaps it will be better to use one of the minor families and elevate them."

"Perhaps," Damon replied. "Just choose wisely."

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely curious about his statement. "And are you thinking of leaving me alone? I can't do this by myself, Damon. If you're not there, I'm going to... the guys will eat me alive. If Cassandra is this bad, how much worse are the rest of them?"

"Damon!" I wished to myself that the man shared the same apprehension as I did. Instead, he was laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking. By the time I saw his face, his eyes were watering, and his fac