"Absolutely not," I said, pushing away the ornate certificate of presidency they kept trying to hand me. "I appreciate the honor, but I have no interest in running the Traditional Medicine Association."
The silver-haired official who had arrested Desmond—or rather, Dorian—looked at me with blatant disbelief. "Mr. Knight, this is an unprecedented opportunity. The Council rarely makes such direct appointments."
I sighed, feeling the exhaustion of the day settling into my bones. The creation of the Pill Cloud had drained more of my energy than I'd anticipated, and the aftermath of Desmond's dramatic arrest had turned the conference hall into chaos. Everyone wanted a piece of me—my time, my knowledge, my connections.
"My answer remains the same," I said firmly. "I'm an alchemist, not a politician. I prefer to work in peace, not navigate bureaucracy."
