Montrell was eying me. “Attacking the Tromara King is the greatest of crimes. Why didn’t he take you with him? Why didn’t he punish you?”
“He has other plans for me. Look, I really need to call my grandma. Now.” I reached in my pocket for my phone. There was absolutely no reception down here. Summoning up my courage, I headed for the door that Montrell was blocking with his muscular frame. “I really need to go.”
He shook his head. “Isabella’s in a Council meeting right now, just like my father and every other member. You can’t reach her.”
I slapped the stone wall. My eyes burned with frustration and anger. He was right, and I wasn’t thinking straight. My head throbbed. I rubbed my sore abdomen.
“Did he hurt you?” Montrell asked, his face unreadable.
“Not badly.” I turned away.
“What’s going on?”
I sat on the edge of the table, my body shaking as the adrenaline wore off. A chill shivered through me. Suddenly, I was too tired to fight with this asshole advisor of mine.
“He’s taking Isabella,” I said. “This summer, in exchange for me, he’s taking my grandma. Then I’ll become the new Council Queen, and he thinks I’ll be his puppet. I know you don’t care about Isabella, but I do, and I won’t let this happen.”
“I don’t think you’re in a position to do anything about this,” he said.
I shot him a glare. “I’ll find a way.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” He cocked his head to one side. “Do you think you’re above the rules the rest of us have to live by?”
“I am serious.” I sighed. “And no, I don’t think I’m above the rules. I think the rules are wrong. They need to be changed for everybody’s sake.”
“And what makes you so special that you can make that change for all of us?”
“I don’t think I’m better than anyone else, okay? I just—I refuse to live with all this injustice, and fear, and horror.” I didn’t care if Montrell thought I was a crazy traitor and rebel. He couldn’t do anything to me.
“You sound like you’re willing to get us killed all because of what you can’t live with.”
“What? No, that’s not what I mean.” I rubbed my bruised throat. “This isn’t about me. Does anyone here really want to live with the Tromara ruling them? Do parents want to sacrifice their children every year?”
Montrell’s jaw clenched. “We don’t have a choice.”
“What if you did? What if you had the chance to get out from under the Tromara?”
“There is no opportunity for that.”
“But you’d take it? Wouldn’t you?” I slid off the table, my legs feeling strong enough to stand on again.
“I won’t discuss treason with you.”
“Then I think we’re done here.” I returned his steady gaze. “Unless there’s something else you want to corner me about.”
Montrell stepped aside. “Try not to get us all killed with your impulsiveness.”
“The only one I plan to put in danger is myself.” I slipped past him.
This agreement Isabella and Sebastian had come up with needed to be changed. If anyone was going to be taken by him, it should be me. He had to have a weakness. I needed to find it.
I paced the length of the turret in the Dean’s Hall waiting for Isabella to return my text. How much longer could this meeting last?
My phone vibrated. We’ll discuss that later. Demarcus will be arriving at 6pm on Wednesday to bring you to Kyle Aimes’ hearing. Meet him in the parking lot.
I groaned in frustration. I didn’t want her to shut me out and carry on with her plan. We needed to talk about this. I’d have to catch her after the hearing. I shuddered. The last person I wanted to spend an evening talking about, and being in the same room with, was Kyle Aimes.
I typed a quick reply. I’ll be there. Can we talk after?
Yes. See you soon.
At least we had time. I had another term at the Academy, and Isabella had said she wanted to tutor me this summer, so we probably had until August, maybe early September. There was time to come up with an alternative plan.
An alert popped up on my screen. Assembly in Sorrentino Hall ASAP. All are required to attend. -Dean Wright.
I chewed on my lip, frowning as I trotted down the winding staircase. A nagging feeling in my gut told me this wasn’t going to be good. Sorrentino Hall was at the exact opposite side of campus. I joined the stream of students and staff making their way there.
Lana was in the crowd ahead of me, I jogged to catch up. “Hey, any idea what’s going on?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I was about to ask you the same thing. No one seems to know.”
“Hey, Caprice!” May called from behind me.
I stopped Lana, waiting for May, Liam, and Angel to catch up with us. Montrell’s dark figure appeared behind them, but he moved off to the side when he spotted me. I did my best to ignore him.
I made a quick round of introductions and we continued walking. Angel struck up a conversation with Lana, which she seemed plenty enthusiastic to engage in. They walked ahead as Liam and May each took one of my arms.
May bent close to my ear. “Montrell told us about your visit from King Sebastian. And everything you told him about Isabella’s plan. I’m sorry, Caprice.” She hugged my arm tighter. “I understand why you did it, but attacking him was a dumb thing to do.”
“I know that now. He just…knew exactly how to get me to do it,” I said.
“He provoked you?” Liam asked at my other side.
“In every way possible. Then he toyed with me.” A flash of annoyance pinch my chest. “It wasn’t Montrell’s business to go telling you guys. I was going to come talk with you, after I called Isabella.”
“He’s worried about you.” Liam squeezed my arm. “He told us you might put yourself in danger. That you were planning on it.”
My mouth hung open in shock. “The last thing Montrell would ever be is worried about me. I think your emotion sensing needs a tuneup. As to what he said, well, I can’t let the Tromara take Isabella.”
“You’re not offering yourself up instead,” May insisted. “We’ll just think of some other way. I know the guys are with me on this one, so there’s no point arguing.”
I bit my tongue. She was right.
We arrived at the hall and settled on to a long bench. I hadn’t been in this giant auditorium that occupied half of the ground floor since orientation night. Same as then, once everyone had found their seat, Dean Wright strode on stage.
She spoke into a cone-shaped magical amplifier. “King Sebastian Anastos graced us with his presence earlier this evening. Unfortunately, he came on rather grave business, claiming that there is a thief among us. So while we sit here, the Tromara will search the campus and your rooms for this piece of stolen property.”
A collective gasp echoed through the space. My pulse sped.
“What are they looking for?” some brave soul asked.
Dean Wright pinned them with a sharp glance. “A book.” She retreated from the stage.
I glanced across Liam and Lana to Angel. He met my gaze with a shake of his head. What did that mean? He’d taken the Codex, which was probably still in his room. If the Tromara found it there, the theft would get pinned on Angel.
I took Liam’s hand, gripping it firmly. He squeezed it back and sent soothing fae magic up my arm. We had to act normal, I reminded myself. If I started getting all twitchy, someone was sure to notice. Although, a brief glance around the assembly showed a lot of unease throughout the room. No one wanted the Tromara going through their belongings.
I tried not to hold my breath. We were going to be there for a while.
And we were. The minutes ticked by at an agonizing pace. I kept hitting my phone’s home screen button, only to have it show two minutes had passed since the last time I’d checked.
May fidgeted beside me. “What kind of book to do you think they’re looking for?”
/>
She didn’t know about the Codex, and this was not the time to clue her in about it. As hard as it was to keep her out of the loop, in this moment, I was glad she could claim complete ignorance.
“I don’t know,” I said. To avoid having to tell more lies, I rested my head against Liam’s shoulder and closed my eyes. I was too on edge to sleep, but the warmth and scent of him marginally relaxed me.
Some time later, Dean Wright climbed to the stage again. “The Tromara have left campus. You may return to your rooms now.”
My phone vibrated with an incoming text. It was from Angel. I’ll text you all in a little bit with a status update. Go back to what you were doing before.
I pocketed my cell and shuffled out with everyone else. As soon as we were out the door, Angel took long strides toward Academy Hall. With a quick goodbye, I broke off from the group with Lana.
“Now that was freaky,” she said.
She had no idea. My stomach was in my throat as I waited for the text from Angel. Had they found the book?
“That last thing I want is some Tromara perv going through my underwear drawer.” Lana grimaced. We turned toward our dorm. “That Angel is a real hottie. Liam’s not too hard on the eyes either. If you ever let one of them go, give me a heads up so I can get in before all the other girls.”
My chest clenched. Liam and Angel were mine. I pushed my dragon’s possessiveness down. Lana was only teasing—mostly. Who could blame her?
As the thick wooden door closed behind us, my pocket vibrated. I fished out the phone so fast I almost dropped it. Angel’s text read: We’re all good.
Relief washed over me so quickly I felt dizzy. That had
All of Tuesday, I literally spent in bed. After my visit from Sebastian, and the Tromara searching campus for the Codex, I was exhausted. Still, I somehow had to mentally prepare myself for tomorrow. For remembering every detail of Aimes trying to rape me and probably having to tell a room full of people about it. I didn’t know what to expect from the hearing, which put me even more on edge.
Wednesday night, a few minutes before 6pm, I stood yawning in front of the Dean’s Hall. A misty drizzle hung low in the evergreens. The scent of damp pine permeated the air. The parking lot was the largest open space within the walls, except for the lawn. Faculty and student’s vehicles occupied most spots. Not that anyone left the Academy very often. Come summer most of us would be free to go.
A black SUV pulled through the gates at the far end. It drove through the lot and came to a stop in front of me. The driver was a broad-shouldered dark skinned man with white hair. I’d seen Demarcus Freeman once before, but now I saw the clear resemblance between him and his son.
The doors automatically slid open showing three rows of seats. I clambered in.
“Miss Sorrentino.” Demarcus bowed his head.
“Hey there,” I said with a tight smile.
From around the side of the Hall strode May, Liam, and Angel. I perked up as they climbed in the back with me.
“Why are you guys coming?” I asked as May settled beside me. The guys took the bench seat behind us.
“We were called in for the hearing,” May said. “I guess we’ll find out why once we get there.”
Fair enough. When Demarcus didn’t pull out, I glanced up at him and followed his gaze out the window. A sour-expressioned Ms. Duinn approached the SUV. Without a word to anyone she took the passenger seat.
As the doors slid shut, the strain feeling in the vehicle climbed. Everyone sat in silence. Demarcus turned the radio on, seemingly oblivious to the tension, and drove us toward Estacada.
I stared out the window. The winding, tree-lined road that led to Academy Obscura finally ended at a two lane highway where cars zoomed by. We merged and picked up speed. The mile markers passed. The closer we got to town, the more my heart raced. It was getting harder to breathe.
Too soon we were pulling into the church parking lot. The same place where Jaxon’s car had blown up. My pulse skittered. Liam’s hand finally landed on my shoulder. I let his soothing fae energy sweep through me, welcoming it.
Ms. Duinn was the first one out. She hurried to the church’s back door, leaving the rest of us to follow. Demarcus led us in. We wound along a maze of carpeted hallways with doors down either side. The Councilman halted, opening one and ushering May inside by herself.
“You’re all witnesses and will be called when it’s your turn. In the meantime, don’t leave your room and don’t talk to anyone else,” Demarcus said.
He brought Liam to his own room, and the same for Angel. I continued to follow him to the front of the church where we stepped onto the dais. The rest of the Council was assembled in chairs at one side facing a lone seat opposite them. Isabella was seated in the middle with three Councilors on either side of her. I spotted Jaxon, who gave me an encouraging nod.
We stepped off the platform. On either side of the main aisle was a rectangular table with two chairs. I was led to the one on my left, where I took a seat. Demarcus joined the others on the dais.
I had no idea what to expect, other than what I’d seen on court TV and a few movies. Plus, this was the supernatural world, so who knew how differently they’d do things. I tried not to fidget as I waited for the hearing to start.
The same door we’d entered through opened. A tall, fierce looking woman with red hair appeared. She strode toward me with a sense of determination and extended her hand.
“I’m Winona Fairchild.” She shook my hand with almost brutal force. “Prosecutor. That means I’m on your side.” She winked and let go of my hand.
I blinked at her, unsure of how to respond. I settled on, “Good to know.”
“I’d like to speak with you in private for a moment before we get started. Follow me.” She led me around the dais and through a side door. She found an unoccupied boardroom and flicked on the light.
Once we were both seated, she said, “Now tell me everything that happened between you and Kyle Aimes. Everything that you remember.”
I thought back to when I’d first seen him in my Magic 101 class, the comments he and his friends had made about me being a disappointment to the Sorrentino family, how they’d beat me up and left me in the woods, and the fear that had run through me at that Culling Club party. I told her everything. Even about the couple of run-ins we’d had this term.
“Okay, so when we begin, you’re going to tell us what you just told me happened at that party. Can you do that?” she asked.
I nodded. Just speaking it all aloud in here had weighed me down. But if that’s what I needed to do to punish Aimes, then I’d find the strength to do so.
“Good,” Winona said. “Now let’s go get them.”
We returned to the main part of the church and settled in at our desk. I felt a little steadier. I had Ms. Fairchild on my side and she seemed like a go-getting prosecutor.
The door behind the dais opened and Kyle Aimes strode in like he owned the place. Behind him walked an older black-haired man with calculating eyes. They strolled to the other desk. Kyle shot a triumphant grin my way. He was so sure he’d get out of this. It did seem unfair that his father was on the Council.
Isabella stood. “Welcome. This is a preliminary hearing to determine if there’s enough reason to take this issue further. Tonight we’ll hear from witnesses on both sides. Then, the Council will vote to either proceed or dismiss this case. The prosecution is led by Ms. Fairchild. The defense in the hands of Mr. Ashworth. Let’s begin with a statement from the prosecution.”
I stiffened.
Winona leaned toward me. “Remember, all you have to do is tell us what happened that night. I’ll lead you through it.”
We stood and climbed the low dais to the lone empty chair across from the assembled Council. I swallowed hard, then reminded myself that I was the victim here. I wasn’t on trial. I hadn’t done anything wrong.
A thin man I hadn’t noticed before appeared beside me. “Do you swear to tell the trut
h?” he asked.
“I do.”
He produced a long green and black stone wand. With a flick of his wrist, a shower of blue sparks showered over my head. The spell settled in my throat, making me cough. He disappeared back into the shadows at one corner of the platform.
Winona spoke in a clear voice. “Let’s start prior to the events of that night. How were your interactions with Kyle Aimes before that party?”
“He liked to bully me. He and his friends used magic to beat me up and left me in the woods.” My voice wavered at the memory. “He would threaten me. Telling me that he was going to show me my proper place. He said he hoped I’d get Culled.”
“And what happened at this Culling Club party?”
I deeply inhaled. “I went to the party by myself. I had a couple of drinks, and then started dancing. Aimes came up behind me. At first I didn’t know it was him. Once I did, I tried to get away from him, but he held onto me and told me if I went with him quietly, he wouldn’t hurt me. I kicked him in the groin and ran. When I got outside, I realized I’d had too much to drink, but I needed to keep going to get away from him. He caught up to me and used a spell to gag me when I tried to scream for help. He started groping me. Then Angel got him off of me.”
Ms. Fairchild asked a ton more questions, bringing up every detail of that night. By the end, I was exhausted.
“Thank you, Miss Sorrentino, I know it’s not easy to speak about a traumatic situation like that,” Winona said.
She backed away and Mr. Ashworth approached. His cold eyes unsettled me.
“How many men are you currently having sexual relations with?” he asked.
My breath stuttered. What did this have to do with anything? I glanced at the Council to see if this was a valid question. Unlike in the movies, there didn’t seem to be a judge presiding over this whole affair. Could these attorneys really ask whatever they wanted?
Mr. Ashworth said, “Answer the question.”
Hesitantly, I said, “Three.”
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