by Rye Brewer
Midnight.
I glanced at Fane, who was already looking at me.
The bell tolled twelve slow beats.
Scott probably didn’t hear it, still encased in ice as he was, but he must’ve felt the way the stone floor vibrated with each gong.
My heart beat in my ears, throbbed in my chest, so hard I thought it might burst out.
Fane lifted his chin, reminding me to be strong, without saying a word.
A sense of calm came over me, though I couldn’t for the life of me have explained where it came from, exactly. Maybe Sirene had passed on some of her powers to Fane, or it was the illusionist whose blood Fane had drained. Regardless of where the ability came from, it helped immensely. It gave me the courage to put one foot in front of the other and follow the guards who led us to a chamber which had likely served as the castle’s banquet hall in earlier times.
A long room, with tall windows and high, vaulted ceilings that reminded me of league headquarters. Our footsteps echoed off the stones beneath our feet but were lost in the cavernous space.
At the end of the room sat the Senate, and in the near-darkness, their white skin stood out more than it had outdoors. Like six moons hanging in the night sky.
The illusion shattered when they lowered their hoods. Their red eyes followed our progress as we approached, standing in a line in front of them.
Fane, me, my sister, Stark. Scott’s ice block was carted in and left to sit on Fane’s other side. Why they wouldn’t let him out, I had no idea—they could easily have done it, I guessed. They were the Senate, weren’t they? I wondered if they thought it was funny. Perhaps they hadn’t given it much thought at all.
I took stock of the six in front of us. They sat separated by gender—women on the left, men on the right. The man and woman I remembered having spoken in the courtyard were seated in the center. Their gazes seemed the most intense of all. It took all of my concentration not to shrink back under the weight of those prying eyes. They were waiting for us to crack.
Shuffling came off to one side of the room, where a small door had been carved into the wall. In stepped Elewyn and another witch with dark hair and wide, observant eyes.
I didn’t know we’d have an audience—from the confusion on Fane’s face, he hadn’t known either. I couldn’t read Sara’s face, though that didn’t come as a great surprise, seeing as how she was being so secretive. I could only tell she wasn’t exactly happy. None of us were. Stark turned his face away from our guests and rolled his eyes ever so slightly. I wondered what that was about.
What did it matter? I was about to be tried and sentenced. My brain was grasping at any last thing it could focus on to distract it from what was about to come. It didn’t matter if two strange witches or two hundred watched what was about to take place. That wouldn’t change the outcome.
The man in the center lifted his chin, signaling we were about to begin. His stare swept over all of us once more before he opened his mouth. “Now that we are all here, away from the attention of the prisoners, we can discuss in a civilized manner the cause of the commotion earlier this evening. And all of you can explain exactly what brought you here.”
“You spoke of banishments,” Fane interjected.
I winced, even though I was glad he’d said it. Why waste time throwing words around? I wanted to cut to the heart of it, get it all out of the way. If they were going to banish or imprison us, why give us hope there might be any other conclusion?
“We did,” the center female replied. “And depending upon your explanations for being here, banishment may come into play. We won’t know until you’ve had your chance to speak.”
Fane snorted. “As you say, Lara.”
So, she was Lara. I made a note of that in my head. How Fane knew her name was yet another mystery I’d probably never have an answer for.
“Let us continue.” She looked to her left. “Dracan? Shall we?”
Dracan, the obvious leader of the Senate, nodded. “We shall start with Stark, as we’re most familiar with him.” A slight smile made the corners of his mouth quiver.
What did that mean? I glanced over, but Stark’s face resembled stone. Angry, bitter stone.
“I came to Shadowsbane in order to secure training for one who’s demonstrated possession of elemental powers.” He nodded to Sara. “How she came to be in possession of these powers is still unclear, though all signs point to it as having been an act of treachery.”
Lara studied Sara, brows drawn tight over the bridge of her nose. “What have you to say for yourself?”
Sara cleared her throat, and my heart ached for her. She might have been acting strange, making decisions I couldn’t understand, but I still loved her and hated to see her squirm the way she obviously was.
“Stark’s version of the story is the truth. I developed elemental powers, likely after being given blood which had been tampered with. We’re still unsure as to how this happened.”
“We?” Dracan asked.
Her eyes shifted in my direction.
I nodded.
“My sister and I, and anyone else who’s tried to help us understand the situation. A very tight circle of only those we trust.”
Declan nodded. “You came here, then, to learn how to embrace your powers?”
I gritted my teeth against the obvious pleasure in his voice. He loved it. In his opinion, that was the only choice she could’ve made. Forget the fact she was a vampire—something I’m sure only acted as a point against her in his opinion.
“Yes. I wish to develop these powers, not hide them.”
“Very well.” He was pleased.
I was glad for her.
“You didn’t ask for permission to enter,” one of the other men pointed out.
He was seated at the far end of the row and didn’t appear nearly as satisfied as Dracan—in fact, if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve guessed he’d swallowed something sour.
“I wasn’t aware I had to, Torven, as I was merely bringing a witch,” Stark lobbed back. He was prepared. He knew how they thought. How was he so well acquainted with them?
“And this line of reasoning leads us to you.” One of the other women eyed Fane. “Stark tells us he brought his witch because she’s a witch—or, at least, partially,” she added, glancing at Sara with a scowl.
“Yes?” Fane prompted.
“What excuse have you?” She narrowed her beady eyes, staring at him over her long, thin nose.
He didn’t hesitate. “I was led to believe one of the prisoners on Shadowsbane Island knows who placed the spirit of another creature into the body of my wife.”
A murmur went up over the Senate as they glanced at each other. “What did you think you would accomplish?” the witch asked, her voice rising in pitch until it was almost a squeak.
“Calm yourself, Ferda,” Dracan warned.
She took a deep breath. “What did you hope to accomplish by coming here?”
“That is my business,” he replied.
My knees almost knocked together. Was he crazy? He was going to get us all killed.
Ferda leaped to her feet, pointing a long, bony finger. “We will not stand for this insubordination!”
“Enough.” Lara clamped her hand over Ferda’s arm and lowered it, while the witch on the other side sat her down. “We all know there was nothing Fane could do to harm or assist any of our prisoners, so the point is moot. If he merely came to ask questions, there’s no inherent crime present.”
“Thank you,” he offered.
“However,” Lara continued, “that isn’t really why we’re here, is it? We’re here to determine why you thought you were entitled to bring two outsiders onto our island. There is no witch blood in either of them—in fact, one of them is half-fae, half-vampire.”
She nearly spat the words, and I bit back a snarl. Just barely.
“They came with me because they wanted to know more about Elena and the presence inside her. My son, Scott”—h
e motioned toward the block of ice and the brooding vampire inside— “has a vested interest, of course. It’s his mother’s wellbeing we’re here to learn about. And the half-fae vampire is my future daughter-in-law.”
“So this is all family-related,” the third witch observed with a wry smile, nodding slowly.
“Indeed, Nemi.” Fane’s glare was icy, as was his tone of voice. “This is family-related. If I made a mistake in thinking I could bring interested parties along with me, when all I want to find out is what happened to my wife and what I can do to reverse it, so be it. Punish me. Not them. They didn’t know any better.”
“This is all very touching,” Ferda scoffed. “However, it means nothing to this Senate.”
“I wasn’t aware you spoke for the entire Senate.”
“She does not,” Dracan announced. “However, she’s not incorrect. Your attempts at appealing to us using innocence and ignorance as a defense are beneath you and show contempt for the intelligence of the Senate.”
“I intended no such thing! You brought us here in order to learn the truth of their presence on the island. This is the truth. Do you really care about it, or is this all a farce intended to make it look as though we were treated fairly?”
I wanted to clamp my hands over his mouth and forbid him from speaking ever again. Every word ratcheted up the tension in the room until the six witches sitting in front of us appeared ready to explode.
Stark stepped in. “I think the point Fane is trying to make is that it seems as though you came into this meeting with predetermined plans on how to rule.”
The male witch on the end sneered. “How we conduct business is none of your affair, Stark. One would think you’d understand that, after having been our guest for so long.”
Ah, that was it.
Stark flinched as though he’d been burned, and I realized he’d once been a prisoner here. For what? Did Sara know? Judging by her reaction, she did—instead of pulling away from him or looking surprised, she placed a reassuring hand on his arm. What was she doing with somebody like him?
Then again, unless things took a turn for the better, I would soon be a prisoner—and I hadn’t done anything terrible or violent. Not to witches, at any rate.
Dracan leaned over to address the witch. “Enough of this, Rorru. We have other issues to attend to, and this bickering is a waste of time.”
None of the other Senate members spoke up, so he turned to us. What was behind those unsettling red eyes? I had never seen anything like them. They held so much wisdom and history and menace.
He glanced from side to side, taking in his fellow members. They nodded, one by one. There wasn’t even the pretense of leaving the room to discuss our case. We never had a chance.
He glared down at us, imperious. “The decision has been reached.”
12
Sara
I squeezed Stark’s hand. This didn’t seem right at all. They already knew how they were going to punish us before they listened to our reasons for being here. It was all a joke, a farce. Stark didn’t seem surprised. He didn’t squeeze back.
Dracan started with us. “Stark, you should have sought permission before bringing an outsider to the island, though if the outsider is now a witch and is looking to strengthen her powers.”
“I understand and apologize for acting without thinking,” he replied.
I could feel how it irked him to have to humble himself. It didn’t come naturally to a man like him. But there were times when pride and ego could be deadly. This was most definitely one of those times.
Dracan nodded, shifting his gaze to me.
I held my breath. What would he do? Lock me up? Banish me from the island? I’d much rather it was the latter than the former, even if it meant not being able to train with Elewyn. That was all Stark’s idea, anyway—and it wasn’t as though I wanted her specifically, either, since she obviously had feelings for him. I could find another witch.
Elewyn was staring at me, too. Not him. Me. The weight of her eyes, trained on the side of my head, was worse than the way the creepy Senate observed me. What was she even doing here?
“You are new to our ways, our rules,” Dracan concluded. “You were brought here to train with Elewyn, which can only mean our kind as a whole will gain in strength. It would be a lapse in judgement to punish you for foolhardiness—though you must take this as a firm warning against crossing us in the future. Our laws do not exist merely for show.”
I thought I might faint with relief. My legs sagged a little, but Stark caught me before I hit the floor. I could only nod, hard and fast, hoping that was enough. I couldn’t have come up with anything intelligent—or intelligible—to say if I’d tried.
It was time for Anissa.
Relief turned to another icy ball of fear in the pit of my stomach. They had been lenient with me because I was a witch, or at least had witch blood in me and wanted to develop my powers. Anissa didn’t have anything like that to fall back on. Only Fane. I hoped he was enough to get her out of trouble.
But he had gotten her into trouble, too. I knew enough about him to know he wasn’t telling the entire truth. We hadn’t been able to talk about it while we were waiting—there was a guard with us at all times, so we couldn’t risk anything. Why would he need Anissa with him, much less Scott, when all he was doing was getting information? I knew my sister and what she used to do to protect me. Her skills would’ve come in handy if he had intended to break somebody out of prison…
“Fane.” Lara’s voice was heavy with disappointment. I wondered how much of it was real and how much was for show. “You had no business bringing two vampires to the island, regardless of who they were in relation to yourself. Your reason for bringing them here is thin, at best. There was no real necessity for them being with you.”
Fane didn’t disagree, though I could tell he wanted to. If his children were anything like him, he wanted to.
“Just because you have witch privileges, thanks to your consorting with Sirene, it doesn’t give you the right to run roughshod all over what this Senate has held in place for centuries.” She stared down at Anissa, and the sneer she could barely hide told me everything I needed to know. “The decision in regard to the two vampires is imprisonment. For an amount of time to be determined by the Senate at a later date.”
“No!” I turned my face away, into Stark’s shoulder.
He held me tight as I shook with despair. My sister, in one of those cells.
“This is impossible,” Fane snarled.
I glanced over to find him shaking, too, only the balled-up fists told me he was furious rather than heartbroken.
He shook his head. “You can’t do this to them. They don’t deserve it.”
“You know the law, Fane.”
“Then punish me! Put me in a cell! Not them—they’re innocent. I’m begging you to reconsider this decision. They knew nothing of your laws when I brought them here. They cannot be persecuted for breaking laws they weren’t aware existed.” He looked at all of them in turn, pleading silently.
I wanted to tell him to stop wasting his time because they were punishing him by punishing them. I could see it clearly.
“Your privileges are not passed on through association,” Rorru snapped.
Fane shook his head. “It’s far too severe a punishment for them. They can’t be passed anything, but they need blood to survive. You know as well as I do what happens to a vampire when they’re denied blood.”
I shook harder than ever at the memory of my suffering. When Marcus had starved me. The burning, the screaming pain, the mind-searing agony of it. I had become something I didn’t recognize. I hadn’t been myself anymore. And Anissa would have to go through that.
“They’ll receive what we decide they can receive,” Dracan announced.
“Blood?” Fane asked.
He shrugged. All of them shrugged.
“This won’t do. I can’t allow this to happen.” He was a man possessed. �
�I can’t allow them to suffer this way all because of my negligence.”
“Do you wish to make the arrangements? Because this isn’t our problem.”
Fane barely managed to avoid growling at all of them. “How would they receive it?”
“Through the proper channels,” Ferda replied. “The way all prisoners receive items from outside the prison.”
“That could take forever,” Stark whispered under his breath.
Anissa would starve.
I watched her, trying to get a sense of what she was going through. Whatever she was feeling, she hid it well. Had she taught herself to hide what was inside her when she worked for Marcus on my behalf? That was probably it. I could imagine how she would’ve had to hide her feelings from him. Like the way she had probably wanted to kill him. I knew I would have if I’d been in her shoes.
“Is there anything we can do?” I whispered to Stark.
His jaw tightened. “No,” he whispered through clenched teeth. “I’m sorry, but you can’t risk yourself right now. They would imprison you out of spite for daring to talk back to them. I’m surprised they’re letting Fane get away with it.” But they weren’t, which Stark clearly didn’t see. Every time he questioned their decision or challenged them in any way, he was making it more difficult for Anissa and Scott. Which would make it more painful for him in the end.
The Senate stood as one. “We’ll give you time to say your goodbyes,” Dracan announced as the six of them left the room in a swirl of robes along the stone floor.
When the door closed, it was only us, along with Elewyn and Samara. They’d stayed against the wall throughout the debacle, and their faces showed nothing of what they felt.
Not that I cared about them at that moment. I threw my arms around Anissa. “I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I’m going to do everything I can to help you, I swear.”
“Don’t you dare.” She pulled away, shaking her head. “I mean that, Sara. I won’t let you take chances for me. I knew there were dangers involved in coming here. I came anyway. I have no choice but to accept the punishment.”