Claire continued. “Maceo was kind enough to rejoin us today for the trial. We have two more spots to fill... Clara and Declan, do you mind?”
I raised my brow and looked at Declan, but he stood up without hesitation. He took Elias’s seat, and I followed after and sat in Alesia’s spot. I hoped Claire realized Jhase had never allowed me to take part in the Council’s roles. Claire focused solely on the task before her, and explained everything was out of the norm. Usually Watchers would be tasked with finding replacement councilors, but Declan’s role would start in a month anyways.
“The following mages face trial today: Vanessa Pavlou, Alesia Andreou, and Walden Hanas. We are to determine their fate,” Claire explained.
According to her, Dorian had already sent messengers into town to explain the events that transpired. They would be kept updated with the fates of the mages. Everyone faced accounts of treason, and their actions would not be taken lightly. Since Declan, Maceo, and I were present Claire also explained how the trial would commence. Watchers stationed in the room next to us awaited with the accused mages. One by one they would bring one of the three conspirators into the meeting room. Sometimes the guilty party would willingly confess to their crimes. Other times magic was used to force the information out of them. With Elias dead, we relied heavily on gaining the most knowledge from Alesia. Only she was with him during his final hours and knew his state of mind.
“And now I ask for complete silence. Trial has officially begun,” Claire said. She made a circular motion with her hand, causing a fire to burn above her palm.
The doors opened again, and a Watcher walked inside, holding Vanessa. She remained handcuffed, and Claire allowed her fire to extinguish. I assumed this was her way of letting the Watchers know when we were ready for the accused.
Vanessa stood before us, whimpering like a lost puppy. The Watcher kept a firm grip on her. Meanwhile her eyes gazed over Bellona and Elias’s seat. She looked skinnier and dirtier since I last seen her, and I feared no one told her about Elias’s death. At least she remained alive and seemed unharmed. We had yet to uncover her role in the kidnapping and attempted murders.
Claire approached closer to where Vanessa stood, pacing around her. She seemed to be analyzing her former lover, and perhaps she also wondered about the connection. Whatever thoughts she carried were concealed by her stern face. She revealed nothing and showed no alarm at Vanessa’s presence. The only sound that could be heard was heavy breathing from nearly everyone at the table.
The longer the silence lasted the guiltier Vanessa seemed. Despite her attitude toward me, I wanted to give her the benefit of doubt. Perhaps our servants were paid off to blame her. Lukas believed her to be innocent, and he knew her better than anyone. Regardless, Vanessa had a lot to explain to a room full of people convinced of her guilt.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sacred Vows
“Father was having an affair. Mother had stayed late at the castle, and I walked in on it. Judging from all the times Mother had cried, I knew this was a terrible secret she hid from my brother and me. Father was immediately fueled with anger. He struck me twice before Alesia ordered him to stop. He threatened to kill me if I spoke a word to anyone. Who would I tell?”
Faces remained emotionless from around the table, including Maceo’s. Despite my feelings for Vanessa, I shuddered at her story. It reminded me in ways of my own. A father who hated me, a mother who lied to me, and no one to run to. Claire stood in front of Vanessa with her hand at the ready, as if she would suddenly need magic to force this information. Though I could not see her face, I wondered how she reacted to this story. She knew better than anyone in this room the loneliness Vanessa had suffered.
She cleared her throat and continued without prompting. “While Father’s rage did not die down, he lowered his hands. He said, ‘You’re a part of this now. Whatever I say, you’ll do. Otherwise I’m marrying you to the first single man I find.’ And with a snap of his fingers his plan fell into action. He and his lover dressed and took me to Alesia’s house. She greeted the children while Father led me to a room. A single table in the middle of the room awaited us, filled with handwritten papers.
“He explained the plan to me. Since he and Alesia had become romantically involved they decided to make a power move. They remained convinced Ivan chose the wrong man to lead the Council. The position belonged to Father, and he had spent years planning it.”
Claire held up her hand, motioning for Vanessa to stop. Cautiously she asked, “How long did you know about the plan?”
“I found out a day before the kidnapping. I tried to argue with Father and reason this was treason. If we were caught we would die, and it would destroy the Pavlou name. For the first time he did not care about our family’s name and honor. He wanted this more than anything, and he was willing to drown us all for it. Even Alesia with two boys and another child on the way demanded I join them. They intended to kidnap Claire and wait several days before requesting a ransom be paid—Father’s promotion in exchange for Claire’s life. And if Jhase refused they would kill Claire.
“After a few minutes I accepted without any other choice. Neither of them would allow me to leave the house with the knowledge I carried. Father warned me if word of this spread to anyone in or outside of the Council he would kill me. The next morning, the day of Declan’s party, we waited for Claire outside. I distracted Lukas to prevent him from visiting the garden as he often did in the mornings. Meanwhile Alesia and Elias ensured Claire’s capture. I did not watch it happen, but they later on told me it had been an easy task. They grabbed her, inserted an enchanted rose thorn, and Claire fell asleep before being able to struggle anymore.”
I leaned in closer to the table for the next half of the story. This was when I had entered Ninomay. From this point on I would finally know why Vanessa had acted the way she did with me. I gulped at the thought that I might not be ready for the truth.
“I did not attend the party that night. The next day Father handed me a letter and told me to give it to ‘Claire.’ He explained to take the letter to Claire’s room and hand it to her directly. It seemed someone had crafted an illusion of Claire, since we checked to ensure the real one had not escaped. She remained hidden away in Shadowland. I did as I was told and met with the illusion, acting surprised the letter found its way to me. Later on Alesia explained she wrote up the letters to confuse Clara about Claire’s survival and the people responsible. I became a messenger, and I delivered a second letter into Ezra’s room while he was away. Blaming anyone except Father and Alesia was our best choice while we figured out what to do with Clara.”
“So Elias went as far as letting the blame fall upon you?” Clara asked.
A grave expression overcame her face, and her hands squeezed into fists. Hesitantly, she nodded and said, “Yes... They told me to act as though I was the one being betrayed. And then there was the fire... Father knew that Clara already believed me to be guilty. So I purposely ‘snuck’ into the castle and used magic to set her room on fire. I started at the end of the room to give her enough time to escape. They didn’t want to kill Clara... they needed her scared and misled. The rest is where Father and Alesia continued on their own without me.”
“You willingly took the blame for the fire, knowing it would lead to you being accused of kidnapping and attempted murder?”
“Of course,” Vanessa said with tears in her eyes. “Father promised to free me as soon as he ruled over the Council.”
With no further questions Claire said, “Please wait with the Watcher while we continue the investigation.”
Vanessa and the Watcher exited the room. I watched in awe, thinking about Lukas and Bellona’s absence. What would they think about their loved one being involved in this? Lukas had argued for Vanessa’s innocence, but forced or not she had committed crimes.
Upon Claire’s request the next mage stepped inside. This was not the normal protocol for trials, but since all three mages were i
nvolved in the crime, their sentence would be determined after everyone shared their account of events. The next Watcher stood with Walden, the mysterious imposter.
The man stood in front of us, shivering and shaking his head. He seemed to understand the severity of his actions. Even so, Claire would not take no for an answer. She waited, pacing around him and the Watcher, but after the prolonged silence she looked to the Watcher and nodded. He forced the man’s head down, and Claire made a circular motion with her hands. Her hands glowed orange and small amounts of smoke ascended into Walden’s face. She threatened to move closer, and he jumped at her sudden movement.
“Wait! Wait please...” he shouted, panting. Claire’s hand slowly lowered, and the man continued. “I know what I did was wrong, but Elias was a councilor. He came to me, asking for help, and who was I to deny him? He visited Shadowland almost every day this month. He mostly came alone, but occasionally Alesia joined him. I was a teacher, but when I lost my job... I did little tasks anywhere to make money. Elias knew me; we crossed paths often and greeted each other. He offered to pay me to impersonate Alesia for twenty-four hours. And Alesia encouraged me to do it. They promised no harm would befall me. It was so much money, and given their positions... How could I say no?”
As Claire asked him more questions it became evident Walden knew nothing about Elias’s true intentions. He never saw Claire, knew about her kidnapping, or became aware of events happening in Ninomay. During the time he acted as Alesia he did no harm to the Council or anyone inside the castle. Judging from the time they chose to involve him, this was when Alesia and Elias kidnapped me. Despite Walden’s unfortunate acquaintances, impersonating of a councilor remained a serious offense. Walden’s fate, like Vanessa, was to be determined after Alesia’s trial. At Claire’s signal he left, and we awaited the last mage.
Alesia entered the room, and everyone adjusted in their seats. Up until now I had been able to stomach everything thrown at us. Alesia was as unpredictable as a drunk. Not only did she choose Elias, but she also agreed to his dangerous scheme. Whether she admitted to it or not we had seen first had what she was capable of.
Claire returned to her seat and asked for Maceo to take over for this part of the trial. Unlike everyone else at the table Maceo had never been involved and therefore remained unbiased. Alesia could not hurt him with her words, and he would be able to ensure we reached a conclusion. While he approached her I tried to refrain from showing any emotions. My neck sweated at the mere sight of her. I doubted any imprisonment would clear her tainted mind. I glanced at Claire for guidance, but her eyes remained glued to Alesia. I had yet to learn the depths to which they caused her to suffer.
Maceo stood several feet away from Alesia without flinching. Firmly, he asked, “Do you know the penalty for betraying the Council? You swore an oath. Do you remember that?”
She spit at him. “The Council betrayed Elias. Everyone knew he was meant to be Ivan’s replacement. Instead Jhase stole his position, and no one questioned it.”
He wiped his face. “Would you care to tell us your account of the events? We’ve heard from everyone except you, and I suspect you know the full story.”
“From the moment I met Elias, he told me about Jhase’s betrayal. Ivan had promised him the position as head councilor, but he had been forgotten and replaced. Instead he spent years acting like Jhase’s friend and gaining his trust, hoping to one day gain an advantage. Unlike Bellona, I agreed with Elias. We had to do act before it was too late and Claire controlled the Council. Since our affair was no secret, no one questioned the time we spent together. Elias and I started planning in my house.
“We thought of everything. Murder had been a serious consideration, but killing Jhase would be useless. His daughter was the serious threat. Her wedding quickly approached, and once she had children they would be another obstacle. We had to delay the wedding. Fortunately both of Elias’s children had been romantically involved with Claire. Vanessa was heartbroken and lonely, but Lukas... Lukas loved sharing his history with women. He mentioned to his father about seeing Claire in the garden every morning. It had been a routine they started together, and Claire still went there for a peace of mind. At last we had the answer we needed.
“Elias requested several white roses and paid the Watcher who guarded the room. We had enough to kill Claire if we wanted, and so it began. The morning of Declan’s party, Vanessa distracted her brother. Meanwhile Elias snatched Claire from the garden, and I helped with transport her to Shadowland. We had found a piece of land where seemingly no one visited, and we would hide her there for the time being. We returned in time to make it to the meeting, and no one questioned the minutes we had been away.
“But then, as if Jhase had not done enough, he surprised us with a plan of his own. A woman appeared at Declan’s party, looking identical to Claire. She was an illusion, but this ruined our plans. We had to find out who this girl was. For the longest time she seemed like a no one and perhaps someone we could kill. But at the Petals Festival Elias recognized Nina upon her arrival. She spoke with Jhase and Clara, and later on Jhase held a meeting about Clara’s mother. It had been years since anyone heard or saw Nina, but this was clearly no coincidence.
“Whoever she was Lukas once again showed interest. After trying to lead Clara on the wrong trail and setting fire to her room, nothing seemed to frighten her. On the day of Vanessa’s arrest Elias overheard Lukas promising to meet Clara outside the castle to search for Claire. We decided that night to follow them and kidnap Clara as well. While surrounded by her new friends we easily kidnapped her in the same manner we did with Claire. A thorn to the neck, and she fainted and remained that way until in Shadowland. With her real identity revealed we decided to take both girls into Ninomay and bargain with them.”
Maceo returned to his seat, seemingly satisfied with her answers. I dared to stare at Alesia, but I saw no remorse in her. A single tear fell from her eye, but no one held any mercy for her.
“Your children have been taken into custody, and a servant and Watcher guard them as we speak. They will be available for adoption and placed into a trustworthy family.”
I stood up and faced her. “One last question, did you kill Ren?”
Alesia offered a puzzled expression. “Barely remember him. I had no reason to kill him.”
I sat down, and without any further questions Claire motioned for her to be sent away like the others. Alesia shouted and cursed, but I remained no closer the culprit behind the murder.
I glanced at each face, but they remained focused. I stared down at the table and thought about my choices. It was left to the eight of us to decide of the fate of three lives. Claire left the room momentarily, and upon her return a servant joined her. He placed cups of water in front of everyone. We drank quietly while remaining deep in thought. This decision was not for the light heart.
Anger and fear rose in the voices from around the table. Claire led the Council again, forcing everyone to be quiet again, and she asked for Walden’s fate. Anonymously we agreed on a one-year term in prison, at which time his sentence would be re-evaluated. If he showed he could return to a normal and honest lifestyle, he would be set free. If not the Council we decide on how many years to add to his sentence. Unlike the others involved Walden had been an unfortunate misunderstanding. He had been tricked by people in power. A year in prison would be nothing in comparison to what awaited Vanessa and Alesia.
“Let them rot in prison,” Declan said, gritting his teeth.
Vanessa and Alesia’s offenses had nearly cost lives. Treason, kidnapping, and multiple attempts of murder. If they were sentenced to prison, how long would ensure justice had been served? Even Vanessa, who had been manipulated, nearly killed upon command. Nothing could be overlooked, but determining what fate awaited them was not taken lightly.
Maceo cleared his throat. “It is rare in the Council’s history to sentence death upon a mage. During Ivan’s reign it was very common, but since then we ha
ve not seen many cases demanding that death be brought upon a fellow mage. Alas… I fear both women might face death for their actions. The fire, the attempted murders… all of it threatened innocent lives.”
I looked to Claire, whose face was painted by tears, which she quickly wiped away. Despite her actions, Alesia had once been a part of Council. A friend, a wife, and a mother. None of us ever prepared for her betrayal. I wanted to blame Elias for luring her into the darkness and dragging his daughter down with him. However, they chose to follow him despite the consequences. Neither Alesia nor Vanessa admitted a time where they tried to warn somewhere.
Perhaps what I could not swallow was the idea that darkness had always tainted their souls. It hid and wore many masks until Elias revealed it. No one responded to Maceo’s suggestion. Instead everyone glanced at one another, debating on the weight of this choice. Alesia betrayed people for a chance at love and power. Vanessa betrayed and hurt loved ones by falling prey to manipulation. Could someone like them ever come back from this?
Claire was the first to speak. She stood up and slammed her fist on the table. “Nessa does not deserve death. Her father is dead, and only her mother and Lukas remain. Should she ever complete her sentence, they will be her support system. I propose ten years in prison, at which time she can appeal for release.”
She asked for everyone to vote, and ten years became final for Vanessa’s fate. It occurred to me that Claire calling her “Nessa” was the nickname Vanessa had referred to in the past. Alas, I finished the water in my cup and prepared for the last sentencing. Alesia and Elias had done the unspeakable. They broke their vows to the Council, and they tried to bring harm to our world. They sought power and bargained people’s life as if they were meaningless.
Dorian raised his hand to speak. “The vows of a councilor are clear. We are to protect the islands, enforce the law, and serve the people until the end of our term. Alesia and Elias conspired against us while working inside the Council. They took advantage of their title and harmed innocent people to seek out their desires. This act of treason has never been committed by a councilor before.”
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