Chapter 287. Trial V

Chapter 287: 287. Trial V

Maisie

"You can’t find him," I repeated. My fingers curled painfully into fists. "What does... What does that even mean?"

Jericho wiped the blood off his knuckles with a handkerchief. "Last we heard of him, he was being held in the castle dungeons. But he was released shortly after and no one knows where he is."

"Held?" My pitch rose higher. "Why was he being held in the first place--"

Soren’s hand found mine. "I need you to relax. Stay calm. Ensure you’re taking full, deep breaths--"

"I am calm!" I yelled without meaning to and my voice echoed throughout the hall, and conversations stuttered as every head whipped in our direction.

I was breathing hard again. So were Quinlan, Jericho and Soren.

The latter got out of his seat and dropped to his knees on his expensive suit in between my legs. A camera flashed and little female gasps tore across the hall as he cupped my cheeks and forced me to look into his eyes.

"I know you’re worried about him," Soren said slowly, like he was speaking to a toddler. "But Mercer is our bond, remember? We would know if something happened to him, and believe me when I say wherever he is, he isn’t hurt."

I opened my mouth. A thousand questions came to mind. And my lips wobbled. "He didn’t come to see me?" ℴ

Soren’s expression did enough answering and it broke my heart. I could’ve sworn I felt him. Smelled him. I was as sure of it as I was the fact that I could still taste that sole teardrop.

I sniffled, eyes misting. I hated how hormonal and disgustingly soft I felt. Like I needed ice cream and a whole week with my friends to go cry or something.

Soren’s thumb dragged over my cheekbone. "I need you to focus on this trial. Nothing, not even Mercer, is as important as your future right now. We can talk about him when we return, along with the other shit we need to sort out. But if we are to take a single win today, you must stay calm."

My lips pulled into a firm, thin line, and just as I nodded, more gasps tore through the hall, drawing my attention.

At the center of the entire chamber where something rose from the ground. It was the Goddess. Not literally.

A black stone statue of her stretched from the circular speaking platform, beautiful and severe, her head bowed and her hands cupped together before her.

Flames erupted from her palms and I recalled something about it from the pack kitchen gossips.

Every witness called before the Court would place their hand over those flames and swear before the Goddess to speak truthfully.

Apparently the threat of divine judgment was supposed to make people honest.

I had met enough liars to know better.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard someone announce the Queen’s arrival.

It was starting.

****

"--fifty nine counts of premeditated murder."

My fingers tightened beneath the table as Derek Moore, Head of the Council of Wolves continued, his expression growing more and more pensive the more he spoke. "Twenty-three men. Seventeen women. Nineteen children."

And then, he proceeded to call their names. Some of them I knew. I’d gone to high school with them.

I kept my expression as empty as I could. Both the Councils were watching me for even the slightest reaction. I couldn’t be sad. It would look too much like remorse. I couldn’t be stoic. It would look like a lack of remorse.

I was quite literally shaking from sitting too still. From every eye drilling into my body.

"Orion Winter," he concluded, and a woman burst into tears in the crowd, inconsolable as her husband or mate pulled her against his chest.

Her eyes were bloodshot and the grief in them made my heart still. She’d possibly been his mother. I looked through the crowd, at every face, and I saw more grief. More pain. More anger.

My being innocent didn’t mean the damage hadn’t been real.

My gaze lifted to the Queen across the hall and found hers already on me, more black than green today. My skin prickled as she watched me like she was physically peeling off my skin.

The crown was noticeably missing, but Lysandra had never really needed it to appear like what she was.

Her hair was woven through a crown of roses and thorns, her silvery green dress offsetting the red of her hair and the roses. Ever the picture of grace, and yet, everything but.

I made a silent vow then to myself that I wouldn’t stop until I exposed everything she’d done to the world.

Councilman Derek continued, "Maisie Adams is further charged with conspiring with rogue forces to plan, facilitate and execute the bombing of the Night Shade assembly hall."

His jaw clenched. "An attack carried out with knowledge that members of both the Crown and the Lycan Royal Houses would be present. Therefore constituting attempted treason against Her Majesty the Queen."

My stomach tightened.

"Attempted assassination of Lycan royalty. And the attempted murder of her own bonded mates."

Silence fell and I felt the charge hit the crowd differently. Hundreds of eyes swung toward the men sitting behind me with pity.

The Councilman flipped the next page. "The Council further charges Maisie Adams with the murder of Lyon Park, member of Night Shade Territory."

My throat closed and I couldn’t bring myself to look across the hall where Jenny and her family were seated.

Quinlan took my hand from the seat behind me and squeezed it gently, and I took strength from him.

"With fleeing lawful custody."

The parchment turned.

"Evading arrest."

Another page.

"Assault upon Lady Tessa Graham, member of the Lycan Royal Bloodline, with intent to kill."

Quinlan snorted, and the sound carried far enough that Lord Graham who sat beside Zaytsev on the Queen’s Council, looked about a second away from strangling him.

I shot a glance at Alden and he blinked once as if to say, "I’ve got it under control."

"And lastly," Councilman Derek said, "The Crown alleges that the accused knowingly and intentionally terminated a viable Lycan pregnancy despite being aware that the destruction of Lycan offspring is forbidden under Lycan law."

The first shout came from the Lycan section. Then another. Then the entire section erupted.

I heard murderer somewhere above me. Someone else screamed baby killer, and it took several minutes for order to return.

He leaned forward, his robes spilling down the dais like dark water. "Maisie Adams."

Alden nodded and I stood.

My knees nearly betrayed me, but I held my ground.

The Councilman’s voice carried through the chamber. "You have heard the accusations brought against you by the Crown, the Council of Wolves and the Council of Lycans. And you understand that conviction upon these charges may result in your execution?"

I raised my chin."Yes."

My voice sounded stronger than I felt.

The Councillor’s eyes narrowed. He expected I would be cowed.

"Then step forward."

I stared at him. "What?"

Jericho supplied, "You plead before the flame."

Of course I would.

I walked toward the center of the Court. Every eye followed me, threatening to pull me down. But I heard Jericho’s words brush against my back. "You’re doing great, malyshka."

My spine straightened a little and the heat reached me before I reached the statue.

The heat reached me before I reached the statue. Blue flames curled from the Goddess’s stone palms.

The Councilman spoke again. "Place your hand above the sacred flame."

I did. Heat licked up my wrist.

"Before the Goddess who witnesses blood, bond and truth, how do you answer the charges laid before this Court?"

I looked at the Councils. At the wolves. At the Lycans. At Tessa. At the Queen. At Kara, whose hair she was smoothening. It might have seemed a motherly gesture, but I saw the threat for what it was. I looked at Kisten. Bastian. Ryder. They stood with the guard detail behind the Queen’s Council. I saw nothing warm in their gazes.

So I looked elsewhere. At my mates. My friends. Regina smiled. Jenny managed a half-smile. And it was enough for me.

I faced the flame again. "Not guilty."

The hall exploded once more. Liar! I heard more than one person yell. Angry growls came from everywhere as I returned to my seat. They sounded like they wanted my head on a spike.

Councilman Derek nodded towards Lycan Council. "Proceed."

Zaytsev straightened from her seat.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "Just great."

The woman made her way over to the center of the hall and something about the way she looked at me, dismissing me completely, and then running her eagle eyes over Jericho made me want to reach across and smack her across the face.

"The Council calls its first witness," she said.

My heart skipped, wondering who it would be.

"Luna Kaida Hayes."

You have got to be kidding me.