“My mother.” My attention caught on the heavy chain she wore around her neck, which was tucked inside her blouse and seemed to be where all the gravity in the room centered around. It wasn’t Sinora’s Lens of Intentions, but the antique-style chain was similar. So were the waves of power pouring out of it.
“Leland.” I gulped. “What is . . . what is that chain around her neck? It feels like . . .”like I should know it from somewhere.“Is it an artifact?”
“It is,” Leland said as he dug through the front pocket of his backpack. “It’s the artifact of mental magic. It’s called the Ring of Greatest Fear, and if you ever see her reach for it, it’s already too late to run.” He pulled out a tin of mints and popped one in his mouth, then, stuffing the tin away, he said, “Don’t ask me anything else about it.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t answer.”
I let out a quick exhale through my nose, making a mental note to research it, if I somehow survived this trial. Leland was acting too casual for it to be nothing, but I didn’t want to raise hissuspicions, so I pretended to study the Echelons on the bench, as if I didn’t already know all about their beliefs from the texts I’d studied.
Aurora blatantly stared me down. She regarded me like a stain, and regarded me with Leland like there was something unsuitable about us together.
Starvos — based on appearances — was the only Echelon with a heart. He had a rounded slump to him and one of those warm faces perpetually on the verge of smiling. The others were imperious. Their eyes were like glass, and they moved stiffly. Apart from Aurora, if they regarded me at all, it was with glances so fleeting I felt like I was no one to them.
Their dull chatter wound down, and Leland gave me a weak smile before returning his arm — and the rest of his long, lean form — back to his side of the table, situating himself fully in his chair. I wiped my sweating hands on my thighs and straightened.
It was time. Time for them to address the problems I’d caused and vote whether my crimes made me Unfit, a path that would make me ineligible for spellcasting magic and deteriorate me to a state like Sabrina’s. I needed five votes to make it to Selection, five votes to stop Jaxan from calling in Leland’s Death Bond. Five votes saying I was fit enough to practice magic in Everden.
Jaxan’s and Helen’s, I assumed, were out.
“Truth-Teller,” Aurora called down in a haughty tone. Her severe cheekbones were diagonal slashes upon her cool, white skin, and her long, black hair fell in waves. She smiled sweetly and it terrified me. “We’re waiting. Come take your seat.”
“Echelon Gallatine.” Leland raised his chin. “That won’t be possible. My magic’s depleted. I can’t perform my role from that distance. You’re aware of how it requires more effort when I’m not near?”
False.
Leland’s gift worked like mine, and distance had no impact, so long as we could speak or, for him, hear. And he wasn’t depleted. Though if I’d only had his appearance to judge by, he certainly could’ve been.
Dashell Eldridge sat forward, his pale turquoise eyes roaming over us as he gestured to the man with short, white hair and dark-brown skin on his right. “Ydris is here to Heal you, should you find yourself exerted. Don’t think we haven’t seen the papers — you and the girl running around town. We permitted it. But your place in the trial room is up here with us.”
“You understand how it looks,” Aurora said bitingly. “You whispering in her ear. You’ve always been fair and impartial, but one can’t expect you to be that from down there.”
“I have something to add,” Jaxan said in his drawl. “The girl is on trial for her Fitness. Does it not” — he paused for emphasis — “addto the case that she requires such close attention from her handler?”
Leland tensed but said nothing.
“Mr. Stray.” Starvos smiled fondly. “A denizen of my jurisdiction. Student of my academy.” His loose jowls wobbled around every word. “I happen to know firsthand how extraordinarily preoccupied you’ve been of late. Why, when you’re not studying, you’re lesson planning. Otherwise, you’re here, shepherding the girl in accordance with our instructions. Or doing something even more abominable” — he shuddered — “magicless combat.”
He paused to cough into a fist before continuing. The first cough was low and singular, but then it devolved into a lengthy coughing fit, followed by loud, throat-clearing noises.
“Let me assure you all,” Starvos said, rhythmically patting a hand to his chest as his kind eyes apologized to the Council for the interruption. “Mr. Stray has been in Creatus almost exclusively, not running around with the half witch. If he says hemust sit there to avoid depletion, then that is the truth.”
Aurora glanced at the clock. “For the sake of time,” she said, her dark eyes boring through Leland’s, “the Truth-Teller may remain with the accused.”
Leland exhaled softly, a controlled breath I felt on the back of my neck, prickling my flesh.
“Ydris. Please read the charges.”
Ydris spoke, his voice a low, scholarly crackle. “In regard to the conduct of the Unselected half witch, the Council presents the following charges. One. Vandalism with intent to destroy the Circle of Seven. Two. Trespass upon the Allwitch temple. And three. Affiliation with the disappearances of the Aspirants, Aila Foxcross, Ari Herring, and Trist Yidley.”
Aurora said, “May the accused please stand.”
I scrambled to my feet, holding on to the ledge of the wooden table for support. From what I’d gathered about Everden, these charges weren’t good. Maybe I could try to make the Echelons understand how these crimes had happened, but I couldn’t deny I was involved — that whenever I was around, bad things just seemed to happen.
Helen raised her pen. “I’d like to add a fourth.”
“Proceed.”
