“The accused committed a theft.” She shuffled her stack of papers.
I held my breath, holding back a glance at Leland.
“A text and a magazine. She walked right out of Briary’s with them.”
“The charge will be added,” Aurora said with finality. “We now address the accused.” She looked to the empty gallery behind me and said, “How do you plead?”
“I . . .”
Leland nudged my leg with his thigh, but I still couldn’t find my words.
“Do you plead guilty? Or do you plead innocent?” asked Aurora. “It’s one or the other. This shouldn’t be that hard.”
“I plead guilty,” I blurted.
I thought I saw Helen smile. Then a loud scrape echoed through the room as Leland pushed back his chair and stood. I felt the tension in him as if it were my own.
“What is this, Truth-Teller?” said Aurora. “Has the girl lied?”
“No. She’s not a liar. But she’s . . .” He crossed his arms and looked down at me with an unhappy expression. “She’s nervous. Her words require more explanation.”
Velleza Luna raised the high arch of a perfectly penciled eyebrow. “Is he still not impartial, Starvos?”
“He is guided by his gift,” Starvos mused.
Leland sat back down.
“Go on,” Aurora said with a derisive look my way. “Explain then.”
I needed water. A cold water bottle to the back of my neck.
What was there to explain? Would they care if I said I’d made mistakes and was sorry? None of them looked interested, except Starvos. He was nodding encouragingly at me as Leland nudged the back of my leg again.
“I lost consciousness at the Circle of Seven. I’d been given a sedative the day before, my sleep was affected, and I had motion sickness from porting. What I’m trying to say is . . . I wasn’t in control. The soil was disturbed when I woke up from the Blessing, but I don’t know how. I woke up without magic, besides my gift. But it can’t do that. I can’t uproot anything. I never meant to be destructive.”
Everyone’s eyes swept to Leland.
“Truth,” he said.
“Please address the remaining charges.” Aurora sounded like she was reading from a script.
“I was with Trist before her disappearance because she Healedme after Leland sedated me. After, she helped me with the transmitter, then left. I don’t know what happened to her after that. The other two disappearances happened when I was at the Blacklight.” I didn’t want to implicate Jaxan, not when Libeling an Echelon was another crime I could be convicted of, so I said, “I didn’t see who took them. Someone obscured my vision.”
My eyes strayed to Jaxan. I couldn’t help it.
Starvos continued nodding. Helen scribbled wildly on a scrap of parchment. Jaxan tilted his head in interest.
“The temple — no one told me the street in front of it was trespassing. And as soon as they did, I left. As for the theft, it was an accident. I was in withdrawal. I ran out sick. And I was told the items would be paid for afterward, by Leland.”
“Truth,” Leland said, then he held my chair steady as I sat. I hadn’t been given leave to do so, but . . . neither could I stand.
“Exquisite,” Starvos declared. “I think we can all agree that none of this makes the half witch Unfit. She is a mere stranger to our land, and we must give her time to learn about it. Ms. Blackburn will assimilate in time.”
Velleza Luna parted scarlet red lips, her warm-toned, brown skin radiant. I waited for her to speak, unable to take my eyes away from her mouth. “I, for one, cannot ignore the harm she’s caused already,” she said, every word luring me in deeper. “Imagine how disruptive she would be Selected. She is brave and bold. Rebels will follow her.”
I almost nodded —
“Hey,” Leland whispered. “Look at me.” He grabbed my hand, and I twisted to confront him. “She’s Charming you. Can you hear me?”
