“The window.” She leant back against the wall, still rubbing her temple. “You left the shutters open.”
“Didn’t you think to knock?”
“Why, am I interrupting something?” Kaja looked pointedly at Tristan, raising an eyebrow.
He scoffed. “Come on. I’m a priest.”
“Priests have needs too.” Kaja winked.
Tristan gaped at her, whilst Aloisia resisted the urge to thump her.
“What did you want, Kaja?” she asked.
The huntress’s expression turned serious. “I thought you should know. Fynn is being taken to the square in an hour. For the first trial.”
The world swayed around Aloisia, and not from her recent head injury. “How did you find out?”
“Joni, the farmer’s son from across the way, said that Tanja said that Ira said she’d seen them setting up the platform. And she asked the guards what was happening, and they’d said it was Fynn’s trial.”
Tristan ran a hand down his face. “I won’t ask you to repeat that.”
“So soon?” Aloisia sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. She hadn’t expected the huntresses to know of what had happened yet, let alone the entire town.
“They can’t possibly have anything conclusive yet,” Tristan said. “The high priest had implied examining her would take at least a couple days.”
Kaja shook her head. “I know no more than what I’ve said.”
“An hour?” Aloisia flung herself out of the bed. She clambered to the ladder and slid down it, bursting into a run as her feet hit the floor.
“Lis?” Tristan called after her.
She unlocked the door and headed out into the late afternoon sun, running for the stables. Tristan and Kaja followed as best they could.
“Slow down!” Kaja shouted.
Aloisia headed for her mare, not pausing to answer the stable hand’s questions, the words not quite reaching her. She saddled Jem, giving her a pat on the side as she fastened the buckles. Kaja called for her own mare to be prepared. As she fixed the bridle in place, Tristan and Kaja reached the stables. She passed them as she led her horse outside.
Tristan caught her at the waist, forcing her to stop. “Wait. There’s still time, Lis. You don’t have to rush up there right now.”
“They are putting him on trial. Today.” Aloisia brushed her fingers through her tangled hair. “What evidence do they have? Beyond our testimonies. We have no evidence to prove what we saw. I must do something. Anything.”
“It’s probably just a preliminary trial, to get things in motion. There won’t be a verdict today. There can’t be.”
“How do you know? How can you say as much with any certainty?” Aloisia pulled out of his grasp. “I wanted to get proof. Something, anything, to show he’s innocent for definite. Instead, I was here, asleep.”
“You needed rest.”
“Do you think Fynn is resting in his cell?”
“How could we know there would be a trial today? It’s so soon. They have informed no one, from the sounds of it. It’s most unusual.”
“Not the point. I need to save my brother. You said you would help.”
Tristan reached for her again, taking her hand in his. “And I will. I promise you; I won’t let Fynn be executed for this. He’s like a brother to me. And he didn’t do it. We will make sure the magistrate knows. All right? We are going to do something. I promise.” He drew her into an embrace. “It’s going to be all right.”
“I’m so scared, Tristan.” Aloisia buried her face in his chest.
“I know.”
