“At least the truth is finally out there,” Erik said from his throne beside me.
“It doesn’t bring back their loved ones, though,” Elva added with a sigh.
Gray shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. But it might help them understand it wasn’t a choice we willingly made. Hunter was behind us every step of the way, making sure his plans played out the way he wanted.”
“Grayson.” Archer’s voice called out clearly.
Gray straightened up and turned around. “You’ve decided?”
“We have.”
He stepped down from the dais and back to the centre of the room.
“The minor Gods can see now that the decisions you made were not your own,” Archer said to him. “Hunter heavily influenced you all. We will not seek any further justice for what happened.” His voice quivered on the last few words and he coughed. “It’s clear that we already have our justice.”
There was a sense of relief that washed through the room, and my muscles that had been tense finally relaxed.
“I appreciate your willingness to see reason,” Grayson told them all.
“However, with Hunter no longer here, that leaves the question of who will lead us.”
Gray straightened up, pulling himself to his full height. “Before we discuss that matter, we need to consider that Hunter has gone and the circumstances surrounding the fact that he no longer exists.”
The silence in the room thickened. My gaze darted to Larkin, only Hunter’s vacant throne between us, but if she sensed my stare, she ignored it. After a few moments, I forced my attention back to the centre of the room, fingers tight on the arms of Gray’s throne.
“Archer, you’ve been accused of treason,” Gray announced. “Of killing Hunter without reason. In order to determine if you should be punished for your crimes, we ask you to share your memories and anything else you feel would help your case.”
“No.”
I blinked at Archer’s blatant defiance. When he said he could keep a secret, I thought he would manipulate his memories. Show them from a different perspective that didn’t involve Larkin. I didn’t expect him to just bluntly refuse.
“No?” Gray echoed, sounding just as perplexed. “You’re refusing to show us your memories?”
“Correct.”
“Archer, if you’re refusing to display your memories of the event?—”
“He committed treason, Grayson. We all know what the punishment is. He’s refusing to show us because he’s already condemned,” Aria called from her throne. “Why waste our time?”
“Because a lack of due diligence is what brought us to this point,” Gray snapped, not bothering to spare her a glance. “Archer.”
“I murdered Hunter. I have no remorse,” he replied flatly.
Whispers hissed in the chambers. My teeth ground together and I thought I might be sick. Archer wasn’t even going to try and defend himself.
“Archer,” Gray said, his voice losing some of the calm. “Do you understand the repercussions if you refuse to?—”
“I understand.”
“Archer didn’t kill Hunter.” Larkin rose from her throne. “I did.”
“Larkin,” I said, and for the first time today, she looked at me.
“Trust me.”
The whispers had crescendoed to a din. Outrage and shock spilled through the chambers laced with pure vitriol.
My aura fluttered in front of Larkin, forming a shield. It wouldn’t stop her from hearing the terrible things the Gods were saying, but it would hopefully offer her some protection.
