“Magical signatures can’t be faked,” Patrick said.
Setsuna picked up a Redweld bucket filled with documents, along with a thick, sealed package whose clear top covering made it possible to read the face page of the pleading. She handed both to Danai.
“Magical signatures are difficult to duplicate, but those with familial blood ties are closely related, and there is nothing more similar than that of twins, identical or not,” Setsuna said.
Patrick closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip until he tasted blood. Jono’s warm fingers curled over his chin as the metallic tang washed across his tongue.
“Don’t,” Jono said quietly.
“If this gets out, it’ll require a review of my soul. We can’t—” Patrick broke off, turning to look at Jono.
His tie to Hannah was buried deep, walled off, and if he could cut it out completely, he would’ve done so already. Letting the government dig into his soul would possibly reveal that tie, yes, but it also risked revealing the soulbond that connected him to Jono, and that was a capital offense in the eyes of the law. He might escape one murder charge only to be sentenced to death a second time for messing with someone else’s soul.
“We’ll find a way around that,” Jono said quietly, thumb skating over Patrick’s lips.
“These are family court records and juvenile records,” Danai said slowly, gaze riveted on the stack of documents she was flipping through. “These—”
She broke off, eyes flicking from side to side as she absorbed the information Setsuna had given her. Patrick’s stomach twisted as he watched her read what could only be the record of his past: the police report concerning his mother’s murder, the eventual death certificates the Salem medical examiner’s office signed off on for Patrick and Hannah Greene, the name change order that had stripped him of his past, and quite possibly the restricted report of his and the Hellions’ actions at the end of the Thirty-Day War that revealed Ethan was alive.
Patrick Greene had survived the horrors of what had happened in a Salem basement only to die at Persephone’s feet. Patrick Collins had been born in Washington, DC, a false history provided by the federal government as a form of witness protection giving him life.
The gods had tasked Setsuna with keeping him hidden from his father, and that false-named protection lasted right up until the Thirty-Day War. Patrick knew he couldn’t hide forever, but he’d lived twenty-two years with a last name that felt more like his than the one on his original birth certificate ever would.
Danai finally stopped reviewing Patrick’s past and lifted her gaze to meet his. He couldn’t read the look in her eyes. “This could free you, but it will make your life difficult.”
“It’s already difficult,” Patrick said.
“Is all of this documentation what was submitted under seal?”
Setsuna nodded. “Most of it, yes.”
“Then here’s what we’re going to do.” Danai tapped her pen against her legal notepad again, staring at Patrick. “I’m going to submit a motion to unseal and a motion to dismiss for defective indictment, arguing that you were set up by your father for Youssef’s murder and it was done using your twin sister’s magic. I’ll draft a declaration from this paperwork for you to sign, and I’ll do one for Setsuna as well.”
Setsuna picked up her phone, presumably to make a reminder for herself or send an email. “I’ll have the SOA’s Legal department review both declarations and send you any modifications.”
“Fine, but I’ll need a quick turnaround on your end for signatures. The US Attorney’s Office will fight the motion, because that needs to be their position, but I’m hopeful the evidence will make them rethink the case. I’ll send a Brady demand for their lab report today and then start on the writ for habeus corpus et animum for the necromancer. We’ll get it served, and if they fight it, we’ll submit a motion to the court. We’ll have a third-party forensic firm review the report against the one the SOA has on record for you as soon as we receive it.”
“How long will it take you to file the motions?” Sage asked.
“No later than the end of the week.” Danai pointed her finger at Patrick. “We’ll be focusing on the motion to dismiss, but if it isn’t granted, we’ll need to revisit your whereabouts during the murder.”
Patrick shrugged, knowing that was another fight he’d have to face if it came down to it. Giving up Lucien and Ashanti’s ability to walk in daylight was a nonstarter. He could maybe play off meeting with Carmen, but if traffic cameras caught anything of the others arriving, there went his alibi. The FBI was most likely doing a deep dive on his phone and figuring out his GPS record if they’d even gotten through the encryption and security features yet. Jono had said Hermes had probably messed with it, and Patrick hoped the god hadn’t done anything that would get flagged.
Patrick wasn’t sure when or if he’d get that phone back, but Sage had presented him with a new one that morning, the line held under her plan. His name wasn’t linked to it in any way, which wouldn’t deter the FBI whenever they found out about it. Patrick needed to rebuild his contacts from memory, though he was reticent to call anyone without the proper security and burner apps on the phone.
“I would advise that you stay out of sight of the media for the next few days,” Danai said.
“We have pack responsibilities,” Patrick said.
“The both of you are magnets for the media right now. You’ll endanger any privacy the packs under your protection would want to keep. Call them if you have to, but refrain from in-person meetings.”
“If Estelle and her god pack initiate another attack in our territory, we’re not going to stand by and do nothing.”
“Getting into another fight risks your bond being revoked and the police coming down hard on Jono. The mayor isn’t happy with the fighting happening between the packs. It doesn’t matter that you’re fighting to defend yourselves. The public doesn’t care about that. They only care that their commute is ruined and the streets aren’t safe. You want to earn good PR points? Don’t fight.”
“That’s not possible,” Jono said. “Fighting is how we handle disputes.”
“Then do it in your challenge ring.”
