The judge exhaled slowly. “The witness may step down.”
My legs felt unsteady as I stood, but I stayed upright. I didn’t look at Father.
I looked for Jace.
He was already there—eyes locked on mine, jaw tight, furious and proud all at once. When I reached him, he didn’t say anything. He just angled his body toward me, close enough that I could feel him, solid and real.
I squeezed the cube one last time.
I had answered honestly.
That’s all that mattered.
17
Jace
By the time the judge adjourned for the day, my jaw was in pain from how long I’d been clenching it.
The defense attorney’s voice replayed in my head.
“Complicit.”
“Influenced.”
“Paid for.”
I was starting to regret not smuggling in a gun.
I exhaled through my nose, slowly, and counted it out. Four in. Six out.Can’t go to prison. Can’t go to prison. Can’t go to prison.
Across the room, Elior stood carefully, like he wasn’t sure his legs would obey him even if he asked nicely. He kept his shoulders back and chin up, despite the way he looked close to hyperventilating.
When he finally turned and found me, our eyes locked. Just for a second. No smile. No nod. Just contact. Checking in. Making sure I was still there.
I’d always be there.
I rose then, positioning myself without thinking—half a step behind him, slightly to his right. Shielding him from the crowd.
We didn’t speak on the way out. There were too many eyes and ears. I could feel them tracking us, curiosity and judgment tangling together.
The defense attorney caught my eye near the exit.
He grinned.
That was when I had to dig my nails into my palm to keep from stealing someone’s pen and shoving it into his eye.
The drive home was quiet.
Elior sat curled slightly toward the passenger door, his squeeze cube in hand, thumb pressing into it rhythmically. He was doing an impressive job at managing himself, and that was great, but it didn’t stop the animal part of my brain from cataloging every micro-tension in his body.
I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.
“Hey,” I said gently.
He blinked, like he’d been somewhere else. “Hi.”
“You did really good today, baby.”
