Lady Germaine’s eyes sparked with greed. “She’s certainly stronger than we all expected. She could be a great asset. With her kind of power, once she graduates, she could become our strongest High Priestess, or even be the one to lead us into battle against the other supernatural races.”
Lady Germaine spoke as if she wanted to use Emma to pull off spells that she couldn’t herself. Emma scowled at her.
“Ethan Hastek must be executed for his crimes. He has betrayed the country!” Elijah growled.
“With the kind of magic that Emmaline Sosna possesses, we could wipe the Miriamic Coven off the face of the Earth, and be rid of those damned witches forever!” Lord Radcliffe boomed. “Your highness, this kind of power isn’t worth sacrificing for one mere vigilante! We cannot afford to throw it away!”
Elijah’s knuckles cracked as he tightened his fists. He was in a tight spot. He couldn’t kill me without damaging Emma’s magic— which he couldn’t ignore under the Circle’s plight. The whole kingdom knew how strong she was now. They wouldn’t understand why Elijah would hinder Emma’s magic when his whole campaign over the past year had been growing Malovia’s power, so we could attack the other magical races once the time was right.
No personal grudge against me was worth giving up such a powerful weapon as Emma, and no one besides Eli and Gabby knew that they wanted to kill her anyway, to obtain the stones at any cost. Magdalina had used my possession to our advantage.
Magdalina continued on. “From what we can deduce, the demon inside of Ethan provoked him to commit crimes. Perhaps to evenbecomethe Phantom in the first place. But even during his possession, Ethan was strong enough to defend his country and battle with his reasonings. Once the demon inside of him was vanquished, he became a beacon of hope for Malovia. He saved lives and rescued souls during the Slaughter of the Innocents. Certainly nothing he has done since warrants death, or even a lifetime of imprisonment. We can even count his actions as heroic, for being so strong against the demon’s influence.”
Lord Lucien shifted forward. “Ethan has committed crimes, that much is true,” he began. “However, upon evaluation of the evidence, it is clear that his good deeds outnumber his sins. So what is the court to do? Sentence a man who has helped and aided Malovia far more than hurt it, at the detriment of our future?”
He gestured to Emma. The court remained silent, until Elijah spoke. “We must make a decision. There’s no way to evaluate the balance between what the defendant has done.”
“There isoneway,” Magdalina began. “The old way.”
My heart skipped a beat, and Gabby spoke. “You aren’t suggesting a return to the ancient law.”
“Yes. My client demands a trial-by-combat.”
My stomach bottomed out. The courtroom erupted again— Solomon began shouting, to tell everyone to quiet down.
Emma’s face went pale, but she didn’t understand the true implications. It was more than just a battle. It was a fight to the death.
“You all know the law,” Magdalina shouted over the noise. “A trial-by-combat is seen as a judgement by the gods. If Ethan wins the fight, and kills his opponent during the battle, he walks free!”
“A trial-by-combat can only be performed by a member of the Circle, and none of us here are absurd enough to bargain our lives for this fool,” Elijah spat.
Lord Lucien slowly rose from his seat. “With exception, your highness, I volunteer to battle on the Circle’s behalf,” Lucien said. “It would be my honor to fight for the reputation of the crown.”
No.Horror swelled throughout my form. I wanted Lucien to look at me, but he wouldn’t.
I instead turned to Emma. She seemed frozen on the witness stand, tears beading in her eyes.
This wasn’t part of the plan, Emma wept.
Maybe not yours, I replied. I was certain Lord Lucien and Lady Magdalina had been plotting this all along. But Lucien was talking about sacrificing himself forme.It was worse than unjust. It wasn’t right!
A grin began to slide across Elijah’s face. “Very well. If the defendant demands a trial-by-combat, we will give it to him, effective immediately.”
Elijah’s voice was meshed with glee. Lucien had more experience than I. He was certain I’d be killed.
“Withhis prosthetic, I assume,” Magdalina added. “It’s hardly a fair fight if one of the combatants cannot walk.”
Elijah’s face soured. “Yes. Of course.”
He’d been planning on withholding it from me. Bastard had thought of everything, but so had Lady Magdalina.
Steward Solomon cleared his throat. “Ethan Hastek, your mate will be held in contempt, as assurance you will not throw away the match on purpose to save Lord Lucien’s life. If you are slain, your mate will be found guilty by association, and executed along with you. Take them to the Field.”
Emma shrieked as two soldiers put her in noxite cuffs. I screamed in rage and tried to fight off the guards, but I couldn’t get to her. They dragged me out of the courtroom, out of my mate’s sight and in the direction of the arena.
I’d told Emma once that everything mates did, they did together. That a crime one was found guilty of, the other usually suffered the consequences of.
But in trials of treason involving execution, that was hardly ever the case. Mates usually walked free.
