“It’s a trial,” I thought back to her. “I can’t talk about it now. But here…”
I opened my mind for a moment, allowing her to see through my eyes.
“where is Ryse?” she asked after a moment of looking. “why isn’t he there defending you?”
I had been wondering the same thing myself. But before I could reply, the Head Master began to speak.
“Aurora Lysandra of the Great House of Lysandra,” he boomed, his voice coming out sounding deep and self-important. “You stand before us today, accused of High Treason. You have deliberately and knowingly infiltrated the Academy and pretended to be male, though you are a female. Are you aware that female dragon riders are against the code of the Academy?”
“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. I wouldn’t lie, I told myself, but I wouldn’t let them shame me, either.
“And yet you took your brother’s place and infiltrated our ranks,” the Head Master went on. “You even Impressed an egg and bonded with a dragon, all the while knowing full well that it is against our laws for a female to ride a dragon. Do you deny the charge?”
“No,” I said. “But?—”
“Answer my questions and nothing more!” thundered the Head Master. “I won’t tolerate any more of your lies, young lady! You are here on false pretenses and your very presence violates the Academy’s code of conduct.”
I heard the cadets murmuring in the audience and wondered if all of them agreed with him. Was it really so bad to find out they’d had a woman among them? Did I somehow invalidate all their glorious traditions and tarnish their honor, just by being female?
“And now, I will call the first witness,” the Head Master said. “Jorn-o Twaller, come to the stand.”
My friend came up to stand behind the podium on the left. He glanced at me, and I could see the misery on his face.
“Son, you have been in classes with this female,” the Head Master said to him. “Did you ever have any inkling that she was not what she claimed to be?”
“No, Sir,” Jorn-o said miserably. “I thought…I mean, she looked like a boy. Just another cadet.”
“Yes, she had us all fooled.” The Head Master nodded wisely. “She wore a magic pendant around her neck that caused her to look like a man. That is all—you may step down.”
Jorn-o stepped away from the podium and started to walk off the stage—then he turned around.
“Everyone is saying it was Auri and her Golden Queen that helped win the battle with the Madlings,” he said. “Without her, we would have lost!”
“That is enough!” The Head Master said sternly, glaring at him. “We are well aware that the accused meddled in the battle. That charge will be addressed in just a moment. You may step down. Now.”
Jorn-o shot me a glance, and I could tell he wanted to say something else. But the Head Master was glaring at him so sternly, he clearly didn’t dare.
Shoulders slumped, he walked off the stage and went back to his seat by Toady and Leaper and Bugs, all of who had glum looks on their faces.
My heart swelled a little. At least not all my friends hated me now.
The next witness the Head Master called was Professor Zephyr. She came to the podium quietly with a neutral expression on her face.
“Head Healer Zephyr,” the Head Master began. “Did you or did you not witness the accused using unsanctioned powers to perform illegal acts of magic here on Academy grounds the day of the Madling attack?”
“I did,” she said, nodding.
“Very good,” the Head Master said, sounding smug, I thought. “And have you ever seen any such powers in your life before?”
“No, I have not,” she replied. “But I have to say, Head Master, that I believe the powers Aurora Lysandra displayed on that day were purely powers of good. I sensed no evil intent and indeed, she used her powers to save a life.”
“Yes, she did,” the Head Master acknowledged, much to my surprise. “But if she had such powers, why did she not use them before? If you recall, she was also present during the death of Chud Larson, another cadet who died after warning us that the Madlings were coming.”
Ahh…suddenly I understood. I hadn’t even known that the Head Master had noticed me watching when Chud died. But clearly, he had seen me and now he wanted to know why I hadn’t saved his son’s life the way I’d saved Ryse.
No wonder he’s angry at me—this isn’t just about me being female, I thought. He’s mad I didn’t save Chud.
“why would you want to save that nasty boy?” L’eesha demanded indignantly. “isn’t he the one who tried to hurt you so many times?”
