“So it’s not about convincing the others here to accept me. It’s about convincing you.”
He leaned forward, and his gaze intensified. “I believe you, Kes, every word you’ve spoken here. I just need time to understand it all. Most people in the Alliance will feel the same way, and some may never understand. The person we need to worry about most is Gabe.”
He was right. Gabe and I had not been on good terms for some time, though, admittedly, Gabe had his reasons. Among them, I had nearly poisoned Simon to death.
“Gabe will not believe there is any chance you could be completely recovered,” Simon added, then fell silent as the door opened. I caught my breath in my throat. Gabe was on the other side.
“Indeed, I don’t believe it,” he said, stepping into the room with three other well-armed Coracks, his eye on me as if I were about to attack.
Simon stood, crossing in front of me with his hand at his sword. “How did you know?”
“Drops of blood leading from where Rawk landed last night into Woodcourt. Someone noticed you loading a particularly large plate of food this morning and taking it to a room other than your own.” Gabe shrugged. “It wasn’t the hardest thing to figure out, Hatch.”
Simon drew his sword, and I stood behind him. “Kestra is staying here, under my protection.”
“No, she isn’t.” Gabe nudged the other Coracks forward. One raised a disk bow at me. Two others aimed at Simon. “Don’t make this a fight,” Gabe added. “All of us will lose if you do.”
Simon huffed, then slowly lowered his sword. The disk archers remained in position.
“We’re a fair people.” Gabe pulled out the same binding cord as he had once used to hold me prisoner in the Slots, and wrapped it again around my wrists. When I’d had magic, I could have escaped this with a single thought and casual tug of my arms, but now I would remain bound until Gabe released me.
“Is that really necessary?” Simon asked. “She’s not our enemy.”
“That’s what the trial will determine. Whatever is decided, Simon, you must accept her fate. If you refuse, we’ll pass sentence right now.”
Simon looked over at me, and I felt his concern as a pit in my gut. “When is the trial?”
Gabe frowned back at him. “We’re ready for her now.”
Despite Kestra’s assurances that she had no ability to attack Gabe, he still insisted that her hands be bound before we left the room.
She eyed him steadily as the binding cord went around her wrists. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I knew her enough to know that she was masking a deep fear of what was about to happen.
I could not hide my emotions nearly as well. My legs felt weak as I followed Kestra into the corridor. All I could do was to hope that this trial would be fair, as Gabe had promised, but given all that had happened over the past few days, I doubted that Gabe and I had the same understanding of justice.
We were led to the ballroom of Woodcourt, the same place where, not so long ago, Basil and Kestra had come to be married. I had stood near the far wall, watching for an opportunity to get her out of Woodcourt. Should things go poorly, I might need to try the same escape again.
But it would be impossible this time. The room was full of Alliance members, most of them armed. They parted for us to enter but quickly closed the gap behind us.
I leaned in to Kestra. “You are not here alone. I am on your side.”
“You may be the only one,” she replied.
A dais was already in place, stretching across the entire front of the room. Five
chairs were set in a row on the left side with a single seat on the right that was offered to Kestra. She gave me one final smile of feigned confidence before stepping up. She attempted to sit tall, to seem unafraid, yet she looked so small up there, alone. Her hair was still undone, so it fell loosely around her shoulders, and her eyes intently scanned the audience. Her bound hands rested in her lap with the other end of the binding cord on Gabe’s wrist, and she interlocked her fingers to lessen their shaking.
Gabe stood in the center of the platform. “It has been decided that each group here should have a vote. Guilt can be decided by majority vote, but innocence must be unanimous.”
“How is that fair?” I asked. “That has never been our standard!”
“But it must be now. The lives of every person in this room, indeed, of every citizen of Antora and beyond, will be affected by this vote. We must have a standard that ensures us all of her innocence. So if you have been chosen to represent your people, come forward.”
Trina was the first to step forward for the Coracks, and Basil came next for Reddengrad. I was already tallying votes and believed they would vote in Kestra’s favor. Commander Reese of my cavalry came forward for the Halderians and would likely vote against her, as I expected would Imri Stout, from the Brill. An Antoran man came forward, introducing himself as Renn. I knew nothing of him, which made me nervous. Surely he knew that Kestra was raised as a Dallisor, and that would hardly work in her favor.
Five judges, and three likely votes against her. Even by our usual standards, Kestra had already lost this trial.
“I am here for my people too,” a woman said, stepping onto the dais.