Page 16 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

“Okay,” Jeremiah calls out to the room, repeating it once more with more volume.

The noise doesn’t stop, but he’s still able to project his voice enough that everybody can hear him.

“We already made a decision! But if this girl will just have a seat, we’ll hear all of your thoughts!”

The crowd’s racket abates. Against the pushing and shoving of a riot, I find a seat in the room, taking a seat at a chair in the back.

It’s nice to see some order for a change, but I know that it won’t make any real difference.

“She always struck me as a little odd,” Jeb says, oblivious to my scowl. “I never once thought she’d turn on us like this, but it honestly doesn’t surprise me.”

He shuffles off the podium.

“I thought it was weird how she kept eating all my meat and not gaining a pound,” Idel says at the stand. “But I always had a bad feeling about her. Doesn’t surprise me that she was using magic powers to keep her weight down.”

Harold looks to the other members, then shakes his head, his confusion apparent on his face.

“We don’t suspect she has any magical powers,” he says. “I’m not sure where you got that idea, but let’s put it to rest now.”

There’s a small commotion in the back as Idel returns to standing, watching the proceedings.

My heart leaps as Alex walks to the podium, his dirty blonde hair looking positively golden in the candlelight. We used to play together as children.

“And you never once suspected that Evangeline might pose a danger to the community?” Polyn asks, his firm jaw visibly clenched.

“No,” he says, unwavering even against the protest in the crowd. “In fact, from what I’ve seen over the years, she’s always been incredibly nice to everybody in this town. I don’t know why we’re suddenly now turning against her.”

He returns to his seat even against pushback.

Isabelle also takes the stand, defending me. But she can barely get a word in over the volume of the crowd.

“How are we even having this discussion?”

I feel my jaw clenching, watching as Renee takes the stand against me.

“You know what she’s capable of. You’ve seen it. And I’m a harder worker than she’ll ever be, so it’s not like we’re losing anything when she leaves.”

I want to storm the podium, pushing Renee down to the ground. I can see myself beating her to within an inch of her life right now.

How can she do this to me?

Instead, I restrain myself and manage to walk to the podium, even as the gathering audience demands I be banished or killed.

“The only good thing about these proceedings,” Harold says as I take the stand. “Is that at least now you’ll be more prepared for our answer. I’m trusting you to keep your composure and accept the council’s judgment now.”

I tighten my fists, feeling them ball up so tightly that my fingernails are clawing at my palms.

“Evangeline, you’re to leave town immediately and never return,” Harold says. “If you’re not gone by morning, we’re going to have to take action.”

My nostrils flare. Just as the first member of the audience stands up to leave, I feel myself bellowing out.

“You’re not going to kick me out in the dead of winter when I’ve got nowhere else to go and I’ve worked this hard for what I have,” I reply, my throat on fire now. “I’m not leaving.”

The council just shakes their heads, tired of dealing with my case.

I prepare myself to fight, ready to defend what I’ve earned.

I won’t be killed for some dumb superstition.

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