Page 54 of Searching for Thanksgiving

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“Lord Zoran, my client has committed no crimes against the Valdier, Sarafin, or Curizan. If anything, he has been an unwilling and resistant victim in the crimes against each of you,” Jack Anderson said, rising from his seat.

Crystal watched with pride as her father adjusted his glasses and walked around the long table. Her father was in his element, and it showed. He was relaxed and spoke with a quiet confidence, but there was an edge to his voice that had the five men sitting at the table leaning forward.

“I beg to differ with your opinion, Jack. We were there when Raffvin tried to kill us,” Zoran dryly replied.

“Raffvin Reykill, yes. Devon Reykill, no. Devon was imprisoned at the time—held captive by an abusive father he barely knew. I have reviewed all of the records from the attack and it clearly states that all those involved in the attack along with their…,” he paused and glanced at his notes before continuing, “… their corrupted symbiots were eliminated. Is that correct?”

Zoran leaned back and folded his hands in front of him. Crystal clenched her own folded hands together. If looks could freeze or kill, the one Zoran Reykill was giving her dad at that moment would have dropped him like a fly. Instead, her father stood waiting as if for a cup of coffee. Zoran’s expression became neutral and he gave a brief nod.

Her father cleared his throat. “For the record, are we to understand that your nod was in agreement that neither Raffvin Reykill, his followers, nor their corrupted symbiots survived?”

“Yes, that is correct,” Zoran grudgingly agreed.

“Is it also correct that a specific red crystal given to one Ariel Hamm-Reykill was able to counteract the devastating effects to the symbiots corrupted by Raffvin Reykill?” Jack continued.

“Yes, that is correct,” Zoran agreed.

“Mrs. Reykill, could you please present a sample of the red crystal used in the fight?” Jack requested. “Let it be known that this is exhibit A.”

“He is good,” Mandra muttered.

“Here you go,” Ariel said, placing a large red crystal on the table in front of Jack.

“Thank you. Now, I would like to call a witness to the stand,” Jack requested.

“A witness?” Zoran repeated with a frown.

Jack nodded and looked down at his notes again. “Yes, I would like to request a Ms. Morah Reykill-Grove.”

The group of men sitting at the table grumbled with dismay. Crystal fought back a smile when Morah entered the room next to her mother. They were so alike that she had to do a double-take. They both wore beautiful, matching gold gowns and had their black hair piled into elegant chignons. The only difference was Morah was wearing a tiara that looked as if it was moving.

“This is no place for a child,” Zoran snapped, rising to his feet.

Jack smiled reassuringly at Morah and nodded to the chair set up to the side of the long table. Morah glared at her older brothers, delicately lifted the hem of her long gown, and waltzed right by them. A stifled snort of laughter caught Crystal’s attention and she turned to see Paul Grove leaning against a pillar next to his mate. They were both watching their young daughter with pride.

Jack smiled and stepped up to Morah. “Can you please state your full name?” he requested.

“We know who she is. Get to the point,” Zoran ordered.

Jack cleared his throat. “Morah, can you tell me how you first met Devon?” he asked in a gentle tone.

Morah tossed her head and patted the tiara on her head before she nodded. “We was on a quest.”

“What kind of quest?”

Morah leaned forward in her chair and spoke in a low, earnest tone. “We was searching for Thanksgiving.”

“And why were you searching for Thanksgiving?”

“We wanted to helps her. Alice said that Thanksgiving was scares and lonely. She needed help. Only with the help of her friends, we are her friends but we didn’t knows it then ‘cause we hadn’t ever mets her before, but we wanted to be so we had to helps her. Alice said if we did, Thanksgiving would be able to finds the magic inside her to protects herself and finds the one she loves. Alice says that’s whats Thanksgiving means. It is about giving thanks for the things that mean the most to us. My mommy and daddy says that’s our family and friends, likes Hope and Alice and Adaline and Roam and… and Leo, even though he ate alls our food and put holes in the raft. We are supposed to… to care about peoples, even if we don’t knows them yet, we can still shares our love with them. Only then can the magic grow strongs enough to protect you… even if you are differents.”

Jack nodded. “You are a very wise little girl,” he praised.

Morah sat straighter. “I know. I learns from my mommy and daddy. Plus, I helps and gives advice to the Goddesses.”

“Advice to the Goddesses?” Jack repeated with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

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