Page 124 of Entranced By the Basilisks

That look of sadness triggers dread in my chest.

“Ari—”

“Look, there’s Jasper,” he says, and I spin to the front of the room. Jasper stands on the other side of the room to us. The placement looks purposeful since I’m assuming the Circle will line the space between us.

“And here’s the Circle,” Ari narrates as a line of men and women enter the room. I count nine and though the majority appear to be South Asian, there are other ethnicities represented too. Each member wears the formal attire for where they are from.

Awnti is at the center, bedecked in jewelry and embroidery. There is no mistaking her status, the others defer to her with body language and the grace I’d noticed before is apparent now. She’s regal.

“That’s the head of the Circle?” I hiss.

“Yes, that’s Councilor Singh.”

My eyes bulge.

“She said her name was Awnti,” I whisper.

Ari coughs to disguise his laugh. “Aunty is a term of respect in her culture.”

“I feel stupid.”

“Don’t. She knew you wouldn’t have known who she was.”

I bite my lip. “I told her everything.”

“Everything?” Ari asks and I nod. He dips his chin too. “Good, that will make this easier.”

Make what easier?

Councilor Singh speaks and the room quiets immediately. “We are here today because Jasper Adder is accused of something we consider heinous. He has been accused of influencing a Chosen and stealing the position of first bondmate.”

The anger of the crowd is palpable.

“Now, through investigation and testimony, we find that accusation inaccurate. There were reasons that the Chosen did not want to be presented to the circle after she miraculously became blessed. Reasons we have heard and accepted.”

The hope is painful. Does that mean they’ll acquit him? Whispers dance behind me and I sense the crowd’s unrest. Will anyone accept the judgment if they do acquit him?

“Something else miraculous has occurred. By the testimony of both parties, the bonding was done by accident. There was no unlawful ritual.”

Now the whispers are angry. They don’t believe it.

“We don’t know why the Goddess has done this,” Councilor Singh says, her voice is soft but carries. “There has not been a Chosen in a few decades and suddenly Emilia Rivera is blessed without agreeing to it. Bonds require preparation and a ritual, but Rivera and Adder have bonded without that. It’s almost as if it’s a lesson. Perhaps the Goddess is angered by our treatment of fellow serpent kin for actions done centuries before…”

I widen my eyes and the crowd calms for a moment before the tension in the room returns. I guess they aren’t the live-and-let-live type.

“Clever,” Ari breathes.

“Will it work?” I ask.

Ari’s face hardens. “Depends on what the goal is. She is sowing seeds in our society, but it does not matter what happens to Jasper while she’s waiting for them to sprout.”

The crowd finally dies down under the stern gaze of Councilor Singh. They still want blood.

“But we have laws for a reason and young Adder has broken them.”

My insides freeze. Jasper makes eye contact with me, and his golden gaze looks sad but determined.

Ari steps forward. “Honored Councilor, you have missed some items. Please allow me to present before you pass your judgment.”

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