Page 147 of This Monster of Mine

She knew the second Kadra moved that something was wrong. His head lolled forward; the vigiles she’d assumed were immobilizing him, were actually dragging him.

She scarcely heard the crowd’s tumult as she and Kadra were forced on their knees at the center of the stage. She let out a broken gasp as she finally caught sight of his face.

They’d all but turned it to meat.

Judging by the way he hunched over, bracing himself against the ground, the rest of him hadn’t fared much better.

The Summoning, she realized in horror. If there was anyone who could pull one off, it was Kadra.So they weakened him.

On the dais, Aelius radiated satisfaction. Cassandane seemed on the verge of hyperventilation. Anek placed a hand on their Tetrarch’s shoulder, meeting Sarai’s gaze with careful blankness. Her heart dropped. Had Cisuré been so spiteful as to not deliver the handkerchief?

“People of Edessa.” Aelius raised a hand for silence, smile slipping when people continued to gasp in horror at Kadra’s condition. “We gather today for the worst of reasons. The worst of all crimes. In the early hours of this morning, I and many of my men witnessed a horrific sight at Sidran Tower, where the man before you murdered Tetrarch Tullus in cold blood.”

The crowd tittered in disbelief. Some rose to their feet, screaming in outrage. Black-robed vigiles formed an inkblot among the masses, Kadra’s people watching him with anguish.

Behind Aelius, Cisuré watched her with cold eyes, head raised in determination. Sarai met her gaze and the other girl stiffened before nodding once.

A wave of relief washed over her.Anek knows.

Aelius looked irritated as the spectators continued to roar their opinions. “The charge is provable.” He turned to Cisuré.

Striding from the dais, she selected one of Aelius’s vigiles and placed a hand on his head. Within seconds, a transparent Kadra and Tullus materialized on the stage.

The audience went still as Kadra wrenched the blade from Tullus’s chest with a twist. Aelius’s smile grew as even Kadra’s most fervent supporters quieted.

Sarai turned to Kadra, wincing at the ragged pulp of his face. But despite being partially swollen shut, those black eyes remained as clear as ever, meeting her with calm acceptance. She trembled. They both knew what would come next. Because Cisuré wouldn’t bother with showing the AequitaswhyKadra had done it.

As expected, the memory ended immediately after Tullus’s death, showing nothing of what preceded it.

Aelius rose. “This man is known for violence. Celebrated for it—it is the reason many of you voted him into power. Are you surprised that he would commit a crime this heinous?” His eyes went hard. “You are all equally to blame for his sins.”

The drop of a pin could echo in the Aequitas’s silence, the air itself immobile.

“Is this man still your hero?” Aelius roared. “Do you still doubt his guilt?”

She held her breath as the audience sank back into their seats. With only two Tetrarchs left of four and Cassandane staying silent, there was no contesting this trial. Not with the evidence Cisuré had put forth.

Aelius masked his jubilation with his customary serenity. “Drenevan bu Kadra, you have forsaken all law and morality as ordained by the gods.And now you must beg for their mercy.” He nodded to Cisuré, who strode to Kadra, eyes alight with a terrible joy.

“Whom will you summon?” she hissed.

The crowd waited with bated breath as Kadra raised his battered head.

And Sarai spoke. “What of the rest of his crimes?”

Kadra went still.

“Sarai of Arsamea.” Aelius glowered at her before turning to Cisuré, who watched him with pleading eyes. “I’m prepared to pardon your complicity in luring Tetrarch Tullus to—”

“Tetrarch Tullus isn’t the only person who was murdered at Sidran Tower,” Sarai announced to the Aequitas. “There was another, four years ago. A girl who dropped to her death. You have all heard of her. Tetrarch Kadra also stands accused of killing her. Will you not give her justice?”

There were sounds of shock, followed by a collective murmuring that swept through the crowd.Yes. They remembered the Sidran Tower Girl.

Aelius looked pleased now. “Unfortunately, owing to a lack of witnesses, we can’t—”

“I witnessed it,” Sarai yelled. “I saw him standing over her body.”

A flurry of gasps ran through the crowd, swelling to a roar of shock. And Kadra, who had barely moved the whole time, swiveled to face her.

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