Page 128 of This Monster of Mine

Aelius roared something in the background.

Rising smoothly, she smiled placidly in his direction. “I understand your concern, Tetrarch Aelius,” she announced as the cacophony from the audience grew. “But there has been no miscarriage of justice. Tetrarch Kadra was injured that night. I can testify to his condition. He’s blameless here. I can’t say that for most things.” That gained her a ripple of laughter from the crowd. “But I can say it for this.”

She turned to the spectators before Aelius could speak, keeping her every movement graceful. Showing them someone they would want to believe.

“Citizens of Edessa, you came here for a trial on the crucial matter of the scuta you rely on.” Turning back to the dais, she snuck a glance at Kadra, who looked torn between pride and homicide. “I say that we examine the basis for my accusations. I have an ordinary scutum here, and I don’t have the skill to have engineered or warped one for this trial. Every Petitor here knows I speak the truth, and like Tetrarch Aelius, I don’t underestimate your intelligence.”

Striding center stage, she placed the rod there. “And as a show of faith, I’ll stand here, if one of the Tetrarchy would be so kind as to bring forth lightning.”

“Petitor Sarai.” Tullus shot to his feet, incandescent with rage. “You cannot dare test the gods with such little faith.”

“Tetrarch Tullus, I have more faith than I know what to do with. After all, my life is in their hands.” As murmurs spread through the crowd, she spread her hands wide. “I’m all yours. I also have a collation of evidence bytwo former Petitors on numerous scuta blowing up during strikes, as well as the Metals Guild’s purchase of lands after they’re struck by lightning. If that isn’t enough, I will submit to a Probe here soeveryonecan see what I witnessed at former Metals Guildmaster Helvus’s and Grains Guildmaster Admia’s residences.”

Cisuré looked stricken, eyes darting to Aelius, whose jaw looked liable to snap if he kept clenching it that hard.

Sarai bit back a chuckle.You can’t do it, can you?Or everything you did in that domus will air out as well.She turned back to the crowd, who cheered their agreement. “The people want the truth.” She smiled innocently. “I am happy to provide it.”

Silence fell over the dais, Kadra looking as though he was fighting a laugh while debating on dragging Sarai away from the scutum. Aelius and Tullus seethed. Cassandane eyed the men on either side of her with a wide grin, letting the silence lengthen until it was clear that there was only one way forward.

“Very well.” Cassandane raised a hand. Silver sparks lit the air. Kadra’s features tautened a second before layers upon layers of a familiar gold shield flared around her.

The Aequitas erupted with the sounds of people getting to their feet, craning to get a better look. She held herself still, not covering her ears so as not to be accused of a lack of faith or anything else that would invalidate her test.

The air throbbed, a low hum building. Cassandane flicked her wrist and lightning scissored down from the sky. A deafening crack followed. The scutum exploded.

Metal warped, spitting fire and iron dust into the air. Propelled to her knees by the force of the blast, she hunched over. Above her, three of Kadra’s shields had vaporized. The remaining two held with fierce control. Rising, she grinned at him.It’s done!

Raw emotion burned in his eyes. He looked relieved. And furious.

A roar of anger and horror swelled across the Aequitas, several people climbing over railings to get a better look at the warped, sizzling metal. The Metals Guildsman still standing there looked uneasy.

“I believe that’s all the evidence we need,” Cassandane said wryly. “The Guild has admitted the truth as well, so it seems that Petitor Sarai and Tetrarch Kadra’s concerns weren’t unfounded.” She gave Sarai a grateful glance. “The Metals Guild and Helvus’s estate will work out the appropriate compensation for those still owning a scutum. I encourage any who know of deaths caused by scuta to bring their petitions. Tetrarch Aelius, Tetrarch Tullus? Do you agree?”

Aelius pressed his lips tight, forcing each word past them. “The matter will be dealt with as such. The Tetrarchy has spoken.”

For the second time in her life, Sarai crumpled to the Aequitas’s stage in relief, taking in the devastation and rage coming from every corner of the audience. She couldn’t imagine how many had lost people to a strike, or shouldered the blame for a death due to a lack of faith. She didn’t envy the Metals Guild right now. Four years of greed and death ended. She wished Jovian and Livia had lived to see it.

Eschewing its tradition of descending center stage for a final bow, the Tetrarchy parted. Kadra and Cassandane headed one way, and Aelius and Tullus stormed off in the other. Sarai ducked into the corridor leading outside to Aelius’s massive statue when Cisuré blocked her path.

“We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Sarai tried to edge past when the other girl caught her arm.

“I won’t let you carry on like this.” The light in her eyes sent a strange chill down Sarai’s spine. “You’re going to pack your things and leave thatsadist’stower. Now.”

“By all the High Elsar, if you dare try to coerce me to lick Aelius’s feet one more time, I’m burning his tower to the ground.”

“You—”

“Cisuré, stop,” Anek interjected, a hand on her shoulder. “You and your Tetrarch had your say in court. You lost. Live with it.”

Cisuré looked close to screaming, hands forming fists before she stormed off. Sarai let out a pained breath. Outside the Aequitas, Kadra crossed his arms, Cassandane beside him, her dark head bowed close to his. The tempest in Sarai coiled tighter at the sight of the older woman’s beautiful features, at the familiar way she caught Kadra’s elbow, apparently irritated.

Cassandane has no interest in men, she reminded herself, calming the irrational impulse to ride Caelum right between the two of them.

Following her gaze, Anek’s lips twitched. “She’s chewing him out. Deservedly, too, given that he just announced his weakness to all of Ur Dinyé.” At her pause, they tilted their head to the Academiae. “Ride with me.”

She followed with a parting glance at Kadra, noting with worry that he still seemed vaguely out of sorts. The sky was well into moonrise by the time she and Anek managed to make their way through the crowd, find their mounts, and leave the Aequitas.

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