Page 94 of Dragon Unleashed

I don’t know what is happening. I’ve made my appeal. It’s not a courtroom. They’re here basically just to announce if I stay or go. I wipe my sweaty hands down Naeve’s poor skirt. Surely this could be done by letter, without a crowd watching.

Lady Tenebrae clears her throat. “We are here today to decide the fate of Miss Lorelei Bal. The charges against her are serious and warrant expulsion from Fates Academy.”

“The charges are bullshit,” a squeaky voice calls out.

“Silence, or you’ll be made to leave.” Lady Tenebrae studies those gathered. “It is telling that for support Miss Bal can only summon a handful of disrespectful students at best, and not even her whole allegiance.” She peers meaningfully at the rest of the panel.

This is a witch hunt.

Professor Maximillion grunts, focusing on the table.

As Lady Tenebrae sits, Professor Maggo rises. Even in the seriousness of the moment I have to stifle a giggle at the small pile of cushions on his seat. He is the smallest man I’ve ever known. He hovers a few feet off the ground, his draping robes giving the illusion he’s standing.

“The charges are as follows…” Prof Maggo shoots an apologetic glance in my direction. “In her first scenario, Miss Bal attempted to pull energy down her allegiance bond. Outside assistance is not allowed. This is therefore defined as cheating. How do you plead to this, Miss Bal?”

I rise and face the panel. That’s not fair. I was already penalized for that, docked points. It was a genuine error.

“Guilty.” I quickly add, in case he tries to prevent me from explaining, “The task was unclear. I had no warning that my scenario was starting, and the instructions included using an element I didn’t have. I concluded I must have to utilize one of my allegiance’s powers. I was wrong, but I was also penalized for that at the time.”

Lady Tenebrae clicks her tongue, blatantly annoyed Maggo let me say my piece. Maggo inclines his head and continues. “You are also charged with manipulating your second scenario, breaking the reality field and physically transporting your allegiance to help you cheat on your exam.”

I stare blankly at him until I realize he expects me to make a plea.

“Not guilty.” Their damnscenariowas doing its best to rape and kill me, but I didn't magically transport my allegiance. I would know how. I start to explain but Lady Tenebrae holds up a finger and mutters in the dean’s ear.

“I have a question.” Prof Maximillion’s voice sounds like it’s not been used yet today. “Did you know the scenario had been hijacked? Were you aware three of the characters within it were real people?”

I shuffle my feet, my brain dragging me back to that day. I don’t want to think about it.

“Y-yes,” I say. My voice is low, cracked. “Not to begin with, but Dexter, my ex, he’s always gotten this…this look in his eye when he’s about toreallyhurt someone. There’s no way a professor creating the scenario would know that. I realized then he was real. I was terrified.”

“Irrelevant,” Tenebrae bites out. “She cheated. Her own sponsor, the Virrey, thinks she should be expelled. What doesthattell you?”

Dean Emrick stands and waves his hand at his staff, like they’re unruly toddlers having a spat over a toy.

“We’re not here to deliberate the niceties of the situation. Professors, you’ve had two weeks to come to a conclusion. This is a mere formality. Please, cast your votes now.” He indicates an innocuous brown box at the center of the table. “We will all vote. Should there be a hung vote, then my vote will be the decider.”

That’s it. I’m screwed. Even if Prof Maximillion is on my side as well as Maggo…I bury my head in my hands, only vaguely aware of the professors casting their votes, sending my life down the drain.

It feels like seconds later, and the dean has the box in his hands. All this ceremony. It’s satyr shit. Just making a spectacle of me for no damn reason.

The papers spread in front of him, the dean starts to speak.

“As dean of Fates Academy, I hereby announce the charges are quashed.”

I can’t raise my head from the desk.Did I mishear?Sharp stilettos ring out in the otherwise silent room. Only once the doors shut on Lady Tenebrae do I dare let my breath out. Whoops and hollers from the stand break out and I look up into the grinning faces of my friends.

“By three votes to one, Lorelei Bal will remain a student at Fates Academy,” the dean says.

No prizes for guessing who that one vote was.

“During Solstice we conducted a thorough investigation. We found your exam scenarios were tampered with by a staff member. Far from me to speak ill of the dead, but the departed Professor Allegra cannot have been of entirely sound mind. Not only did she change the exam-standard scenarios, but she also actively sought out members of the public known to have a vendetta against you, Lorelei, and offered them a way to get to you.”

He taps the leg of his glasses absently on the table, for once looking uncertain. “I am glad this was the outcome, and as anacademy we extend our apologies to you, Miss Bal. We will do better to safeguard students in the future. The Angel King has guaranteed funding to ensure it. We would simply ask you to sign a nondisclosure agreement over the unfortunate events. To protect the academy’s reputation, you understand.”

It dawns on me. With funding from the Angel King, the dean no longer has to do everything the Virrey says. He’s chosen the academy’s reputation over the Virrey. Chosen the king’s backing over the local mayor.

The dean steeples his fingers and peers between me and my friends on the benches.

---