Page 33 of The Tribes of Magic
“Wait!”
The guards froze.
“How dare you use your foul magic on us again!” Dellondré hissed at me.
“I’m not doinganymagic right now.” I observed the Duchess cooly, my arms pressed to my chest.
Furious, Dellondré turned to the guard at the front, the one in the gold armor. He flinched, ever-so-slightly, which signaled to everyone in the room that I was indeed telling the truth.
“I think he genuinely doesn’t want to do your bidding anymore,” I said helpfully.
Dellondré gave me a terrible smile, then she turned to snap, quite literally, at the gold guard, “Did you not hear my command, Captain?”
“I did, Your Grace. It’s just that…” He exchanged wary looks with the other guards.
“You’re afraid. Of a little girl.” Dellondré sneered at them. “Fine. Then I’ll take care of her myself.”
She grabbed a sword off the ground.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kato warned her.
Dellondré’s smile turned even more acidic when she bit out, “Yes, well, you arenotme.”
Kato looked totally unbothered by the show she was making, which must have really annoyed her. “Savannah Winters did not kill Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris, and I have proof.” Kato lifted the knives—and his voice—as he turned to the members of the Court. “Don’t you want to know who therealkiller is?”
“We already know.” Dellondré stomped toward me.
Her guards wilted in her presence, peeling away from her path.
Duchess Diadora cut in front of her.
“Get out of my way, Diadora.” Dellondré articulated every syllable. Her words were knives, and she was scraping each one against a sharpening stone, in preparation for battle.
Whereas Diadora’s voice was as calm as a sleeping lake. “No, Dellondré. I wish to see this evidence. TheCourtwishes to see this evidence.”
“Fine, but I’m holding on to this.” Dellondré lifted her sword, tapping it to her opposite shoulder. “For later.” The frosty look she shot me was a promise.
My stomach did another somersault.
“You may address the Court, Sir Kato.”
“Thank you, Duchess Diadora. Honorable members of the Court.” Kato bowed to them. “Some people would have you believe that Savannah Winters used magic to bewitch Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris. But it was not bewitchment that forced them to kill themselves; it wasthese.” He deposited the knives on the table that held the chocolate fountain. “They’ve been enchanted.”
“Even if that’s true, Savannah Winters still could have bewitched Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris!”
“This proves nothing!”
“We saw her do it!”
The calls from the Court did nothing to rattle Kato’s nerves. He continued, his voice calm and collected, not betraying a sliver of emotion. “Your entire case against Savannah is based on nothing.”
“We know she’s guilty!”
“We saw her bewitch the whole Court!”
“But have you seen her enchant objects?” Kato’s brows lifted, inviting anyone to speak up and say that they had.
Instead, all he got were shifting skirts and uncomfortable coughs.
