Page 86 of Depths of Desire
Aldryn addresses Sivara. “You know the punishment for lying to this council. Do you admit to your transgression?”
Sivara shakes her head. “No, your majesty. I was told this document was valid. I had no idea that Mrs. Benedetti lied.”
Aldryn frowns. “You know we can invoke the magick of the chamber and it will tell us if you are lying.”
“Yes, your majesty. And I know that if I was lying and you invoke the spell I would be banished to the land in-between, permanently and irrevocably, immediately upon the end of this proceeding. I would never risk that.” She gave a small shudder.
“Malrick lied as well, it would seem. Perhaps you need to discuss this with him,” Aldryn commanded. The kings confer for a second, and then Aldryn continues. “We will let you off with a warning. Do not let this happen again.”
Sivara tries to keep a neutral expression on her face, but her eyes gleam with her victory. I swear I hear Leonardo curse under his breath.
Had she been lying then? Did she know the truth? The kings seem willing to believe her. Somehow sending someone to whatever the hell the land in-between was seems like a very big deal. The kings don’t seem eager for sure.
Aldryn turns to my mother. “Madam, you have lied to the Council of vampire kings. This offense is punishable by death.”
This time, I gasp. The silence from the gallery is heavy and ominous. I look at Renzo. He gives me a curt nod. I start to rise, but Luca holds my leg, keeping me seated.
Sivara jumps to her feet. “Your Majesty?—”
“No, Lady Draethe,” the Blue King says. “You know as well as anyone the penalty for deception in this chamber. This woman attempted to manipulate the ruling of this Council with forged documents and false testimony. She must face her punishment.”
Sivara presses again. “But surely death is… extreme. Might you consider another sentence?”
Aldryn opens his mouth, but the red-robed king nudges him. The five confer in quiet murmurs while the gallery stirs behind me.
I can hardly breathe. They're going to execute my mother. Part of me wants to scream—to beg them not to do it. The other part—the part that remembers how she sold me for a spell—stays silent. God, I want Nico so badly it hurts. That urgent need brings another truth into focus:
I love him. I’m in love with a vampire. I’m married to a vampire.
The gallery begins to buzz again—too loudly. Then the silver-robed king lifts his head and calls for silence. But a voice speaks anyway.
“Your majesties.” It’s a woman. I turn. Her hair flows like strands of silver silk. Her robe is black, but it shimmers with color, like an oil slick.
Aldryn inclines his head. “What is it you need, Morwenna?”
“When I cast the spell for Mrs. Benedetti,” she says, “I had no idea she intended to trade her daughter for it. Malrick never disclosed that to me. I only agreed to the spell as a favor.”
The hall falls still.
“This spell has been tainted by that betrayal,” she continues. “I ask permission to rescind it. That would serve as punishment enough.”
The kings murmur again. The red-robed king frowns. “Losing her looks does not seem like enough punishment, Morwenna. She lied to us.”
“I understand,” Morwenna replies. “But the reversal won’t just strip away her appearance. It will draw out every ounce of power she has hoarded. It will age her beyond recognition. She will become frail and forgotten. A shadow of what she was. And considering she sold her daughter for that power… I believe it’s fitting.”
The kings confer again.
Finally, Aldryn nods. “Very well. Proceed.”
Morwenna raises her arms.
My mother begins to back away. “No—you can’t do this. We made a deal!”
Morwenna’s voice is icy. “The deal you corrupted. You asked for beauty and energy to care for your daughter. You said you needed strength to guide her through a difficult path. You lied. You twisted my magic for selfish gain.”
Guards appear from the shadows, grasping my mother’s arms and holding her in place.
Morwenna begins to chant, the words thick with ancient power. The air sparks. Then—snap. My mother screams. Her body bends, her scream strangled into a pitiful gasp. Her skin begins to wrinkle. Her hair dulls and falls limp. She’s becoming what she truly is: broken, bitter, and old.
