Page 61 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
Chapter Eighteen
Vad
Isquared my shoulders, dreading another confrontation so soon. I needed to focus on my plan to save Briar and not deal with distractions.
But avoiding them would only cause more theatrics.
Taking a deep breath, I turned toward the voices as the black carved door flung open. The nearest guards tightened their grips on their halberds as their attention focused on the door marked with Thalira's name.
Thalira, a tall Aquen Fae, glided out first, her hands clasped before herself. The torchlight caught on her numerous rings and bracelets and contrasted with her dark brown skin. “Your Highness,” she said, respect in her deeper tone despite the sharpness in her dark eyes. “May we have a word?”
Quen, an Ignis Fae, cut in front of her. Despite not being tall enough to reach my or Thalira’s shoulder, she carried far more rage in her manner than her friend. Her deep crimson eyes burned. “It’s very important.” She crossed her arms and tossed back her black hair.
“Please.” Velessa, the soprano speaker, wrung her hands as she peeked around the door frame. Her wavy purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, moving subtly as if her air magic was at work even now. “We don’t mean any offense, Your Highness, but it’s about Briar.”
Yuki followed close behind Velessa. The Terran fae’s green hair was perfectly straight, but her mouth was pinched. “There’s no chance that Briar killed your father.”
Another woman stood in the doorway now. Myantha. Her honey-gold locs hung loose as she watched the others moving toward me. Sadness filled her russet brown eyes, and she worried her lower lip.
“We are so sorry for your loss,” Velessa said as she slipped out. One arm was still in a sling from her injury the other day, bruises standing out starkly against the pale skin along her shoulder and across her hand. “It is a horrible tragedy. But?—”
“There’s not an ice blade’s chance in the inferno that Briar was behind it,” Quen growled. She snapped her arms out in challenge as she stared up at me, and I half expected fire to explode from her palms. She spat, “How could you think that she was?”
“It was a setup.” Thalira kept her tone calm, as if this were all perfectly reasonable. She tapped her fingers in the air to punctuate those words. “Someone obviously wanted everyone to think she was involved, but the guards for this hall were missing that night. Most of them vanished.”
“Do you think Briar killed all of them? Has she been hiding her superb assassin abilities and cold-blooded nature?” Quen scoffed and curled her upper lip. She wrinkled her nose. “Risking her life for us, but secretly maybe wanting to kill us too, so she can claim power? If you think that, you should go jump in the void.”
The guards focused on me, likely waiting to see how I responded. The closest one adjusted his grip on his halberd. I gave a subtle shake of my head. No matter how little I wanted to have this conversation, it was best to get it over with. I held up my hands to calm Briar’s friends down. As much as I wished that I could comfort them with promises of her return, it was far too risky. “Ladies, justice will be done. Briar is being investigated?—”
“Void shit and pyre rot,” Quen spat. “I don’t believe a word coming out of your mouth. She’s being set up. What justice is there? Justice is circumstantial, and you’ll never change my mind.”
“Briar saved our lives.” Yuki stepped closer and looked around at the small group. “She helped so many of us when she could, even when it cost her. A person like that doesn’t turn around and assassinate a king in the middle of his garden.”
My wings flexed, the tips brushing against the wall as I lifted my chin. “I am aware of far more than you think. If you have specific evidence that you wish to offer aside from Briar’s general character, I am willing to hear it?—”
“Will you bring Briar back?” Yuki's eyes widened as if she could peer into my soul and drag ayesfrom my lips.
I almost promised I would, but that was the worst thing I could do with ears all around. I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to make that vow.
“We are more than willing to testify in her defense.” Thalira stepped around Quen, her flowing layered indigo skirts trailing over the black marble floor. As she drew closer, she reached her hand out and then drew back as if realizing she should not touch me. “Surely that will count for something.”
“Yes, we’ll all vouch for her.” Velessa extended her hand, palm upturned. Her wooden bangle bracelets clattered up her good arm. “Please! You can’t let her suffer. We’ll all take vows that we believe in her innocence.”
Their willingness to risk talking to me like this, let alone risking their lives, had my breath catching. I’d never witnessed such unwavering loyalty after so little time. Briar had made an impact that no one could deny.
I couldn’t bring myself to silence these women. Uncomfortable as the situation was, their heartfelt pleas and even their rage warmed my spirit. Still, their clamoring voices had risen, which was problematic.
I raised one hand, stilling their outpouring of concern. "I understand your loyalty to Briar." I kept my tone low and firm. "It speaks well of her character that she has such devoted friends."
Quen raised her chin and narrowed her crimson eyes. Her red-bronze skin flushed. "We're not just her 'devoted friends.' We're witnesses to her character, and that should count for something in your so-called justice system."
“Punishing the innocent just because it’s easy isn’t justice.” Velessa clutched my arm, and I went rigid.
I stepped away, forcing her to drop her arm. No one should be touching me but Briar, especially not another woman.
Thalira set her hands on her dark sash and shook her head.
Nodding, Myantha moved her lips, but her voice was too soft for me to catch her words.
