Page 20 of Vengeance Becomes Her

CHAPTER SEVEN

When the sun rose, she was already dressed and standing in front of her mirror, eyeing her disappointing reflection.

She’d slowly been creeping back up to her normal weight, for which she was thankful, but her sickly pallor and pale hair drastically changed her features, something she couldn’t look past no matter how hard she tried. It made her feel like a stranger in her own skin.

While she was lost in her thoughts, it occurred to her that she was standing in the very spot where she had been admiring Silas in the reflection, ready to profess her love and start the next chapter of their lives together. She remembered feeling light and happy and in love. It was still hard to believe how much had changed in the last two months.

Despite the time that’d passed, his presence still lingered. She couldn’t shake the haunted feeling that now blanketed every inch of her home.

What she wouldn’t give to forget him completely. To not have this anger coursing through her at the briefest mention of his name. To not have that tingle of fear creeping up her spine at every unexpectednoise or sight.

She wanted to let him go but she couldn’t.

The words of the woman in her dreams rang in her ears. Her insistence driving Rhiannon to action. If she couldn’t forget him, she would force those in power to listen. But she needed to prepare first. She’d only have one shot at convincing them to help her.

She hadn’t told her story to anyone other than her family and now Tristain. It was time to share the truth—or at least the version she could get them to believe.

She couldn’t imagine how it would go over with a group of prudish old men if she went in there spouting off fantastical tales of magic. She knew it would be enough of a battle to simply get them to believe he’d attempted to kill her. But she didn’t have anywhere else to turn. They were the ones who made rulings and enforced punishments in Oakhaven. So, she would have to make her best effort to convince them of her truth and hope it was enough.

She practiced recounting her story in the mirror, striving to keep her tone and body language calm and collected. She didn’t want them to be able to write her off as hysterical before she was able to recount all the details and convince them to consider her plea.

If she could get them on her side and she could find a way to quell Silas’ power, she might be able to hope she would get what she wanted in the end.

With every step she took toward the council’s chambers, her confidence wavered. She should have felt reassured that her family and Tristain were coming with her to lend credibility to her claims, but she couldn’t shake the worry that had sunk its claws in her. The council had a long history of blaming women for the harm that befell them and she didn’t think she was the exception. But she had to try.

Rhiannon stood in the middle of the plain room, which was empty except for minimal decor and a long rectangular table that seated the five men who made up the council. They eyed her with distaste as she shifted on her feet under their judgmental gazes. They wanted to hear from her first, so her family and Tristain waited outside until it was theirturn to speak.

She had recited her story with all the poise she could muster. Despite the details of deception and the attempted murder—with the magic left out of course—they hardly seemed affected. Her hope had dwindled significantly by the time they’d spoken with everyone else.

She’d paced a clear path in front of the door and bit all her nails down to nothing before they called her back in.

Her mother squeezed her arm in reassurance. “They’ll do the right thing, you’ll see.”

Even though she had time to steel her nerves, her stomach still dropped when the door creaked open ominously and she took in their stony expressions.

“Miss Savatia…” the head councilman, Hugo Durant addressed her, his voice tight and formal. “While we empathize with a young woman’s heartbreak, we feel that your story is illogical and, quite frankly, unbelievable. How you roped the others into supporting your claims, we do not know, butit’s a shame.”

Rhiannon took a step forward, her jaw dropping in protest, but he held up a firm hand.

“We cannot grant your request to have Mr. Bevedere brought in to face trial for the alleged crimes. Furthermore, we are disappointed that you would waste our time bringing such outlandish charges against a gentleman of his caliber. Mr. Bevedere was an upstanding citizen during his time in Oakhaven. You will be required to remit payment for our time and are barred from making further claims against Mr. Bevedere.” He finally made eye contact with her. “Understood?”

She was stunned into silence momentarily as she let the weight of his words sink in. The fact that they didn’t believe her and then had the audacity to try to punishherwas too much.

“No. It is not understood. First of all, I am not a young woman. I’m nearly thirty. Second, I’m the victim here and you expect me to pay you for calling me a liar? This council is a joke. You wouldn’t know justice if it hit you in the face.” Her voice rose as the leash on her anger loosened. “I knew this was a waste of time. Men in power fail women over and over again. If you will not do what’s right, then I will have to get justice for myself.”

She turned sharply on her heel to leave, her skirt swirling around her ankles, but she rounded on them once more, flipping them the middle finger with a flourish. She slammed the door as hard as possible behind her.

Her mother and Jade waited outside for her. Their hopeful expressions only made the outcome more disappointing. Rhiannon couldn’t speak or the tears would come, so she only shook her head. They rode home without speaking. Thankfully, her familyunderstood that she didn’t need comforting right now, she needed space. But even in their silence, their concern was still suffocating.

“Let me out. I need to walk.” She forced her voice to remain steady.

“I’ll walk with you,” Jade offered.

“I want to be alone, please.”

“Jade, let her go,” her mother urged before asking the driver to pull the carriage over. Rhiannon was grateful as she stepped out.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, it isn’t thatmuch farther.”

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