Page 46 of Songs of Retribution

Orman stepped towards the door. "Both of us?"

"Yes. Your companion is being tried as a co-conspirator."

Orman's nose flared, and he nodded at me.Use your magic and get away from here WHEN this goes bad,his expression seemed to say.

Oh, damn it.

I followed alongside him as we stepped out into the smoggy sunlight which, after days in a cramped, dark cell, was overwhelmingly bright. Crowds had formed, kept back by guards. They watched Orman, some appearing shocked to see him, others angry, a few sad even.

The village was nearly silent compared to the noise when we'd arrived, the air thick with tension like the cool calm before a typhoon hit, and dread settled heavily in my stomach.

We marched over the city’s dirt-packed road, past taverns where the savory smell of roasting meats and fresh-baked breads made my stomach rumble before passing a row of houses that had chimes hanging outside them, their tinkling the only sound.

We finally reached a large, round building built with what looked like blackened wood and a thatched, dome roof. The guards gestured for us to enter, and we stepped inside. The room was darker than our cell had been, the only illumination from a wide copper pan in the center of the floor where flames swayed.

Curved rows of seats arched around the space. In the middle sat seven elves, Sigurdur in the center. Guards led us to a low bench before the fire. My heart leapt up. The flames suddenly seemed sinister, hissing with menace and pronouncing our doom.

Someone in similar clothing to Orman stepped forward and dropped spices into the fire. They sizzled and sent a mixture of woodsy smells through the chamber.

"Orman Kuninkaan." Sigurdur stood, dark, fur-lined robes gleaming on the edges in the light as his face fell into shadow. "You stand trial for abandoning your oaths and committing a grievous crime against your people. How do you plead?"

Orman had gone as serious as death, his gaze cast towards the fire. "I believe I have a right to speak before being tried."

Sigurdur’s dark eyes reflected the flames. "As you have abandoned your people and broke your oaths, you do not get those rights."

Orman snapped his face up. "I left because I was forced to, and the only oath I've ever broken was returning because I know of a threat that the elves must—"

"Enough," Sigurdur boomed.

The group of a few dozen in the high curved seats around the room whispered. This was information they clearly hadn't known. A woman in the front row leaned forward enough that I could make out her features, her prominent brow and the braids resting on her shoulder. Kirsi was here and paying close attention to Orman's words.

"Forgive me, Kuninkaan,” Orman said, “but I once vowed to protect our race at all costs and that is necessary now, even if it means breaking the order of this holy council."

Another elf in one of the seven front chairs spoke up. "We are aware, Orman Kuninkaan, of the fairies’ desire for us to join their forces, and you know our policy on this."

"You call me Kuninkaan,"—Orman’s grave voice echoed off the curved walls—"yet you do not honor me with the respect that title demands. You claim to hold the protection of our race at the highest importance, yet you turn away from a great danger that threatens us all. The Seelie have unearthed powerful magic to end all other magical beings. They've possibly even located the dragons’ sleeping place." A few sharp inhales of breath echoed. "The elves' best chance of survival is joining the Prasanna and putting an end to the Seelie King's demonic plans."

A silence stretched, the fire crackling. Another one of the seven elves stood. "While we may consider this information, you understand you are still to be tried for your crimes?"

Orman nodded. "I understood the potential results of my actions, but my loyalty to the elves has compelled me here." He crossed an arm over his chest. "I could never betray our people by ignoring a threat thundering towards them. I will accept whatever punishment the Kuninkaan decides for me. If it means my body meets the flames, then I go with honor."

The speaker frowned at Orman, uncertainty in her eyes.

Sigurdur slashed an arm out. "You have spoken your word. How do you plead?"

Orman met his gaze with a steady, easy expression. I didn't know how he did it. I'd be glaring at him, hoping he'd catch on fire. "Guilty for breaking my oath not to return," Orman said. "Not guilty of committing crimes against my people."

"And you," Sigurdur said, turning to me. "How do you plead?"

"What is my crime?" I asked. Of all the times in my life I might face a sentencing, it would be the one time I’d actually done nothing.

Sigurdur sneered at me. "Conspiring against the elves and not receiving permission to enter our boundaries."

My mouth gaped. "Not guilty. Is it a crime to enter your city?"

Orman nudged me, and I elbowed him back. I may not know the elves, but I understood when someone had already decided something before casting a verdict, and the spark of that sizzled in Sigurdur's eyes.

Sigurdur smoothed down the front of his jacket. "The council has already conferred, and we find you both guilty."

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