Page 29 of Midnight Ascension

Our guards march us straight to the door, stopping right by the entrance and gesturing impatiently for us to go in. Biting my lip, I allow myself this one quiet moment to experience my feelings before I have to put on the mask everyone expects from me. My mates surround me, all finding a way to touch me, knowing this will make me feel strong and whole. With them at my side, I can do anything. Luna snaps something at one of the guards, probably ordering them to give us a moment, but I’m not really paying attention, focusing instead on this time with my mates.

I roll my neck and stretch out my shoulders like I’m warming myself up to enter a boxing ring. Honestly, that’s what these appearances with the queen feel like nowadays, and I know it’s eventually going to come to a head. Stepping back to give me space, my mates silently move into formation around me, with Atlas at my side. As my witch mate, it makes the most sense for him to be in the spotlight with me, showing our united front. Syn and Joel come next, and Scott and Nicolai protect me from behind.

Ready to face whatever is waiting for us, I start moving. As soon as we cross the threshold and pass the magical barrier that keeps sound from escaping the room, the noise of hundreds of people hits me like a physical blow. A bead of sweat rolls down my neck, one that’s not just from anticipation. It’s hot in here, the bodies pressed together making the room uncomfortably warm.

As I suspected, the meeting hall is packed, the tiers of seats around the room a blur of faces. The air is full of excited apprehension, low chatter filling the room as they converse and try to guess what the meeting is about. They look as though they are about to watch their favourite game show. I wonder if anyone brought popcorn.

Many of the spectators spot me as I walk in, a hush descending on the room as all eyes land on me. Tension and agitation flow through the bond with my mates, and I’m surprised to find most of the animosity is coming from Nicolai. Of all of my guys, he’s the slowest to anger.These people tortured him and turned him into something he never wanted to be, I remind myself. Thinking about it that way, I’m surprised at how well he’s keeping himself together.

Kano is waiting for us in the centre of the hall, calling us to him with a wave of his hand. My stomach drops with dread, my naïve hopes that this meeting wouldn’t be about me quashed by this simple gesture. Luna squeezes my arm in support and peels away to take a seat as we walk the rest of the way into the huge hall.

“Wait here,” Kano says, his voice magically amplified. His eyes say something different though. It’s clear he’s unable to tell me what’s about to happen, but whatever it is, he’s warning me to be prepared. Returning to his place at the foot of the dais, he stands tall and straight, hardly moving. Others wouldn’t notice it, but I spot the slight wince he tries to hide.

Anger replaces my dread as I come to my own conclusions on what happened. Glancing at the dais, I meet the queen’s gaze. I would bet my life on her being the reason behind Kano’s pain. Was this his punishment for seeking me out once he knew about the meeting? Whatever the reason, injustice burns inside me, and as I narrow my eyes at the queen, I know she sees my repressed rage. Instead of looking uncomfortable, she simply smiles, her expression a challenge.

Bring it on, bitch.

Remembering she’s in the spotlight, the queen looks up and smiles at her people, tilting her head gracefully as she rests her hands on the delicate soft pink dress she wears today. She’s the picture of a kind, benevolent leader. The two of us couldn’t look more different, and while she couldn’t have known what I was going to wear, I’m sure she’s ecstatic.

“Greetings,” she calls out, pausing to make sure everyone is listening before she continues. “Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I wouldn’t have called you here unless it was important. As you can see, I requested thateveryoneattend, and that’s for a very significant reason.” The smile drops from her face, a grim expression replacing it as though what she’s about to say next causes her pain. “We have a traitor in our midst.”

Surprise ripples through the room, and shocked exclamations rise from the tiered seating area. I’m barely able to hear it over the ringing in my ears, and for a heart-stopping moment, I think the queen is going to ditch her plan to kill me off through the challenges and just call me a traitor outright. Is that why the meeting was called so last minute and with no explanation of what it concerned? Or the reason why I was brought here under guard when I’ve never been escorted to these meetings before?

Glances are thrown my way, and I know some of them are wondering the same thing. The queen has placed me front and centre for a reason, either because I’m on trial, or she’s attempting to make people doubt me. At this point, either could be true. The others are tense around me, but Atlas seems the most relaxed, and that makes me think I’m not about to be tried for treason. Even so, my heart still beats frantically in my chest.

When the queen’s eyes fall on me, I know she’s aware of how this announcement would affect me, and that she’s dragging out this moment on purpose.

“As some of you may know, there was an attack upon Laelia several days ago.” Her voice seems to clear the sense of bated breath in the hall, and the onlookers begin to murmur to each other once more. “An attempt was made on her life, and she very nearly died in the process.”

This time when everyone turns their attention to me, it’s with a mixture of pity, anger, upset, and outrage. How quickly the tides can change.

“Bring in the accused.”

The large doors behind us open dramatically at the queen’s order, and a small, huddled figure is dragged into the hall. The two guards marching him in practically have to carry him. His hands and feet are bound, making it next to impossible for him to keep up with them. However, when he’s dumped in the centre of the room, I see another reason for his sorry state. He’s covered in bruises, and the way he hunches forward and winces with each breath indicates that at least one of his ribs is broken. Finally allowing myself to look at his face, I stare at the frail old man who’s caused me so much pain.

Lord Maliki—the male behind the plots to kill me.

The injuries he has sustained are far greater than what he received from me when I defended myself in the cavern, which means the guards have been beating him. Shouldn’t I feel a grim sense of justice? When I look at his sad, broken frame, however, I just feel pity.

A twinge in my bond with Atlas has me reaching out for him mentally, realising how difficult it must be to see his former mentor in this state. When I read his emotions, though, I’m surprised to find very little discomfort. Instead, his anger and sense of betrayal ring loud and clear. Maliki dared to touch his mate, and that is something that can never be forgiven.

“General, you may begin your interrogation.”

My gaze quickly snaps to Kano who stands at the foot of the dais as I realise my brother is going to be the one carrying this out. He’s the queen’s general, so I shouldn’t be so alarmed by this, but he’s hardly going to be impartial. This male tried to kill his sister, and that’s bound to make a man angry.

Kano, to his credit, manages to make it seem like he knew this was coming and strides forward. Each of his footfalls seems to be in slow motion, taking an impossible amount of time to cross the space. Pausing in front of the Lord, Kano towers over him. I hadn’t realised how short Maliki was, but he looks tiny next to the general. Perhaps his hatred was so large it made him appear that way too.

“Lord Maliki of the family Jadus, you have been charged with the attempted murder of Laelia of the family Fairing.” His voice rings around the room with an authority I forget he carries. Kano has become a part of my dysfunctional pack, whether he knows it or not, and I rarely see this cold, commanding side of him. He didn’t become a general by being weak, but I’ve also seen the kindness and loyalty he’s capable of.

Pushing aside my discomfort, I focus on the trial itself. There’s a reason I’m being forced to stand before everyone, and I don’t want to miss any details. They are only charging Maliki with one count of attempted murder, even though there have been two attempts now. While I have no physical evidence that Maliki was behind the first one, I know it to be true. The males involved were all from the group Maliki uses to incite hatred towards werewolves, and he had already threatened me. He wasn’t as subtle with his latest attempt though.

There’s a pause after Kano announces the charges, which I assume is for dramatic effect, but I quickly realise from the change in his expression that it was a chance for Maliki to defend himself.

“Do you have anything to say?” The demand is incredulous. He clearly can’t believe that Maliki isn’t going to even attempt to defend himself. Disbelieving murmurs from the spectators echo his feelings.

Clearing his throat to speak, Maliki suddenly bursts into a coughing fit, his lungs rattling with each hacking breath. No one moves to help him. Once he finally has himself under control, he wipes spittle from the corner of his mouth and looks up at Kano with a sneer.

“You’ve already made up your mind, so there is no point in arguing against it. You’re going to trust the word of a lying werewolf over a valid member of your society.” Disgust laces his tone, and I realise he truly thought he was doing the right thing by trying to kill me. The manic look in his eyes shows no regret for what he did, and if he were given the chance, he would do it again.

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