Darkest Day (29 page)

Unfortunately, not all of them had been privy to one as they hadn’t been chosen as overseers.

Nahir most often took the Council’s spot, and since they’d never had both accusers select the same person, the third party would be revealed right at the last minute.

The knock on my door took me away from my laptop. “Are you ready, Winn?” Josie asked.

I turned toward her, switched to my clock and noted the hour. Seven. “Wow. Got late fast.” I’d been so engrossed in every bit of mythological lore that I hadn’t realized time actually passed. “Yeah. I’m ready. I just hope Mac is.”

• • •

R
ipples of uncertainty tortured me as I walked through the humidity-laden darkness, with Josie and my dad, across the parking lot toward the Council’s sanctuary. Every parking space held a car, but according to Josie, the three judge-and-jury members would have already arrived, so I only expected three plus the Council—a total of fifteen-ish.

“Why—” I started.

“Are there so many people?” Josie finished for me.

“Yeah.”

“My guess is that some have heard the Changeling herself has come under fire, as well as the daughter of a Council member.”

“I got the impression, from Mac, that people didn’t know who she was.”

Josie nodded. “She’s the first ever Changeling to bring about a tribunal. With a human judge. Unfortunately, those documents are public and all now know who she is, who you are and our kind have become very, very curious. In all our history, this experience has never happened.”

Goodie.

We continued walking until we reached the entry doors. Big, muscular demons guarded them as onlookers streamed from their cars, hoping, I guessed, to get a glimpse of Mac, or to participate somehow in the event.

“This is closed-door, right? No audience?”

“You’ll be fine, Winn,” Josie said. “Your job is to listen, ensure the truth is ascertained and assist the other two in making a final decision.”

She hadn’t answered my question. “Yeah, I get that, but with Nahir, don’t you think—”

“Nahir will be fair. He has everything to lose should he not be.”

We passed through the open doors and into a silent foyer. Nahir himself, dressed in colorful robes that shimmered a little like his dragon’s scales, stood at the double doors to the chamber.

He gave me a little bow. “Welcome, Master Thomas.”

“Hi,” I said.

“Now that we have all arrived, let us begin.” Nahir pushed open the door and held it.

Josie and my dad both nodded me ahead of them, and I walked through.

Gwen turned from the front seat, her Suze-sized form shrunk down to something more like human, flowing robes like Nahir’s trailing around her. I’d expected the clothes, but the red hair that had once been purple, the simplicity to her style and all fitting with a face I would never forget, she looked more regal than the mix she’d once claimed.

“Winn.” She held out a very human-looking hand, adorned with a simple ring on her third, left finger.

Who are you really? Why did they pick you?
So many questions ran through my mind. “Uh … hi,” I said, standing taller than her for the first time.

“I’m sure you’re surprised to see me in this form.” Her smile warmed me through.

“A little. You look …”

“Different?”

My dad warned me never to insult a girl—woman. “Prettier?”

Gwen laughed to the ceiling, a sound as sweet as anything I’d heard before. “Winn, Winn. You are adorable. Always have been.” She took my hand.

Nahir approached. “Are we ready?”

“Ah … I have a few questions,” I said.

Gwen let me go. “What would you like to know?”

The way she talked made me want to lean into her. I hadn’t experienced that sensation around her before—she’d always just been Suze’s girlfriend.

Shaking off my mental assessment, I said, “I just wanted to know what to do, actually.”

Nahir coughed into a fist. “I shall ask questions based on the information provided by each party until we assess who is telling the truth.”

“What if they both are?”

Nahir’s head jiggled. “One is always lying.”

“But what if?”

“Master Thomas, you’ll need to trust me. One is always lying.”

“And how do we tell?” I asked.

Gwen laid a hand on my shoulder. “My dear boy, each will have been given the drink of truth by Magwa upon their arrival. From there, we listen.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you need four—I mean three—judges, then? If the truth is obvious.”

Gwen smiled at me. “Is the truth ever obvious? You’ve been chosen by both parties because they trust
you
. You’ll listen for their facts.”

“What about you?” I asked Gwen.

“I shall ensure the truths by all parties.”

As usual, what they said they’d do, and how they’d do it, didn’t make any logical sense. ‘Go with it’ had been Mac’s mantra from day one, and it seemed, perhaps, I should follow along. “Okay. I’m ready, then.”

Mac

Two massive guards led me into the chamber where Nahir, Winn and Gwen, of all people, sat behind the semi-circular Council table. The room no longer held an ominous gloom, thanks to Raven’s redecorating efforts, and I almost wanted to laugh thinking about how un-evil it looked with all the white.

The guards pushed me to one of two big, wooden chairs better suited to a death chamber than the Council’s chamber.

When we reached the back-to-back duo of seats, they walked me around to the far one, pushed me in and within a second, my wrists were encircled by metal clasps, and restraints went around my ankles.

“I presume the other chair is for—”

“There will be no talking until we are ready,” Nahir said.

The doors opened and closed again, footsteps growing louder and closer.

“Is she here, yet?” Maddie’s jabber carried with her. “Because if I have to—”

“Silence!” Nahir’s booming voice echoed through the space.

Ha! Sucker. Gotta be quiet.

Behind me, the sound of big locks clanking into place reminded me of mine. I wondered why they strapped us to the chair. The answer probably came from the two glasses, bubbling with a blue-green froth, on the Council’s new table.

Potions that are going to make me vomit.

Nahir stood. “Madeline Adele Parker, you have agreed to partake in a truth ritual, whereby your answers to our questions will ascertain whether you’ve been wronged, in what way, and by whom. Do you agree to this?”

“Yes,” she said all prim and proper.

“Maya Mackenzie Thorne—”

“Yeah, me too.”
Why waste time?

“Miss Parker, you’re aware that, if you are found at fault with regard to Miss Thorne’s claims, the consequences will be determined by Miss Thorne herself.”

Oh, yeah, baby.

“I am aware.” She answered with complete confidence.

“And Miss Thorne, you’re aware that if you are found at fault—”

“Yadda, yadda, yes.” I had to stop myself as the catch in my throat threatened to break my confidence. I didn’t want Maddie getting anywhere near me but given I’d signed the paperwork, as Winn put it, I had no choice.

With a cough, Nahir said, “And finally, should you be found lying—”

How’s that possible, if we have to drink a truth serum?

“—extreme measures will be undertaken to extract the truth.”

“I am,” Maddie said.

“Sure, sure.”
What drastic measures? And again, how can someone lie if they drink a truth serum? Maybe I should ask. No, screw it. Not worth it. I have nothing to hide.

“Very well, then.” Nahir approached, bringing the drinks with him. He went to Maddie first. “All of it in one, Miss Parker.” A swallow followed. A sigh after. A belch like nobody’s business came last.

That, I can deal with despite the grossness.

Nahir appeared in front of me, drink in hand. “All of it in one, Miss Thorne.” He held the cup up to my lips.

With a deep inhalation, I sucked it down.

Blueberry flavored.

Preparing for the belch, I waited.

Nothing happened.

At the gurgle of my stomach, I knew. “Oh, god, I’m going to—” A bucket appeared in front of my face a second before I threw up everything I’d drank as well as most of the chocolate shake I’d consumed before Alina had hustled me to the car. My head throbbed; so did my stomach.

Gwen’s face appeared in my line of vision. I blinked back the tears at my complete embarrassment, the taste still in my mouth, and the fact I’d probably have to drink more to get it into my system. “You’ll survive, Mackenzie.” She ran a hand down my hair. “Deep breaths and all will be well.”

Right. Easy for you to say.
At least my stomach stopped its protest faster than any other time.

“She’ll be fine.” Gwen patted my head as I sat back. “We do not need to administer any additional serum.”

Nahir rapped his gavel which sent shivers down my spine. “To begin, you will speak only when asked a question. You will answer only the question asked. You may not speak to each other, or to us, except when spoken to. You may not respond to any statement made by the other party in defense or offense. You may not ask any questions of each other, or us. We’ll begin by a restatement of your name followed by your ethnicity. Begin.”

Ethnicity?
If my head didn’t already hurt, I’d have snorted at him.

“Madeline Adele Parker, gob—half goblin.”

I figured with her silence, I should speak. “Maya Mackenzie Thorne. Chosen one.”

Maddie’s guffaw earned us a rap of Nahir’s gavel—the one I’d wanted to burn in a fiery blaze ages ago.

“While technically correct, we request your proper ethnicity.”

“Changeling,” I said as flat as possible.

“For the record, Miss Thorne, in what form do you come to these proceedings?” Nahir asked.

On a sigh, I said, “Human.”

“Now, we may begin. Madeline, please state your grievance.”

Maddie cleared her throat with an audible scratchiness. “Mac—Mackenzie, I mean, has openly consorted with a human to the point she has exposed our secret to humans. That breaks the first rule of the immortal.” With a cough, Maddie said, “In addition, she verbally accosted my mother, a Council member, in my presence, accusing me of acts I did not commit. That’s slander, as well.”

Throw in a few human issues why don’t you Maddie?

“Mackenzie, please state your grievance.”

“Can being an—” I so wanted to say ‘ass’ but went with, “idiot, be classified as a grievance?”

Maddie huffed. Nahir beat his gavel on the table.

“Fine, fine. I accuse
Madeline
of using a substance to drug a human.” In reality, I could only point to her on that one instance, but I’d told Alina, I’d be going for gold. “I also accuse her of drugging me, ‘The Chosen One’, and Winford Richmond Thomas, the same person she accuses me of exposing our secret to. I further accuse her of stealing my book, the only history of a Changeling that exists, and … of trying to steal my boyfriend.” If she could go human, I would, too.

“Now, we will ask a series of questions to ensure the integrity of your truthfulness,” Nahir said. “Madeline, please tell me that your blouse is blue.”

“My blouse is—” She stopped. “My blouse is—” Shuffling on the chair. “My blouse is—I can’t!”

“Very well,” Nahir said. “Mackenzie, the same.”

“My—” The words stoppered in my mouth.

“Miss Thorne, please continue. My blouse is blue.”

“My—look, dude, I don’t wear blouses. If you want me to say my shirt is—” I fought hard to say ‘red’. “—well, obviously that’s not going to work, either.”

“I believe your point is made, Nahir. Carry on,” Gwen said.

Paper shuffled on the table. “At this time, we’ll ask a series of questions …” At that moment, I defocused my mind and let the words play through.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Over and over and over and over.

Me to Maddie. Me to Maddie. Me to Maddie.

Question after question after question.

How much time passed, I couldn’t even have guessed. Hours? Days? Maybe even months for all I knew.

Nahir asked questions. Gwen asked questions. Winn stayed silent.

“Madeline,” Gwen began, “were you aware Mackenzie is the Changeling?”

“No,” Maddie said.

“Do you admit to taking the book Mackenzie mentions in her grievance?”

“Yes, but it was a book in the library. Anyone could have taken it.”

“Please only answer the question asked,” Nahir said.

“Explain, please, this notion that the book was simply a library resource,” Gwen said.

Maddie coughed once. “Well … I figured since Winn got it from the library, it was shareable, and I was just going to return it. Besides, since it’s about our kind, I’m authorized to read it.”

What a ridiculous ass. You can’t take someone’s library book. Even I know that.

Nahir and Gwen hmm’d as she explained.

“Mackenzie, do you openly admit Winn Thomas knows about your status in the immortal?”

“Yeah.” They never asked about his binding that Alina did, so I didn’t mention it.

Questions about Suze carried on. My Mom. My sister. Me. Winn. My friends.

Repeated with Maddie. Moira. Phelps, her dad.

“Madeline, what was the name of the last movie you saw in the theatre?” Gwen asked.

“Vampire Hunter,” Maddie said.

“Mackenzie, same question,” Gwen said.

“Not a clue.” I really didn’t remember because I never paid attention but just went to it with Winn.

A few chuckles left the audience.

“I shall rephrase,” Gwen said. “On which date did you attend your last movie.

That night, I remembered well. “The night my sister was found in the hospital.” Winn and I had gone to the movies after our dinner at Dulces, but I’d been so preoccupied with him, I didn’t pay one bit of attention to the cartoon.

A deep sigh came from Winn—the first emotion or expression he’d made through the constant questioning.

“Madeline, the expression two plus two can be best represented by?” Nahir asked.