“What is it, Taz?” She had a strong barrier up against him, not letting him in.
She had already summoned Rafael, letting him listen to the conversation and give his final input. She detailed her plan to Matthias and his grandfather while both silently listened.
Finally, Matthias said, “I’m not sure I like this, Taz. I don’t know what it’s going to do to you.”
Tobias nodded. “I think I agree with him.”
She shook her head. “I worked on some pro bono capital punishment cases when I was in law school. I know what the drugs do. They want to use the same combination they use for executions in the States, and it’s not fast, and it’s not painless. Not to say these bastards don’t deserve to die long and slow, but this way they literally would not suffer. At all.”
“But what is it going to do to you?” Tobias asked.
She met his gaze. “Honestly? If they want to use the drugs, I’ll stop the execution.”
“You would go against them?” Matthias asked.
“I’d have to. What I wanted to do to Caroline wasn’t right. By all rights she should suffer when she dies. We know she’s guilty. We know Bartholomew’s guilty. If I’m going to be a party to their deaths, I need to be willing to be a full party, not just an observer.”
Matthias sat, scrubbing his face with his hands. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Taz. I don’t want to give you permission to kill them.”
“I’m not looking for your permission, Matthias. I don’t need it. I’m looking for you both to agree to the execution, agree that if they’re going to die, they die quickly and painlessly.”
Rafael finally chimed in. “Don’t do anything that’s going to hurt you, Taz. I don’t want that.”
She closed her eyes and met him in his room. “Do you want me to not do it?”
“I won’t stop you either. If you feel you need to do this, then I’ll support you, but don’t do it for me. I wish I hadn’t shown you now.”
“Then I’ll take that as consent.” She opened her eyes and looked at Matthias. He was watching her. Could he sense what just happened?
He finally sighed. “Okay. I’ll agree to it, but only if I get to be there with you, and only if you know it won’t cause you any problems.”
“Agreed.”
Tobias nodded. “Ditto.”
Dame Agnew and the other Tribunal members led the way down the hall to a secure elevator where everyone crowded inside. Taz felt the elevator descend and knew when they stepped out they must be at least fifty feet underground, just from the length of the ride. Another stark hallway lay before them, and she followed Dame Agnew.
Matthias gently rested his hand on the small of Taz’s back, and she moved closer, drawing from his strength and warmth. Now that this was a reality, did she really want to do it?
Want, no. Need—yes. It was the only way.
This hallway ended in a secure door. Dame Agnew produced a key, opened the door, and then they were in a small room ending in a locked cell door. Two men stood watch over a bank of video monitors. Only four were lit, two showing Caroline’s cell, two showing Bartholomew’s cell.
Another Tribunal member produced yet another key and unlocked the door. They progressed through three more secure, locked doors.
Taz supposed when dealing with prisoners who could literally control minds, it was best to have an extreme system of checks and balances.
They reached Caroline’s cell door first, and she stood, probably sensing what would happen.
Taz moved to the front of the pack, Matthias beside her.
“Caroline, you need to sit,” Taz said. It wasn’t an order, but Caroline complied.
Dame Agnew took her place on Taz’s other side before she spoke. “Caroline Abernathy, you have been sentenced to death by the Tribunal for the murder of Rafael Collins, and the attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and bodily injury to Anastazia Proctor and Matthias Hawthorne.” Taz knew that was because of the Florida attack on him by the Other at her house. “Do you have any last words?”
Caroline looked at Taz. “I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t help, but I am.”
Taz gently reached out for her, sensed she meant it. Caroline was unstable, had a lot of emotional problems. She had a poor upbringing and a lifelong habit of falling in with the wrong people, and that was an understatement. Taz knew it would always be a case of “sorry” with Caroline, whether she washed her red sweater with your whites, killed your puppy, or wrecked your car.
Or smothered your fiancé’s cousin.
Taz nodded. “Thank you.”
Dame Agnew cleared her throat. “The Tribunal orders the sentence be carried out.”
Caroline looked confused, expecting them to hook up drugs.
“This won’t hurt,” Taz whispered. She reached out again with her mind and took control of Caroline. Taz imagined a pair of scissors snipping the thread holding Caroline’s soul to her body, and it floated away like a stray balloon.
Caroline’s eyes fell closed. She slumped across the bunk.
Dame Agnew’s eyes widened. Another Tribunal member unlocked and entered the cell, checked Caroline’s pulse, and shook his head. “She’s gone.” Less than thirty seconds had passed.
Taz stared at Caroline’s body. “The sentence is carried out.”
Dame Agnew looked stunned. “How? How did you do that?”
Taz shook her head. “She didn’t even feel it.”
The other Tribunal members looked both awed and scared of Taz. She doubted any of them would dare cross her after tonight.
But she didn’t like that they feared her.
“It didn’t hurt her?” Dame Agnew asked.
“No. She didn’t know what happened. It’s like a guillotine. For the soul.”
“How did you know you can do this?” she asked.
Taz shrugged and looked at Caroline’s body, which the other man was now covering with a sheet.
And Taz lied. “I just realized I could. If you’d used the drugs, it would have taken several minutes for her to die, not to mention the half-hour prep time, the mental agony. If I wanted to torture her, I would have. If we’re seriously taking these rogues out, then we need to do it. They torture. We carry out a sentence.”
The Tribunal members nodded, agreeing with her logic but obviously still disquieted that she had that much power. Matthias’ arm encircled her waist for support, but she felt fine. Steady. Strong.
At least he wasn’t shying away from her. Matthias had been to hell and back with her, and Taz knew, finally, he would always walk by her side as long as he could physically put one foot in front of the other.
And he did not fear her.
As if sensing her thoughts, even through her strong barrier, Matthias laced his fingers through hers, squeezed her hand, and sent her a thought.
“I’m here. I’m not leaving you. Not unless you order me gone.”
She squeezed back.
Taz didn’t take any pleasure over what she did, and knew Bartholomew wouldn’t go down without some sort of scene. Had they gone with the traditional route, they’d still be screwing around trying to locate a vein, not to mention they’d be restraining Caroline, and someone could get hurt in the process.
They continued down another hall to Bartholomew’s cell. It was far enough from Caroline’s he couldn’t hear what happened. He sneered when he saw Taz.
“You couldn’t wait to see me die, could you?”
Dame Agnew repeated most of what she said to Caroline, but added a few more lines. “Torvald, you have been sentenced to death by the Tribunal for the conspiracy to commit the murder of Rafael Collins, the conspiracy to commit attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit bodily injury to Anastazia Proctor and Matthias Hawthorne, for conspiracy to commit heinous acts against our kind, and for rogue actions resulting in great bodily harm and death to others. Do you have any last words?”