Samual rises. He spreads his hands, a frown of concern pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Your Honors, I am baffled. We have heard the accused admit to breaking sanctuary, admit to killing not one but two charges under our protection, admit to knowing the victim was powerless to defend herself. What more evidence do you need? I ask that you bring this proceeding to a close. Now. Return the rightful verdict of guilty and let us get this regrettable incident behind us. Make this once more a place of safe refuge for those seeking our protection.”
I rise, too. “I have explained what brought me here. Are there no provisions for considering extenuating circumstances in your rule of law? You speak of safe refuge. My family and friends would have had no safe refuge on Earth had Belinda Burke come after them.”
Samual scoffs. “You have a human police force. She broke human laws. They could have dealt with her.”
“Really? A witch as powerful as Belinda Burke, who could and did change her appearance at will? What human force could deal with that?”
“You have yourself. You could have handled her when she reappeared. You have the resources, to say nothing of your own strength and power. You proved it when you broke the spell that sent her here.”
“And would I have been given notice that she had returned? Or would I have found out when the bodies of my loved ones started showing up?”
“What takes place on Earth is of no concern to us.”
Stephen must feel the way my body tensed at that because he puts a restraining hand on my arm. He doesn’t know me. Screw restraint. And screw these arrogant assholes. I’m trembling with outrage and my voice shatters the silence like a rock through glass.
“Damn you. You speak of manipulating people’s lives with no regard for the consequences. You are despots. You are as evil as the witch you allowed refuge.”
Samual’s eyes flash fire. “Do you hear what she says? She calls us evil. We who seek only peace. She is the one who committed murder. Two murders. Killing with her bare hands. And we are the evil ones.”
No reaction from above. Not even the grinding of those gaunt jaws breaks the pall that settles over the room.
I glance at Stephen. His eyes are glued to the figures hovering over us like vultures on a tree branch. For the first time, his expression reflects a shadow of fear. I want to say I’m sorry. Not for what I said, but that it put him in danger. I should have thought of him before I started yelling. Meeting him was the only bright spot in this ridiculous situation. I think we could have been friends under different circumstances.
What the fuck am I thinking?
It sounds like bullshit even to me. How the hell did we get here?
How are we getting out?
Which leads to the question Stephen and I asked a few minutes ago. How did I get in the first time?
The gloom lifts from my thoughts. I have nothing to lose. May as well go on the offensive.
“If I’m to be found guilty in this kangaroo court, I have a question or two of my own.”
Samual glances upward, the Elder lifts a finger, Samual nods for me to go ahead.
“You speak of sanctuary. How is it granted?”
“There is protocol.”
Samual’s eyes are on the thrones, and he answers as if bored.
“Protocol? Like an application that has to be filled out? An admissions office?”
Now he shoots me a venomous look. “You are applying earthly concepts to an otherworldly universe.”
“Than explain it. Please.”
A sigh. “The supplicant or his advocate appears before the tribunal. The case is heard. A decision made.”
“Is anyone ever turned away?”
“Only if it is determined the supplicant’s presence here may be a danger to others. There are some creatures who cannot control their primitive urges. Even wounded or near death, they are predators capable of inflicting grievous harm to those around them. We cannot allow such creatures in.” He points at me. “Creatures like you. Who kill indiscriminately.”
“Indiscriminately? I thought I explained that. But it doesn’t matter. So how do you keep such creatures out?”
“There are spells and barriers. Set in place by the ancients.”
“And who works the spells? Erects the barriers? Do you have a team of witches? Is there an army of supernatural guards who patrol?”
“That is unnecessary.”
“Why?”
“Because no one has ever breached sanctuary.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? Have you forgotten why I’m here?”
Looks like Samual’s composure is beginning to slip. A finger taps restlessly against the desktop. “You are not being charged with how you managed to get in,” he snaps. “But with what you did after you got here.”
I cast a glance upward. “I would think breaching security would be equally important. What’s to stop someone from doing it again?”
“You.” Samual’s voice is tight with rage. “It won’t happen again because your death will serve as an example to anyone who dares try.”
“Ah. So it’s not so much what I did but that I was able to do it.” I raise my voice to those above. “If that’s the case, maybe I’m not the only one who should be on trial.”
THIRTEEN
“YOU MAKE AN INTERESTING POINT, ANNA Strong.” The voice of the Elder interrupts the cheerful banter between Samual and me—as I hoped it would.
“Samual, just how did this vampire breach security? You have never given us a satisfactory explanation.”
Samual’s hand twitches on the podium, but he smoothes his contempt for me from his face when he looks upward.
“It was the work of the three witches. They accessed a forbidden power, the domain of the beast, to gain access. In truth, they should be made to pay for this transgression along with Anna Strong. Bringing forth the beast is a threat to all living creatures.”
The reaction of the tribunal to his remarks is immediate and disturbing. As one, they recoil, skulls bobbing at one another on bony necks like birds startled by a snake. Invoking this beast must be the most grievous of offenses.
Samual smiles at me. A smile that says, Get out of that one, bitch.
I stare at Samual. What the hell is the beast? There was no beast when the witches cast their spell.
He’s worked the tribunal into an apoplectic state. “Wait a minute.” I have to raise my voice again to be heard over the clacking and snapping of bone on bone. “What is the beast?”
The Elder quiets the others with a raised hand. “The beast controls the underworld. He is no longer allowed to rise above the crust of Earth because he is the carrier of plague and death. Invoking the help of the beast is an act forbidden in every quadrant of the universe. The arrival of the beast unleashes terrible evil. All know this and yet somehow you were able to convince the witches who helped you to disregard the consequences. Was pursuing your selfish ends worth such a price?”
“What price?” I shove my chair back out of the way to stride to the front. “There was no beast at the ritual that brought me here. It was a spell wrought with an amulet and chanting by three good witches who are protectors of the world, not destroyers. Samual is lying.”
Samual raises his hands, palms up. “And we are to believe this murderer? She speaks now to save her worthless life.”
“I speak now to tell the truth. If this beast unleashes such horror, what new catastrophe has been inflicted? As far as I can tell, it’s business as usual on Earth. No more war, famine, or plague than before my trip.”
This quiets the tribunal. For all I know they have an internal monitoring system and they’re scanning the Earth to see if what I’ve said is true. Let’s just hope man hasn’t inflicted any more than the typical quota of suffering on his fellow man in the last few days.
The Elder points at Samual. “She is speaking the truth. Earth is a troublesome place, its people always embroiled in conflict. Yet there are no new disturbances of the magnitude that would signify the beast’s influence. Therefore, you were either in error or lying. You will want to consider your response carefully.”