Page 73 of The Night Firm
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
~ Maya Angelou
We all returnto our seats, with the exception of Liam, who remains out in the hall. The other Night brothers crowd around me protectively.
“Are you all right?” Derek asks gently. His eyes shift to Jerry for a moment, then back at me. “I heard what he said.”
“I’m fine,” I say, though my gut is buzzing like angry bees. “And I don’t care about what he said.”
“He will never harm you again,” Derek says.
“He will die if he tries,” adds Sebastian.
I can’t help but smile at their determination to keep me safe. “I’ll be okay. Don’t go losing your law license over me.”
“Our actions would be of a noble nature,” says Elijah. “Besides, it’s not as if we don’t know any lawyers to bail us out.”
We all chuckle lightly.
“I can sneak into Jerry’s house if you’d like,” whispers Lily. “Summon moths to eat through his clothing. Cause his garden to wither. Make his food go rotten.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” I say.
She grins.
“Wait,” I add. “You know I was joking, right?”
“Right.” She winks.
Before I can say anything else, the judge returns, and the prosecution resumes their case.
They spend what feels like a thousand years parading witness after witness to talk about all the bad things Dracula has ever done.
It's…a lot.
And makes me sick to my stomach.
But just because he did all those things, doesn't mean he killed Mary and the baby.
The baby that wasn’t his.
Considering his outburst, I doubt he even knew the true paternity at the time of the murder.
When the prosecution finally closes their case, my palms are sweating and I'm close to having a panic attack.
I'll be the first witness Derek calls.
I will have to tell everyone in this courtroom the details of my abuse at Jerry's hands.
And pray it will be enough to discredit him.
When Derek makes his opening statement, he is mesmerizing. He owns the courtroom with his confidence and charisma, and I am pulled into his powerful presence.
To take my mind off what's to come, I pull out my sketchbook and begin to draw him in his element. Talking to the jury, making his case, explaining how this crime is too sloppy for the likes of Vlad Dracule.
I draw his eyes, full of intelligence and cunning, and the strong slope of his nose and jawline. The dimpled chin that deepens when he smiles. With shading I create the solidness of his body, the way he fills a space.