Page 103 of Blood that Burns
My heavy footfalls ricochet off the marble floors as I stomp from the library, eager to get as far away from Shante as possible. Sweat builds at my hairline, and my hands shake at my sides, adrenaline pumping like crazy as I hear those words over again in my head.
Don’t get her killed.
I round the corner and almost run right into Maggie.
“Law?” she asks, hands coming to my arms to hold me steady. “Are you all right?”
My head shakes as the fear mounts.
“What did Shante say?”
I rack my brain for all the information she gave me, but I keep landing on the same damn thing.
Don’t get her killed.
“Stop,” I growl, hands coming to my temples.
“Law?”
Without a word, I step away from Maggie and leave her behind, putting as much distance between us as possible. I can’t look back. Can’t see the concern on her beautiful face.
Can’t hurt her.
My mind floats to the last party I threw. My friends, sitting around, sipping on cocktails and sharing stories that had us all laughing. The mood was relaxed. Fun. Until the doors flew open, and mayhem descended on all of us.
I let my guard down once with people I cared about, and they’re all gone. The lives they loved were snuffed out, giving way to a lifetime of fighting the urge to kill. To drain others of their blood.
That’s no life at all.
She’ll ask you to complete the bond.
Never.
I slip into the back of the makeshift courtroom just as Addy is called to the stand to testify on her father’s behalf. I’m only here because Julian wished it so. My head is pounding, and I can’t shut off Shante’s warnings enough to truly focus on the trial in front of me.
We’re on day three of Count Dupré’s trial, and I have to wonder how much longer Julian intends to draw this out.
Addy begins some impassioned speech about how her father’s actions were motivated by his need to protect the Crown, and I tune her out. My mind is stuck in the library, wondering what’s to come that will drive Maggie away from me. That’s until Addy goes into the Count’s crime of leaving Marina to die.
“I don’t condone what my father did to Marina. There are no excuses. Prejudice runs deep in his veins. It’s true for many in this room,” she says, looking pointedly at some of the elder members of the Council.
“But death won’t stop that vicious cycle. Acceptance, understanding, a change of heart... that’s what my father and others who don’t value human life need.” She turns toward Marina. “Prejudice isn’t one-way. Humans have them toward our kind too. It’s born of misunderstandings and, most importantly, fear of what we don’t understand.” She looks back across the room. “I challenge everyone in this room to recognize their own prejudice and make a concerted effort to take the steps necessary to change.”
“What does this have to do with your father?” Count Sagar asks from the front.
“Like I said, I don’t condone his behavior, but it occurred because the consensus in this room is that a human’s life is less than important. He didn’t value Marina’s life because that’s been acceptable behavior. No more.”
“What would you suggest, Adèle?” Julian asks from his seat to her right.
“Penance instead of death. What that means, I’m unsure at the moment, but I know we can find something that’ll help rewire my father and make him ready to join the ranks again. He’s misguided, with beliefs that no longer serve this Council. Beliefs that never did. But he’s capable of remorse and transformation.”
“Thank you,” Julian says, dismissing her. “Does anyone else care to speak on behalf of Count Dupré?”
When nobody speaks up, Julian concludes the day and says they’ll all meet again tomorrow. Several groans are heard as people show their growing frustration with the length of this trial. It’s been three days of mostly the same testimony.
When the room’s clear, Marina stalks to the front.
“Why?”