Chapter 28 ~ Judgement

We reached the foot of the raised platform. My eyes were level with the fourteen feet of the Elders. I had to crane my neck to see their faces. And when I tried I was yanked back, my head forced back down until I faced the floor.

"We are seven now, in order to replace the Mythic Council. Once we return to Earth we will be the sole Mythic representatives and as a community we thought it best to continue with the tradition of seven. Do you disagree?" A voice from above answered my earlier question. His words asked for my opinion but his tone warned of bitter consequences should I choose to voice an opposing belief.

I shook my head.

"Ah, very good then." Another voice chimed in, from further to the right. This one sounded less ominous, more light hearted and open. I shifted my stance a fraction so I faced more towards this Elder.

"Shall we begin?" Her voice was a whip cracking through the air. It snared the attention of everyone in the chamber. It was phrased as a question but silence was the only answer she received. I recognised the voice as Sadie Knox, she had been an Elder five years ago too. She'd worked alongside my father, though he'd told me they disagreed on almost everything and she loved to argue beyond the point of reason.

She allowed the silence to rein for a minute more.

"Delilah Grey," Her crisp tone sent a chill down my spine. "We are hear today to discuss the fate of this Fae turned Wolf hybrid. She was long thought dead but has somehow managed to find her way back to us. Delilah, do you accept the rule of the Elders and thus, agree to abide by any judgement made here today?"

The question was a formality. It only had one acceptable answer and I wasn't sure it was the right one.

"I accept." I kept my words clear and concise and spoke them to the floor.

"Let the judgement begin." She called to the room.

"Where have you been for the last five years?"

"On Earth."

"What have you been doing there?"

"Living as a human." That answer garnered a few gasps from the audience, but the Elders continued their questions without acknowledging it or giving any indication as to what they were thinking.

"How did you get here?"

"I stepped through the portal in the cell."

"How did you find it?"

"I was kidnapped by humans."

"Why did you come here?"

"To find my family."

"How did you survive the bite of a Wolf?"

"I don't know."

"No Fae...No Mythic has ever survived a Wolf bite. Let me ask again, how did you survive the bite of a Wolf?"

"Let me reply again, I don't know." I clenched my fists and tried to calm myself. Clear and concise I repeated in my mind.

"I fell and hit my head. When I woke up I'd been bitten. I was a Wolf. And I thought everyone I knew was dead."

There were more gasps from the crowd then. The Elders changed the topic.

"Are you a Wolf or a Fae?"

"A Fae."

"Do you follow the Traitors?"

"No."

"Why are you here?"

"To find my family."

You just asked me this, I thought to myself digging my nails into the palms of my hands.

"What do you intend to do now that you have found your family?"

"Spend time with them."

"So, you intend to stay here?"

"If the Elders will it." The words tasted sour in my mouth but I managed to spit them out sounding half decent

"Do you know where the last Amulets are?"

I hesitated. Amulets? Plural? I thought there was only one left to find. Was this a test? What did they expect me to say?

"No."

"You have been seen interacting with a known Wolf. A member of the Council." I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart pounded too loud in my chest. It wasn't a question. I didn't say a word.

"Why were you interacting with the True Alpha? One of the Traitors?" I pulled air into my lungs in a slow inhale. Pushed it out and cleared the haze that was trying to descend over my mind.

"He wanted to teach me how to be a Wolf."

"Did you accept?"

"No. I despise Wolves. I wanted to find a cure."

"Why should we believe you?"

"Why would I lie? I just found my family again."

"Delilah." Kellan's rasping voice sent a crack running through my facade. My head snapped around to the side of the platform. Two more guards stood either side of him holding him up. He hung from his arms, his body dragging on the ground. Even his head hung limp.

Blood dripped in loud splatters down onto the clean floor. One of the men at his side grabbed a handful of his dark hair and yanked his head back until I could see what was left of his face. His eyes were swollen, one completely closed the other barely a sliver. It was a wonder he could see anything at all. Let alone recognise me.

His entire face was black and purple. His nose buckled over in the wrong position and blood dripped from his chin as well. I had to keep it together. It could be Kellan. It could be a trick. Either way reacting would only get me killed.

"The Traitor tells it differently."

I shrugged.

"He says you are here to help him steal the Amulets back. To destroy any chance the Fae have of returning to Earth. Is that not the truth?"

"No." The word came out firm and sure. More confident than I thought I could sound right now.

"He's a Traitor," I spat, "Of course he's lying. He probably wants to save his own skin." I couldn't look at him as I spoke the words. If it was Kellan I hoped he knew I was just trying to get us out of here alive.

"How did he manage to get in anyway?" I asked. "I thought only Fae could get through that portal."

"You don't ask the questions here." Sadie snapped. "You just answer."

"My apologies." I dipped my head and released my clenched hands.

"Why were you with the Traitor?"

"He wanted to teach me how to be a Wolf."

"You're lying. Why were you with the traitor?" Deep breaths were no longer helping. I wanted to scream.

"He wanted to teach me how to be a Wolf." I repeated the words. Again and again they repeated the same question and I gave them the same answer. It felt like hours must have passed and we got nowhere.

My eyes drifted to Kellan. He hung limp. His shallow breaths growing fainter with every passing moment. He hadn't spoken a word since they'd dragged him in. I was almost certain it wasn't really him. He had said he was going to call a meeting of the Council. I wasn't certain how long I had been here. Would he have come looking for me already?

Even if he had. He couldn't get through the portal. Could he?

"The traitor admitted to biting you. You can stop lying. We know you were involved right from the start."

My head snapped back to the feet in front of me. Why would they say he had bitten me? My fingers rubbed the scar on my arm. He would have told me. Why would he...? I shook my head. It didn't matter right now.

"If he bit me why would I be working with him?" I growled at them.

"You wanted to be one of them. You made a deal to help them attack us five years ago in exchange for becoming a Wolf. When we found another Amulet he must have asked for your help again. What better way to get the rest of the Amulets back than to send a Fae in to retrieve them. You are still part Fae. You know we aren't stupid. How could you think this was going to work?" It was all lies. They were feeding the audience lies. Was it to prevent me from joining the community? Did they know that I knew the truth?

"That's not true. I did not help the Traitors. Not then and not now. I am..."

"That will be quite enough I think." The kinder Elder from earlier spoke up cutting across anything I could have said to defend myself. The chamber fell silent. "Are we ready to vote?" There were murmurs of agreement and then a tension laden pause.

"Elder Sadie?"

She made a sound in the back of her throat like she wanted to argue. "I'm ready." She growled.

"Those members who find Delilah Grey to be innocent of any crime, please rise."

There was no sound from the dais above. My eyes itched to rise and see what was happening. I allowed myself to stare only at the motionless feet in front of me. It was enough.

"Those members who find Delilah Grey to be guilty of conspiring with the Traitors and guilty of Treason, please rise." There was a shuffle f movement. All seven pairs of dress shoes moved in one way or another. They were all standing. All seven Elders.

I heard a gasp from the crowd and turned. Hoping to see at least one friendly face. My mother stared back at me from the mass of Fae. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth agape and her hands clutching at her chest. Mia watched on with an identical expression. Their eyes held fear. It was like another bullet to the chest. I couldn't breathe.

"Take them to the cell."

Sorry for the long wait on this one. I hope you enjoyed it!! Please vote and comment if you did :D I really appreciate any feedback.

There will probably be a bit of a wait until I can get the next chapter out, I have a lot of things going on right now, but I will do my best not to make you wait too long for it. Sorry in advance xxx