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I shot a quick look to Theo He sat i the seneschal said had anything to do with us "Everyone thinks this? Everyone thinks that I tricked Hope into giving et Theo his pardon?"

"Rather starkly put, but yes, that is the explanation being given for your actions"

"I see" My knuckles were still white with strain I made another conscious effort to relax h "Thank you for your ti with me in this manner will not cause any proble his eyes "I do not fear repercussion, if that is what you are concerned about"

"Good Thank you again"

"It has beenover ainhopefully, under less exacting circu with us?" I asked Theo a ed frorand apart clouds I shivered, but the cold seemed to come from within rather than fro thoughtful as he adjusted his hat, pulling up the collar to his coat to shield the flesh on his neck "I suspect there is more to him than appears on the surface"

"You can say that about everyone here," I pointed out, leaning into him when his arlance at the sky "It&039;s alird our loins"

I didn&039;t like the concern I felt in hiirder froht smile that I hoped hid the truth that I orried to death about the hearing

You needn&039;t be worried, Portia I told you that I would not allow anything to harm you I have a few tricks up my sleeves yet

What sort of tricks? I asked as we headed to the area containing the Petitioner&039;s Park

You&039;ll find out in due ti into the narrow alley that led into the park was enough to choke any further questioning I intended to pursue

Courage, sweetling I arateful to the depths ofto the center of the park, where a ring of druidic stones had been arranged in a style ree Stone benches dotted the inner peri Four of the benches were filled with various people The fifth was e , stand forward," the man said

I stepped clear of the crowd, into the circle of stones, Theo next to me in the shadow cast by one of the tall stones I wanted badly to take his hand, but wasn&039;t comfortable with such a show of affection in front of socohtieth age"

Ten-fifteen? You&039;re older than that!

The Court calendar differs froes, each of which contains roughly fifty-six thousand millennia

I did a swift mental calculation, pleased that the years worked out to be the approxiracious of auzy green and gold sundress e at a quip someone called out She bestowed her s a seat on the eracious of majesties, the mare Disin"

The rim She didn&039;t look at me, simply strode over and took her seat next to the first racious of majesties, the mare Irina"

The lastanother woer years, but the bent-over, frail woman who hobbled from the masses was clearly in the latter years of her lifeif that was possible with an immortal She, too, settled on the bench, herdoes not concern your charace, Portia is o beyond the edges of the shadow "I cannot allow her to stand trial alone"

Around us, the crowd gasped, little whispers hissing in the air as people digested the information that Theo and I were bound by blood

Was that the wisest thing to say? I asked, forcing rew darker The three ave h was mirthless Those three women are the pinnacle of power in the Court of Divine Blood The only one who has n itself There is little that escapes their attention The fact that I ae, but I assure you they were aware of it the moment we stepped into the Court

The mare ended their consultation

"You al nod "But you will not speak to the charges in Portia Harding&039;s place It is for her alone to do so"

He bowed, ed with the destruction of the virtue Hope," the first ?"

"Not guilty" There were other words that wanted to burst out, such as a declaration that I do not kill people, not for any reason, and certainly not for anything so frivolous as the ability to control weather, but I pushed theood

The silence that followedheavily for about five seconds, then the whispers behind us began fast and furious

The sky grew darker despite my attempts to keep my emotions in check

Disin narrowed her eyes "Do you refute the fact that you intend to grant exculpation to the nephilim named Theondre North, the saers be da in a deep breath as I tried to calm my nerves "I do not deny that I have discussed the subject with Theo I do deny the i about"

"Do you deny that just one night past, you sought the company of a demon lord?"

"We didn&039;t seek him - "

"Do you deny that you had an audience with the demon lord, the preasped behind htened aroundbut was bound to silence by theme advice as to what I should say in answer to the ridiculous charges being bandied about "The circu We were suht cries of horror I keptstrength from the touch of Theo&039;s hand

Disin leaned forward, her eyes as cold and hard as steel "Do you deny that you have said to the nephili on theto restore unto him that which he does not possess?"

"His soul," I said, waving my free hand in an expressiveabout his soul, which was ripped from him by Bael, all because he protected me froht add, that is sanctioned by this Court!"

Theo&039;s fingers tightened aroundvisible in his eyes

"I beg your pardon if my coetting fro us The mare&039;s faces were for the most part i with theirasked to justifyI did not ask to beco about it I did not murder her, nor do I knoho did, or why I did not seek audience with a demon lord; it was forced upon me It&039;s true I have sworn to restore Theo&039;s soul to him, but that is a matter between him and me, and I fail to see how it has importance to anyone else here"

"You dare speak thusly to the mare?" The officious little man who had introduced the er

Theo&039;s fingers tightened until his grip was almost painful

"I aroo court - "

"Silence!" Disin bellowed, her voice echoing off the trees "We will confer"

"But I haven&039;t been allowed a chance to defend myself properly," I started to say, but was cut off when Disin barked at me

"I said silence!"

Theo&039;s thumb rubbed on the top of my hand, an iota of coether

They&039;re going to throw us in that Akasha place, I said to Theo His fingers twitched in response Around us, the hum of conversation was conducted in hushed whispers, but vehement nonetheless I know you can&039;t answerto you I&039;s worse, but you have to see that I couldn&039;t just stand here while they twisted everything around

He may have been bound to silence, but his emotions were mine to read, and I took soed his concern

"Portia Harding, your insolence does you no credit, nor will it be tolerated," Disin said as the mare presented a solid front

Thunder ruht even though it was the middle of the day I took another deep breath, and calh to keep a stor us

"Against lanced for a moment at the white-haired ainst you is not sufficient to banish you to the Akasha However, until the matter of the virtue&039;s murder has been explained to our satisfaction, we cannot allow you the freedo that I hadn&039;t har so

"It has been suggested that you undergo the fifth trial now in order to deter If you pass, you will be allowed to leave the Court until such time as a tribunal determines the truth of the virtue&039;s death" Disin clapped her hands, and a sed from the crowd The boy bowed to the three mare, then turned and bowed to ht or nine, but the look in his dark eyes was one of ageless wisdom Whatever he was, he certainly wasn&039;t an innocent child "Proctor, begin the trial"

The boy looked atTheo away "You cannot aid her in this test, champion You must move out of her reach"

Theo&039;s voice ar in my head I will not leave your side if you do not wish for me to do so

It&039;s OK I tried to put a lot more confidence intotoo heinous in front of all these witnesses

Theoback to stand with the onlookers I bit ether as I wondered just what this trial was going to consist of "Erforgive , but how on earth do you deter?"

"It&039;s siap-toothed shten ether so quickly that his movement was unseen "You die"

The blast from his hands hit me with the force of a runaway bulldozer I fell backward, the sound of led with Theo&039;s hoarse roar ringing inI knew behind