Secret Bloodline

Tribunal

"They know where we are! We need to abandon the Shadow Den!" Ally says.

"Stake her!" Jacob yells over the crowd.

"No!" Dinah raises her voice.

"Silence!" Shawn raises his voice.

Everyone settles down as they look at Shawn while he walks up to Lauren.

"Lauren Jauregui," Shawn scowls.

"Yes. I'll explain," Lauren speaks.

"Don't bother. Your presence is an aggressive act, jeopardizing our safety. The only possible response is immediate and deadly force," Shawn says.

"Wait, please!" Dinah begs.

But her pleading is drowned out as the crowd goes wild again.

"Death to the Council!" Jacob yells.

"Death to her!" Colson says.

"Wait!" Camila runs over to Lauren, putting herself in between her and the angry crowd, covering Lauren's chest. "If you want to stake her then you'll have to fucking kill me," Camila yells.

The crowd advances on them but Shawn commands them to back off.

"Just because you two are getting close doesn't mean you have to die for her. I won't let you," Shawn says.

"Lauren doesn't mean harm. I know she doesn't," Camila frowns.

"She's right, Shawn. Lauren saved me, she vouched for me," Dinah says.

"Please Lauren's brutality speaks otherwise," Shawn says.

"Thank you, Camila and Dinah. I can handle myself," Lauren says.

"Explain. Now!" Shawn says.

"I will... In private. This crowd doesn't look like the reasoning type," Lauren scowls.

"Fine. Follow me," Shawn says.

"You're just going to let her walk?" Jason asks.

"To hell with that," Colson says. He grabs a bottle and hurls it at Lauren's head.

Still handcuffed, Lauren brings her hands up with lightning reflexes and crushes the bottle in her fist. "Imbecile. If I meant harm I would've been out of these handcuffs seconds ago and y'all would've been dead," Lauren says.

"Enough! I'll handle this. All of you stand down. Now!" Shawn raises his voice.

The crowd rages and seethes as Shawn leads the girls to his room as the three guards drag Lauren along then close the door behind them once inside.

"Unleash her," Shawn orders.

Lauren rolls her eyes at the guards and brushes the dust off her jacket when she's finally uncuffed. "If I wasn't in a dire situation I would've killed all of you after everything you've done to me," Lauren speaks.

"Why did you come here?" Shawn asks.

"I came here for Camila and Dinah. I need their help," Lauren answers.

"Help?" Camila asks.

"With what?" Dinah asks.

"With this dire situation. The Council, in all their wisdom, is accusing Zayn of being responsible for all the unauthorized turnings as well as the attack on the ball," Lauren explains.

"What?" Camila lets out a little too loud.

"They're wrong," Dinah says.

"Of course they are but they're having a tribunal for him anyway," Lauren scowls.