Caged In

Chapter 8

Cullen could not believe what he just said. This would ruin his whole life. Could he really toss it away?

The whole place fell silent. No one had ever heard of someone asking to be banished. Not when they could have a better option.

Emery must have been thinking that because he asked the boy, "Why? Why through away your life? And besides, you know we made a rule on banishments. Even if we were to consider that, it would be breaking one of our laws."

Cullen, think about this, he heard Sophie's mental voice plead.

He turned to see his parents, both shocked that their son had considered something like that. Keefe, however, looked less surprised, and instead more regretful, like he felt his son's suggestion was his responsibility.

He gave his mom a reassuring smile. I am, he thought. Just trust me.

Cullen turned back to face the Council, getting a small glimpse at a certain blond girl as he did.

Orphelin was staring at her brother, confused. However, she quickly recovered her cold glare. Cullen looked at her again, trying to figure out what her opinion was on banishment.

Orphelin looked like she could care less, except for her right hand, which was messing up her perfectly smoothed dress.

So that wasn't part of her plan, Cullen thought, a grin forming. If he got banished, he'd beat his sister at one of her little games.

Her face changed to distain when he smirked. This wasn't "her game" anymore. It was his. And he was going to do whatever he could to win.

Cullen used that bravery to turn back to the jewel obsessed twelve.

"You can waver the law," he suggested. "Who's to say it must continue to be the way it is? I mean, I'm fourteen. I can handle it, so don't worry about that. Besides, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't anyway."

What was going on with him? How was he talking so openly about his feelings with this? Cullen guessed it was because he knew deep down that this would end up being what they got to. It might take a while, but they were going to realize this was the only solution.

"We cannot just banish you. There's so many things to consider with that, like having to ensure you have proper food and clothing, and it is just too much work."

"What if I told you a secret?" Cullen said, already regretting what he was going to say.

"And what might that be?" Councillor Alina wondered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It was me," Cullen whispered, the strength in his voice leaving him.

"What was you?" Councillor Bronte wondered, his gaze feeling as though it went right through Cullen.

"The thing with Lady Solen," he lied, pushing himself to complete the terrifying thing. "She was being annoying, so I shut her up. Same thing with her daughter."

There was a collective gasp throughout the room.

"He's lying! I did it!" Keefe confessed, locking eyes with Cullen.

"N-no I'm not!" he protested, desperate for his father to let him take the blame. Cullen didn't need Keefe to try and protect him for every problem, so if he took the blame with this one, Cullen didn't owe his father anything.

"Yes. You are," Keefe insisted.

Cullen closed his eyes, piecing together what he had to say in his mind.

"Stop lying for me! I'm done with you and I'm done with these stupid Lost Cities! Just banish me now, okay?!"

Fear danced in Cullen's eyes of what he was saying and how he was acting. Hopefully, Keefe knew he didn't mean all of it.

Councillor Fitzroy walked toward him, looking as though he was trying to calm down an angry gorgodon.

Fitzroy transmitted, Hey, I know this is all scary, but you need to take deep breaths and try to calm down, okay? I've been at this point where I felt like getting mad at everyone, but it doesn't help, trust me.

I know that, Cullen thought, wishing the Councillor would stop giving him a life lesson and vote him off for banishment. Then, if they thought that he manifested and did that to Lady Solen, Keefe wouldn't be at fault and he wouldn't have to worry about his father getting exiled for Cullen's sake. He didn't want his parents to keep trying to save him.

Okay, Councillor Fitzroy agreed, making Cullen jump. Sorry, I was still listening to your thoughts. So . . . Keefe did it, huh? The authoritative voice of a Councillor was gone by then. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell on him. But . . . are you sure this is what you want to do?

Cullen nodded. Positive.

Okay then.

"What are you discussing?" Councillor Alina demanded to know.

"He did it," Fitzroy lied.

"Heks," Alina said, motioning for Stina to read Cullen's emotions.

Lady Stina walked next to Cullen, grabbing onto his wrist with her bony hand.

"Did you silence Lady Solen?" Councillor Emery asked.

"Yes," Cullen replied, trying to think of the "Lady Solen" as Zora to make the lie as hidden as he could.

Stina's frown grew, causing him to panic. What if he said that he was lying? Keefe already put himself out there and he's the only one with that type of power anyway, so of course it would be him.

Cullen suppressed a groan, wishing he wasn't so stupid. She was going to tell on him any second.

"Well?" Alina prompted, looking ready to mention something bad about the Foster family either way it went.

"He's telling the truth," she said, glancing at Councillor Fitzroy and moving her head slightly down before retreating to her seat.

"I guess that just goes to show that the Fosters—"

"Let's vote now," Councillor Fitzroy told the rest of the Council, cutting of Alina. He went back to his chair and sat down.

***

The voting took forever, but finally Emery stood up, waving his hands to silence those who were talking.

"We have come to a decision. And, no, it is not unanimous."

Cullen heard someone to the right of him mumble, "When is it ever?"

Councillor Emery ignored the question, continuing on. "While there was an age minimum placed on those who are eligible for banishment . . . "

Cullen scoffed at "eligible."

"We have decided that, in light of recent events, we should edit that rule. The rule is now 'Anyone thirteen and under cannot be banished.'" Murmurs rippled through the crowd as everyone was trying to process what that meant.

Cullen gulped. If they changed the rule, that had to mean that they were serious about it; he was getting banished.

He felt Sophie's hand take his.

This was it. His future was going to be decided right then and there. And it wasn't the good one his mom was hoping for him. Nor was it whatever his father wanted. This future was definitely not what his sister wanted for him and he was super thankful for that. But . . . it was his future. He decided what he wanted, not someone else. And he could live with whatever that threw at him.

Councillor Emery opened his mouth and said the sentence that would change his life forever. "Cullen Harbin Foster, you are now banished from the Lost Cities."