Witch, Missing (#3 in the Witches Trilogy) -ON HIATUS-

Chapter Eight: Speak Now

//you need to hear me out//

Vera

When Xavier said I'd get to meet the whole Executive Committee, I don't think he meant it like this.

The inside of the principia is like a large, formal auditorium, with a little over a hundred seats ringing a raised dais with a podium. Present is the whole representative assembly, basically one representative from every species, the exco, and everyone involved in the trial who is still alive. It means that while Anna, being the only gorgon around, is here, Kieran, Russell and Louis are not, since there were already water elementals and fairies prior to them joining. It also means that I have three less people who would fight for Kami with me.

"For those unfamiliar with our proceedings," acting judge Nicholas says at the podium, "the exco will stand as jury for the trial, while I will stand judge in Commander James' absence." His expression makes it clear that he doesn't approve of someone younger than him by at least ten years being his superior. "The exco consists: Xavier James as Commander, and Corey James, Tasha Page, Daryl Madrier and myself as Vice-Commanders."

He goes on with the whole list: "Joshua, strategy, Mark, diplomatic relations, Sarah, espionage and covert operations, Alethea, administration and communications, Rachel, medical department, Iphras, management and maintenance, Emma, defence, and Aidan, logistics. Absent is Laura, human/creature resource management." 

He goes on to explain the court proceedings, but something about him is bugging me. He looks familiar somehow. It takes me a while to realise who he looks like-Paige. The girl from the Community that Parker murdered, a friend of mine. Once I get the connection everything falls into place. It's so obvious, I don't know how I didn't see it before. This is Paige's dad.

Oh, my God. It's like the past has returned to haunt me. I remember being puzzled by something Paige said: "mix breeds are rare". She said it in distaste. I wondered what she had against them-but it would line up perfectly if she'd been brought up with her dad's conservative opinions.

The trial begins before I've realised it, because Nicholas seems determined to make this as small of a deal as possible. He's called up the murderers without even an inflection in his voice. Jerk. 

"The case presented: the death of an Irregular in a clash with the three presented." The perps are two guys and a girl, all a good few years older than I am. Nicholas asks them for their testimony. One of the guys, a werewolf by the looks of it, takes up the question.

"We were hanging around the reservoir. She was there. We clashed paths and we asked her to make way. She refused. We argued, and she attacked us. She was much younger, yeah, but she was an Irregular, so there was no way we could have known she'd be that aggressive or powerful. She nearly suffocated Madison. She forced or hand; we had to defend ourselves. In the mess, she got hit and landed awkwardly. We didn't kill her."

Is he joking?

Stay down. Anna warns, maybe sensing my white-hot incense. Wait.

I'm steaming, literally, and I have to clench the edge of my seat to keep myself from blowing the podium up. Kami was tiny. And she wasn't that powerful. Definitely not powerful enough to take on three people at once. And she wasn't aggressive at all. She would never have attacked first-not unless she was severely provoked.

But of course, they'd never admit to it.

Nicholas apparently doesn't see-or doesn't want to see0the craters in her story. "Elaborate. How were you attacked, and what happened after?"