Counterfeit ✓

Chapter 7

WHEN THE SUN rose and left an orange glow, Mila stood up. Her stomach still hurt a lot, but that didn't stop her from starting her mission. A week ago, Elody had sacrificed herself, and to this day Mila still didn't understand why. Today, the trial started, she was ready to convince the people here not to kill Elody.

As she passed through the camp, she noticed how the people lowered their heads and went on with their tasks. Scratching the back of her neck, Mila walked over to a group of girls she hadn't seen before. Perhaps that was her best chance.

"Good morning, nice weather isn't it?" she chuckled at her ridiculousness. "Not here for a chat about the weather. What do you think about Elody's case?"

The tallest girl shrugged. "She deserves to die. No one may attack any of us."

"We know you got stabbed," another girl added, "and we're behind you."

"Does everyone here think so?"

Nodding, the girls continued their task. Mila sighed, turned, and walked back to her tent. There was no point in trying to find support. She had to make it clear in a different way. Before opening the tarp, she glanced over her shoulder. Across the camp stood Stephen-as he was every morning-observing her.

She closed her tent without giving him a look, took pen and paper, and sat down on the cot. Over the past week, Mila enjoyed more freedom than she'd imagined, but that didn't mean she was going to forget the horrors of this camp. Every night, she heard the boy screaming in her dreams. Every night, she wished she had saved him after all. She had no idea if they'd killed him, though he was nowhere to be seen after the incident.

Blinking, she focused on the task that was now most important: rescuing Elody. She couldn't allow herself to get into a negative spiral, today she had to convince the people and that was only possible with a great speech. Mila just didn't know where to start. Everyone was tight-lipped about what Elody was like before she stabbed her and it didn't help her cause, on the contrary, she had no element to speak positively about the prisoner. Mila had to try a different angle, one that might help her former rival from a terrible death. She bent over, pressed the pen to the paper, and wrote as if her life depended on it too.

After an hour of writing, Mila ended the last sentence. She read it again thoroughly, making corrections and folding the paper to put in her pocket. She completed the first step, now it was time to start the second one. Pushing her blankets back, she grabbed a pill to suppress the pain, then walked over to Stephen's tent.

"Stephen, are you there?"

Jean walked out of the tent. "He's not here. Why do you need him?"

"I need to speak to him before the trial starts."

"He's on another case."

Mila raised her eyebrow. "Which?"

"Can't tell."

Closing the tent, Jean marched to the other side of the camp. Mila had a hard time keeping up with him, although she didn't take her eyes off him. Finally, he stopped at the tent where she'd found Amy earlier. Without hiding, she stood beside Jean and crossed her arms.

"You can't get rid of me."

"You allow yourself a lot, you know? I'm even surprised Stephen is patient with you."

"Taking over the job from Elody, I see."

Growling, he knocked three times on the tent, opened and closed the tarp before Mila could enter. It lasted only a minute before Stephen stepped outside, a grimace all over his face.

"Why are you here?"

"To speak about Elody."

"I'm listening."