Fallen (Undergoing editing)

Chapter eighteen:

"I have no further questions your honor," Dolorian said.

My ass felt fried from being Dolorian's grilling lineup of questions, but I'd survived. Nicoli turned his gaze to Enrique who sat back at his table, watching  with his head nesting in his hands, wings deflated around him, eyes tired, drained.

"Anything else to add, Mr. Grayfeather?"

Enrique shook his head wordlessly, blinking slowly as if coming out of a daydream.

Nicoli nodded and proceeded to organize his papers. "We will break and in that time, the court will have its verdict." The gavel hit and the court arose, flooding out of the doors. I was soon unhooked from my hot seat and taken by a guard who held me sternly.

"I'll take her."

The guard spun around, swinging me along with him, facing Enrique who stood behind us, looking tired, eyes gazing past me to the guard coolly.

"I am not to let her out of my sight, she is a prisoner-"

"And I don't think she can do much in a courtroom filled with Guardians and council guards," Enrique stepped forward and looped his arm through mine. "I assure you she can do no harm."

The guard stood there, his jaw twitching, fighting the urge to drag me back, but thought better of challenging the new guardian troop leader.

For once and only a split second, it felt good to shut up and let him do the talking.

We were back in the room again, Enrique and I, alone. 

It was so quiet I could hear his breathing from across the table. I sat, he stood, more like he paced like a wild animal stuck in a cage. It was tense, so tense, it felt as though the air would break if one of us spoke. I let my leg bob anxiously, my wrists beginning to itch from the metal shackles tightened on my skin. I scratched to keep myself busy, giving myself a reason not to look over to him.

What he must be thinking.

What he must think of me.

What I thought of me.

"Please," my voice was only a whisper. The air cracked all around us, shards of peaceful silence floated around the room. "Say something, the silence killing me."

Enrique finally quit his pacing , his back to me, hands down by his sides. His shoulders slumped, tired of holding the weight of his wings. Of the situation.

"What do you want me to say?"

I shook my head. "I don't care, something. I can't take this." I clenched my hands willing myself not to cry, not here, not know. "Its times like this that I wish I could read your mind."

Enrique snickered. "You don't want to right now."

I winced, feeling the chill of his voice. "Its that bad, eh?"

A growl then the screech of chair legs and wings rustling, before I could feel Enrique looming over me. "I don't hate you if that's what your thinking."

I wanted to say relief washed over me, but it didn't. Just the dreading impending doom that grew as each second passed.

Enrique whipped out the chair next to me as sat in it, his robes flowing out around him. "I don't care what you are or where you came from or what you did, none of it matters."

Gritting my teeth was the only thing keeping me steady as I looked into his strong ocean eyes, nearly washed away in them. It felt like an electric shock as his hand crawled over mine, fingers melting in-between mine. 

"I mean, I don't think there's a law for marrying a Fallen." He managed a small smile. "Sounds kinda badass."

I felt my face gawk as I laughed, neriously with no real humor behind it. "Yeah, if I don't end up behind bars for the rest of my life or worse-"

"Hey."

I flinched, turning to Enrique who's eyes were stone. "Don't say that."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the door opened, a guard poking his head inside.

 "The court is ready for you now."

Enrique quivered slightly like someone had just run a cold ice cube down the middle of his spine and looked to me. I nodded and stood along with him as we were led back into the courtroom, where inside awaited my fate.

"Aldis," Nicoli called turning to one of the jurors who stepped forward, playing with a small piece of paper in his hands. "Have you and your team come to a conclusion?"

Aldin nodded, "Yes, we have your honor."

Back in the courtroom, the air felt electrified, a soft wave or murmurs blanketing the room. I stood with Enrique, swallowing the burning bile that sat in the back of my throat, my tongue dry parched and blood pounding through my ears so loud I could hardly hear them speak.

This was it.

"Please, state your verdict then," Nicoli said with a wave of his hand, looking bored, wanting this done and over with.

It was such tempting moments as we waited for Aldin to unfold the piece of paper with still and focused hands.

"For the crimes against the city and ill deeds as a Guardian of Avon we find the defendant...not guilty."

A huge wave of relived murmurs escaped the crowd, most of them breathes that had been held anxiously. Beside me, I saw Enrique relax, some color returning to his face.

"And your second verdict?" Nicoli interjected.

Aldin glanced again down to his paper, his emerald green eyes cold. "For the crime of interacting with a traitor to Avon's people and making a deal with a demon, we find the defendant...guilty."

Guilty.

The room darkened with the gasps and aghast whispers. From where I stood I could hear Gwen wail and Thor try to shush her, her voice bouncing off the walls. For me, it was like someone had just dropped a glass bowl on the ground, the shards of cold disappointment clashing at my feet. Beside me Enrique made displeased guttural noises and raked his fingers over his face, body crumpling inwardly on himself.

"The court has made its decision, Lilith Black, you will return here first thing tomorrow at day break for your sentencing. Court dismissed!" Nicoli smashed his hammer down, so loud my ears rang, but I felt nothing.

Guards suddenly were at my side, hauling me away in cuffs that felt tighter this time. Enrique looked panicked as he shouted words over the shuffling of feet and voices, but I didn't hear him. I only saw how his lips moved in the shape of words, but heard nothing.

As I marched past the tables, Sonya beamed up at me with a smile of an evil villain who's just made my life hell.