The Siren Song - Book 2 of the Legends of Henge Series

Chapter 21

Despite the reasoning for my being in Gyanganj, I couldn't help but marvel at the place. But my awe was nothing compared to my mother's and I really couldn't blame her.

Not only was she surrounded by animals and people unlike any part of her culture, but she was about to attend a trial for her ex-husband. Who would have ever suspected that in their future?

"You think we'll see anyone who remembers Lark?" Quinn mused.

"There are thousands of people here, Quinn," I sighed. "I seriously doubt it."

"Yes but everyone's heard about the illicit Kitsune, right?" Quinn laughed.

"Is that really what people are calling her?" Quinn shrugged in response.

"Hurry, girls," my mother urged, though she was the one most lagging behind.

"The Aldins, I presume," came the deep voice of a very tall black man. His eyes were milky white, making me uncomfortable knowing he knew who we were. "I'm to escort you to the Court." The man turned and I saw the bright yellow ends of his dreadlocks.

A Kitsune, I thought.

"Are you blind?" Quinn asked loudly. I furrowed my eyebrows and slapped her forearm.

"Insensitive, much?" I hissed.

"It's alright. Yes, I'm blind and yes, I'm a Kitsune. My name is Galen Gladio, Headmaster of Rivulet Academy."

"Here's a question for you," Quinn said pompously. "If you Kitsune's can read minds, why don't you just read my father's and figure out he's innocent?"

Gladio didn't react much and I suspect this was often wondered. "There are ways to conceal your thoughts, you just know nothing of them. It is also illegal for the Kitsune to use their mindspeak during trials. Only one of us stand in during a single trial to officiate and it would be unreliable to go off of our word. It's one against one then. There is no way to end it."

"Why don't you all just sit out of the trials then?" I muttered. "You don't have to run everything."

Gladio chose not to answer this one, but I knew he heard me. I took that to mean that there was no good answer; at least not one he could justify.

As we came around another bend in the road, the Courthouse came into view. At least, what I assumed was the Courthouse. Outside the doors sat a girl with coffee brown skin and coarse hair. She was spinning a spear and her interest seemed to be focused on Gladio.

"Who's that?" my mother asked me, as if I would recognize her.

The girl was drawing quite a lot of attention to her but Gladio seemed unbothered by her presence as we drew closer to the steps of the Courts. "Wait, wait, wait," Quinn hissed, clutching my forearm. "I think I know who that is!"

"Huh?"

"It's Coco Brystina!" Quinn squealed. "The one that gave Lark the invitation to the Elven Kingdom."

"Right," I muttered, not recalling anything about that. Gladio shook the girl's hand and she joined the queue.

The steps up to the building, that had looked so white and glittery from far away, were scuffed and worn up close. Innumerable cracks ran underfoot and the tilting support beams looked frozen in a dance of drunken sailors.

"This way," Gladio said, quite unnecessarily, as he led us up the steps.

It was chaos just inside the grand doors. Shifters bustled around with large stacks of paper from point A to B without realizing there might be others in the way and so it seemed like they would never reorganize the flying sheets.

Gladio simply sighed and continued on through the hall. Quinn and I slipped past rather easily, used to chaotic environments, but our mother stumbled and fell behind. I couldn't help but snicker at the rosy red cheeks she had at the unorganized event.

"There's a reason I-" the rest of my mom's statement was lost to me and anything I might've said back died on my tongue as Gladio swung open a small door into the Courtroom.

"Dad!" Quinn immediately yelled for the both of us. And there he was, patiently waiting for this to start. He didn't look much different than usual. He didn't even look that worried.

His calm spread to me and I knew what he was doing. He gave me a smile and I understood. His Statem allowed him to take control of his emotions and those he was close to and tell them what to do. He was trying to keep our anxiety low.

Quinn didn't seem to notice, a wide smile gracing her face. I caught his eye and shook my head. Didn't he realize? It was probably illegal to use your Statem during a trial. He meant well but it wasn't worth it.

His smile faded and with it the calm I felt. I saw Quinn's grin slip just the tiniest bit before it came back full blast. She understood now.

Coco Brystina took a seat not far from us.

Gladio stood up at the front. "This is the trial of Cavalon Aldin..." His booming voice faded into the background noise as I faded in and out of attentiveness. I mainly watched my father, but he gave little away.

The absence of sound made the largest impact on me that day. Gladio paused in the middle of his sentence and my head snapped up. "There's been..." Gladio paused, frowning. "An anonymous voucher." I frowned. Nothing had changed. Someone must have intruded his mind.

Coco stood quickly, a spear appearing in her hand. The doors swung open, a golden glow spreading across the floor in haste. "Sylvia, what are you-"

"This man is innocent," Professor Aurum stated, her fourth tail twitching. "There's no way he could be guilty. I have received intelligence that he was nowhere near the site at the time. And here he sits, while Atlantis has been bombed."

"Site of what?" Quinn whispered. As far as we knew, the Council just thought he was working for Crevan but now it seems as though he was suspected of an actual event- like bombing.

"Atlantis?" Coco sputtered. "First the Elven Kingdom and now Atlantis. This is no coincidence. Someone's acting against humanoids!"

"We've apprehended the person responsible for Atlantis and they've given a full confession to both incidents," Aurum explained. "I've come to escort the accused and his family home."

"Sylvia, that's not how it works. You can't just-"

"We shall discuss this at a later time, Galen," Aurum interjected. "You will allow them to come with me."

"You have no authority to-"

"The authority I have is not relevant," Aurum snapped. "This family is being taken home, by order of the Foxfire Council. You've been outvoted."

Aurum turned to us and I realized I was still glued to my chair. "Let's go."

So it's been a little while. Happy Easter everyone!!!

Question of the Day: Do you think Nesia and Quinn's father has any reason to be put on trial?

My Answer: ...

I'll see you Thursday???

We'll see.

By the way, ENDGAME IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to see it Thursday night, but I promise there will be no spoilers from me.

Vote, Comment, and Share!!!