Lorenzo smiled and embraced his friend. “Glad to see you too.”
Luka jerked back and grabbed Lorenzo's shoulders, shaking him hard. His eyes were bloodshot and wet. "Don't ever do that again."
"Oh, I don’t plan on it."
A shorter man appeared beside Luka, adjusting his glasses. Luka beamed and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “This is my husband, Vincent.”
“Hello,” said Vincent. “It’s nice to finally have a face to put to the name.”
“I promise it was a much prettier face before my run-in with Constantine’s eagles,” I muttered, touching the eyepatch.
Luka stepped forward and offered his hand. "Rafael."
I took it. His grip was firm and warm. "Luka. Thank you for the seal."
"Thank Lorenzo. He's the one who convinced me it was worth risking everything." Luka's eyes cut to Lorenzo, then back to me. “Thanks for keeping him alive down there.”
I swallowed the tightness in my throat. "He kept me alive. It went both ways."
Vincent moved closer to Luka, taking his hand. "We've been waiting here since this morning. They wouldn't tell us anything except that you'd entered. The hours were..."
"Long," Luka finished.
Lorenzo rolled his shoulders and winced. "I’m surprised you flew all this way. Don’t you have better things to do than worry about me?"
"Of course not," Luka said, waving a hand. "You two are family, you idiot. Where else would we be?"
Family.
My eyes were suddenly burning. I hadn’t had a family since my mother died and Gabriel drowned. Yet Luka and Vincent had adopted me without a second thought.
Aeacus materialized beside us, keys already in hand. She crouched, and the manacle around my ankle clicked open. The metal fell away, and I nearly went down. I'd gotten so used to the weight, the constant pull of Lorenzo three feet away, that freedom felt like falling.
Lorenzo's ankle came free next. He rolled it slowly, then nodded his approval.
"The trial is concluded." Aeacus said matter-of-factly. "Judge Minos is dead. Lorenzo Vasquez and Rafael Oliveira are declared victorious by right of combat. All charges are dismissed. All bounties are void. Minos's seat will remain empty until the Directors convene to discuss succession."
Rhadamanthys cleared his throat. “There is one more important matter we must address, Your Honor.” He removed his Stetson and held it against his chest. "I must tender my resignation, effective immediately."
The garden went silent. Lorenzo's hand tightened in mine hard enough to hurt.
"I violated my oath of neutrality," Rhadamanthys continued. "I helped them when I should have remained impartial. I transported them. Gave them information. Time. I compromised my position and my integrity. Therefore, I am no longer worthy of the title of Judge."
Aeacus studied him for a long moment in silence. "Request denied."
Rhadamanthys blinked rapidly. "Judge Aeacus—"
"Minos betrayed us, Rhadamanthys. And now he is dead. There are only two of us left. I won’t further compromise The Pantheon. Not today."
Rhadamanthys' jaw clenched.
"What you did may have violated the letter of your oath," Aeacus said quietly, "but not its spirit. You stayed true to the values we're meant to uphold, even when the law itself became corrupt. In any other situation, I would honor your wishes to step aside. But we are living in unprecedented times. We'll revisit this after another Judge is appointed. Until then, you will continue to serve."
Rhadamanthys bowed his head. “I will serve,” he said and stepped back once before placing the Stetson back on his head.
Aeacus cleared her throat. "There's one more thing that requires immediate attention. The South American directorship is vacant." Her eyes fixed on Lorenzo, and my stomach dropped. "Dionysus is dead. His territory needs leadership. Someone who understands the region, the network, the operations."
"Lorenzo Vasquez, you have earned the right through combat and service. The position is yours if you want it."
