“Why would I place a bounty on you, anyway?” Raven asked.
Something in me snapped. Maybe Kost was wrong. Maybe he’d missed the true color of her mark. Maybe… I had to know for sure. Thrusting my hand forward, I opened the beast realm door and summoned Onyx. He came without hesitation and stood beside me, cautious eyes skipping from person to person, trying to assess who was the threat.
“Let Onyx judge you.”
Raven glowered. “I have been through enough these past few hours.”
“If you’re innocent, it won’t hurt.” My words were harsh. Onyx glanced back and forth between the two of us, waiting.
Gaige took a shaky step in her direction, but she gently brushed him off. “Fine.”
Onyx sauntered forward, neon-blue light streaming from his golden eyes as he stared directly into Raven’s determined glare. The whole room fell silent. We couldn’t see Onyx’s mental flames, the ones that would burn away past transgressions and determine whether or not someone was worthy. But I remembered what they felt like as my own sins were forgiven. How they’d scalded my body as every memory, every action I’d ever committed, was played on repeat.
Minutes stretched on for an eternity until Onyx finally pulled back. He nudged Raven softly, offering comfort for whatever he saw, and then returned to me.
She was innocent.
Raven said nothing.
“Then, who?” Breathing turned difficult. The floor rushed at me, and I sank to my knees. I’d been sosure. I was going to force her to confess, to absolve the bounty. She was the person who could’ve saved Noc’s life. But now… Now there was no hope. No direction. Nowhere left to turn. The room spun, and I cradled my head in my hands.
Oz looped his arms around my shoulders and guided me an open armchair. Onyx followed, worried yowls quietly escaping the back of his throat. The world quaked beneath my feet. This was too much. Too insurmountable. We didn’t know where to start. Where to look.
A glimmer of relief touched Gaige’s face. “There’s no denying it, Leena. Raven is innocent.”
“Gods dammit,” I whispered, scrunching my eyes shut. Tears pressed against my lids. Wynn had insinuated his accomplice had been someone on the Council. If not Raven, then that left Kaori and Yazmin. But Kaori’s symbol was blue and Yazmin’s pink. Had I misinterpreted everything? Had Wynn had the foresight to lead me down the wrong path so his coconspirator could keep working?
Oz’s gentle voice pulled me from my reverie. “We’ll figure this out.”
I peeled open my eyes. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Calem, give us a play-by-play.” Oz glanced past me to Calem.
“Kaori and I had just returned from training yesterday morning, and we met up with Gaige, Tristan, Eilan, and Raven outside the dining hall for breakfast.” His gaze dropped to the floor. “A whole mess of beasts appeared and just started attacking. Not just us, but other Charmers too.”
“Other Charmers? Who?” What on earth was happening? Who was behind it? Unleashing beasts to attack Charmers… I couldn’t fathom anyone ever doing such a thing. That act alone would turn the goddess’s favor for good. Besides that, how had anyone gotten a jump on the Council? I reached out to run a shaky hand through Onyx’s fur, steadying myself.
Gaige grimaced. “Mostly those who would’ve been potential Council members. They all could’ve easily been replacements for Wynn. Strong. Independent. Some already had legendary felines too.”
“Eilan and Tristan didn’t make it.” Raven’s voice was scraped raw. I tilted my head in her direction, catching the full weight of her glassy stare. She’d sunk back to the floor and curled in on herself, pulled her knees to her chest. She looked so small. Fragile. Nothing like the haughty fighter I’d encountered during the battle of Hireath. This woman was in pain.
And I’d attacked her. Subjected her to Onyx’s scrutiny instead of believing Kost. Right after she’d lost someone she loved.
Guilt ravaged my stomach, and I swallowed several times before braving words. “Raven, I’m so sorry.”
There wasn’t an ounce of forgiveness in her gaze. I didn’t blame her.
Calem cast his eyes to the floor. “We tried to stay and help as long as we could. But after they died and Kaori got hurt…” He looked up at me then, as if he were ashamed of what he was about to say and needed forgiveness. “We fled.”
“The beasts had halted attacking the rest of the Charmers and were only targeting us,” Raven said. “Escaping was the right thing to do to keep them out of harm’s way. For now.”
“She’s right,” I said, swallowing back tears, “You’re alive. And Kaori…?”
“She’ll live,” Gaige said through a wince. “We escaped on the backs of our legendary felines and ran nonstop until we got here. They only just went back to the realm.”
“I rode with Kaori. She passed out as we reached Cruor’s border.” Calem turned his somber stare to the unconscious woman on the couch. Tension rippled through his arms as he folded them across his chest.
Kost frowned. “Where was Yazmin during the attack?”
