He turned and did so, still staring downward.
“Plaintiff?”
The other lawyer stood up, shifting her hair to hang over her back as she moved. With a clear voice, Counselor Porter spoke. “Your Honors, I call the victim, Milo Tobitt, to the stand.”
“Here we go,” Milo murmured, immediately standing.
Rowan had no doubt he’d be fine. One thing Milo had down pat was talking.
Milo took the same stance at the podium. He held himself proudly, head up, arms relaxed at his sides. He was confident standing there, and Rowan’s heart swelled with pride. Yes, his little mage had nothing to be ashamed or apologetic about, and Rowan was glad he knew it.
This time, Counselor Porter moved so she was between Milo and the judges, to address him more face-to-face.
“Mage Tobitt, for the record, can you state your full rank?”
“I’m a Second Circle Mage.”
“Mage Tobitt, in your own words, can you describe your relationship with the defendant?”
“When I first met him, it was in an official capacity. He was the Advocate for the case I’d reported. Afterward, we worked together more, as he kept calling me in to help straighten out some situation or other. Eventually, we started dating. We dated for about a year before I realized he’d been cheating on me the entire time. I broke things off immediately and the next time he called for me, I didn’t answer. I’ve been trying to cut him out of my life ever since.”
“How long ago was the breakup?”
“Six—no, I guess it’s closer to seven months now.”
“So this wasn’t recent, but something that happened at the end of last year?”
“Correct.”
“And was he in contact with you during this period?”
“The man was constantly begging to get back together.” Rowan could hear Milo’s frustration. “It really made no sense to me. Why fight to get someone back who you treated so badly? And I’d broken up with him, so no way would I take him back. In all honesty, his constant visits and trying to win me over got so old I decided I needed to be well away from Goldguard. I tookthe assignment for a year in Gravegarde just to get away from him.”
“I see.” She flipped her portfolio, checking a note. “And when did he follow you to Gravegarde?”
“Almost two weeks ago.”
“When he arrived, what did he say?”
“It was the same as before. He wanted me back. He’d be a better man to me. He needed me more than anyone else did. Honestly, I wasn’t paying him any real attention. I just wanted him gone.”
“When did this situation escalate?”
“Well, the first escalation was when my lover, Captain Rowan Rangecroft, confronted him. Things got heated pretty quickly. Rowan was aware of my history with Andrew, so he was livid on my behalf, especially upon discovering Andrew had dared follow me all the way to Gravegarde just to get me back. He made it very clear he’d feed Andrew to the Drachifel if he got anywhere near me again.”
Judge Necket coughed into his hand, which sounded like a disguised chuckle. He clearly enjoyed that tidbit.
“Advocate Bennet Nottle was a witness, and he also warned Andrew off. Not that it took.”
“What happened after the confrontation?”
“It was the next day, late in the afternoon. He caught me unawares as I was working on building the outer ward.”
“I’m sorry, clarify please. The outer ward?”
“When I arrived at Gravegarde, the ward was in horrific shape. Truly deplorable. It’s why I reported it to begin with. I discussed it with the Rangecroft family and offered to do two wards. One on the outer ring, connecting the watchtowers, and another ward attached to the fortress itself. I wanted them—and myself—to have plenty of protection.”
“So you were, in essence, doing more than your due diligence.”
