Page 64 of The Princess of Portals

A woman moved toward me, her high heels like raindrops piercing a silent forest. The First Inquisitor was petite, about my height, even wearing those heels. She wore a fitted navy dress, short-sleeved and knee-length, tied with a belt that accentuated her tiny waist and wide hips. Dark hair, long and sleek, fell to her waist. A subtle, glossy, light-pink polish covered her manicured nails. Her makeup was dramatic, especially around the eyes. Those eyes looked like they could see straight into your soul.

Vela was a Sorcerer. I could feel it in her magic. I could hear it in the way that she moved. I saw it in her eyes. She’d dabbled in very powerful magic, magic some people would call unnatural. This was why people were afraid of sorcerers.

“Savannah Winters.”

There was something so unsettling about the way she said my name. I flinched. She saw it and smiled. I had a feeling Vela didn’t miss anything. I could not flinch again.

I looked at Vela and dipped my chin. “First Inquisitor.” My gaze panned across the supernaturals sitting on their thrones. My head bowed lower. “Honorable members of the Court.”

Kato had prepped me as best he could for this, given what little time we’d had. There were certain courtesies I had to follow when dealing with the Court. First and foremost, I had to acknowledge their power and prestige.

My gaze fell back on Vela. She looked every bit as intimidating as she had thirty seconds ago, but this time I didn’t flinch.

“Give us your account of the events that led up to Queen Seriana’s death,” she said.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I spoke. This was important. I had to get it right.

“Thirteen days ago, three assailants attacked this very building. They entered the jewelry shop next door and barricaded themselves inside, staging a pretend jewelry heist to lure the Knights out of the Conference Center. The three assailants then proceeded to blow a hole through the wall that connects the two buildings, so they could enter the Conference Center. Once here, they quickly gathered up the Apprentices. Their orders were to kidnap all of us, all thirty-one Apprentices.”

Vela stopped me there. “There were thirty-one of you and only three of them, and you didn’t fight back?”

“They wore special armor that magnified their magic. We were no match for them.”

“Who created this armor?” Vela asked.

I hesitated. I knew I was being led into a trap, but I couldn’t see any way to avoid it.

“Who created this armor, Savannah?” Vela repeated.

Nope, no way out of this one. I couldn’t ignore a direct question from the First Inquisitor of the Many Realms Court.

“The armor was created by a woman named Elandra Moore.”

I caught a glimpse of Kylie wincing.

“Is this Elandra Moore the same woman who leads the Brotherhood of Earth, an anti-magic organization?” Vela was talking to me but looking at the Court. “Is she the same woman who tried to destroy all the Spirit Trees across the Many Realms?”

Hisses rose from the Court members like steam from hot asphalt.

Vela turned back around to face me. “We asked you a question, Savannah Winters. Is this the same woman?”

Acid burned in my throat. I could barely force the word out. “Yes.”

“So the woman who declared war against the Many Realms gave the armor to the three armored kidnappers.”

“She didn’t give the armor to them. They stole it from her.”

“Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?”

“The Brotherhood of Earth hates supernaturals. They wouldn’t experiment on them in an attempt to make them even more powerful.”

Vela’s mouth cut a hard smile. “So that’s a no then. You have no evidence to back up your claims.”

Way to go, Savannah. You saw it coming, and you still walked right into it.

You’re not helping, I told my inner cynic.

“Elandra’s confession at the Spirit Tree was caught on camera,” I pointed out.