Page 65 of The Princess of Portals

“Yes, that was quite a show.” Vela gave me an indulgent laugh.

And the Court laughed with her. Court Inquisitor: 1, Savannah: 0.

“We all came very close to the end of the Spirit Trees. How can you be so nonchalant about that?” I demanded.

“Oh, I assure you, we’re taking that very seriously. We’re taking this all very seriously.”

“If that were true, you would arrest Fenris so that he can’t hurt anyone else.”

Vela’s smile was her tightest one yet. “We have spoken to Prince Fenris. And he tells a very different story from the one you’re telling us.”

“Because he’s lying.”

“That is a very bold statement.”

“The truth is bold and unapologetic. And here’s the truth. He—” I pointed at Fenris. “—kidnapped Apprentices from Gaia. He experimented on them, pumping drugs into them to try to turn them into Polymages. And he did it so he could make an army to take out all of you.”

Grumbles of protest rose from the Court.

“Ridiculous!”

“We don’t kill our own members.”

“We all made a vow.”

If only I could find a way to introduce them to reality.

“He killed Queen Seriana, his own mother,” I said. “So what makes you think he holds any vow sacred?”

“Careful, child,” Vela warned me. “This isn’t a playground. You’re standing before the Court which governs all the Many Realms.”

It was hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

Vela’s voice cut through the room chatter. “We call on Prince Fenris to testify.”

Fenris, that slimy vampire weasel, rose from his chair, smiling. He took his time making his way to the front. Along the way, many of the Court members clasped arms with him in support. Either the Order of Kings was much bigger than we’d thought, or Fenris was a lot more popular than we’d thought. In either case, this was going to be a problem.

Fenris finally made it to the front. A second witness chair materialized out of thin air, and Fenris took a seat. He offered me a congenial smile. I tried not to throw up in my mouth.

Vela watched the vampire prince. “This girl claims you killed Queen Seriana. What do you say to that?”

“That it’s a lie, of course. A lie put into her mouth by the Iron Wolf.”

“You are referring to General Lynch.”

“Yes, General Lynch. He lords over the Knights like a king in his Castle. They are all terrified of him. They would say anything for him. They would do anything for him. Even betray their own friends. Take, for example, the case of the former Apprentice Bronte Vance. She whispered her friends’ secrets to the General.”

It was scary how smoothly and naturally Fenris could twist the truth to serve his own sinister schemes.

“And Bronte Vance is not alone,” he continued. “All the Knights and Apprentices do whatever the General says.”

“Do they? What of the Rebels?” Vela was watching him very, very closely, hanging on his every word. Either she was on to him, or she was a willing participant in his game.

“The Rebels? A show! They are also under the General’s control. In fact, they are his most loyal henchmen. They do all his dirty work. Such as kidnapping Apprentices.”

Outrage twisted Conner’s face. He tried to take a step forward, but Kato caught his arm, holding him back.

“The General needs to pretend that they’re Rebels so they are free to move about as he wishes, doing as he wishes, behind the scenes. He sold us the lie that the Rebels are outside his control, and we believed it. Alas, I believed it.” Fenris rose from his seat to address the Court, his hand set over his chest. “And for that I am truly sorry, my friends. I have failed you. I should have seen through the General’s lies.”