Heir of the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock Book 3) Page 2

  I had a chance now.

  Chapter 2.

  SHOWING ANY SIGN OF weakness to a bully was the worst thing to do.

  So, I calmly sat down on the ‘accused’s chair’ and crossed my legs even though everything inside of me urged me to get up, to fight, to demand to be treated fairly.

  I would get my chance, I assured myself. Tavlor was right here, helping me, when he didn’t have to. Everything would be okay. I took what I hoped was a calming breath. Then I looked up at Thomas and waited for the questions to begin.

  I had to stay calm and rational. After all, if I stuck to the truth, they simply couldn’t find me guilty a second time. Their arguments didn’t make sense and I needed to trust that the normal people of this realm would see that. The Council was grasping at straws if they used all the same upside down logic they had last time, logic that didn’t make sense except to power hungry people who were all afraid of change. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Nothing. And yet they wanted to condemn me.

  I was the child of an affair. I’d had nothing to do with it. But I was the proof. The victim. And blaming the victim in any situation was wrong... although humans seemed to do it all the time.

  Tavlor sat at the front of the pews of people, next to my father who had magically reappeared. He didn’t look impressed, his eyebrows lowered into a scowl, but he wasn’t acting or speaking in any way.

  Had they put some sort of spell over him?

  I wasn’t sure whether to be upset with him for leaving so abruptly or worried that they might have tampered with him in some way.

  Before I could enquire as to my father, Thomas stepped forward, clearing his throat. He eyed the notes he’d brought that lay in front of him, as though he couldn’t be bothered with the likes of me. “Please, tell the people before you, your name and parentage.”

  I cleared my throat, a little surprised we were starting so pleasantly, and with the basics.

  “My name is Ava Melfi. My mother’s name was Genevieve Melfi and my father is Matlock Creamenty.”

  I’d never actually said my father’s full name aloud and I had to stifle the need to shiver as I said it.

  There was something about his very name...that said power and influence.

  There was a shocked hiss and gasp around the room.

  I glanced at Tavlor, who looked as surprised as I felt. Had these people not been told who I was, and why they were here? Had they assumed I was just a punk kid who committed some tacky crime and that this entire courtroom was a waste of their time?

  Great. Just great.

  Thomas stood to the side, directing his questions at me while everyone watched on. The more questions he asked, the less he looked at his papers.

  “So, you allege that you are the illegitimate daughter of the High Warlock?”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. That was a pretty rhetorical question.

  “Please answer the question, Ava.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Again, there was a gasp. I glanced around, confused. Why was everyone so incredibly surprised such a thing could happen? And why, oh why, had these people not been told why they were here? What had they been told in the first place? Who did they think I was? What did they think I had done to be seated here?

  Thomas smiled. “So, you are admitting to treason? Against the High Warlock. Against the Council. Against the very laws and rules that govern us.”

  I rolled my eyes. I knew it was juvenile, but I couldn’t help it. “I’m the child of two people who had sex when they weren’t meant to,” I said slowly, making sure to enunciate every word because clearly Thomas didn’t understand the concept as it was. “How am I the one committing treason? It wasn’t like I asked to be born.”

  Thomas’s eyes lit up. “So, you believe that it is your parents who have committed treason?” he asked. There was something about his tone, something that made me pause, but I couldn’t quite figure out what that was. “Your mother and your father, against the Council? After all, it is in the very contract your father signed upon inheriting the title that included clauses about parentage. He knew what he was doing by stepping into the role of High Warlock and having a child goes against that very contract.”

  I stilled. That had taken a nasty turn faster than I’d expected. I didn’t want to be blamed for this, but I didn’t want my father taking the rap for it either. He hadn’t even known about my existence until I showed up a few months ago.

  “No.” My word was firm, and I had to remind myself not to act out, not to give him attitude. I needed to be respectful. I needed to show that he was the unjust one and I was a victim of my circumstance. Carefully, I continued, making sure each word was relaxed. “I do not think it is treasonous to have a love affair, or a child out of wedlock. Irrespective of some stupid... contract that I’ve never seen. Is it even legal to force such a will on a person of the High Warlock’s standing?”

  I glared at him for good measure, not backing down.

  Thomas’s lips tightened a little.

  “It is written into our laws that the High Warlock may not have relations outside of his marriage, and he may certainly not conceive a child with any woman except his chosen wife,” he said as though this was basic information that everyone knew.

  Oh, my god. He sounded like the biggest douche. Did they really believe they could control people like that? Did they really think a piece of paper was going to stop people from having sex? It certainly didn’t when marriage was involved.

  I snorted. I was starting to lose control over my patience. I couldn’t believe he was arguing such nonsense.

  “Chosen wife?” I asked. “You mean the one you chose for him. Yeah... that makes sense, doesn’t it?” I said, addressing the crowd of normal people. “Make a healthy, young man marry someone he doesn’t love and demand that he lives a life of servitude to the Council and all of their nasty whims. That sounds humane. That sounds fair.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared back at Thomas.

  They may think their rules made sense, but they were disgusting and dictatorship like.

  Thomas straightened to his full height, which was quite intimidating if I was honest. He was a large man in breadth as well as height and his anger with me was palpable. “That is how it’s been done since the beginning of the Council. The High Warlock has an obligation to the Council and to his people.”

  Yes!

  That was the opening we’d been looking for.

  I glanced over at Tavlor, who stood up. “I have an article to hand around for the people to view,” he said after clearing his throat. Unlike Thomas’s caustic voice, Tavlor’s was slow and steady like a stream. It soothed my nerves and calmed my beating heart. Once again, I was grateful he was here. “Our only evidence that in fact, you are wrong.”

  Thomas whirled around, his capes flying in a circle.

  “What is it?” he demanded, as though he couldn’t be bothered to believe anything Tavlor said.

  Tavlor smiled.

  “It is proof that the Council has not always functioned as it does now, in relation to the members of the Council, and the way they treat the High Warlock,” he said, each word crisp and careful. Out of all of us, Tavlor was the one who had the most control over his emotions.

  “In what way?” Thomas asked, flicking his head back and lifting his chin higher. It was obvious he could not believe he was speaking to a hybrid, that he even had to entertain such a thing.

  Tavlor lifted the book so that the whole room could see. It was gorgeous and took my breath away every time I saw it. Obviously ancient, by the age of the leather coverings and the gold embossing on the cover and spine.

  “The Council, in the beginning, was made up of a mix of Warlocks, Fae and Shifters...” Tavlor began, letting his voice trail off.

  There was a general hiss of amazement around us and I watched as the ‘public’ tittered to themselves. From what I’d learnt from Mallory, there wasn’t a lot of love lost for the Fae or the shift
ers... but hopefully it was enough to unsettle the Council. And that was all we wanted. A fair shot at presenting our case, at proving the Council was not within its right to call me a traitor simply for being born – or that my father was a traitor for having an affair.

  “The book also proves that the High Warlock was once an elected official that chose his own wife, or partner, and never had to adhere to the rules of the current Council,” Tavlor continued.

  Thomas marched over and tried to grab the book out of Tavlor’s hands.

  Tavlor moved it out of Thomas’s grasp with ease, the look on his face one of amusement that Thomas thought he could so easily swindle the book from him in the first place.

  “Give me that!” Thomas demanded, trying to snatch it away again.

  Tavlor inclined his head, keeping the book out of Thomas’s grasp.

  “Of course, I will, after the people have seen it,” he said. “It is evidence that neither Ava, nor her father, have done anything wrong, especially given the history of his blood line. It is evidence the people should be aware about since they choose to live in this realm and follow the laws. They should be privy to see what came before the laws that are in place now, whether you think so or not.” Tavlor narrowed his eyes at Thomas. “You will not hide the truth from the people any longer.”

  Thomas growled, a vicious sound, and flicked his wrist, the book disappearing from sight as though it had never been.

  I blinked in surprise. When I realized what happened, I jumped to my feet.

  “What the hell did you just do?” I asked, leaning forward. All pretense of respect and trying to keep myself from saying or doing something emotive went out the window, not when any semblance of fairness disappeared with my only defense. I thrust a finger at Thomas. “You have no right to sabotage my trial!”

  Thomas rounded on me, his eyes blazing with anger. “We have every right to control what is released in this trial. You will not lie to the public.”

  “Lie? Ha! That’s not what you’re worried about. We’re telling the truth! You just don’t want us to expose you as the liars and manipulators you are,” I practically screamed.

  How dare he make evidence disappear!

  Thomas snapped his fingers and all the Witches and Warlocks in the room disappeared.

  Everyone except Tavlor, Thomas, my father, and myself.

  I gasped, fear crawling over my skin like a nest of ants. Was he allowed to do that? Did it matter? The law only seemed to be there to control the people, not the Council itself.

  Tavlor jumped over the pew that had separated him from me and raced to my side. To my surprise, he pulled his sword from the invisible sheath on his back and held it in front of him, putting a dangerous weapon between us and Thomas. I was surprised he still had access to it in a courtroom. They probably didn’t even take him seriously enough to consider he would actually use it, especially to threaten the Council.

  My father stood up, staring at us as though the world had gone insane.

  And it had.

  Ancient magical words were whispered in the air and I twirled around to see Thomas gathering magic to him, his hands glowing with blackness.

  “Don’t even think about it, Thomas,” Tavlor growled. “You touch Ava, and you will die. I swear to the Gods, I will kill you.”

  I knew, deep down, that he meant every word.

  Thomas stopped speaking, the magical glow that had begun to form in his hands disappeared. He now stood perfectly still, as though assessing the situation and what his best course of action might be.

  Tavlor had incredible powers, thanks to his Fae father’s blood, that no-one in the Witching community understood.

  Fear crossed Thomas’s face as he realized that he had no idea what Tavlor was capable of.

  But he still tried to calm him down with words. “You cannot do this, Tavlor,” he said slowly. “You will destroy hundreds of years of peace.”

  His tone was placating, and it pissed me off to the max.

  “Peace?” I spat at him. “With all the wards and unrest and inequality among the factions? What peace?”

  “We are not here to discuss that today,” Thomas snapped, turning his attention from Tavlor to me.

  Oh, my god! Could this guy fucking pick a saner personality to present?

  I tightened my fingers into fists. “Then what. Do. You. Want?” I growled through clenched teeth. “Other than my fucking head!”

  A whoosh of air flung past me and the room was full once again, but this time with people of the Council. I froze, trying to figure out what was going on and what could be done about it. Were they able to make me disappear the way Thomas had with the regular people of the realm? Like he had with the book?

  My father still stood there looking dazed. They’d put a spell on him when he’d entered the room, I was almost sure of it now. He blinked once, twice, as though he wasn’t quite sure what was going on or what had happened to him in the first place.

  “Matlock?” I called out, but he didn’t even answer. “Father!”

  Nothing. Shit!

  “What did you do to him?” I yelled at Thomas, then indicted to the nasty audience we now had. “And what the hell is this?”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised that they’d do this to me. To us. Go back on their word for a fair trial. But even so, I was strangely and fiercely disappointed that I couldn’t even trust them to stick to a simple agreement. Was there no hope at all?

  “This,” Thomas said, holding his arm out and indicating to the Witches and Warlocks that now made up the room, “is your trial.”

  His mouth contorted into a sneer and his eyes were like knives piercing me from all angles. With my father out of sorts and me and Tavlor outnumbered, I didn’t think there was anything I could do at this point that would make a difference.

  I pulled up all my magical guards, physical and mental, though I wasn’t sure how strong they would be inside this place.

  I was going to have to fight my way out of here, I just knew it, and with the two of us against the rest... Tavlor and I didn’t stand a chance.

  Charity, my evil step-mother, stood up from a pew in the back of the room and strolled towards us, my mother’s ancient book in her hands.

  So that’s where Thomas sent it. I should have known she was somehow behind this.

  “Where did you get this?” she hissed, holding the book out in front of her.

  I lifted my chin, fear quickly turning into anger. This woman should never have allowed to marry my father. She wasn’t worthy.

  “I’m not answering any more questions until I know what’s going on,” I said. The anger took hold of my words, but there was still a tremble in them I couldn’t hide. “What happened to a trial of my peers? Or a fair hearing?”

  When no-one answered, I swung around to face them all.

  “So, it’s true. You’re all devious, selfish, self-serving assholes who can’t be trusted,” I said. “You know that what you’re doing is wrong. You know that your own people would turn against you if they knew the truth and still you continue to hide it away from them like they aren’t going to stumble upon it sooner or later.”

  I forced myself to take a breath, though my stomach was tight and my lungs felt like they were on fire. “You promised me a fair trial! You said I would be allowed to defend myself! I have it in writing, and you cannot go back on your word.”

  “And if we do?” Charity asked, her lips quirked up in a smirk and her tone as nice as pie.

  I twisted around so I could glare straight at her.

  “Then I will release plan B and you will regret ever doing this to me,” I growled.

  Her smirk dropped from her face, and she tucked the book under her arm. The fact that she actually took my threat seriously surprised me, and I was suddenly grateful for the chance to have a say in my defense, even if it was veiled in a threat.

  She glanced back at the other Councilors. Though they didn’t speak, I had to assume they were comm
unicating somehow. Then she turned back to me.

  “And what, may I ask, is Plan B?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and looked as haughtily as I knew how.

  This was going to be the biggest bluff of my life, and I had to be convincing.

  Chapter 3.

  “YOU DON’T THINK THAT’S the only copy of the book we have?” I asked, forcing a cunning smile to my lips. I thrust my arms behind my back and wiped the sweat from my palms, hoping they didn’t notice. “You think we actually took your word that you were going to give me a fair trial? We expected this. We know how you really are and what you want to hide from everyone. We have a backup plan in place. There is a group of Fae ready to release that information to every realm in the known Universe in the context of the original text so everyone will know it and won’t question the authenticity.”

  I hoped Tavlor didn’t mind me throwing his people under the figurative ‘bus’ but they were the only group I’d found so far to be organized, smart, and virtuous. Plus, they had power, just as the magic realm did, and that power threatened the magic realm. If anyone could intimidate the witches and warlocks, I was certain it was the Fae.

  It wasn’t a stretch of logic to assume the Fae would act on the information we had, especially considering the fact they were actually more powerful than the warlocks.

  Shocked gasps echoed around the room.

  I took the opportunity to step around Tavlor and address the whole crowd. “How long do you think it will be before there’s a revolt, trying to get back to the old ways? The real old ways? When everyone was equal.”

  I pointed at the Witches and Warlocks obsessed with killing me so they could decide who reigned as the next High Warlock.

  “You all seem to be forgetting that the only reason you figured out I was more than your average Witch, is because I am more magically powerful than any of you,” I pointed out. The more I spoke, the more confidence I felt. “I have two decades of my mother’s teaching, and my father’s genetics coursing through my veins. I will not be destroyed.”