Erador bolted down the steps. “Let her go!”

  Knights grabbed him before he could reach Haven. Erador’s nostrils flared as he resisted hitting the smirk from Oziah’s face. He had them and there was nothing they could do.

  Oziah ordered his men into the manor and they rushed up the steps. They grabbed Aminria and pulled her down. A knight pulled out an orbid needle and stabbed it into the back of Erador’s shoulder. Erador winched as his energy faded and he could no longer sense Shade. They did the same to Aminria, who let out a cry as the needle went in. Shackles were snapped around their wrists.

  Oziah ripped up Haven’s sleeve, revealing the fox mark. “This one is in trouble for more than just invading our kingdom.” He turned to Erador. “She nearly murdered a noble woman, and kidnapped our princess.”

  Erador looked to Haven for answers.

  “It’s not what it sounds like.” Haven jerked and the shackles around her wrists rattled. “He doesn’t understand!”

  It’s not as if Erador felt betrayed by Haven. He felt horrible for not being the source of someone she could tell these things to.

  The Paradins were led out in shackles and forced to sit on the steps. Fedra and Eonidas weren't among. Other knights checked the faces in the crowd and asked their names. Erador didn’t have the strength to yell, to tell them to leave. He felt useless for caring so much when the Paradins just wanted to give up. What was the use in fighting? Jerus was right. He couldn’t save them.

  Mikra stepped out, carrying Judgment who flinched from the sunlight. He covered his face as if it’s touch burned him. Everyone stopped and looked at him. The followers bowed their heads in respect like always but the knights, strangers to this land, weren’t afraid, weren’t cautious, nor mesmerized like Erador was used to seeing. They were curious like they had picked up a book and were wondering what was inside. Judgment’s pages were torn for he had nothing to offer anyone.

  “And who is this?” Oziah said. When no one answered he turned to a knight. “Record their names.”

  A knight took a ledger and went up the stairs, while Oziah took another one from a knight and faced Aminira.

  He held the quill above the paper. “Name.”

  Aminria didn’t respond.

  “Name!”

  Erador jerked closer, the shackles digging into his wrists. “Don’t yell at her!”

  Oziah cocked is head. “Would you like to answer for her?”

  “It’s Aminria,” she said, hesitantly.

  Oziah wrote her first name and paused as he stared at her coldly.

  “Lucasta,” she said.

  “Related are we?” Oziah’s gaze flicked to Erador. “Married?”

  “No,” Aminria said. “Cousins.”

  She didn’t want to reveal that she was a wanted princess. Giving a false first name, might lead her to be exposed by the others who didn’t know that she had changed her name. Oziah looked to her blue jay mark and scribbled on the page, adding some descriptions of her features.

  Eonidas and Fedra were pushed out the front doors by the knights.

  “Would you look at that.” Oziah smiled widely. “Find the other two.”

  “Let them go,” Haven said. “Please!”

  A knight came down the steps and whispered in Oziah’s ear. His eyes lit as he turned toward the steps, looking to Judgment in Mikra’s arms.

  Oziah ordered him to come down. He handed the ledger to a knight and approached. “I heard you’re their leader Judgment. Not that I should’ve expected otherwise, with all the lies.”

  Judgment coughed. “Forgive my Paradins. They’ve been through a number.”

  Oziah looked at them, lingering on Erador the longest. “You ordered these people, to invade our kingdom, cause destruction, terrorize the guests, nearly murder an aristocrat woman, kill an aristocrat man and take his body, as well as attempt to kidnap the princess. Twice.”

  “No,” Judgment said.

  “No?” Oziah said, cocking his head. “So why were they there?”

  Judgment coughed and blood sprayed onto Oziah’s shirt and the ledger. He cursed and wiped the spots off the paper with his sleeve.

  “Don’t you see why?” Yuni said, walking from the crowd.

  A guard went to grab her but she swept her hand up, causing the ground to raise at his feet. He tripped and fell on his stomach. Other knights surrounded her but Oziah ordered them to back down.

  “What are you talking about?” Oziah said.

  Yuni raised her chin at Judgment and Oziah stared at him, thoughts working behind his eyes. He pulled up Judgment’s sleeve, uncovering his bird mark.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Who are you?” Oziah said.

  Judgment said nothing.

  “Answer the question.”

  Judgment took in a deep breath and smiled. “Oziah, is it? It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “If you’re not going to tell me your name, we’ll find a way to get it from you… or the others.” Oziah said, waving the quill.

  Judgment coaxed his fingers and Oziah stared at him for a moment before leaning toward him. Erador strained to hear but he couldn’t catch even a word from his father, only Oziah’s furrowed brow as he moved back. He held the quill above the paper for a good minute, ink dripping down the tip.

  “Your princess won’t be safe forever,” Yuni said.

  Oziah turned around. “Is that a threat?”

  Yuni raised her shouders, despite how Oziah towered over her. “Oh… Erador he’s just like you.” She smirked. “How sad that you think everyone is a threat? You’ve spent too much time as a knight, but that won’t last.”

  For once Erador appreciated her talking down to someone but Oziah wasn’t just irritated, he was uncomfortable.

  A voice called Yuni from the crowd and her stance faltered. Baubie pushed through the people. Erador’s stomach heaved. Yuni pretended as if she hadn’t heard him.

  “They said they’d let you and Raun go,” Baubie said as he reached her.

  Knights undid the shackles on Hawth. He rubbed his wrists and went down the manor steps with his shoulders high.

  “You bastard, Hawth!” Erador yelled, jerking. “You fucking told them!”

  Aminria’s mouth opened and she could only utter a raspy whine. The other Paradins cursed him from the steps.

  “Hawth isn’t to blame.” Baubie grabbed Hawth and pulled him next to him. “He didn’t deserve punishment for the Raven being freed. He didn't do it.”

  Oziah cocked his head. “What did you say?”

  His voice was lost above the followers outrage. Their attention turned to Judgment, blaming him for the Raven. They pushed against the wall of knights, who tried to keep them back, using water elements to subdue them. Rumbling voices unsettled Erador. He had more than Odinaty to worry about.

  “Who let the Raven out?” A person yelled in the crowd. “I bet it was Erador.”

  “No!” Haven yelled. “We don’t know who did it.”

  “I do,” Hawth said, with a smirk.

  People turned to him and Erador didn’t anticipate it, knowing who it was. He was more worried that he would point the finger at the wrong person.

  “It was Miraline,” Hawth said. “She told me everything and she destroyed the crops too. She wanted the Raven to kill us."

  The crowd gasped and turned to Miraline at the edge of the crowd. She shrunk down from the glaring faces. Erador stared down Hawth. He wanted to beat his face in and get rid of that smirk, but the shackles dug in too tight when he tried to move.

  “It was Hawth.” Erador jerked but the knight ripped on him hard, the digging shackles causing him to grunt.

  No one listened. They shoved forward to reach Miraline, but the knights grabbed her from the crowd and led her up the steps.

  Baubie pulled Hawth past the crowd and Yuni went with them. Erador wanted to get away, but he was helpless and the orbid didn’t allow them to use their elements. The crowd was too large to contain and the knights ushered the Paradins inside. Erador was pulled up the steps with Aminria as the crowd rushed toward them.

  Knights shot water to keep them back as they progressed inside. They shut the doors and locked them.

  “You let him get away!” Erador broke free from the knight and dashed for the door, but they restrained him.

  Oziah turned toward the room. “Where is another exit?”

  “Why should we give you that?” Haven spat. “You’re not taking us.”

  “You’ll all die.” Oziah leaned over her. “Your own people turned against you.”

  Haven lowered her gaze.

  “They just want Miraline,” Jerus said.

  “And Lord Judgment,” Loma added. “We’re not giving him to them. Who knows what other aggressions they have?”

  Dethil jumped as a loud bang sounded against the door. “We need to go.”

  Erador didn’t care about an exit. He wanted to get Hawth.

  “If you won’t tell us, we’ll find it,” Oziah said.

  He ordered the knights forward and they forced the Paradins across the great hall and through the archway. Cade tripped and fell and he groaned as a knight tugged on his shackles. Erador ripped free and shoved the knight out of the way. Furious, the knight turned around and punched Erador in the face. The Paradins protested as he raised his fist again.

  Oziah grabbed the knight's wrist to stop him “Your orders were not to hurt them.”

  Erador helped Cade up.

  “You're bleeding," Cade said.

  Erador didn't bother to wipe the blood from his lip. He picked up Cade's canes and gave them to him.

  “Please, let them go,” Haven said, leaning toward Oziah. “Take me and we’ll tell you an exit.”

  “No,” Erador said. “You’re not taking her!”

  “I’ll be fine."

  She gave him a broken smile, as if it was the last time he would see her. He didn’t want that. Haven deserved her freedom. Odinaty already killed all her people. If they didn’t do something, they would all become victims. This was his last chance to stop Hawth and if he didn’t, he might kill the rest. The knights barely outnumbered the Paradins by two. If they worked together, they could take them and give Erador enough time to slip away. He needed a distraction. He looked over the Paradins and locked his gaze on Jerus.

  Erador jerked toward him. “This is all your fault!”

  Jerus narrowed his gaze. “Don’t you--” He paused as he realized what Erador was doing. “You fucker. Stop blaming me! We all know it was you.”

  Erador found his display convincing, but he didn’t have time to worry if he meant it. The other Paradins caught on and yelled and pulled toward each other. The knights struggled to keep them back. Eonidas broke free and went for Erador. He punched the knight that held him and he tumbled to the ground. Eonidas ripped the keys from the knight’s belt and unlocked Erador’s shackles.

  He took the keys and grabbed Aminria, dragging her along in the chaos, and slipping through a side door. Erador moved through the manor. Glass shattered in the distance and Erador pulled Aminria down a hall as followers climbed through the broken window and passed them.

  “We should tell them,” Aminria said.

  Erador unlocked her shackles. “They’ll make it.”

  He could only hope it was true. He went to the second floor to his bedroom and out the window onto the balcony. Erador crouched, looking over the side as people moved on the ground, breaking windows and trying to open doors. He waved Aminria to the back and slipped down a pillar into the garden. He continued outside the gates as he made his way around the walls of town and into the streets. He could only pray Hawth hadn’t gotten away.