Part 11 (2/2)

The door was pulled open and my stomach dropped into my intestines. I squinted into the sudden light and my stomach managed to pick itself back up again-it even filled with air and floated into my heart, giving it a kick. It was Eli and Mr. Aleksandrov. They were okay, and more importantly, no angry mob was after them.

”The council wants to do your hearing now, Ruby,” Mr. Aleksandrov said.

”Me? Now?

He nodded. ”Watch what you say, they're looking for anything to condemn you, do you understand? You need to prove there's nothing going on between you and Eli. It's the only way I can help the two of you.”

With a swift nod, I exited the cupboard, not missing the way Eli glared at Hunter. Of course he had to be let out of jail to find me locked up in a cupboard with Hunter, the guy who'd kissed me the night before. I glanced sideways at Hunter and the way he looked at me was different. Like we were hiding a secret from Eli...and I realized the only thing Hunter heard me say was 'I love you, Hunter.' He didn't hear the 'but' I was going to put on the end of it. I was interrupted before I got to add the cliche 'as a brother' to the end. He thought I loved him like that. He thought I loved him like I loved Eli...this wasn't good and this wasn't going to end well.

c.r.a.p.

”You have no physical attraction to Mr. De Luca?” Cesare asked.

I was really getting sick and tired of this courthouse. ”Do I think he's hot?” I asked, shrugging. ”Sure, he's hot, but I've never crossed the very visible line that separates our species.”

”Not once?”

I shook my head. ”Not even once.”

The crowd murmured and I a.n.a.lyzed them. Some believed me. Some didn't. They didn't matter, though. It was the council I had to convince.

”You don't think that it's convenient that the higher power wants to change the relations.h.i.+p laws after Mr. De Luca's hearing? Perhaps he's worried his best angel is going to be banished?”

”Convenient? No. Smart? Yes. Mr. Aleksandrov knew he could never bring it up randomly. It had to be brought prior to his announcement. It seemed like the right time.” My palms began to sweat, my heart picking up in pace.

”Do you think relations.h.i.+p laws should be changed? Would it affect you directly?”

I knew what he was fis.h.i.+ng for-a reaction. He wanted me to pour my heart out and to technically admit my feelings for Eli, but I wasn't going to. If I was the only thing stopping Eli from being locked up in a cell and banished, then so be it.

”I think they should be changed.” I looked at Eli, who was frowning, and Hunter, who was glowering at me. ”The law is outdated, created by a jealous and selfish man. And no, it doesn't affect me because I have someone else.”

The onlookers gasped and I felt my stomach turn. d.a.m.nit! This is why I don't improvise. I make drastic decisions to get out of tough situations.

”Hunter and I have been together for a while now.” I avoided Eli's face, but I could feel his eyes burning into me. The shock reflected on Hunter's face would have been hilarious if I wasn't depending on him to back me up. Sensing my unease, his lips curled into a smile, a fake smile, but one nonetheless.

”It's plausible. I saw them kissing last night at the party,” a council member muttered.

I looked at Cesare, who seemed to be having trouble believing me. He watched me, running his index finger over his bottom lip.

”I find it strange Mr. Reeves didn't mention anything about your relations.h.i.+p in his hearing.”

”You didn't ask him directly. So, yes, we are in love.” It took every fiber in my being not to cringe. I was killing Eli, I just knew it.

”Perhaps Mr. Aleksandrov has his own agendas for changing the law,” I suggested. ”Whatever they are, they have nothing to do with the relations.h.i.+p between Eli and I. We are friends and colleagues. Nothing more.” I sighed, preparing my next bitter words. ”Never have been, never will be.”

Cesare s.h.i.+fted his stupid hat thing. ”n.o.body wants the law changed. To do it would upset the ma.s.ses. We'd have riots and a rebellion on our hands.”

Mr. Aleksandrov's chair creaked as he pushed himself to his feet. ”Maybe that's the problem with locking yourself up in this big city, councilman. A lot has changed and our people seek leaders.h.i.+p. Ruby is a big figurehead outside these walls. They sympathize with her. They love and respect her and wouldn't hesitate following her to the end of the earth.”

Cesare snapped forward in his seat, startling me and the first few rows of spectators. ”Are you inciting the beginning of a rebellion, Ivan? Are you and your team of loyal followers threatening to become a b.u.mp in our otherwise smooth system? We will not tolerate treason.”

Mr. Aleksandrov, appearing less intimidated than the rest of us, chuckled. ”n.o.body is prosecuting anybody for treason. Remember now, who knows you exist? As far as everyone is concerned, I am the sole ruler. You have been shown that Ruby and Eli aren't having an inappropriate relations.h.i.+p, which tells you that I'm not aiming to have this law removed just to protect them. I want to be a different leader than Lucian. I want to offer people more freedom to choose. They live in fear of death, or worse, being turned into a vampire.” He paused to let his words sink in. ”More intimate relations between angels and G.o.ds will improve performance. How can you protect someone you have minimal emotional attachment to? That's why Eli chose to save Ruby over Mila. Emotional ties.”

”So your argument is; if we allow guardians and G.o.ds/G.o.ddesses to be intimate, it will lessen the fear in us and increase the performance in our angels?”

Ivan nodded. ”That's one of my many points and theories.” The spectators murmured their disagreement. ”But I think this is a discussion best shared during my private hearing tonight.”

Finally, I began to see the end of the tunnel. My hearing was coming to an end and I, thankfully, wouldn't be having another.

”Before we go...” Cesare turned his steely eyes on me. ”You should know that you're skating on extremely thin ice. You risk everything we have sworn to protect. Everything bad that has happened to your friends-every death, every attack, the school break in, here-it's all because of you.”

My eyes narrowed at him. He said it to me like I wasn't already aware of that. I knew it...and I'd never let myself forget it.

”You are reckless.” Oh, joy. There was more. ”You are unstable and you are a magnet for disaster.”

I took a deep breath, one that caused my chest to tighten, and let it out. It wasn't his words that ate at me...it was the cold way he said it.

”I'd throw you out of this society myself if I wasn't so petrified of you exposing us.”

I feigned a genuine smile. ”What lovely parting words. They're so moving I think I'll get them tattooed on my neck.” I pushed myself onto my feet as chatter filled the room, signalling the official end of my hearing.”I had fun, too. Let's do it again sometime.”

I turned to step away, but his voice forced me back to him. ”You grip life like it actually means anything to you. It will come back to bite you. Even your past doesn't stay dead.”

The way he said it, like he knew something I didn't, unnerved me and I stared at him. I didn't know what I expected to see in his face-an explanation maybe? He didn't smile. He didn't look smug or proud, but he managed to burrow under my skin.

”Ruby?” The clear sound of warning in Eli's voice drummed through me and I whipped my head in his direction. He stood next to Hunter, both right by my stand and both looked ready to pull me off the stand at any second. I could be a little reckless at times, I'll be the first to admit that, but I wasn't about to beat the h.e.l.l out of Cesare, regardless of how desperately my fists wanted me to.

I turned back to Cesare, who was now looking at the two men. ”Don't let her drag either of you down.”

My jaw clenched instinctively and I heard the metal latch on the stand gate rattle.

”Wow, aren't you a bright ray of suns.h.i.+ne,” Hunter deadpanned from the sidelines. Despite my better judgement, Hunter's remark made me smile. His voice was far away, meaning the warmth hitting my skin from the body next to me was Eli. Of course.

Cesare flicked his parting shot toward me. ”You two have the same att.i.tude, I see. That must make for some rather intense arguments.”

”We do just fine,” Hunter replied. ”Come on, Ruby, the sooner we leave this court house, the sooner we can get out of this lame city.”

Cesare kept a close eye on us as Eli and I stepped down from the stand. I glued myself to Hunter's side the minute my shoes touched the ground, threading my fingers through his for extra measure. I didn't look sideways to gauge Eli's reaction. I wanted to. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry and that I panicked. I was no good at improvising, he knew that.

The minute we stepped out of the court house, I let go of Hunter and looked at him, worried I'd offended him. To my surprise, he smiled down at me. Whether or not it was real, I had no idea.

”So,” I exhaled. ”That was a fail. Sorry.”

Hunter scoffed. ”It wasn't your fault.”

”He's right.” Eli agreed. ”The only purpose of that hearing was to belittle and bully you. I'll be speaking to Mr. Aleksandrov and appealing for another hear-”

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