Unexpectedly, I felt a blast of Mage magic from Elder Harcourt, and I was flying right through Ezra’s sphere, unfrozen and able to speak as I shouted in surprise, my entire body jolting from rolling through the mystical magic of the sphere but no longer hurting, my body healed. Ezra caught me, instantly crushing me to him, standing, and growling at Elder Harcourt while my feet dangled in the air. I blinked in surprise but turned my head to see Elder Harcourt place a glowing hand on the sphere, and it was like time and spells sizzled around us, crackling in the air, as he added his power to the previous Mage’s work, and he stated bluntly, “You won’t be able to get out of this. In fact, you will only hurt yourselves if you try.”
He gestured with his free hand across the room, where I could now see Antonio, Cahal, Elder Jacobs, and Elder Merrick inside a large golden sphere high in the air near our broken door. Antonio was lying on the bottom of it, unconscious, while the three of his four — not frozen or mute — hovered around him protectively, silently watching us. “If he couldn’t get them out of my spell, neither will you two, and it would be in your best interests to be conscious while I conduct this trial.”
I stilled inside Ezra’s hold at the reminder.
Elder Harcourt flicked his free hand, and suddenly, Pearl’s and Jack’s spheres flew at ours, colliding to make one so that all of us were together, Jack and Pearl also now unfrozen and able to speak. Jack instantly grabbed Pearl’s hand, yanking her behind him while he shouted, “Why the f**k weren’t we told this new Law had passed? Hell, we weren’t even included in the voting. We are the damn Kings and Queens. We should have had to sign off on it.”
Oh, good point. “It shouldn’t be valid now,” I shook my head, pushing to break free of Ezra’s hold so I could talk unhindered, “No Law can be passed without our signatures.”
Ezra’s grip on me only tightened, stopping my squirming, as he growled, “Not in times of war.” He met my startled gaze firmly, his Vampire receding so that it was the man, Ezra, who continued speaking. “In times of war, or possible war, emergency Laws can be issued as long as twelve Elders approve it over the majority voting.”
I blinked, slowly realizing he was correct. When a war was approaching, or at hand, not all of the Elders or Kings and Queens could sit together to make discussions as a whole, therefore, when what Ezra stated occurred, the Law was passed. Hope flying out the window in a brutal rush, I sighed shakily, but nodded, holding Ezra’s desolate gaze, and asked Elder Harcourt, “I’m not being charged with anything else?”
Elder Harcourt chuckled. “Why do you think I silenced everyone? That idiot almost did charge you, but he wasn’t able to finish it. If he had, I would currently be spellbound to conduct the trial, and you would already be dead. That isn’t going to happen over Elder,” he muttered something quietly, “Talus’s much needed death.”
Elder Harcourt flicked his free hand. “Sleep.” Abruptly, every enforcer in the room dropped to the ground with silent thuds, completely dead asleep. The only individuals still conscious were those inside the spheres, even Antonio was starting to stir where he lay. Elder Harcourt cleared his throat, ignoring the fact he had just made forty powerful Mysticals defenseless. “And if he would have attempted to charge you for the…speed…he saw you use when you killed Elder Talus, that wouldn’t have held up because our Law strictly states that hybrids are to be killed at birth. You, my dear, Queen Ruckler, are long past birth.” I blinked, realizing…loopholes…he was talking about loopholes. “But that doesn’t mean Laws can’t be altered if he remembers. I certainly wouldn’t want that because you will be an amazing Ruler one day soon.”
He removed his hand from the sphere, but his power didn’t diminish, time and spells still zinging the air around us. He turned and shuffled between the sleeping bodies on the ground to rest against the wall where he had originally appeared, resuming his position with his hands placed in front of him, face again grave. “Nothing can stop the charges already filed on you four.”
My mind was flying, trying to think of a damn loophole to this predicament. There had to be something. Our Laws weren’t just created out of cruelty; they were also in place for protection. As Cahal had stated, there was a reason for their madness. My eyes darted back and forth between Ezra’s, and I could see his mind flying just as fast as mine, desperation and panic molding our features. Honestly, I would rather be dead than have my mind wiped and spelled to be separated from my husband.
Elder Harcourt stated gravely, “Queen Cooper and King Collins, you will answer with only a yes or a no, and good luck trying not to, but if you do not answer, you will be found automatically guilty. Do you understand?”
I could hear Pearl sobbing quietly, but sounding forced, she stated, “Yes, I understand.”
“Go f**k yourself,” Jack choked, his voice hoarse.
“I’ll take that as a yes, and bravo on your strength,” Elder Harcourt stated. “Queen Cooper and King Collins, have you two had sexual relations with each other within the last ten years?” Oh, that was a loophole, right there, but too damn bad it didn’t help us.
I felt the magic around us pulse, and realized we were in not only a trapping sphere, but also one of truth. They wouldn’t be able to lie. My breathing hitched, a single tear tracking down my cheek, but I didn’t look away from Ezra, didn’t stop searching my mind for an answer. There had to be something.
I heard both Pearl and Jack as they tried to alter their answers, coughing and choking with the effort. From the corner of my eye, I saw Pearl fall to her knees, her hand glowing golden over her throat…but still her mouth opened, and she shouted, “Yes.”
Jack gave up trying, yelling at Elder Harcourt, “I f**king love her, you goddamn ass**le, so have I had sex with her? Yes. And every Elder who approved this f**king Law is going to eventually get their due.” He lifted Pearl, holding her sobbing form close. “One day, I will remember this. I know I will. No one will be able to stop me from taking my revenge.” His bare muscled chest heaved, and he dropped his glowing eyes to Pearl, holding her head close to his neck and dropping his head on hers, both of them visibly trembling.
Elder Harcourt rubbed his chin, sighing heavily, and then lifted his head from its lowered position during Jack’s emotional tirade to stare at Ezra and me. When I saw his mouth open, Ezra tilted his head down and touched his lips to mine. Gently. Reverently, his mouth stroked my trembling lips. A sob I couldn’t stop at the feel of his heated caress escaped, and I ran my hands up into his hair, gripping tight and holding him close as I cried and kissed him back with every ounce of love and adoration I had. Neither of us stopped our embrace even as we heard Elder Harcourt ask us — he was still f**king asking us — if we’d had sexual relations, nor did we stop when the spell made each of us say yes against each other’s mouths.