He says nothing, only stares her down with impassivity like a boulder.At last, she snorts, gesturing to me. “Have you anything else to say, blood-daughter, before the Truthpoints of the Trial are chosen?”
“No. I’ve said all I need to say.” I raise my chin defiantly and think I see a twinkle of approval in the old matriarch’s eyes.
“Then this Council of Witnesses shall now deliberate,” the matriarch says with a nod, “and select the Truthpoints of the Trial, so it may begin.”
I don’t know what Bjorn, Ström, and I are in for, as our witnesses seal themselves into a massive bubble of silence, similar to what Trublut can do with his power. That bubble only goes around the rim of the lake; it doesn’t include me, Bjorn, Ström, our guards, or the Jarl and his honor guard as we wait on the surface of the ice below.
I feel it, however, as incredible power booms off the mountains and the glacial rocks ringing the tight vale, while our Magnussen Clan witnesses deliberate. At last, they come to some decision; the barrier of silence drops as the old drakaina turns back to us.
“The Truthpoints of the Trial have been chosen,” she croaks, as her gaze pins her Jarl. “As the Mouth of the Trial, I am ready to illuminate them.”
“Speak.” Jarl Oggi is short as he gives a frigid nod.
“The Truthpoints of the Trial are three.” The old drakaina’s gaze pins me, Ström, and Bjorn. “Truthpoint One: despite having a Blood Seal granting you passage, this assembly wishes to determine the truth—that hunting the Black Demon ofUnhaemmertenis your trio’s mission from our King.”
“It is.” I stay firm, staring up at her.
“The Trial will determine that, young one. We are beyond your words now.” She gives a sad smile down at me, though something in her firm, no-bullshit manner bolsters me. “Truthpoint Two: this assembly wishes to know the truth—that you and your trio had nothing to do with the attacks on Maryse and her village, or anything else the Black Demon has done. Which brings us to Truthpoint Three: this assembly wishes the truth—that you and your trio are trying to stop and un-make or kill thisheinous creature, rather than control it. And that the items you found inUnhaemmertenare not intended to bend the creature to your will—only to stop it, for good. The Truthpoints of the Trial have been spoken.”
“Thank you, Trialmouth.” The Jarl nods, though there is still no love lost between him and this old, outspoken drakaina. He turns to us, blistering Bjorn, Ström, and me with his gaze now, rather than the matriarch. “You have heard the Three Truthpoints of the Trial. Now that they have been chosen, the Trial will commence. It will not end until all three of you have been proven truthful. Or, all three of you are dead.”
“All three of us?” Bjorn blinks now, rage roaring through him like a thundercloud as he steps in before me, furious. “We have asked for three Trials of Truth, not one. By the ancient laws, you must provide it as such.”
“I must do nothing.” Jarl Oggi’s terrible gold-black eyes glitter now as he regards his son. “By our ancient laws, the Jarl may deem if bonded mates go through the Trial alone or not. I deem you three, since you all perpetrated this crime and were upon this mission together, to undergo the Trial as one, rather than separate. Fear not, my son. You will have your bonded powers back as a trio, to engage the Trial in full strength, as is your ancient right.”
“You’ve just given us a death sentence!” Bjorn snarls back, as everything inside him goes scaldingly livid. It’s something I can feel churning all through our truncated bond, unhinged now, though he only manifests a seething wind of red-gold Blood Magic in the bright midday.
“This is your Trial.” The Jarl is frigid as his gaze pins his son. “You risked my ire by coming here. Now face it, ungrateful whelp. And prove before this assembly that you are the dragon you say you are. With righteous Truth in your heart… or only cowardly lies.”
As Bjorn lunges at his father now, our guards surge in to wrangle him back. The Jarl’s honor guard step to protect him, but he merely waves them away.
Staring daggers at his son, as Bjorn is thrust to his knees upon the ice.
“Let the Trial begin.”
As Bjorn seethes at his father, beyond rageful now, I suddenly get it. Bjorn is furious with his father because Jarl Oggi has reduced our chances of success from seven percent to practically nil by ruling for us all to perform the Trial as one.
Because if any of us has one false thought, when the Ancestors raze us to see if we’re telling the truth, we’re fucked. If any of us doubts, if we waver at all from what we believe our Truth to be, we’ve doomed not just ourselves but both our mates to death, as well.
This has just gone from a fucked situation to anincrediblyfucked situation, as Bjorn roars at his father. But there’s no stopping the Trial, as our witnesses sit silent now, even the old drakaina, for things to continue.
Jarl Oggi shifts up into his massive, gold-black drake now, to cut the fuck out of us and see if we survive it.
Though he’s already done that, as we stand before him upon the ice.
Doomed.
6
TRUTH
As Jarl Oggi Magnussen shifts up into his tremendous gold and black drake upon the ice, a feeling of death swamps me. This is it: there is no going back, as his honor guard brings five wicked talon tips made of pure silver to him. Inset with runes for I-don’t-know-what, those magical talon tips look absolutely deadly. As the massive Jarl flexes one hand, fitting each talon into the appropriate silver tip now, a feeling of fate takes me.
I’m riveted staring at those silver tips, because I know they’re going to come raking over my naked flesh in a minute. And that’s just the beginning; next I have to shift up, severely wounded.
And dive to the bottom of a frozen lake with my drakes—hoping we survive.
Our chances of doing so are little to none, I know now. Even as our guard step forward, removing our manacles so we have our full magic available to survive this, I know oblivion is coming.
