Chapter 39 Daughter's Choice

Chapter 39 Daughter's Choice
Sienna's POV

Silver light exploded from Lily's body and threw everyone backward.

Guards slammed into walls and the courtroom shook.

My daughter stood in the center, glowing like a miniature sun.

"Lily!" I screamed. "Stop!"

She couldn't hear me over the roar of power.

Celeste gripped her throne. "Suppressors! Get the suppressors on her!"

Three guards rushed forward with glowing collars.

Lily's power threw them back.

"She's too strong!" one yelled.

"Sedate her!" the prosecutor screamed.

A guard raised a dart gun and aimed at Lily.

I broke free from my chains and threw myself between them.

The dart hit my shoulder. Poison flooded my veins.

My legs gave out but I stayed standing.

"Don't touch my daughter."

Lily's power flickered when she saw me swaying.

"Mommy!"

The silver light winked out. She ran to me.

I caught her as I fell.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to."

"It's okay baby." My words slurred. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Restrain them both!" Celeste ordered.

Guards rushed forward with heavier chains.

They wrapped them around us both.

Lily whimpered as the magic burned.

"She's just a child!" Kael protested.

"She's a moon witch," the prosecutor shot back. "She just proved how dangerous she is."

"She was defending her mother!"

"She attacked Assembly guards!"

"Enough!" Celeste's voice boomed. "Everyone calm down."

Silence fell except for Lily's crying.

The tranquilizer pulled me under. I fought to stay conscious.

Lily's hand found mine through the chains.

"Stay awake, Mommy."

I squeezed her fingers.

Celeste slammed her hand on the armrest. "We will proceed with testimony."

"Your Honor, the child just attacked—" the prosecutor started.

"The child defended her mother. There's a difference." Celeste looked at Lily. "Can you stand?"

Lily nodded and stood despite the chains.

"You said your mother is protective, not dangerous. Explain the difference."

"Dangerous means you hurt people because you want to," Lily said. "Protective means you hurt people because you have to."

"And your mother had to hurt those guards?"

"They were trying to kill her! What was she supposed to do?"

Murmurs spread through the courtroom.

"The law says she should have surrendered peacefully," the prosecutor said.

"The law is stupid!"

Gasps echoed.

"You asked for the truth!" Lily turned to face the Assembly. "You made laws that say my mommy can't exist. That she has to hide or die. That's not fair!"

"The laws keep everyone safe," Celeste said quietly.

"Safe from what? From my mommy helping people? From her healing the sick?" Lily's voice rose. "She only uses her power to help! But you won't let her because you're scared!"

"Moon witches have destroyed cities. Your mother has killed Assembly guards."

"After you tried to kill her first! After you called her defective and threw her away!" Tears streamed down Lily's face. "You made her into what you were scared of!"

The courtroom went silent.

Celeste looked shaken.

"Tell the court about your life with your mother."

"We hid," Lily said. "For five years. In a tiny house. Mommy worked three jobs to feed us. She never used her power even though it hurt. She never complained."

"Why did she hide?"

"Because you would have killed us." Lily looked at me. "But when I got sick, she came back. Even though she knew you might kill her. She came back for me."

My chest tightened.

"That's what mommies do," Lily continued. "They protect their babies. Even when it's dangerous. Even when they might die."

"And if your mother is executed?" the prosecutor asked coldly.

Lily looked at him with glowing silver eyes.

"I'll remember that you killed the best person I ever knew. And when I'm older and stronger, I'll make sure everyone knows what you did."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise." Lily's hands clenched. "My mommy taught me that bad people need to face consequences."

"You can't threaten the Assembly."

"I'm a moon witch. You just saw what I can do at five years old." Lily stepped forward. "Imagine what I'll do when I'm twenty."

The prosecutor's face went pale.

"Are you saying you'll seek revenge?" Celeste asked.

"I'm saying I'll seek justice." Lily faced her. "There's a difference."

The courtroom was silent.

"The child is done testifying," Celeste said. "Take her to protective custody."

"No!" Lily fought as guards grabbed her. "I'm not done!"

"You've threatened the Assembly. That's a crime."

"I told the truth!"

They dragged her toward the door. She screamed and kicked.

"Mommy! Don't let them take me!"

I tried to stand but the drug had won.

"Lily," I whispered.

The door slammed shut.

"The prosecution rests," the prosecutor said. "The child's testimony proves both are dangerous. I recommend immediate execution for both."

"You can't execute a five-year-old!" Kael roared.

"We can if the law demands it!"

Celeste raised her hand. "Dr. Helena, you mentioned genetic evidence. I want to see it now."

Dr. Helena stood with her scanner.

"I've been studying supernatural genetics for twenty years. I can prove the moon witch gene isn't extinct. It's hiding in werewolf DNA."

She projected images onto the wall.

"This is Sienna's DNA. Notice these markers. Classic moon witch identifiers."

"We know she's a moon witch," the prosecutor said. "Get to the point."

"These same markers exist in latent form in werewolf populations." She pulled up another image. "This is Kael Ashford's DNA. See these dormant sequences? They match Sienna's active ones."

Kael's eyes widened.

"You're saying I have moon witch blood?"

"You carry the recessive gene. You pass it to your offspring. Combined with Sienna's active gene, Lily inherited a complete moon witch profile from both parents."

"Impossible! Werewolves and moon witches are separate species!"

"They were never separate," Dr. Helena said. "Moon witches are werewolves with activated magical genes. One species with two expressions."

The courtroom erupted.

"Order!" Celeste commanded. "What percentage of werewolves carries this gene?"

"At least forty percent. Maybe more."

"Forty percent?" Celeste's face went white. "That's thousands!"

"Yes. And if you execute Sienna and Lily for being moon witches, you're telling every werewolf with that dormant gene that they're next." Dr. Helena's voice rang out. "You'll start a war with your own people."

Silence fell.

Celeste looked at the Assembly members and saw fear in their faces.

Fear of what they carried in their own blood.

"This court is in recess. We need to discuss this."

"There's nothing to discuss!" the prosecutor protested. "The law is clear!"

"The law was written when we thought moon witches were dying," Celeste said. "But if forty percent of werewolves carry the gene, moon witches aren't dying. They're evolving."

She walked toward the back chamber.

Before she disappeared, she looked back at me.

"We have to decide if we evolve with them or go extinct trying to stop them."

The door closed.

I surrendered to the tranquilizer.

Darkness swallowed me.

My last thought was of Lily's silver eyes and her promise.

Justice, not revenge.

My daughter was stronger than I'd ever been.