Chapter 51 "Guilty"
Ember
The courtroom was smaller than Ember had expected. No jury box this wasn't a trial yet. Just a judge's bench, a clerk's desk, a few rows of wooden benches for spectators.
And in those benches, Ember saw them.
Maya, sitting in the front row, her face red and blotchy from crying. Next to her was Kelly, looking pale and worried. And on Maya's other side was Adrian, his arm in a sling, his face grave.
They'd come. All of them.
Ember's eyes met Maya's for just a second before Officer Torres guided her to stand next to Rebecca Bennett at the defense table.
"All rise for the Honorable Judge Harrison."
Everyone stood as the judge entered an older Black man with silver hair and wire-rimmed glasses. He settled into his chair with the ease of someone who'd done this thousands of times before.
"You may be seated."
The sound of everyone sitting echoed in the small courtroom.
"Case number 2025-CR-1147, The People versus Ember Winters." The clerk's voice was flat, bored. "Charges are three counts of first-degree murder."
Judge Harrison looked at his papers, then at Ember. His expression was unreadable.
"Miss Winters, you're represented by Rebecca Bennett from the Public Defender's office?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Bennett answered.
"And Miss Winters, do you understand the charges against you?"
Ember's throat was dry. "Yes, Your Honor."
"The charges are: one count of first-degree murder in the death of Tyler Brett on November 1st, one count of first-degree murder in the death of Rayan Walsh on November 4th, and one count of first-degree murder in the death of Marcus on November 8th. How do you plead?"
This was it. The moment that would define everything.
Bennett had told her to say not guilty. To preserve their options. To give them time to build a defense.
But what defense was there? The evidence was overwhelming. The security footage didn't lie. Her face was clear in every image.
And that plea deal Bennett had mentioned if she pleaded guilty now, showed remorse, cooperated...
"Miss Winters?" Judge Harrison's voice held a note of impatience. "How do you plead?"
Ember looked at her lawyer. Bennett gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. Not guilty, her eyes said. Say not guilty.
Ember looked at her friends. Maya was crying silently, tears streaming down her face. Kelly had her hand over her mouth. Adrian looked like he might be sick.
And then Ember saw her. In the back row, partially hidden behind a pillar.
Her mother.
Allison Winters sat with her back straight, her hands folded in her lap, her face completely neutral. She looked older than Ember remembered more grey in her hair, more lines around her eyes. But she was there.
She'd actually come.
Their eyes met across the courtroom. And in that moment, Ember made a decision.
She thought about everything Bennett had said. The evidence. The security footage. The impossibility of explaining blackouts and missing memories to a jury. The risk of life in prison if she lost at trial.
And she thought about the scarlet marks. The curse. Rosanna Vale using her body as a weapon. Even if Ember could somehow prove she wasn't in control that she was possessed by a vengeful spirit would anyone believe her? Or would they just add psychiatric evaluation to the list of things she'd have to endure?
"Miss Winters," Judge Harrison said again, his patience clearly wearing thin. "I need your plea."
Ember took a shaky breath.
"Guilty," she whispered. "I plead guilty."
The courtroom erupted.
Maya's sob was audible even over the sudden buzz of conversation. Bennett grabbed Ember's arm, leaning close.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We didn't discuss this"
"Miss Winters," Judge Harrison banged his gavel. "ORDER. Order in this court." He waited until the room quieted. "Miss Winters, do you understand what you're doing? A guilty plea means you're accepting responsibility for these crimes. You're waiving your right to a trial. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Have you been coerced or pressured into this plea?"
"No, Your Honor."
Bennett was still gripping her arm. "Ember, please. Don't do this. Let me do my job"
But Ember shook her off. This was her choice. Maybe the only choice she had left.
"Your Honor," the prosecutor stood a thin man in an expensive suit with sharp eyes. "The People accept Miss Winters' guilty plea. However, given the heinous nature of these crimes, we request the maximum sentence allowed under law."
"I'm aware of the sentencing guidelines, Mr. Patterson." Judge Harrison removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. He looked tired. Old. "Miss Winters, before I pass sentence, is there anything you'd like to say?"
Ember's mind was blank. What could she possibly say?
I didn't mean to. I wasn't in control. There's a ghost using my body to kill people.
None of it would matter. None of it would change anything.
"No, Your Honor," she said quietly.
Harrison nodded slowly. "Miss Winters, you stand convicted of three counts of first-degree murder. These are serious crimes that have resulted in the loss of three lives and immeasurable pain for their families." He paused, looking at something in his file. "However, I note that you have no prior criminal history. No record of violence. By all accounts, you were a good student with no behavioral issues."
He put his glasses back on. "Furthermore, you've entered a guilty plea, which spares the families of the victims the trauma of a trial and spares the state considerable expense. While this doesn't excuse your actions, it does demonstrate some level of remorse and cooperation."
Ember's heart was pounding so hard she thought she might pass out.
"Therefore, taking into account your age, your lack of prior record, and your guilty plea, I'm sentencing you to ten years in the state correctional facility for women, with the possibility of parole after serving seven years. You'll receive credit for time served."
Ten years.
The number echoed in Ember's head. Ten years. She'd be twenty-nine years old when she got out. If she got out.
"This court is adjourned." Harrison banged his gavel. "Miss Winters will be remanded to custody immediately to await transfer to the state facility."
It was over.
Just like that, her life had been decided in less than fifteen minutes.
Officer Torres appeared at her side, pulling her hands behind her back. The handcuffs clicked into place a sound Ember was starting to hate more than anything else in the world.
"Ember!" Maya's voice cut through the murmur of people leaving the courtroom. "Ember, please! We need to talk!"
But Torres was already guiding her toward a side door. Ember looked back, one last time.
Maya was trying to push past the barrier, Kelly holding her back. Adrian stood frozen, his face ashen. And in the back, her mother was standing, collecting her purse, her expression still completely neutral.
As if her daughter hadn't just been sentenced to ten years in prison.
As if this was just another Tuesday.
The door closed behind Ember, cutting off the sound of Maya's crying.
"Back to holding," Torres said. "You'll be transferred to state in a few days, once the paperwork's processed."
Ember nodded numbly. She didn't trust herself to speak.
Ten years.
She'd just pleaded guilty to murders she didn't commit.
And there was no taking it back now.