73, The trial

Colin’s POV

It had been a month since the battle. The pack was in one place again. Colin, Adina, Sean and Clara and Julia had all gone to the dryads to thank them for watching over their pack members.

Despite losing some of their pack members in the battle, the pack had stayed strong and as word got out that the Beloved One lived in the pack, they had gotten a lot of attention. The pack had taken it in stride. They were proud of their luna. Colin was proud of his pack and of his two mates.

Today was the day for the trial and they would once again go to the dryads’ land. The only way to let them take part in the trial was to hold it on or near their land. The local tribe had generously offered to host the event.

Each race had selected five representatives, except for humans that were peacefully unaware of the whole thing. The enemy vampires and the rogues had been allowed to choose three individuals each to represent them at the trial.

The trial would be open to leaders of the races, but no one else. Cernack had insisted that Colin, Sean and Adina went as representatives for the White Rose pack. Adina had objected and said they should go as representatives of both packs.

In the end it was Sean that had found the solution to fit them all. Mateo would represent the Black moon pack, Cernack would Represent the White Rose pack and Adina, Sean and Colin would attend as the Beloved One and her consorts.

Colin looked in the mirror and adjusted his dark blue tie. He was dressed in a black suit and white shirt. He also had a braided gold band on his head. It felt and looked strange to him. But Adina had insisted both he and Sean wore one.

Sean walked into the room from the bathroom, and Colin smiled at him. He was dressed as Colin, but with a blood red tie. He had let out his braids for the day and his shoulder length hair hung free.

“Looking good,” Sean told him.

“Right back at you,” Colin said.

“Where is Adina?” Sean asked.

“Still in the walk-in closet,” Colin smiled.

As if she had heard them talking about her, she walked into the room and Colin found himself unable to think or breathe. He faintly registered that Sean seemed to have similar issues.

Adina looked like a modern goddess. She was wearing a white modern pantsuit with a tight-fitting top that left one shoulder bare. Over the other shoulder, there was a constructed short sleeve. The pants were wide and billowing and was a cross between a skirt and pants.

Her hair had been pulled up on the back of her head in soft curls and a braided gold band decorated her forehead as well. She looked more than beautiful, Colin thought as he remembered to breathe.

“You look amazing,” Sean exhaled next to Colin.

“Absolutely stunning,” Colin smiled.

“Thank you, you two look handsome. You are very sexy in suits,” Adina told them and walked up to them.

Colin and Sean reached out for her at the same time and drew her into them. Sean kissed her and Colin licked his mark on her shoulder and then they switched.

“Boys, we can’t do this right now,” Adina told them.

“Do what?” Sean asked, and Colin smiled.

“You know perfectly well where this is headed if I let you continue,” Adina huffed and placed a kiss on each of their cheeks. “We have a car waiting,” she added.

They walked downstairs to get their coats and met up with Mateo. He was wearing a black suit with a light blue tie.

“Nice,” he smiled at them.

“You too, man,” Colin chuckled.

They all got into the waiting car and, as if he was a magician, Sean pulled a package of saltines out of nowhere and started handing them to Adina. Colin smiled and started rubbing the spot on her hand.

“Guys, you don’t need to do all of this. It’s not even an hour’s drive,” Adina objected.

“Eat,” Sean said.

Adina had been experiencing morning sickness the last couple of weeks, and both Sean and Colin hated seeing her sick and weak. They were both worried this car ride would trigger a new episode. So, they had come prepared.

“Almost there,” Mateo said from the front seat.

The area they arrived at had been designated for the cars of the visitors. The dryads didn’t allow any modern technology on their land. They stepped out of the car and were greeted by Cernack and Erato, the matriarch of the tribe.

“Welcome my lady,” Erato smiled.

“Thank you, Erato. And thank you for hosting this thing,” Adina smiled.

“It’s no trouble. We haven’t had so much fun in centuries,” the woman laughed.

She was a beautiful woman with flowing light brown hair with hints of green running through it. She had a linen dress on and garlands of flowers and leaves. Colin found that impressive since it was in the middle of winter and the snow was about a foot deep.

“Let’s get into the arena. We have created it just for this occasion,” Erato said, and showed them the way.

Adina had told Colin that dryads didn’t build things out of brick or wood. They found that practise barbaric. Instead, they used their connection to nature to ask the forest to form homes for them by using branches, roots, and other things. It was a living building.

As they walked into the dryads’ land, Colin could see a structure that hadn’t been there the last time they had visited. It was a dome shaped structure that looked like it had always been there.

They walked inside, and Colin was awed by the intricate details on the inside. The wood had formed furniture that was part of the structure. As two dryads helped them take their coats off, Colin stared at the architecture. The building comprised of one large space. The floor slanted from three sides onto the back wall where a stage was.

On the stage, there were two enormous chairs. No, Colin thought, two thrones. To the side of them were three smaller thrones. Colin realised they were for Adina and her mates. On the other side of the two thrones, there were two rows of chairs for the jury. At the front of the stage, there were two benches. Colin assumed for the accused.

The rest of the space was taken up by rows upon rows of chairs, all facing the stage. Most of the chair’s ware occupied. The interest from around the world had been massive to attend this trial, especially when word got around that the Beloved One would be attending.

The magical world was buzzing with the news that Adina was alive. The packs, tribes, covens and nests that had let her stay with them suddenly found out the truth that only their leaders had known. The invitations, messages of support and well wishes had been overwhelming.

As they stood at the entrance to the enormous hall, Cernack and Mateo walked off to find their seats. Erato raised her hand and a dryad by the staged banged on a large drum in front of him. The sound echoed in the hall and the ones gathered fell silent.

“The Beloved One, Adinalaka, and her two consorts alpha Colin and protector Sean,” Erato announced.

Colin smiled at Adina and Sean and held out his arm for Adina. Sean did the same on her other side. Together, they walked down the middle aisle and up the steps to the stages. The persons gathered in the hall stood up to greet them. They sat down on the thrones that had been made for them, and Colin was surprised by how comfortable it was to sit on.

‘Does this feel strange to anyone else?’ Adina asked Colin and Sean in a mind link.

‘Yes,’ they both agreed.

Next, the jury members were seated and then the three vampires and rogues that was representing the accused was led in and forced down on the bench. Colin saw the vampires looked weak and frail. He knew they had been kept on a minimum blood diet. Just enough to not lose their bodily functions and sanity.

‘They are almost here,’ Adina told Colin and Sean.

‘Selene and Absalom?’ Colin asked.

‘Yes,’ she nodded.

Everyone was quietly waiting for what would happen next. Few of the gathered leaders believed they would witness a god, let alone two, appearing today.

Colin was worried that the gods had forgotten the date and time, or that they just didn’t have a grasp of how mortals kept time.

There was a shift in the air. Everyone in the hall could feel the power that seeped into every atom around them. A mist formed in front of the two enormous thrones. Then the mist got denser. A thick silver smoke swirled next to a black smoke.

Then the smoke was gone, and in front of them stood Selene. She looked like when Colin had seen her last time. Only she seemed less. He knew that had to do with the absence of the second sight, but it still felt like a disappointment.

Next to Selene there was a tall, slender, pale man. His dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his red eyes seemed to glow. He had a black cape that billowed like smoke around him.

No one could mistake the two deities for anything other than gods, as they towered over anyone in the hall. Everyone, including Adina, Sean, and Colin, stood up. As everyone else in the hall fell to their knees, Adina, Sean, and Colin bowed.

The gods looked at the three of them. Selene had the same smile Colin had seen before. Absalom looked grim until his eyes landed on Adina. He smiled at her. Something Colin got the impression of, was quite rare.

“We thank you for attending this hearing,” Adina said to the gods.

“We are happy to offer our help, my child,” Selene smiled.

“It is always nice to see you, little one. And I think our presence is needed,” Absalom nodded.

“Please rise and be seated so we can begin,” Selene told the gathered crowd. They did as she asked, and the gods took their seats.

“Adinalaka, may we hear the accusations?” Absalom said.

“Of course, my lord,” Adina said, standing up. Colin looked at his mate. She was in her right element, he thought as he saw her walk to face the gods.

‘She is amazing, isn’t she?’ Sean mind linked him.

‘She is. We are lucky,’ Colin answered.

“The vampire families Eneberg and Rehbinder stand accused of conspire against the Beloved One. They are accused of being a part of the murders of the previous Beloved One, her mate and son, as well as their pack and the pack of her brother,” Adina said in a clear voice.

“They are accused of knowingly break the mate bond of two of the Beloved Ones and instead replace them with mates of their own, choosing to retain the power and title for their own causes. They also stand accused of attempting to murder the present Beloved one, on several occasions, and attacking the pack of the Beloved One and her consorts,” Adina continued.

“They are accused of, by the previously mentioned actions, risk the safety and balance of the magical community. The rogues stand accused of assisting the Eneberg and Rehbinder families in their heinous acts,” Adina finished with a bow to the gods and to the jury.

“That is a serious accusation. Would you like to present your evidence?” Absalom said in a dark voice.

“I would. I have a recorded confession from Cleatus Eneberg, the second son of the Eneberg family and a member of the White Rose pack,” Adina said.

“Why a recording? Why is he not giving testimony?” Absalom asked.

“He confessed to being involved in trying to kill me, as a member of my pack, that is treason. He was sentenced and executed,” Adina told them.

“As is your right,” Absalom nodded. “Who performed the sentence?” he then asked. Colin tensed up.

“I did,” Adina said in a calm voice. But Colin could see the almost undetectable shift in her stance. He wanted to hold her hand. But he stayed seated and balled his hands into fists.

‘She got this,’ he mind linked Sean. More to reassure himself than anything.

‘Yes,’ Sean replied. He sounded as tens as Colin felt.

“Good,” Absalom nodded and the older of the three vampires hissed. Jouko Eneberg was the head of the Eneberg family and the mastermind behind everything. He was also Cleatus’ father.

The gods shot the vampire a look that told him to behave, and he lowered his head. Adina made a sign, and the tape started rolling. Cleatus’ complete confession, seen from the spot of Cernack, was played for all to see.

Colin, that had heard the confession more than once, studied the gods as they watched the tape. He had asked Adina why they needed to show proof. If the gods were all-knowing, shouldn’t they already know all of this? She had laughed and kissed him.

“They aren’t all-knowing as in they know everything that has ever happened or will happen. They are all-knowing in the sense that if they wanted to know, they could. But it’s not an exact ability. You remember what Selene told us about the endless number of different lives we could have lived? That is the issue with trying to predict the future. Which path will be the one to come true?” she had explained.

“But now that it’s done?” he had asked.

“Yes, they could go back and watch it. But that wouldn’t help the jury, or the community. It’s not the gods we are trying to convince, it’s everyone else,” Adina reminded him.

“But then, why didn’t you just ask them who had murdered your family?” he asked.

“Because I thought I knew who it was,” she said.

Now as the gods watched the shell of a vampire confess the plan to kill Adina and replace her with her cousin. Their faces turned dark and even Selene looked terrifying.

As the confession was over, Adina gestured, and the video stopped.

“Beside this video, we have the testimony of several magical creatures that rogues have been assembling in and around the Eneberg family estate in Finland and that the same rogues seemed to disappear at the same time the number of rogues around the Black moon pack was increasing,” Adina told everyone.

They listened to the witnesses. The gods were the one who asked the questions, no one else spoke during the examination.

“Last, the Eneberg and Rehbinder families and the rogues were captured on Black Moon pack land during an attack in which I was challenged by Diedre Eneberg. Thus, confirming Cleatus’ confession,” Adina finished.

“Was that all?” Selene asked.

“Yes, my lady,” Adina nodded.

“Thank you, my child. You may be seated,” Selene smiled.

Adina walked back to her throne and sat down. Both Sean and Colin grabbed one of her hands.

‘You did good,’ Sean said in a mind link.

‘We are proud of you, baby,’ Colin added.

‘Thank you. Now the hard part comes. I do not know what they are going to say,’ Adina told them and looked over at the vampires.