“My daughter’s not a whore!” Trixia’s father rose from his seat, hands in fists.
“Yes, she is!” Fleur yelled back.
Lars rapped his gavel, but people were shouting, their outrage boiling over.
“Silence!” Lars bellowed, his icy gaze slicing through the crowd. “This is a trial, not a market place. Anyone who doesn’t abide by the rules will be removed.” As the crowd settled, he continued, “We have sufficient evidence against Simeon, son of Fleur and Bruno, and against Fleur, wife of Bruno, to banish them both. All dragon masters in accord, raise your hand.”
One by one, the eight remaining dragon masters from the council of twelve raised their hands.
“Good, the voting is unanimous and complete. Simeon and Fleur shall be banished. Bruno, husband of Fleur and father of Simeon, please stand,” Lars ordered.
Bruno’s shackles clanked. He sneered at Simeon and Fleur as if they were dirt, then faced Lars. “I support my queen wholeheartedly, doing my best to protect her and Dragons’ Realm. There’s not a mark against me.”
Fleur piped up. “It’s true. My husband is innocent.”
Roberto’s heart raced and his hands curled into fists. Bruno was every bit as guilty as Simeon and Fleur. Surely they wouldn’t get away with this?
Hendrik pounded the table with his meaty fist. “Bruno is my trusted and loyal friend. Not only my own, but also Jaevin’s—may his spirit soar with departed dragons. I stand by Bruno and support him.”
Lars gazed at Hendrik and Bruno intently.
Surely Lars didn’t believe that? Roberto got up again. “Last night, Bruno sent Lars, myself and some blue guards away, to head off a so-called tharuk attack, while his wife and son were poisoning the queen. That was not a coincidence.” He slammed his palms on the table. “Bruno is as guilty as Fleur and Simeon, and should be banished.”
Tonio cut in, “To banish someone, we need evidence, not conjecture.”
Roberto sat with a thud. That rankled. They’d wanted to convict Ezaara on less.
“Bruno is correct,” Lars said. “In his entire six years at Dragons’ Hold, there hasn’t been a mark against him.”
What? Couldn’t Lars see how dangerous Bruno was? Ajeuria’s memory of Bruno whipping her flashed to mind. He’d use that.
“But,” Lars continued, “in his role as Master Seer, Bruno assured us all was in order. He caused us to doubt our own patrol leaders, while the tharuks made constant inroads into our realm, enslaving our folk, drugging them senseless, and starving them.” He stabbed his finger toward Bruno. “You, Bruno, have not served us as master of prophecy. With the power vested in me as leader of this council, I demote you. You will no longer serve as a master on the Council of the Twelve Dragon Masters.”
No! Lars had to banish him. Bruno was a snake lying in wait. He’d strike later. Hard, fast and venomous.
“Master Lars.” Roberto rose. “I can test Bruno and discover any memories that betray his intent.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“But I also tested Ajeuria and—”
Lars cut in. “Roberto, you’re obviously biased.”
“With good reason,” Erob interjected.
“I’m glad you see through Bruno,” Roberto melded.
The door slammed open. Seppi, leader of the blue guards, marched through the crowd. Taking a pouch from his belt, he tipped the contents on the table. Rough yellow gems glittered in the torchlight. “The blue guards searched Bruno’s possessions and found these.”
“No!” Bruno lunged, shackles crashing against the granite table, as he grasped at the gems. Blue guards yanked him back and held him at sword point.
“They’re obviously yours,” Lars stated. “What are they?”
Bruno clamped his lips shut, glaring.
Roberto’s breath caught. He’d seen those gems before. “Zens mines those stones,” he said. “They’re only found in Death Valley.”
“So Zens is your paymaster, Bruno.” Lars scratched his beard. “What exactly has he been paying you to do?”
Her face weary and grief-stricken, Threcia stood. “I believe Bruno poisoned my husband.” She spoke softly, everyone straining to hear. “Jaevin told me how kind Bruno had been. On his way to collect the ceremonial swords in Ezaara’s cavern, Jaevin met Bruno in the tunnels. Jaevin was called away to a tharuk attack, so Bruno offered to collect the swords and take them to our cavern to be kept overnight for the Queen’s Rider’s test.” She shook her head. “He had access to the swords. I’d forgotten all about it until now, because I thought Roberto was guilty. It never occurred to me that a close friend would—” Tears tracked down her face. “Excuse me.”
“Thank you, Threcia,” Lars said.
Wearing her grief with honor, Threcia made her way to the door.
Lars turned to Roberto. “Test Bruno, now.”
Blue guards held Bruno fast while Roberto placed his hands on his temples.
Bruno had barred his thoughts behind a dark wall. The scar on Roberto’s cheek twitched where his father had whipped him. Sweat beading his forehead, he peeled back Bruno’s defensive layer, a scrap at a time, until his memories were stripped bare. “Bruno poisoned the ceremonial swords and encouraged Fleur and Simeon to kill as many dragon masters and their dragons as possible,” Roberto announced.
“You lowlife, using me and Jaevin!” Hendrik drew his sword and leaped at Bruno. Blue guards grabbed him, dragging him out a side tunnel.
The room burst into an uproar, people yelling at Bruno and his family, waving their fists and spitting.
Zaarusha bellowed and the other dragons joined in.
Lars rapped his gavel on the table, but it was lost in the uproar.
Roberto scooped the yellow stones back into the pouch and passed them to Lars. “For shards’ sake, keep these safe.”
Lars tucked them away and dashed forward to help the blue guards restore order.
Had Lars even heard him? In the chaos, Roberto didn’t have a chance to explain that, from examining Bruno’s memories, he now understood why the yellow
