He listened with a pensive expression as Cedar restated the case against me. While his attention was focused on Cedar, he frequently cast glances towards me, his eyes searching, as if he could determine my guilt through perusal alone.
He sighed when Cedar concluded. “You said the metamorphose potion was found inside her bag? That fact alone proves it wasn’t her.”
Ember’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?” she hissed. “Of course it was her.”
“If she really used the potion, why would she keep the evidence that would incriminate her? The logical course would be to dispose of it immediately. The fact that she didn’t suggests she didn’t realize the vial was there, which means it and the other pieces of evidence were likely planted.”
Silence. Stardust gaped at him, looking both awed at his conclusion and annoyed he’d stolen her lines, while the members of the Investigations Team listened to his argument with thoughtful expressions. Meanwhile my stubborn heart lifted. Was Darius actually defending me?
Ember glared at Darius. “As one who is still only a mere apprentice, you’re treading on very thin ice.”
“I’m merely offering another perspective,” Darius said smoothly, unfazed by his mother’s tight, rather dangerous smile. “Look at the facts: Eden’s powers are weak, her knowledge about our world limited, and she has no motive, not to mention she’s a Dreamer, not a Nightmare.”
“We know nothing about her,” Ember said. “Both where she came from and the extent of her powers remain a mystery. For all we know, she could be a Nightmare, or worse, the one we suspended all those years ago. If you recall, none of these unusual illegal occurrences started until after her arrival.”
“That’s not true,” Stardust piped up. “The dream dust thefts began before Eden ever set foot in this world.”
Galaxy stroked his chin. “An excellent point.”
“Those thefts are definitely not her,” Darius interrupted. “One look at her locket and her lack of dream dust only confirms that.”
“Thank you for that insightful opinion, Nightmare Darius,” Galaxy said. “I agree, those thefts are likely the work of someone else, but unfortunately there are other suspicious matters surrounding Dreamer Eden which must be addressed.” He cast me an apologetic glance. “We’ve noticed your unusually frequent trips down to Earth at times other than for Weavings. The Council is also reminded of the observations made by Nightmare Darius when you first appeared before us—being seen by Mortals while living on Earth, suspicious magical activity surrounding you, outrageous claims to be able to receive dreams…isn’t that right, Nightmare Darius?”
Darius hesitated, casting me an uncertain, even regretful glance. “That’s true…however, my earlier investigation was inconclusive, so I’m currently pursuing other possible explanations.”
Ember waved his words away dismissively. “But didn’t you tell me she’s scarcely won any Weavings for your Mortal, who is already several months old?”
“I admit my concern has only grown the more we’ve monitored her,” Galaxy said. “It’s unacceptable for a Mortal to experience so few dreams. I expected better after Eden’s earlier showcase of skills.”
Darius shrugged. “With all due respect, it probably can't be helped when her partner is considerably more talented than she is.”
Galaxy pursed his lips but seemed to accept this explanation, and I relaxed my rigid posture. I never would have believed there would come a time when I’d appreciate Darius’s usual conceit.
“But you’ve been investigating her for months,” Ember said with an almost hungry desperation. “Haven’t you discovered anything unusual in all that time?”
I tensed as everyone turned towards Darius. I braced myself—this was the opportunity he’d been waiting for to expose all my secrets he’d discovered and ensure his coveted place on the Council.
He glanced at me, and I pleaded with my eyes for him to keep quiet. He didn’t even hesitate before turning to face the Council. “I’ve been with Eden every night for the past several months and I can confidently conclude there’s nothing unusual about her.”
I sank against the cloud podium in fierce relief. I couldn’t believe it. Darius—the man who’d given me so many reasons not to trust him—had just rejected his perfect opportunity to betray it and kick me out of the Dream World.
Darius caught my eye and winked, an assurance that everything would be alright. A flutter filled my heart as I smiled shyly back.
Our exchange wasn’t lost on Ember. She looked back and forth between me and Darius, her face twisted as if she’d tasted something sour. Her disapproval only deepened when Darius avoided her eyes, which only seemed to confirm her suspicions.
Before she could confront him, a member of the Investigations Team entered the Chamber and whispered something into Investigator Cedar’s ear. His face grew solemn, and with a curt nod he straightened. “Please forgive the interruption, but I’ve just received the results from our test on the magical fingerprint discovered at the scene.”
Ember pounced on the opportunity. “Excellent. Present it immediately.” Before he had the chance, she snatched the parchment from the investigator’s hands and hastily read it. She smirked. “As I suspected—the magic is an exact match with Dreamer Eden’s.”
My legs weakened. I clutched the podium for support.
“Impossible!” Stardust exclaimed. “She didn’t do it. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.”
Galaxy shook his head, face chalk white, while Ember gloated in sickly triumph. “The truth has prevailed.”
Darius gnawed his bottom lip. “I still assert she’s innocent.”
Ember swiveled towards him. “You don’t know when to give up, do you? How could you possibly make
