The Ruens of Fairstone (Aeon of Light Book 2) (26 page)

Several boys stand up and point at the mayor. Others gasp.

In shock, the mayor wobbles backward.

Yitch pops out of his throne and opens his arms in protest. “This is preposterous!”

“Arrest him!” a tall boy says.

“Yeah!” another boy says.

Selby turns around and stares her father directly in his eyes. “Is it true, Father?”

The mayor’s head twitches, overwhelmed by the suddenness of the unexpected moment. His face turns even redder than normal and his cheeks and jowls jiggle as his mind tries to wiggle out of the situation. “Why no, this is ridiculous, dear, it’s just some boy making up blasphemous stories to ruin my reputation.” With all the political pride and delusion he can muster, the mayor defiantly raises his head and steps forward toward the audience. He raises his hand. “This is defamatory and all untrue. I had nothing to do with the deaths of Peter and Dora Wenerly.”

Miles glares. “Then explain how this Ruen book was found within your home if you didn’t get it from the murderers of Pard’s parents?”

“I-I got it as a gift.”

“Father?” Selby says, trying to get the mayor to look at her, though he avoids her gaze.

“I did not do this thing,” the mayor mumbles, in a daze and looking over the crowd at no one but the far wall.

“Father?”

The mayor looks down at her, and there it is, Selby can see the truth in his eyes.

“I can’t believe you. How could you?”

“I-I, I—”

Selby shoots a look at the guard standing next to him. “Well, are you going to just stand there all stupid-like or do something?” Selby steps away from her father.

The mayor tilts his head to the side. “Please, Selby, it was an accident, no one was supposed to get hurt.”

“How could you?”

The guard on the mayor’s left looks at the guard on the right, both confused and looking for the answer from the other.

“Please, you have to believe me, I’m your father, I would never—”

“You are no longer my father.” Selby turns her back on the mayor.

The guards step forward as it is now clear the mayor was involved in the deaths of the Wenerlys. They each grab one of the mayor’s arms.

Miles grins then whispers, “One down, one to go.” Miles slips his hand into his backpack and holds up Dora’s golden Ida necklace. “And now, before all of you fine people, one conspirator has admitted his guilt, but still another lurks in the shadows, one living within these very walls who had a mighty part to play that terrible day. And out of sheer arrogance or compulsion, he couldn’t help himself but display his treachery and this necklace in his office in the open for all to behold the crime he committed, and got away with—until now!” Miles turns with a flourish toward Yitch and points. “Headmaster Yitch!”

Yitch extends out his arm the same as the mayor did, and he backs away from his throne, wings spread wide. “No, no, I did none of these things, I’m innocent!” The headmaster eyes the necklace with the same delusion as the mayor did the audience. “That’s my locket, you stole it! I got it from—from—Ardinia ten years ago.”

Pard shakes his head and scowls. “No, the necklace is mine, and my mother’s.”

Miles lowers the necklace. “Of course you would make up a lie, headmaster. But on the back it reads
GVV,
the initials of Pard Wenerly’s great grandmother, and this one of a kind necklace is also portrayed around the neck of Dora in the portrait of her hanging on Pard Wenerly’s bedroom. Just like the ancient Ruen book, which is the only one known in existence, as is this necklace, and both were stolen from Dora Wenerly on the night of her murder.”

Professor Ames and Videl both stand up at the same time and scowl at Yitch.

Professor Videl gestures to a constable and then to the headmaster.

Yitch flaps his arms but he doesn’t fly away.

The constable follows the professor’s command and grips Yitch’s arm.
 

“No—let go of me!” Yitch squirms and continues to flap, his robe fluttering with every erratic movement.

Pard steps out of the box and points at Yitch. “Why, why did you kill them?”

“I didn’t kill them,
Wenerly
.”

“Then how did they die?”

Yitch doesn’t respond. The headmaster just sneers at Pard while holding his pointy chin and beak-like nose high in contempt. Yitch’s thin lips pucker in defiance.

Half the audience stands and points and chats while the other half sits in a befuddling shock.

Miles takes in his historic, epic victory, a satisfied grin plastered on his face, he surveys the chaotic seen he created. The cathedral buzzing with energy and movement, Miles bows to his audience. “I rest my case.”

SCORCHED STONE

Pard pats Miles on the back. “Impressive, barrister, congratulations on your first victory.”

“You know, I think I might have found my new calling, Lord Miles Marlow, barrister.”

“Well, if I ever need a lawyer again, now I know who to call.”

Miles hands Pard his Ruen book and locket. “I believe these are yours, good sir.”

Pard smiles and slides them into his pack. “I can’t thank you enough—for all you’ve done.”

Miles waves him off. “It was nothing—would’ve done it for anyone.”

Pard chuckles. “No, you wouldn’t.”

“Right, I wouldn’t—but I did this time, so lucky for you.”

Pard watches on as the professors direct the boys out of the cathedral. “Yes, lucky me.” He turns away from the student body and back toward the stage and to Yitch. “What do you think they’re gonna do with him?”

Miles shrugs. “Who cares, as long as it’s nothing good.”

“Can’t argue with you on that point, barrister.” Pard finds Selby bullying her way toward them through the gaggle of shoulder to shoulder boys. Pard doesn’t smile, realizing it’s only a happy occasion for one of them. He waves at her, and she waves back. Pard looks over Selby’s head and to the private entrance and the two constables dragging Mayor Barrow out the door.

“Tough,” Miles says, now watching the constables, “to find out your father is a conspirator to murder.”

Pard nods. “She’ll survive.”

“You were right,” Selby says, squeezing past the last of the boys.

“Sorry,” Pard says.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry—sorry that my father was apart of such an evil act, and your parents.” Selby shakes her head. “I believe it, but, I still can’t believe it, you know?”

“I understand. I didn’t want to accept my parents were gone either, and it took time, but eventually I had to find my own way and move on with my life.” Pard gently takes Selby’s hand.

Selby forces a smile and grips Pard’s hand back. She scoots in closer to him until their bodies meet.

Pard gazes into Selby’s lovely eyes, and then as if drawn by force, wraps his arms around Selby and hugs her.

Selby cries, and Pard gently rubs her back to comfort her.

Pard glances at Miles, and Miles gives him the thumbs up.

“You have no right to seize me!” Yitch yells on the stage. “This is my school. I created this school! I am Fairstone!”

Selby looks up at Yitch and moves a few inches away from Pard though still in his arms. “Monster, to think he’s my godfather.”

“Tough day for you, I guess,” Miles says.

Professor Videl stops in front of Selby and grips Pard’s shoulder. “Pard, I’m
so
sorry. I should’ve noticed the locket in Yitch’s office.”

“It’s all right, professor, the innocent shall root out the guilt. And isn’t
it
Headmaster Yitch
?”

“Right you are, and Yitch is no longer the head of anything other than heading to prison or the gallows.”

Pard scans the cathedral as it empties, over half the boys already exited. His gaze falls onto Star, cool and collected, standing on the far side of the room, leaning against the marble wall, arms crossed, head tilted slightly to the side and with his silver eye piercing through his monocle, glaring at Pard with evil intentions. Pard quickly turns away, and on the other side of the room, Penter, also leaning against the wall and with arms crossed, also glaring at him with intense focus. Pard glances toward the stage, and Eeva stands tall in front of Yitch’s throne while also eyeing Pard. He looks forward toward the giant oak doors leading out of the cathedral. He rises onto his tiptoes to see over the taller boys’ heads. Alexa struts down the crimson aisle toward Pard, pushing aside gawking boys getting in her way and checking out her backside as she passes them by.

“We have trouble,” Pard says to Miles. He gestures at Star and then to Penter and Eeva.

Miles scowls. “Scum, what the hell do they think they’ll do in front of all the students and professors?”

“They look like they’re coming for me, payment or not,” Pard says.

“The trial’s over,” Miles says. “They can’t have you, I won’t let them.”

Professor Videl, listening to the conversation and now aware of the situation, he glances at Star. “Yes, I noticed them earlier and the other day. I wonder what their purpose is here.”

“They’re Yitch’s friends,” Pard says, “and I think they want to kidnap me.”

“You, my boy? But why in Vetlinue would they want to take you?”

Pard purses his lips as his thoughts race.
Should I tell him?
His mouth opens and speaks before his skeptical brain can stop him. “I did it, professor, I killed Nero.”

The professor’s face turns sullen.

“But I didn’t mean it, I guess I’m what they call a seeros. A light uncontrollably shot out of me when Blaine and Nox and Sully attacked me. Nero was in the west wing at the time, and the light went for the cat instead of Nox.”

Professor Videl’s eyebrow rises and his expression softens. “A seeros, Pard?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” Miles says in Pard’s defense.

“Most interesting.” The professor looks at Star and then Eeva. “These people you say are after you, they know you’re a seeros?”

“Yes, and so did Yitch. He tried to sell me to them for three hundred gold.”

The professor grips Pard’s arm. “Then we must get you out of here, my boy, you’re not safe.”

Miles rolls his eyes. “Welcome to the party, professor.”

Selby, still thoroughly confused, looks at all of them expecting more of an explanation. “
Seeros
?”

“Alexa, Alexa!” Yitch says, wiggling in the constable’s arms.

Alexa slows her stride enough to catch Yitch’s gaze.

Yitch continues to plead for help. “Do something, please!”

Alexa scowls, her two scars depress into her cheeks making her beauty turn into something sinister. She continues to glare at Yitch for a split second as if he’s nothing more than refuse to be tossed aside.

Desperate, Yitch lunges out of the guard’s grasp and points at Alexa and then to Eeva. “Those women—they’re Iinian spies!” Yitch shifts his finger to Pard. “They’re here for the boy. They’re going to kill him then all of us!”

Selby grips Pard’s hand tight as the tension builds.

Professor Videl faces Alexa.

Eeva hops off the stage.

Star and Penter push off the walls and close in.

“Constables,” Yitch says, “listen to me! They’re going to kill the boy and then all of us!”

Eeva unslings her backpack and removes a footlong silver cylinder.

Alexa shakes her head
at Eeva, and Eeva slides the cylinder back into the pack.

Two constables hop off the stage and move in toward Eeva. Two more constables make their way forward from the main entrance of the cathedral.

Alexa eyes the men near the stage then peeks behind and sees the other two constables closing in through the remaining boys. Alexa turns back toward Pard.

Eeva scowls and glances at Alexa, waiting for the word to engage.

Alexa nods; and with a flurry, Eeva drops her pack, flings open her duster coat, and slings out her silver bull whip.

Pard and Miles flinch at the same time.

“Not good,” Pard says.

Miles’s mouth drops. “
Uh
, nope, definitely not good.
And
I think it’s time we leave.”

Pard tugs Selby’s arm. “We need to get out of here.”

Selby spins around and faces Alexa and then Eeva. “What do those women want?”

“Nothing good,” Pard says. “Come on, we need to get out of the castle.”

A muscular constable raises his arm, his brown uniform tightens around his large shoulders. He points at Eeva. “You there, desist and lower your weapon.”
 

Eeva snorts and snakes the whip along the floor in front of her. The rays of light cascading through the skylight glisten off the silver. She elegantly sweeps the whip back and raises her arm, the tail of the whip circles in the air in a large swooping arc, and the three skinny silver strings at the tip glow a bright-orange. Sparks drip and fly off the end.

Pard’s eyes widen. “This is so not good.” He tugs Selby harder, and they make their way through a pew aisle toward Penter but away from Eeva and Alexa. Pard peeks back and eyes the constable who skids to a stop as he catches sight of Eeva’s glowing whip circling in front of him.

The muscular constable points again, this time his hand and voice trembling. “I-I need you to cease and desist, l-lower y-your weapon.”

Eeva’s face softens, as if a child disobeying their parents and getting much pleasure from it.

Pard pushes into Miles’s back. “Move faster.”

“I can’t,” Miles says, stuck behind two boys. The boys are frozen and gawking in horror at Eeva and the glowing whip.

“Push by them!” Pard says. “I don’t want to hang around to find out what Eeva’s whip is capable of.”

Miles clinches his teeth and shoves the boys to the side, forcing them to tumble over the back of the wooden pew and land in the next aisle over.

Pard glances back again.

Eeva’s arm thrusts forward, sending her whip toward the constable.
 

The silver, like a flashing lightning bolt, the whip straitens and fully extends.

The constable’s jaw drops in shock as the tip of the whip hits its apex.

Crack
—

A small glowing orange ball of light shoots out the tip. The ball zips forward, hissing and vibrating as electricity flows within the sphere.