by Emery Belle
I made an involuntary noise in the back of my throat, and only then did Cole glance back at me, quick as a flash, and shoot me a look that plainly said, Keep quiet.
So I did.
“Wren had no other choice,” Cole continued. “And her actions were some of the bravest I’ve ever witnessed. Had she chosen to follow the letter of the law—the letter of the outdated, rigid, unreasonable law—I would not be standing before you today. I, for one, am glad she chose to apply reason in the face of unspeakable danger.”
“Thank you, Cole, for your testimony,” Lady Amabelle said, giving him a brief nod. “Is there anything else you would like to add?”
He shook his head and bowed once before Lord Macon, then swept from the room without looking back, leaving me staring after him and wondering what in the world had just happened. When I turned back to the dais, Lady Amabelle was conferring with the other councilmembers, who seemed to be discussing my case in earnest while Lord Macon listened in, looking as though he’d just swallowed a lemon.
“That’s an excellent point, Melvira, I hadn’t thought of that,” I heard her say in a low voice, while the others murmured their agreement. “Shall we vote on the punishment? All in favor say ‘Aye.’”
An almost-unanimous “Aye” rose up from the dais, and my heart sank as tears sprang to my eyes.
This was it. All was lost. I had known it was a possibility, of course, but now that it was happening, now that I was going to have to leave Glenn, and Garnet, and yes, even Monty, I… I couldn’t believe it. A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I swallowed hard.
“So be it,” I heard Lady Amabelle say to the others before she turned her attention back to me and folded her hands in front of her. “Wren Winters, the High Court of Magic Island does hereby confirm your guilt as it pertains to Section 95, Item Z of the International Association of Magical Beings’ Code of Conduct, otherwise known as the illegal use of a training wand, and sentences you to a term of no less than sixty hours of community service, the details of which will be decided at a future time.”
“What?” I gasped, unable to stop myself. Several of the councilmembers smiled down at me, but my eyes were fixed on Lord Macon, whose fingers had tightened around his wand almost imperceptibly.
“Sometimes, Miss Winters, extenuating circumstances must be taken into consideration, even if they are not explicitly written into the letter of the law. However”—she fixed me with a steely gaze—“if you do not complete the punishment as required, the original sentencing will stand, and you will be banished from Magic Island from now until the end of eternity. Do you accept these terms?”
“I-I do,” I choked out, still not daring to believe my own ears.
Lady Amabelle’s face relaxed into a smile. “Then this session of the High Court is adjourned.” She turned to Lord Macon. “Unless you have anything to add, Augustus?”
“I do not,” he gritted out, squeezing his eyes together briefly as if trying to maintain a tenuous grasp on his composure.
Lady Amabelle nodded to me and said, “Miss Winters, you may go.”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I spun on my heel and practically ran for the door, in case they changed their minds in the time it took me to cross the room. I could hear a heated discussion start up behind me, but I didn’t look back as I shouldered open the door and burst into the courthouse lobby, blowing a kiss to Millicent, the ferocious human-sized guard parrot, on my way out.
As the deliciously warm island sun blazed down on me, I walked swiftly down the street, my mind reeling with the events of the past few minutes. I was free. I was free.
Somehow, it had all come down to the man in black again. He’d saved my life twice now, and I had no idea how I’d ever manage to repay him.
But I would, just not right now. Right now, I was headed back to my dorm room, where Glenn, Garnet, Hunter, Monty, and Pierre—my friends, my family—were gathered hopefully, optimistically, waiting to celebrate with me.
And oh, what a celebration it would be.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Oceans & Potions, the second book in the Magic Island series! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon to help other readers find out about my books.
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The magic and mayhem continue with book three, available soon!
About the Author
Emery Belle is the author of paranormal cozies featuring plenty of magic, mystery, and a dash of mayhem. When she isn’t dreaming up new worlds or wandering around the house with her nose in a book, you can find her digging her toes in the golden sand beaches of Southern California (sadly, she hasn’t found the ferry docks for Magic Island yet), fitting in a serious game of bowling, or chasing around an overly excitable, and overly large, rescue pup.
