by Linda Mooney
Croat! No! She tried to warn him away the best she could, letting him have a taste of her trepidation, but he returned with a blast of unrestrained joy at her response. Untrained and unable to control what he sent to her, Tora could feel the rising flood of relief emanating from him. His worry was quickly fading as he sensed her, and she had answered his emotional call.
A bucket of cold water came from out of nowhere. It suddenly splashed all over her, drenching her, and throwing her body into shock. Tora cried out, gasping as the frigid water covered her from head to toe, went up her nostrils, and plastered her clothing to her already shivering body. The dousing left her momentarily unable to think or comprehend what else was happening around her. But in the next second, the gentle fog that had been comforting her vanished, to be replaced with equally cold anger. She could almost hear Croat’s growl.
It wouldn’t do to send him any emotional signals to stay away. He was coming for her. She knew it beyond any doubt. Although their connection was purely emotional, she could almost read the urgency in the sensations she was receiving from him.
“Wake up, girlie!â�� a male voice crowed.
Tora cast her eyes over to where one of the constable’s men stood with an empty, dripping bucket. She gave him a dazed stare as his glance traveled down her body where her clothes now clung to her. She didn’t need to look at herself to know what areas he was glaring at.
Seeing that she was very much awake and cognizant, the man grunted, gave a nod, and sauntered off. By this time, the square was almost full. To Tora, it appeared everyone in the village was present, which didn’t surprise her. When an order went out for a meeting, no one argued or missed attending.
The buzz of their conversations among themselves drowned out whatever sweet morning noises she’d been hearing. Thank goodness the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. Hopefully, it would quickly warm up enough to dry her clothing.
Three raps of a gavel called for everyone’s attention. Macobiak took a stance in front of the judge’s table. â��We are gathered here this morning to try this woman, Tora, on charges of being a Sensitive.â�� He turned to her to speak directly. â��How do you plead?”
“I am a Sensitive. I don’t deny it,â�� she managed to say, wishing that some of the water had found its way into her mouth.
Many people gasped at her outright acknowledgment, and the murmur of voices rose. Tusshion banged his gavel again for quiet so the constable could continue.
“Tora…do you have a last name?â�� Macobiak asked.
She couldn’t shake her head without pain. â��My father’s last name was Purin.”
“And where are your father and mother now?”
“What are the charges against me?â�� Tora countered. If they decided to punish her for her impudence, so be it. She already knew there was no way she would be found not guilty. The trial was a sham, run by these small-minded, self-important men. The villagers she couldn’t fault. They had been raised on ignorance, fear, and lies, the same as people everywhere.
The same as she had been, thinking of Croat.
Oddly, though, the question didn’t seem to irritate Macobiak as much as she thought it would. The man gave everyone a big grin and took the sheet of paper Tusshion handed him.
“The charges against you are as follows: Practicing the dark magicks. Initiating others into your practices. Subjugating unsuspecting victims to your Sensitive abilities without their knowledge or consent.â�� He glanced up at her. â��How do you plead?”
“Innocent, innocent, and…â�� Tora paused. She had to be truthful, even if it meant giving them more to convict her on. â��And guilty to the last charge.â�� But she could explain, if only they would let her. If only they wouldn’t twist everything to fit their own purpose, which was inevitable. Just as she knew what the inevitable outcome would be to this mock trial.
As she expected, her confession to â��subjugating unsuspecting victimsâ�� brought a wide smile to the constable’s face, and a wave of whispered discussion within the crowd.
“You have witnessed for yourselves, good village folk, this woman’s confession of guilty to all the charges brought against her. We will next proceedâ��”
“Wait! What?â�� Tora gasped. â��I didn’t plead guilty to all theâ��”
The constable raised his voice to drown out her weaker one, forcing Tora to shut up and stare in stunned silence at him.
“We will next proceed with questioning the witnesses, who have volunteered to testify against the accused.”
Tora seriously doubted that most of those planning on testifying against her were doing so willingly. Still, she was curious to see what would happen next.
Bigley Purdocian came up from behind her and stopped on the other side of the table. From the corner of her eye, she could see him taking a seat, although it was difficult to look directly at him face-to-face. It made confrontation less likely, and less of a chance for her to get an indirect reading from her accuser.
Tora bit her lips. The people holding this session must know a few secrets regarding Sensitives. That, or they had lucked on to one of her abilities. There had been a few times in the past when, if she concentrated very hard, she was able to relay her own emotions to a subject without touching him first. But those had been rare instances. And right now, in her weakened state, Tora doubted she could do it again.
Macobiak handled the questioning. â��Bigley Purdocian, would you please tell this esteemed crowd the instance when you personally witnessed this woman using the dark magicks to inflict damage to another person?”
The farmer bobbed his head. â��It was two weeks ago. I was coming back from Darrigia Town. I saw this woman heading across the burned berry fields, just outside of Neabush, heading in the opposite direction. Mellivia Tratorr was also walking through the same field. They didn’t meet or speak, but I saw that woman start to jump around, waving her arms and yelling incantations. Well, all of you know that poor Mellivia has come down with a very unusual case of women’s warts. To me, that’s proof this woman inflicted her with her dark magicks.”
Tora remembered that day. All that waving of her arms and yelling was because she had been besieged by a swarm of hornets when she’d accidentally blundered into a nest of them. Her carelessness had left her with a half-dozen bites, too. She had no idea Mellivia had been anywhere nearby when the hornet attack had happened. But if Mellivia wanted to attribute her women’s warts to Tora’s hornet bites, then someone needed to tell her those warts were caused by infidelity. The warts occurred when Mellivia had had sex with her infected lover.
Tora was completely innocent, but unable to prove it. She waited for the constable to give her the chance to defend herself. Unfortunately, she was not given the opportunity. Purdocian was dismissed, and other �witnesses� called forward.
“Violanna Aspir. Come tell us what you witnessed.”
The tiny woman stood before the crowd, her back to Tora. Her voice was so soft Tora had to strain to hear it, without much success. Tora started to ask the petite witness to speak louder and repeat her accusation, when another warm touch brushed across her mind. The emotion was tentative. Seeking.
He was getting closer. He was coming for her, and there was no way Tora could warn him away. Even if she could, he wouldn’t listen, much less obey. Still, she could try. His connection to her was solid, but very limited. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of a way to let him know he would be walking into a trap if he attempted to rescue her.
Her secret was out, and she was in the middle of a sham trial that would find her guilty, no matter what evidence was produced. No matter how much she denied their claims. And anyone who admitted to befriending her would now be just as suspect as being under her spell.
Guilt by association.
No, Croat! Don’t come! Stay away! Stay far, far away!
She was answered with a whisper of love.
&n
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Chapter 20
“Proof”
Four more people came forward with â��proofâ�� that Tora had used the dark magicks against them, or on them. It didn’t matter that, for each instance, there was a reasonable explanation for the incident occurring. Tora had discovered long ago that people were less likely to admit to human error and more willing to chalk up bad happenstance to other sources. It still held true. In this case, she was both the reason, as well as the prime target.
By the time all the witnesses had been presented, Tusshion called for a brief recess so everyone could converge on Faviovil’s Tavern for a mug of fermented drink. Others went to patron several of the shops where sweets and other eatables were being made available.
Meanwhile, her thirst was becoming intolerable. It pained her to try and swallow, and it was worse to dredge up what little saliva she could. She was dehydrated, and the passing hours were only making things more difficult for her. In addition, she was fighting to remain conscious.
As Croat grew nearer, his anger increased as he picked up more and more emotions from her. As a Sensitive, Tora had remained fully aware of how he was feeling, and of what he was feeling. Although their connection wasn’t as strong as she had thought it would be, the fact that he could hone in on her through it was both a curse and a blessing.
She managed to glance up at the sun. The clouds had left, burned away after sunrise. Her clothes were almost dry. She had lost all feeling in her arms. If she could cry, she would, but her body was unable to produce the moisture necessary for tears.
Every so often someone would wander over to where she hung, if nothing more than to get a better look at her, to satisfy their curiosity. One couple with a little boy walked over. She didn’t recognize the family, but that wouldn’t be unusual, as Tora never went out of her way to make herself widely known in any village. The child spat on her, and the proud parents hurried him back to their seats as the judge rapped his gavel to resume the trial.
During the break, more people had shown up. Now the market square was rimmed with standees. Some people had dragged in wooden crates and boxes to sit on.
Tora tried to ease some of the muscle pain in her back by adjusting her position. Instead, another bolt of fire streaked up her spine, making her gasp. Following it, sweet, warm comfort rolled over her. Soothing, coating, covering, protecting. It was strong. Tora took a shaky breath.
He was here. He was so close she could almost reach out and wrap her arms around his neck. Closing her eyes, she sent him an emotional welcome�and a warning.
“We continue this trial by addressing the second set of charges against Tora Purin: Initiating others into your practices.â�� Macobiak referred to a second sheet of paper. â��We call forth Vester and Alissta Meesom.”
The other names they had previously called had not interested her. For one thing, she barely knew those people. But when the Meesoms� names were called, shock surged through her. Following that, curiosity and fear.
Were they being called to testify against her? Or were they being accused like she was?
Had they helped Basil, as she’d hoped? Silently, she prayed her brother was safe, and her fear was answered with an emotional promise from Croat. One way or another, he let her know that her questions would find answers.
Tora listened to the clink of chains, and realized the worst. The Meesoms had become the accused, not the accusers. Which meant anything could have happened to Basil.
The Meesoms were brought up behind her, preventing her from seeing them. Alissta was crying softly. Her despair was so thick it enveloped both her and her husband. There was nothing Tora could do to alleviate the woman’s sadness.
From the corner of her eye, Tora could see the constable turn to face the couple. â��Vester and Alissta Meesom, you are accused of practicing the dark magicks through the help and guidance of Tora Purin. How do you plead?”
“We’re innocent!â�� Vester’s booming voice answered. Tora immediately sensed that the big man was going to try and cover his fears with a show of righteous anger. She hoped it worked.
“Yet you have openly admitted to helping Tora Purin by providing her with food, among other things, when you knew that by doing so, you were breaking the law,â�� Macobiak said.
“Yes, we gave her food. We helped her the same way we would help anyone, man or animal. Sensitive or not.”
Macobiak addressed the crowd. â��Vester Meesom and his wife admitted earlier that, at the time they first gave Tora Purin food and shelter, they weren’t aware that the woman was a Sensitive. But once her secret was revealed, they do not deny the fact that they continued to help her.”
The murmur of the crowd rose as they discussed this bit of news among themselves. Tora saw a smile of satisfaction spread over the constable’s face.
“Because the Meesoms…â�� Macobiak announced then paused to let the crowd settle. â��Because the Meesoms continued to provide aid, this is proof that Tora Purin initiated others into her tainted arts. Your Honor.â�� He turned to face Tusshion. â��Because Tora Purin has only been a resident of Neabush for a short amount of time, we are fortunate she’s only been able to contaminate just these two people. Had she been allowed to go undiscovered for any longer , no doubt she would have infected many more residents.”
The judge nodded in silent affirmation. Macobiak waved at someone Tora couldn’t see, possibly the guard standing with the Meesoms. There was more clinking of chains, and the sound of shuffling feet which gradually faded away.
The constable cleared his throat as he turned back to face the villagers. â��Good people of Neabush, earlier you heard this woman deny any wrongdoing, except for the charge of subjugating others to her powers without their knowledge or consent. Therefore, we do not feel it necessary to provide additional proof to solidify her claim. For those two charges she denied, we have provided ample evidence to prove otherwise.”
He gave a little bow, and backed away until Tora could no longer see him. It didn’t matter, as Tusshion stood.
“As per our laws, Tora Purin’s fate now rests in your hands. Are there any questions you wish for me to address before we vote for guilt or innocence?”
One hand came up near the back of the crowd, and a young man got to his feet.
“Your name?â�� the judge boomed.
“Deelik Calfos.”
“What is it you wish to know?”
“If we vote guilty, what would her punishment be? Or would we be allowed to vote on that, too?”
Tusshion shook his head. â��There is but one punishment for a guilty vote, and that is death.”
“Death how?â�� a voice called from another part of the crowd.
“That would be left up to me,â�� Tusshion answered. â��But I promise you, it will be a merciful death.”
A merciful death? Was there such a thing? Tora prepared herself for the worst.
When no other questions were raised, Tusshion called for a show of hands. â��All who believe the Sensitive is guilty, let it be known.”
Tora felt her heart fall to her feet as the air filled with a nearly unanimous raising of hands. Closing her eyes, she waited for the final sentencing.
“Tora.”
At first she thought she had heard her name spoken, then realized she hadn’t. A quick glance around her showed she was still alone. The nearest person was the judge, and he was a good dozen feet or more away from where she was hanging. Then who could haveâ��
Tora.
No. She was imagining it. But it sounded so close. So real. So much like…
Tora tried to scan the outer perimeter. The crowd continued to swell as people emerged from the paths and from the woods to stand at the back. She squinted at two shapes in particular who were shielded under the shade of one large sycamore tree. One of the shapes moved forward out of the shadows and into the sunlight. It belonged to a tall man
, dressed in a loose tunic and pants, like the clothing she had seen the men wear back in the Lupan village. He had wide shoulders, and thick, black hair that fell to his open collar. One arm was in a sling.
She blinked. She recognized the face because it had come to her in a dream, and her gaze remained riveted on it, on the strong jaw, the high cheekbones, and the thin lips. On the eyes…eyes that bore directly into hers. They remained unwavering, framed by black brows, as if he was attempting to link with her by sight. From this distance, there was no way to tell what color his eyes were, yet Tora knew deep within herself that they would almost be the color of pumpkins.
Tora.
Mummy never told her if Sensitives could connect on a deeper level with their Intended, but at that moment, Tora was willing to believe anything might be possible.
My Intended. There, she had finally admitted to herself what she had been shying away from. Croat was connected to her because they were meant to be together, the same way Mummy and Poppa had found each other.
The gavel banged, jarring her concentration and interrupting her train of thought. Macobiak took the piece of paper handed to him by the judge, glanced over it, nodded his acceptance, and faced the crowd.
“Good people of Neabush. As per your decision, the Sensitive known as Tora Purin has been found guilty on all three counts laid before her. Thus, it is the judge’s decision that her punishment will be death by negligence, and her sentence is to begin immediately.”
The crowd started to respond as the gavel pounded out the end to the proceedings, but the guards watching over them began to hurry everyone out of the square. Tora watched as two more men brought out several long, thin stakes and lengths of rope. Slowly, methodically, they began to pound the stakes into the ground approximately a dozen yards from where Tora was chained.
The truth came to her in a flash of horror. Death by negligence. They were going to leave her where she was until she died. Roped off from the public, and separated by an invisible wall of prejudice, she would remain chained to the pole until she succumbed.
