Gargoyle Saga: In the middle

Chapter 18: My Own Way

Chapter 18: My Own Way

I sat beside Justin as Dean, Rowan, and Alina talked about what had happened when the council came to collect them. I added words such as, 'Yes, I know,' 'No, I didn't know,' and 'I'm not sure.' But really, I had no real involvement in their conversation. Dean was giving me funny looks, but I was just numb to everything happening.

Justin then got my attention and said, 'I'm still with you. Whatever happens.' I felt myself choke up, and he gave me a small smile and he felt sad. 'I usually made humans cry, and it gave me pleasure. Now when I make you cry, it makes me upset.'

'I want to call everyone to order!' a gargoyle suddenly shouted and sounded a gavel again. 'Please take your seats!' 

The council members muttered as they slowly returned to their seats. They had all adjourned to a secondary room so that they could discuss what to do with me. Sorren hadn't come over to say anything. But what could he say? Saying sorry really couldn't cut it.

Alina gave me one last hug, then went back over to stand beside Hadriana. It was a weird thing to see, this gargoyle trial. The witnesses standing and the defendants sitting down. The council, in their droves, sitting in front of us, staring or leering. This wasn't a typical trial that I was aware of. And because of that, the sentence was undoubtedly not going to be typical.

When everyone was quiet, one gargoyle came to the front. At a second glance, I noticed it was Brunin. He coughed slightly and stared directly at me.

'In the trial of Verity Hobbs using Watcher magic to change a demon into a human and for using a binding spell to continue the escapade that the ex-demon would be beneficial in human society, as well as breaking the Golden Rule towards a human in her care and the leading death of a human who she was also charged to protect, we, the gargoyle council, find Verity guilty.'

There was a sudden cry and gasps that came from the right. I didn't dare look out for fear of breaking down. Justin reached out for my right hand and held on tightly. His rippling fear made me want to run, but my legs were frozen. My head was full of questions. What will happen to me? To Justin? Will they part us? Will he be cast out? Can he go to Sorren to be protected? Will Sorren and Hadriana be punished as well? And Alina, will she get her memories wiped again? If so, will she have protection on her just in case she's a target again?

I was so panicked I heard my heartbeat in my head, and my palms became sweaty. How did it come to this? Was I so bad in my thinking and my own ways that I was in this much trouble?

'The sentence is thus: Verity Hobbs and the former ex-demon Justin shall be separated magically,' my legs turned to jelly, but Justin held me up, '-and both will be put in magical isolation until the day that Verity is to continue the Watchers test in Russia.'

'NO!' Sorren yelled, reaching out as Dean and Rowan held him back. 'She cannot be put into isolation! You'll condemn her to death!' Alina burst into tears, and Hadriana comforted her, staring at me in disbelief.

'Antov split those two up. Verity is to go to Calypso's cave; the ex-demon is to go back to the Hypogeum. The eclipse is to start in one month's time when Verity will come out of isolation. This session is now over. '

'Verity!' Alina called out as Antov bowed and, taking Justin and me by the arm, pulled us out of the cathedral without so much as a goodbye to any of my friends.

'I'm sorry,' Justin said but I was unsure to who he was apologising. Everything after that became a blur. I heard people calling my name and yelling in anger, I saw flashes of blue, and then I saw a courtyard. A moon hung in the air above, and there was Antov in front of me. A hand forced me down on the ground to kneel. Justin copied me. I don't know how it happened, but his hands were bound. Antov's hands glowed green, and he muttered something I didn't understand. He made a slashing motion, and pain ripped through me. My body screamed in agony. My head exploded, and my spine felt like it was breaking. Wrenching from my body, feeling like I was being broken from the inside out, I fell to the floor, and through no control, as though I was unable to stop myself, I uttered the Wind Spell, and in a torrent of wind that swept all around me, I was gone.