Abigail looks down at her table. "It was Peter Christian."
This time nobody can contain their shock. I can't help but notice that Peter's parents are here for his graduation, and their surprise and disappointment is evident on their faces.
"We would now like to hear from Mona Mul- Lockhart."
I make my way through the crowd to the open space in the middle of the room, stopping when I reach John. I face the Council and bow my head.
"Please tell us, Ms. Lockhart, have all of your things been returned to you?"
"Yes. Some were destroyed, but I got them back."
"Were you physically injured during this incident?"
"No."
"Besides the damages to the property, were you harmed in any way as a result of Ms. Hunter's actions?"
"I was scared, and now when I'm alone I don't feel safe anymore."
"Does having a guardian help you feel safe?"
I look over at Ben for a brief moment. He is standing there watching me with a proud smile on his face.
I return my attention to the Council and smile. "Yes."
"Have you ever done anything to Ms. Hunter that would incite this kind of action?"
"No, in fact until a few days ago, I didn't even know her name."
I can hear a low whisper making its way around the room. I could hear them if I wanted to, but taking my attention away from the Council would be rude. I continue to stand straight and am careful to keep my attention on the Council. Of course, that is much harder than it seems since I had spent most of the last several days looking around for trouble.
"That will be all, Ms. Lockhart."
I return to Ben's side, where I feel the safest these days, and wait for this to be over.
"The Council will now hear from Lucy Carmichael."
Lucy is led into the circle by the same guardian that led her into the office. After asking her basically the same questions they asked me, they dismiss her and she comes over to stand with Ben and me.
Surprisingly, they don't call Ben to testify. But it still doesn't take long for the Council to reach a decision. Personally, I think they had already decided and all this was just for show.
"Abigail Hunter, please rise."
She complies, her fear evident on her face. It has been said that the Council can override your willpower and make you do what they want if you don't comply.
"Abigail Hunter, you have been found guilty of all charges. Do you have anything else to say on your behalf before we pass sentencing?"
The Council may appear to be cold and distant, fearless and cruel, but they give everyone the opportunity to redeem themselves. Even those that admit guilt, and those that show no remorse for their actions.
"No."
The Council is quiet for several minutes, deliberating on the sentence I assume.
"Despite your otherwise exemplary record, Abigail Hunter, it has been decided that you are no longer eligible to graduate as a guardian. It has also been decided that you will never be allowed to become a guardian. You will be returned to Talonia immediately where you will learn to serve others, and you will continue to serve others until this Council is convinced that you have learned from your actions."
The guardians lead Abigail out of the gym.
She looks over her shoulder and our eyes meet. "You'll pay for this, Lockhart!"
"We will now see Peter Christian."
Peter is brought in by a single guardian. Apparently he has not yet realized that Abigail has admitted his involvement. Knowing his thoughts the way I do, he probably assumes it has something to do with some other inappropriate behavior he's been caught at.
"Peter Christian, you stand before the Council today accused of aiding and abetting a known criminal act."
The realization of his former partner's apparent confession strikes him. His jaw drops, all the color drains from his face, and he begins to tremble.
"Do you deny these charges?"
Peter hangs his head in shame. "No."
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"Yes, I do."
"Go ahead."
"I know what I did was wrong and that I should have stopped her. But she promised me things if I helped her. She said nobody would ever find out. I did try to talk her out of it." The shame and embarrassment are evident on his face, as well as the remorse he feels for his actions.
"What kind of things did she promise you?"
The color rushes back to Peter's face. "With all due respect to the Council, I would prefer not to say. It's kind of personal."
Everyone is quiet again, except for their thoughts. Those hammer away inside my head like bullets ricocheting around a metal room. I'd been able to block a few, and some seem to either be immune to telepathy or have trained extensively in blocking telepaths. But there are still three or four dozen people's thoughts bouncing around in my head.
"Do you have anything else to say for yourself?"
Peter looks over at me and Lucy and drops his eyes to the floor in front of him. "I am so sorry. I never meant to cause you any trouble. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I swear."
I can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy. I know what she promised him. Any eighteen-year-old boy would have done the same thing. They can't help it that at that age their hormones control every single aspect of their lives. Even Talonians aren't immune to it.
The Council seems to understand that because even though they find him guilty, they are more lenient with him than they were with Abigail. "Having been found guilty of the charges against you, your graduation eligibility is being suspended for the duration of one Earth year. During this time, you will be required to repeat all ethics classes and serve ten hours per week of community service as determined by the headmaster. If you get into any kind of trouble during this period, you will be returned to Talonia to face formal charges."
Having dealt with the disciplinary review, the Council dismisses everyone with orders to go prepare for the upcoming graduation ceremony. They too need to make preparations, so they exit the gym surrounded by an entourage of guardians.
Once the Council is out of the gym, it once again erupts with the voices of its occupants.
We turn around to leave the gym, and I see Jake's parents talking with another guardian.
"Mr. and Mrs. Evans?"
Mrs. Evans turns to me, surprised. "Yes, how did you know?"
"Jake has your hair."
She smiles and appears distracted.
"I just wanted to say how proud we are of your son."
Mr. Evans turns to me. "He quit. There's nothing to be proud of."
The cold tone in his voice sends a chill down my spine. "He left the guardian program because he felt he could do more good as a healer. And he was right—he saved many lives over the last few days. My own and Ben's included."
Shock and pride replace the disappointment on their faces. "Wait, our son is a healer?"
"You didn't know? He hasn't told you yet?"
"No, we haven't seen him yet."
"Please don't tell him I told you. He'll never forgive me."
"Mona, what were you thinking? It isn't our place to tell his parents anything."
"I swear I thought he told them already."
"That's not the point. It wasn't our place."
I realize that I've just done exactly what I'm mad at Jake for doing. "I need to apologize to him. I was so hard on him for telling Lois our secret, and now I've told his parents his."
Ben puts his hand on my shoulder. "Time to go get ready."
"I still can't believe Jake's graduating as a healer."
Ben scoffs. "I can't believe I'm graduating at all."
"I can't believe they are going to permanently bond us tonight."
At some point in our mass disbelief citations, John found his way to us. "Well, kids, you better start believing really fast because it's happening, and you two have some preparing to do. I had someone deliver a few packages to your suite, Mona. You'll both need what's in them tonight."
Sure enough, when we arrive at our suite there are several packages sitting next to the couch. On the top of the stack of boxes is an envelope addressed to both me and Ben.
We sit on the couch and I open the envelope so I can remove its contents. There is a brief note from Lois. I read it out loud.
"To Ben, my beloved son. I always knew this day would come and I wanted to be ready. These past few days I have reached the realization that I will never be ready for this. My greatest dream for you is that you find the happiness you so truly deserve.
"To Mona, take good care of my boy. The enclosed letter is from your mother. I hope this will help explain many of your questions. I have never opened this envelope, nor do I know what is inside, only that they came with you when you were sent here. Remember that I will always love you both more than words can possibly explain."
I reach into the envelope again and pull out two smaller envelopes. One has my name on it. Ben's name is on the other. Both are in Talonian. I hand him his letter and turn my attention to mine. The handwriting is spectacular. I have always been fascinated by Talonian handwriting, and knowing that my mother had written this makes it that much more amazing.
On closer inspection, I notice that this is no ordinary envelope that someone would find in a stationery store. This envelope was hand-woven with great pride and emotion. I look closer at my name and notice that it isn't written on the envelope at all. Instead, it is delicately woven into it. When I hold it under the bare bulb of the lamp next to the couch, it shimmers like it is covered in glitter, but when I run my fingers across the surface it is smooth.
I decide I will learn more about the envelope later, and I turn it over. On the back side of the envelope, keeping it closed, is a purple silk ribbon tied in a bow. I run my fingers over the bow, reveling in its soft texture, and wonder how she knew all those years ago that my favorite color would be purple.
I carefully untie the bow and the envelope falls open and lays flat on my lap. Inside I find two notes. One is apparently a letter from my mother, explaining what the second letter is for.
I stand up and excuse myself. I want to be alone when I read this letter. It is the only thing in the world I have from my mother—not counting my eyes, hair, and traits, that is.