Read The Mark (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Toil and Trouble) Online
Authors: Charisma Cole
The Mark (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Toil and Trouble) (23 page)
“What did you say, Accused?”
“Nothing,” I said hoarsely. “Nothing important.”
“You will repeat yourself, child,” the judge rumbled.
I glanced over at Jack who flashed me a supportive smile.
“Athanasia and I?” I said slowly, raising my eyes to the Watchers. “We have a history.”
Murmurs flitted around the room at my confession.
The Judge’s ire turned to Ana. “Does she speak the truth?”
Ana pulled at her robe like it was suddenly hot and uncomfortable. “I think ‘history’ is slightly exaggeration.”
“That’s a lie!” I erupted. “When you found out Jack and I were serious, you tried to lure me away from him with Riley. And just a few hours ago, you were threatening to do the Watchers a solid and end me.”
I got a measure of comfort seeing the Watchers turn their attention to Ana. None of them looked enthused that she’d tried to rob them of their rights as enforcers.
“The Accused is just trying to use smoke and mirrors to distract you from the truth,” Ana said, her eyes wild.
But the Judge was still looking at Ana like she was something stuck on the bottom of her walking stick. “Do you have a history with the Accused—yes or no.”
We were all riveted watching as the sleek vampire, usually the picture of poise and grace, was reduced to two feet tall.
“Y-yes, but-”
“You are relieved, madam,” the Judge commanded.
Ana’s mouth snapped shut as she bowed then turned to the exit. She flashed me a look of hate then stomped down the aisle, casting frigid glances at the audience.
The judge let out a weary sigh that rattled my bones.
“We’ll convene the trial until the next full moon to give the Watchers time to find a suitable replacement for Athanasia.”
The crowd erupted with displeasure and I found that even I was booing. Now that I was here and realized all it took to get me to build up the courage to come in the first place, I couldn’t imagine going through all this again.
The Judge looked at me curiously. “The accused does not wish to postpone judgment?”
I shook my head.
“Even though such postponement would give you the opportunity to have a Measurer that holds no bias towards you?”
I bit my lip as the room quieted, the audience hoping I’d say yes.
I didn’t disappoint. “Yes, Judge. I just…” The words caught in my throat. “I can’t do this again. If you’re going to kill me for something I didn’t do, I’d rather you just get on with it.”
The Judge recoiled like I’d hit her. Mom always said my mouth would get me in trouble one day. But instead of screeching, “Off with her head!” She turned to the Watchers. “Are you prepared to pass judgment on the guilt or innocence of Jade Catherine Murray?”
The Watchers exchanged glances then in unison said, “Aye.”
“How do you rule?”
The vampire gave me a smile that made my blood run cold. “Guilty.”
The werewolf stretched her arms above her head. “Not guilty.”
I did a silent fist pump.
The fairy ruffled her short, spiky hair. “Guilty.” She looked me up and down like she wanted to eat me up. “Sorry, beautiful.”
The troll crossed his arms, his grotesque eyes rolling. “Not guilty.”
The angel flashed me a supportive smile. “Not guilty.”
The demon let out a bitter chuckle. “Guilty. Of course.”
The room was dead silent as all eyes turned to the pagan goddess. She held my life in her tiny hands.
I closed my eyes and said one last prayer. The goddess raked her fingers through her hair. “The necromancer made some seriously bad judgment calls.” She narrowed her pitch black eyes. “Involving a human in a necromancy and dating a vampire-questionable, no doubt.” Her pause drug on as she glanced around the room, making sure everyone was hanging on every word. “But I know killers. Hell, I am a killer.” She shrugged her thin shoulders. “Jade is no killer. A blind man could see that.” She glanced at me and inclined her head. “Not guilty.”
The room erupted as the audience leapt to their feet. I knew most of the yelps were ones of anger and disappointment, but I didn’t care. I added my sobs of triumph to the chorus, sinking to my knees.
“Not guilty!” I screamed as Jack, Mom, and Riley rushed toward me. “Not guilty!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
After Party
It’d been a good thing my mother performed a cloaking spell to protect me, because after the Watchers safely exited the Great Hall, chaos ensued. Many of the creatures traveled far and wide for the trial and wouldn’t see it as worth it unless someone, anyone bled.
Jack stuck to me like glue, snarling if any creature, especially Riley, looked our way.
When we pushed back to the parking lot, I gave Riley a reluctant smile. In spite of everything, Riley supported me when it counted. I could at least tell him goodbye.
Jack got my wavelength and shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I’ll be right back.” I insisted. To remind Riley that I was his, he pulled me in for a heart stopping kiss that made the world spin. It went straight to my groin and I felt my core flutter at his nearness.
When I stepped back, I shook my head at him with a laugh. “Wanna brand me while you’re at it?”
“Just don’t take too long,” he smirked. “Sia’s having a little victory get together and they’re all waiting for the guest of honor.”
“Just a sec,” I repeated, untangling myself from him.
Riley stood near the sidewalk, picking at a broken piece of glass. I could feel the heat coming off him in waves.
“I know you have a party to get to.” Riley said acidly, avoiding my gaze. “You should go.”
I reached over and touched his sleeve. “I have questions. About you and Ana. About Arrissa. About us-”
“But you have a boyfriend.”
“I have a boyfriend,” I repeated. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
He shot me a look that mirrored the one leaving creatures wore. It was a look of disappointment. Of frustration.
“What?” I said peevishly. “We can’t start over?”
He moved in close, making the hair on my arm stand at attention when he brushed my skin. “I don’t know if I can be your friend, Jade. I can’t be within five feet of you and not want to devour you. Every last inch.”
My cheeks blushed scarlet as I took a step back, painfully aware of the daggers Jack was shooting our way.
“Well,” I said, jutting out a hand. “It was mostly nice seeing you, Riley.”
He accepted it, gripping my hand tightly. “Give me a call when you pass the vampire phase.”
Before I could lay some snark on him, he pulled away, disappearing in the mad scramble. Mad scramble didn’t do it justice, really. I could feel the electric, hungry pulse in the air. I pitied the fool that crossed a supernatural tonight.
I turned back to Jack’s Mustang. “Where’s Mom?”
“She said she had a bit of a headache. And fairy shindigs really aren’t her thing.”
I slid up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You know, I’m not really in a partying mood myself. We could always celebrate more…privately.”
His fangs glistened as his lips curled into a grin. “Now that’s a party I can get behind.”
Just as our lips met, my phone screeched to life.
“Hold that though,” I said, pecking him on the cheek. I glanced at my cell screen. It was Sia.
“So Sia is pulling out the big guns, warning there will be a Guilt Trip to Rule All Guilt Trips if I skip out on her party.”
Jack’s emerald eyes scanned me with desire as he bit his lip. “If she knew how beautiful you looked-”
I playfully shoved him toward the driver’s door. “One of the beautiful things about being acquitted is that we have a lifetime of nights to celebrate.”
He let out a disappointed sight that made butterflies dance in my stomach. An hour ago I was certain that I’d never kiss him, never be with him again. I was convinced my last minutes on earth wouldn’t be with the ones I loved and loved me, but championed by creatures that paid money to watch me die.
I gave my head a hard shake as I buckled my seatbelt. I refused to sully my victory by focusing on how bad this evening could have been. It was a new day, ripe and full of possibilities.
I rolled my window down as we pulled onto Hillsborough street, the road peppered with students shuffling home after a night out. There was one girl, petite, her eyes on her cellphone that caught my glance.
“Not very smart of her to be traipsing around Hills at two am. Especially with the things in the shadows.” My mind went through a short list of possible outcomes. A vampire could drag her into the alley or-
“Don’t,” Jack said firmly. “She’s an adult and she’s not your concern. Not tonight.”
“Right,” I said, forcing a smile as we pulled into the inK parking lot. “You’re right.”
We sashayed out of the car, our feet crunching on the gravel. I shot a bewildered glance at Jack. I’d been to one of Sia’s soiree’s before and it was a rip roaring time…as in you-can-hear-it-for-miles good times.
But the night air was quiet except for the whooshes and sounds of cars zipping by. Dead silent.
I rolled my eyes. “If this is going to be one of those ‘surprise!’ kinda things…” I planted roots, but Jack laughed, pulling me toward the building.
“You’re the one that insisted we stopped by. And considering I could be carrying you up the stairs, minutes from making sweet, passionate love to you, we’re staying for at least fifteen minutes.”
“Fine,” I pouted. “Fifteen minutes, tops.”
We walked to the front door and pushed it open.
InK was bathed in darkness.
“Okay,” I said in a singsong voice. “I’m here, Sia. And I’m absolutely surprised.”
Silence.
“Sia?” I took a step forward and froze as my shoe sunk into something warm and wet.
“Jack?” I whispered.
I felt his hand gripping me as he swung me behind him. “Something’s wrong. Very wrong.”
I shielded my eyes as a series of lights were flicked and the room was flooded with light.
“Oh my god,” I whispered hoarsely.
Body parts were strewn all over the room. Arms, legs, torso, hands, severed heads.
I gagged as I looked down and saw that the warm wetness I felt was someone’s intestines, lying in a circle like a serpent.
I felt dizzy, faint, but Jack steadied me. In the middle of the carnage I saw a petite, frail figure. It was Sia. She was clad in white—or the dress used to be white. Now it looked more reddish brown than anything else, splotched with blood and guts smeared from spaghetti strap to her long morbid train.
A chuckle erupted from Sia’s mouth, a familiar tune.
I stepped forward. “Sia?!”
She whirled around and I screamed, falling back into Jack’s arms.
Her true face, the one she hid so well behind beauty and innocence festered and slithered. Her violet eyes took up half her face and were wide and bloodshot. There were only two slits where her button nose used to be. When she let out another laugh, her mouth was cavernous, filled with row after row of razor sharp teeth.