Chapter 36
The crowds had already gathered by6Please respect copyright.PENANACpltLi3gsz
the time Vander had left the basement and been brought outside. He could feel6Please respect copyright.PENANASraGljtJw8
that everything was placed on a knife’s edge just waiting for someone to do6Please respect copyright.PENANAzKiBPwIpVM
something to light a match under the powder keg. There were five soldiers in6Please respect copyright.PENANALMdFfY3vjF
front of him, two of them were holding the chains to his hands, while the five6Please respect copyright.PENANArxQKlYX4bJ
behind him were holding his leg iron chains. There were guards surrounding him6Please respect copyright.PENANABbwegnRKS0
as well to keep anyone from trying anything, or to keep him from escaping.
“How do you like the crowd?”6Please respect copyright.PENANATkf8tE5BQx
Vander turned his head to see Leon smirking next to him. Leon had always felt6Please respect copyright.PENANA0OS0G8tmrg
inferior to Vander, he wasn’t sure why, but it was always a one-sided contest6Please respect copyright.PENANAvhgbL2Egfo
between the two of them.
“I’m glad to see you haven’t6Please respect copyright.PENANAFlhO9Rhqwp
changed at all.” Vander snorted. “I assume that this was your doing?”
“Of course.” Leon laughed. “I6Please respect copyright.PENANAysAMJOcVXq
wanted everyone to see you fall. It would make quite the story don’t you6Please respect copyright.PENANAfwGe8TpLsC
think?”
“If you think this will change6Please respect copyright.PENANA23IJaCbsvv
anyone’s mind about you, you’re sadly mistaken.” Vander shook his head. “You’re6Please respect copyright.PENANAVhjE9hTB6t
still just a baby hiding behind his father’s power. No one will respect you. No6Please respect copyright.PENANAd4ThgicQaK
one will like you. The sooner you face facts, the happier you will be.”
“I don’t have to take that from a6Please respect copyright.PENANAYsaADhCi2w
king slayer.” Leon hissed. “I’ll be there in the front row when they hang you.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAOqrcffXkFE
With that Leon walked off to the front of the procession.
As they made their way into the6Please respect copyright.PENANAd1GPgERjvP
east district, Vander saw some familiar faces amongst the crowd. Many of them6Please respect copyright.PENANATi8W9yu5Lq
he had helped in the past and while he was glad to see them, he was embarrassed6Please respect copyright.PENANASgzAx59oSZ
to have them see him like this. He wasn’t Malcolm’s killer, but did the others6Please respect copyright.PENANACZzSzK6HoQ
believe him? It was hard to be sure. His eyes met Julianna’s. She didn’t look6Please respect copyright.PENANAYXT4Xke9KD
away, but her face was grim. He turned away from her.
“Vander!” He heard her shout.6Please respect copyright.PENANAeMYYgbKuAe
“Don’t give up, we’re with you!” He looked over to see that Julianna had held6Please respect copyright.PENANAOyv2IEMvFa
her fist up in the air. Slowly and surely the others did the same. They didn’t6Please respect copyright.PENANAKNlFWKlnAk
scream, they didn’t shout, they didn’t rush the soldiers to free him. They6Please respect copyright.PENANAm16Dfr4RoA
showed solidarity with him, as if they didn’t believe what was being said about6Please respect copyright.PENANAqWDlhyf1tZ
him. He would have to prove their trust in him was correctly placed.
“Keep it moving!” one of the6Please respect copyright.PENANAvq7DRqPx6l
guards shoved Vander in the back causing him to stumble. He caught himself and6Please respect copyright.PENANAcwaTH97q6d
kept walking.
The road through the middle6Please respect copyright.PENANAahvOh1r8XQ
district was cleared for everyone. The nobles didn’t care about this, it was6Please respect copyright.PENANAuIPSXuTjwI
below their station. They were likely asleep or cheating on their spouses. It6Please respect copyright.PENANAWsM7mkjzIz
was those in the third ring that would give him the most difficult time: the6Please respect copyright.PENANAHtP4n0wrNu
comrades he served with for most of his life. It was their judgement that would6Please respect copyright.PENANAGkgJ2yvrs1
hurt the most. Nothing could prepare him for what he expected to face from6Please respect copyright.PENANAQLIvUyPdFY
them.
The Blades were standing on both6Please respect copyright.PENANAovo1Vu20vN
sides of the road with the rest of the army behind them. He knew Alex wasn’t6Please respect copyright.PENANATuITmUXBe8
there, but he saw Chicken, Rooster, Forest, Briar, and Eve standing amongst6Please respect copyright.PENANA8gv8EjWpea
them. In the few months he had been gone, it looked as though they had aged6Please respect copyright.PENANASE28CXS4Cj
considerably. He could tell Chicken was close to tears, but she held them back.6Please respect copyright.PENANAvL1SlXIimy
Rooster looked straight ahead with a bewildered expression on his face. Forest6Please respect copyright.PENANAhcUUQg2EqL
and Briar held each other’s hands, but Eve looked annoyed for some reason. He6Please respect copyright.PENANAmWoKRsT7jd
felt a little bad that his grandfather wasn’t around. He had taken the brunt of6Please respect copyright.PENANA9sNrDU9d1J
the punishment and now it would be his turn if he couldn’t convince the council6Please respect copyright.PENANAOOuTqK1DMv
he was innocent.
He was brought up the castle steps6Please respect copyright.PENANAeFlDBBmESb
then towards the council chamber. Most of his guard detail was left behind with6Please respect copyright.PENANAsCbthnyouz
only the four guards holding his chains, Eric Jilena, and Leon escorting him to6Please respect copyright.PENANA2Va6FCLuex
the council chamber for judgement to be passed upon him. However, they took him6Please respect copyright.PENANAtuVpDcVwgi
to the throne room instead. Two Blades opened the door revealing the large6Please respect copyright.PENANAGEsiUhE74k
empty space, the only thing there was the throne where Cuvera was sitting.6Please respect copyright.PENANAqP1532Uu99
Behind him was Kiara and Eliza. Spaced evenly around them were the remaining6Please respect copyright.PENANAXJzbevxWdr
council members and they did not look happy in the least.
Peyton Cranton sat next to Cuvera6Please respect copyright.PENANAEXbnmyqD4t
with a small smile on his face. He had likely been waiting for this for a very6Please respect copyright.PENANAFBBAETWhcG
long time.
“We brought him.” Eric pulled the6Please respect copyright.PENANAFEM5MiCNmq
chains causing Vander to stumble, falling to his knees.
“Remove the chains.” Cuvera6Please respect copyright.PENANAwYLB1ggiH7
instructed.
“My King?” Eric asked. “Is that6Please respect copyright.PENANAcxQQ4BjAyq
wise? He already killed your father and my son. He’s dangerous. He should be…”
“I gave you an order General.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA9bYYCk3gWs
Cuvera snapped. “Do not make me repeat myself.” Eric debated whether to6Please respect copyright.PENANAhiehtGj7gd
disobey, but eventually he relented. Vander felt the chains leave his hands6Please respect copyright.PENANAdBcwfEjYRl
then clatter on the ground. He rubbed his wrists tenderly hoping to get the6Please respect copyright.PENANAsg3rn7Qf8n
feeling back into them. “Step forward.”
Vander walked until he was ten6Please respect copyright.PENANALcm8KGzIgA
feet away from the throne, before dropping to one knee, bowing in front of his6Please respect copyright.PENANAiPrpnz2xSh
friend. He looked up to see that Cuvera had aged considerably these past few6Please respect copyright.PENANAkSYQELeVEJ
months. He was now sporting a thick brown beard. His eyes were dark, likely not6Please respect copyright.PENANALQt9QtcvD8
getting enough sleep, and it appeared as though Kiara was pregnant with their6Please respect copyright.PENANAdLVrzsvejP
first child. She was looking at Vander with a worried expression on her face.6Please respect copyright.PENANAVtLZrQJugu
Eliza’s face was unreadable, but he detected some concern in her eyes. He6Please respect copyright.PENANAw9ujUU21H0
didn’t want to give anything away, so he just kept his eyes focused straight6Please respect copyright.PENANA7AYqv2xTKO
ahead.
He noticed that the four Warden’s6Please respect copyright.PENANAUBTAz6I5Tg
from the other regions were also in attendance. Jewelthorne looked bored, as if6Please respect copyright.PENANAaTcb6yTrGg
he had been forced to be there. Valyrian looked at him with disgust while6Please respect copyright.PENANAf5rgvMIAni
Whitesun, the one he knew the least, looked at him with interest. Mari looked6Please respect copyright.PENANAwp8RB2leAT
at him with a small smile, as if she was telling him that everything was going6Please respect copyright.PENANA4Yg3AhKfV4
to be alright. Despite her demeanor, he felt that it was going to be everything6Please respect copyright.PENANAwzmH4AWRC4
but.
“You know why you are here,6Please respect copyright.PENANAqLRm0AWTzY
Vander, Blade Captain?” Cuvera’s voice echoed through the room.
“Yes.” Vander admitted. “I am6Please respect copyright.PENANAeifLh851iw
accused of killing Malcolm and Jeffery Jilena.”
“Last night you were also seen6Please respect copyright.PENANAchzPzG9Eq8
fleeing from the northern district right before Humi, Humjir’s head priest, was6Please respect copyright.PENANAJpEEfPx31c
found dead.” Cuvera explained.
“Humi died?” Vander was6Please respect copyright.PENANAJoYyVuBNAb
disappointed. He had hoped that the guards would have gotten there in time, but6Please respect copyright.PENANAsgtEfazNkb
he guessed wrong.
“What do you have to say for6Please respect copyright.PENANAudK2yX1I63
yourself?”
“Innocent on all accounts.” A6Please respect copyright.PENANAxm6GfdDdF8
collective gasp went up from the council members. Anna Jilena looked like her6Please respect copyright.PENANAJwJNuCXiV2
head was about to explode.
“I’ll give you a chance to tell6Please respect copyright.PENANAln8eSDA7zG
your side of the story.” Cuvera said. “Explain to me how Lord Cranton saw you6Please respect copyright.PENANAw2pLv3jLR4
kill my father, us all watching you flee the room in a hurry, then finding6Please respect copyright.PENANAIQcHVXYzxb
Jeffery Jilena dead on the ground with his throat cut.”
“I see.” Vander sighed. “Must we6Please respect copyright.PENANAiMNrqepMXs
do this in front of them?” He motioned towards the council. “I’d rather just6Please respect copyright.PENANA6pDFqdPvm5
talk to you alone.”
“So, you could kill him?” Peyton6Please respect copyright.PENANABwoPcPbEoi
laughed. “I think not. You’re the criminal here, you don’t get special6Please respect copyright.PENANA0hk5bO3Rgi
treatment.” As much as he hated to admit it, Peyton was right. So, he told them6Please respect copyright.PENANAyUNtkWlxSh
what had happened.
He started by talking about what6Please respect copyright.PENANAw6nDoOXDOB
had happened in the catacombs when Cuvera went to visit his mother. Boar had6Please respect copyright.PENANAx6yN0isXRU
come to him in a vision, telling him to grab the book on the gods that Malcolm6Please respect copyright.PENANAaa12LrRX3u
had shown him in his office. Not bothering to question his ancestor, Vander6Please respect copyright.PENANA7dHc8PGfW8
waited until everyone was distracted before sneaking into the library and6Please respect copyright.PENANAkoyw0qCp6o
grabbing the book. Malcolm had seen him, but before either of them could say a6Please respect copyright.PENANASVbWmi0XDa
word to each other Peyton had run him through with a sword.
Peyton didn’t even flinch when6Please respect copyright.PENANAb9vqCEvl89
Vander pointed at him, and while some of the council members looked at him6Please respect copyright.PENANAuEjpDrpDbj
sideways, Vander could tell very few believed him.
After that, he ran away because he6Please respect copyright.PENANAn4Z9oZRFxM
knew Peyton would blame Vander for the deaths even though he had nothing to do6Please respect copyright.PENANAgZXy2Pbxga
with it. Jeffery had found him on the lawn but had asked Vander to knock him6Please respect copyright.PENANAywhXpUGkH6
out then escape. Vander punched him in the stomach before jumping against the6Please respect copyright.PENANAh01ceqgKSG
wall.
Topal whispered to the council6Please respect copyright.PENANAJLiH5JIlhc
member next to him, but it was so quiet that Vander could hear what was being6Please respect copyright.PENANAW1Z2ZBrzcJ
said.
Vander continued. He fled to the6Please respect copyright.PENANAuHJHWYd50F
Orange Fox because he knew the stigma surrounding the place would keep him safe6Please respect copyright.PENANAWW4Rx7iKYr
while he could figure out what to do next. For three months he used the6Please respect copyright.PENANAJjKaJQHYw7
resources available to him to track down and find the Serpents, however he6Please respect copyright.PENANAfbEUR0nRGe
didn’t go into too much detail. He killed seven of them, then discovered a note6Please respect copyright.PENANA1JJquEtBKH
sending an assassin known as Fang after him. Afterwards he went to talk to Humi6Please respect copyright.PENANAt4Yb5Ze8wW
when they were attacked by an assassin. He told Vander to flee while holding6Please respect copyright.PENANAWkJ5Cntdzo
them off, but he guessed he didn’t last much longer after that.
“Then you found me two days6Please respect copyright.PENANABvtqmey2Vn
later.” Vander finished. “That’s all that happened.”
“Seems whoever you talk to just6Please respect copyright.PENANAspcR0wFCre
seems to be killed.” Peyton said. “There is a pattern here, Vander, I’m not6Please respect copyright.PENANA7l94krBSuq
sure if anyone else can see it, but I can.”
“I also agree with Peyton.” Anna6Please respect copyright.PENANAWq258n8lY8
Jilena seethed. “My son is dead because of you. Your story of what happened is6Please respect copyright.PENANAmJC3SxuGbg
nonsense. My son’s throat was cut, there no question there.”
“If I may.” Topal raised his hand.6Please respect copyright.PENANAaDGfEYjqXg
“When I did the autopsy of Jeffery, I noticed some discoloration around his6Please respect copyright.PENANAVYV8JOBDHR
diaphragm along with some bruising within his lungs. To me, it seemed as though6Please respect copyright.PENANA2EvARoz7wE
he had been struck five minutes before his throat was cut. There also wasn’t a6Please respect copyright.PENANA4ioQuDwd8P
blood trail leading from the body to the wall.”
“He killed him!” Anna screeched.6Please respect copyright.PENANA5kptUtpTDa
Bickering broke out amongst the council members causing Cuvera to stand up from6Please respect copyright.PENANAostuh49yHg
the throne.
“Take him to the dungeons until we6Please respect copyright.PENANACrZ9CpMnq3
get this settled.” Cuvera instructed. Bowing his head, Eric placed his hand on6Please respect copyright.PENANAiyZSDSsNDp
Vander’s shoulders. Sighing, Vander stood up allowing himself to be led towards6Please respect copyright.PENANAWhHv1tpurz
the dungeons.
Before Eric handed him over to the6Please respect copyright.PENANAO7swlnlSI0
jailers, he made Vander face him.
“My son, Jeffery, he respected you6Please respect copyright.PENANA9eWwrJHxaz
a lot.” He spoke. “For his sake, I hope your innocent.”
6Please respect copyright.PENANAUkjJtQqcz4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAOq4oI4HuPE
6Please respect copyright.PENANAb2Bx0s5tS2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbCS12Et0nT
6Please respect copyright.PENANAf2Yz5t4h2z
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeUpWPQZZo7
6Please respect copyright.PENANALYiAgFCQd8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxMCZCwVGXL
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeSkMghEZHX
6Please respect copyright.PENANAsg7Jrxj27B
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2mtmZQS2xz
6Please respect copyright.PENANADtuhEb6lqE
6Please respect copyright.PENANAWLEpLCH9G7
6Please respect copyright.PENANAAtcu9uFpxf
6Please respect copyright.PENANArJRJvYc8Tx
6Please respect copyright.PENANAX88fappiMW
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1yilTisGGh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAScQus7xXAF
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4oQ30XPBah
6Please respect copyright.PENANAmpsROxlqS5
6Please respect copyright.PENANAp7aEAMR4a2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqzzK32Dysh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbpAnZeen7s
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6FpctbjCYh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAMuvgfuopDv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwF6xZttwVv
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4UlspzJKUS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzbcbsrFzCz
6Please respect copyright.PENANAJwA1WavOj0
6Please respect copyright.PENANA8GVqIGNond
6Please respect copyright.PENANAn9StVze1o2
6Please respect copyright.PENANA8S6dA7YtTf
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQZs8N4BvlO
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwBOMCw3Sp7
6Please respect copyright.PENANArC9EZM7LvM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAkiQomH094Z
6Please respect copyright.PENANABJapzZoKz7
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlY8H1LlEHf
6Please respect copyright.PENANAziOQVlbTje
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqiAZGTDI8Y
6Please respect copyright.PENANAtTFKKo9U1S
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1lGNjyMwk6
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQfKL0X8EGl
6Please respect copyright.PENANAAdm4iBLbEs
6Please respect copyright.PENANART6IFDeqRP
6Please respect copyright.PENANANw64HRbL4S
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZMt6Zkj1J4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAig3ZWjXGHh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAGBwaotZLp0
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeqCSdUqHzx
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbROUIXIM48
6Please respect copyright.PENANAY4niGMK710
6Please respect copyright.PENANARRUBG9ZovC
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxmmXjG3LhZ
6Please respect copyright.PENANAaXX1V9nl02
6Please respect copyright.PENANAz8tujhcA3V
6Please respect copyright.PENANAc3v4pMsjAm
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbID3iy1VTT
6Please respect copyright.PENANAOoA4SAB5Ya
6Please respect copyright.PENANA5Yk9vtcNzX
6Please respect copyright.PENANALdWvQCDQbq
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXElXKgNQS5
6Please respect copyright.PENANABVmmK2Aq62
6Please respect copyright.PENANAONmKN7tAvU
6Please respect copyright.PENANAd9mGuP2yK3
6Please respect copyright.PENANAtwoCzDlmyS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9f8FusYAY
6Please respect copyright.PENANAtiJMDvATvm
6Please respect copyright.PENANAaUvRqyXZtM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAGLbCHfpJzr
6Please respect copyright.PENANASGhHGWWxBF
6Please respect copyright.PENANAiT9grVYN5A
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXLAJdYyZD1
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbUOqvN3LcH
6Please respect copyright.PENANAEkbKVfBlx8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQLL4gzxwC1
6Please respect copyright.PENANAfKfzLAVutv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAoNOHgZx75b
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvxjnQOaO3K
6Please respect copyright.PENANACmV9uSfpTX
6Please respect copyright.PENANAfo2b07eSTd
6Please respect copyright.PENANA3Z2CKQp5GI
6Please respect copyright.PENANAj6M6iCK5ZC
6Please respect copyright.PENANAITP2JHLeLY
6Please respect copyright.PENANAI6tMjYvVzB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvRGTrNDS3L
“I am.” Vander nodded. Perhaps6Please respect copyright.PENANAWEmJJo31mT
taking some solace at that fact, Eric gave him a small smile. He snapped his6Please respect copyright.PENANAXv30PaWfZT
fingers. The two jailers walked up, grabbed Vander’s arms, and brought him to6Please respect copyright.PENANAPqSPPteika
his cell. They pushed him into the dank, musty flat that had rags for a blanket6Please respect copyright.PENANAIa3fOCKiHK
and very little warmth. The slammed the door shut, covering him in darkness.