At his flank are two other councilors. They are the same men who presided over Abel’s trial. The same men Ivy had to face when she was accused of poisoning my brother. I was here on both those occasions, and I know they are not men who will be swayed by the charms of any woman. They are all wearing severe expressions as they look down on me in shame, and if it weren’t for Santi holding my arm, I might pass out entirely.

Judge is on my other side, his body rigid, and he’s not touching me. I don’t have to guess why. I’m certain he’s already received a few strange looks from my brother as I was laid out across his lap hurling my lunch up.

“I’m waiting for a response, young lady,” Hildebrand chides me, and Santi gives my arm a little squeeze as he speaks for me.

“It’s my fault,” he says, taking on the burden himself. “Mercedes wasn’t aware of the situation at hand. We thought it best not to worry her. She’s been… in a fragile state.”

“Fragile, how?” Hildebrand arches a brow at me. “It didn’t appear that way when she was at dinner, flirting away with Theron Montgomery without a care in the world.”

I swallow when Santi clearly doesn’t know how to respond to that, and I’m sure he’d like to believe I’ve lived without any guilt or remorse for the things I’ve done. But that’s simply not true.

“If I may.” Judge directs the councilor’s attention to him, stepping forward in a way that shows no fear. And for a moment, it makes me feel like maybe things will be okay. Because he does this every day. He knows how these situations work. Only that’s in the outside world. In our world, we all know nothing is ever certain.

“You may.” Hildebrand nods at Judge.

“As you are aware, Mercedes has been in my care for quite some time.”

“We are aware. A result of her involvement with her own brother’s poisoning, no doubt.”

Santi tenses beside me, and I want to look up at him and see his expression more than anything, but I know I can’t.