Heart of the Ocean (The Equilibrium Cycle Book 2) Read online

  "Yes, Consul," Sabia answered, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her.

  "Can you describe what you were ordered to do for the judges?"

  Sabia hesitated, taking a few short breaths, before finally speaking. "Several months ago, shortly after the Magus had been expelled from the city, I was approached by Riker, another Guardian, and asked to join him on an assignment from a Consul."

  "Did you meet with the Consul yourself?" asked Alain.

  "I did not, but Riker had."

  "And who did he say that Consul was?"

  "Torin, the former Consulari."

  "Thank you. Continue, Guardian."

  "We were instructed to follow a young Consul home and make sure she understood not to interfere with the Consul's authority."

  "Is that young Consul here today?" Laila heard an edge to her father's voice as he caught her eyes, looking away from the Guardian briefly. He did not like using this as testimony against Torin, but it was one of the more damning pieces. She nodded toward him, accepting it.

  "She is." Sabia turned and pointed toward Laila. "Former Consul Laila."

  "Thank you, Sabia," Alain motioned to dismiss her back to her seat, the point of her testimony having been given.

  For the first time, Torin spoke up. "Ah, but what happened on that night, Guardian?" he snapped.

  "Your turn will come, Torin," Alain said.

  "Of course. You don't want that knowledge to get out," Torin continued. His voice was harsh but calm. He was not the broken man he had been after Laila's confrontation with Casus, "The rumors have already spread through the city—"

  "Enough!" snapped Alain.

  "The people know, Consul. I may be guilty of the things you say. But you are harboring a Magus in your home, two if I'm not mistaken."

  "Enough, I said!" Alain's voice continued to rise.

  "The Consul is correct, Torin," Gregor said. "You will have your chance to speak on your own behalf. Until then, you must remain silent."

  Torin straightened his shoulders and closed his mouth. He glared at Alain as Sabia moved back to her seat. There were still murmurs running through the crowd. Even though Torin had been silenced, he had proven his point. And just before Laila, the Magus that her father was harboring, was supposed to testify.

  Alain stood for a moment, gathering himself. Then, turning back to the judges, he said, "Next I would call Laila, former Consul of Terus."

  One of the judges scoffed openly, but Gregor quickly silenced him.

  "Proceed, Consul."

  Alain motioned for Laila to stand. She did, pulling herself up on her staff and walking toward the judges. Her father smiled at her briefly. She knew he was just trying to calm her, but she knew they just needed to get this over with as quickly as possible.

  "Laila, I have written testimony from you stating your belief that Torin was manipulated by a power outside of Terus."

  "Yes, Consul," Laila answered formally.

  "Would you please elaborate?"

  "I believe that Casus, Torin's assistant, was manipulating him in order to instigate a war with the Aurai."

  "The Aurai? Air elementals?"

  "Yes."

  She watched a few of the judges shake their head in surprise. Had she spoken of the Aurai a few months ago, prior to any of these events, she would have been laughed at. Now, however, the proof was strewn about the Hall floor. Not all the Consuls had been present during her fight with Nuriel, but those who had not had definitely heard the story.

  "You also believe Casus was not who he claimed to be?" her father pressed.

  "I do."

  "And who might that be?"

  "He called himself Nuriel, the Aspect of Fire."

  That drew a more stunned response from not only the judges, but the others in the Hall.

  Torin snorted derisively. "Do you see? Yet again, the Magi try to—"

  "Silence, Torin." This came from the judge sitting next to Gregor. He turned his attention back to Laila. "Please, continue, Shi Wardein."

  Laila nodded, glancing sidelong at Torin as he glared at her. "I believe Nuriel, or Casus, was intentionally provoking a war with the Aurai, and he was using Torin and Terus as his proxy."

  "Thank you, Shi Wardein," her father said, finally waving her back to her seat. "Testimony has been heard and my arguments have been made."

  That ended Alain's portion of the trial. The judges nodded in acknowledgement. As Alain took a seat next to the judges, Gregor turned to Torin.

  "You are allowed to speak on your own behalf. But know, Torin, that this panel will not listen to accusations against another Consul. You are on trial here, no one else."

  Torin cocked his head to one side, considering for a moment. Finally he nodded and stepped forward, away from the Guardians. Laila gripped her staff tightly, ready for whatever may come. Her confrontation with Nuriel had happened so suddenly that she had no idea what to expect from Torin. She quickly glanced up and located Connor and Icarus. They were sitting near the top of the Hall, watching intently. She hoped they were as on guard as she was.

  Torin faced the judges, preparing himself. Then he turned away from the judges and looked up into the Hall. "I will not try and defend my actions to those sitting here," he waved behind him, toward the judges. "I will explain to you, instead. The people of Terus.

  "Everything I have done, I have done for love of Terus and against the fear of it falling. Yes, I used the Guardians to try and unite the other cities of the Confederacy. As strong as we are, Terus alone cannot stand against what is coming. We needed allies, strength in numbers. I would never deliberately try to undermine the Confederacy. I love the Confederacy and all that we as Teruns and Citizens stand for.

  "But." His hand shot out, pointing at Laila. "Do you not see what they are trying to do? Consul Alain, a highly regarded Consul, is simply trying to mask the fact that his very own daughter has become one of those who threatened our way of life so long ago. The Magi have ever preyed on the fears of Citizens in order to pursue their own goals, regardless of the cost to us. I stood up against the Magus that appeared a few months ago. Casting him out, as he deserved, trying, as he was, to stir up dissent and fear. And what happened? He takes one of our own with him, only to convert her to his dead religion and use her to manipulate us!"

  A few shouts of agreement echoed through the Hall, but they were quickly silenced by a hand from Gregor.

  "That's enough, Torin," he began.

  "It is not!" snapped Torin, turning to look at Gregor. "The people will hear what I have to say. I am allowed."

  "Let him speak," said the Consul on the far side of the table, the one who had seemed to find it difficult to pay attention to the trial. Gregor relented.

  Torin turned back to the crowd. "I will not fight the Consuls. I will abide by their decision. But know this, Citizens of Terus. There is a war coming. The Aurai will not stand idly and watch us prepare. Yes, I worked with Casus, but only to prevent what he knew to be coming. The Magus claims Casus was an Aspect of Fire. I will not speak to the absurdity of that, but there is something behind the Aurai army. A darker power, and it will see Terus burn!"

  A murmur ran through the crowd again. Torin turned back to the judges, a satisfied smile on his face.

  "I await the judgment of the Consulate," he said.

  Laila sat uncomfortably in her father's office. Following Torin's testimony, the judging Consuls had drawn the trial to a close and sequestered themselves to make their judgment. Despite Torin's grand speech, Alain had expressed his certainty in the final judgment.

  "The evidence is too overwhelming. Whatever his reasons are, Torin acted in stark contrast to his goals as a Consul, placing Terus in harm's way. Torin knows this. He has to know this, and honestly, his testimony speaks to that."

  "What do you mean?" Laila asked, looking up from her seat.

  "That speech was not meant for the judges. He knew he'd already lost. It was for the people. Torin has always been able to
stir the emotions of the people. It's one of the things that made him a successful Consul. Everything he said at the trial was meant to spark those emotions. Torin's looking for followers."

  Laila considered that for a moment. Followers for what? Then she shook her head. Even with everything that had happened, she was still in the dark about her situation. Her vision at Grimmere still echoed in her mind. She had stopped, at least she hoped she had, Torin from continuing the harm he was causing her family. And the fiery image must have been Nuriel, the one who had been manipulating Torin. But, there was still the darker shadow that had been behind Nuriel, pulling all the strings.

  She sighed heavily. "Why would he want followers?" she asked finally.

  Her father shrugged. "I don't know. But should the judges find him guilty, he will be exiled, a Xenos. Perhaps he wants some to come with him and join in whatever mad scheme he has in mind."

  Laila could hear the exhaustion in her father's voice. He paced back and forth in front of her as he spoke. His shoulders sagged and his head dipped forward.

  "I'm sorry, Father," Laila said softly.

  He stopped mid-pace. Turning to her, he took the seat next to her. "Do not apologize, Laila-sa. You did not choose this."

  Laila could only nod her head.

  "I only want you to be safe. Torin’s fate is secondary to that. I do not care what he does after this as long he is nowhere near you, child." He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek.

  Laila sighed again, leaning her cheek against his hand briefly, then straightening in her seat, pulling her shoulders back.

  "Thank you," she whispered.

  A light knock on the frame of the entrance drew both their attention. Connor leaned his head into the doorway.

  "It's time. The Consuls have made their decision."

  "Good," Alain answered, standing and reaching his hand down to help Laila to her feet.

  For the second time, Alain, Laila, Connor, and Icarus made their way through the corridors to the Consulate Hall. When they arrived, they saw that the hall was full once again. Torin stood, defiantly, in the same spot he had during the trial. The judging Consuls were filing in just as Laila and her group arrived. Alain led them to a bench midway down the hall. He was no longer needed for the trial, so they did not need to sit at the floor level. From here on they were only observers.

  Once the Consuls had settled themselves into their seats, Gregor stood, facing down Torin. The murmuring in the Hall died down as he stood and all present watched intently. Torin lifted his eyes to met Gregor's. From their position to the side, Laila could see the contempt in Torin's face as he watched the older Consul prepare himself to deliver judgment. Laila wondered again at the change that had come over Torin. The day she had confronted Nuriel he had been broken. Cast down in front of the entire city, his strange ally gone, Laila did not think that Torin would have been so confident today. And yet, here he stood, in front of the entire Consulate, waiting for the verdict, in open contempt of the entire process, as though he were above it somehow.

  Gregor looked around the Consul, taking in all of the faces, and then he moved his eyes to Torin. Laila was thankful to see an equal look of disdain reflected on Gregor’s features. He had never been one to fall in line with Torin and his manipulations and had been a long-time ally of her father.

  "Torin Socratis, former Consul of Terus." Torin's back straightened as he glared at the Consuls. "You stand accused of treason and malfeasance against the city of Terus. These are high crimes for any Citizen, but higher still for a Consul. You have been given an opportunity to defend yourself and hear the accusations brought against you by this Consulate. Have you anything else to state at this time?"

  Laila could see Torin's shoulders rise as he took in a deep breath. Without thinking, she grasped her staff tighter, not sure what to expect. She continued to refrain from calling on her power.

  "I do not," Torin said simply.

  Gregor cocked his head to the side briefly; he must have expected more. Laila had.

  "Very well." He leaned down and grabbed a sheet off the table in front of him. "Torin Socratis, in the case of your treason against the Artus Confederacy and your malfeasance while holding the position of Consulari of Terus, you have been found guilty." A slight murmur ran through the crowd. Most people would not have expected any other outcome, but it was still a singular event. Nothing like this had ever occurred in Terus as far as Laila knew.

  "In light of that verdict," Gregor began again, the Hall falling silent, "you are to be stripped of your Citizenship and exiled from Terus. All other cities of the Confederacy will be informed of this verdict, and you will find no solace there. From this day forward, you are to be considered a Xenos, an outsider to the people of Terus and the Confederacy."

  Gregor finished his reading and sat down slowly, sagging slightly in his seat as though a great weight pressed upon him. Torin said nothing. He held his gaze on the judging Consuls for a long time, until a pair of Guardians flanked him, grasped his arms, and moved him off of the Hall floor. He shrugged them off and walked proudly between them, challenging anyone present to see him as anything but a respected Citizen. His eyes roamed the crowd in the Hall, finally falling on Laila as he was escorted up the stairs across from her. He stopped for a moment, regarding her. Laila was too far way to make out what look crossed his face, but she had no doubt it was one of anger and violence. She had been an instrument of his downfall. He would never forget her role in his undoing, she was sure. The Guardians tugged at his arms once again and he marched defiantly up the stairs as the gathered Consuls and Citizens watched, murmuring their opinions to one another.

  "It's done," Alain said softly, placing his hand on Laila's shoulder.

  "What will happen now?" she asked.

  "Tomorrow morning, he will be escorted out of the city."

  Laila nodded. She watched until Torin was no longer visible, disappearing into the halls deeper in the Consulate.

  "I think it's time to go home," she said quietly.

  Four

  Exile

  Laila's feet brushed against the dust of the road as she walked. She pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders against the cold of the evening. Dio and Connor walked on either side of her once again. The streets were sparse, most people either home already or still at the city center, awaiting the details of the trial. Her father had stayed behind, and Icarus had disappeared once again, saying he would return tomorrow.

  "What do you think will happen now?" asked Connor. She had not yet told him of her decision, though she knew he could probably guess what she needed to do; he spoke with Icarus enough.

  "I'm not sure," Laila answered. "They'll send Torin away. And then..." She caught herself. She did not want to have to explain why she was going to leave to Dio as well.

  "And then, what?" asked Dio.

  "I don't know," Laila said quickly.

  They reached an avenue before the turn to her family’s estate and Dio stopped. She and Connor stopped with him. He looked at the ground, shifting uncomfortably, as though he wanted to say something.

  "Everything all right, Dio?" asked Laila.

  "I... I wanted... Do you think you might come with me for a minute? I wanted to show you something."

  Laila realized they were at the avenue that would lead to Dio's shop. She glanced at her friend as he continued to rock back and forth on his feet, staring intently at the ground.

  "Where? At your shop?" she asked.

  Dio nodded. "It'll only take a moment."

  She wondered at her friend's attitude, but decided to make nothing of it. She turned toward Connor. "I'll see you at the house, Connor."

  "I'll come with you," Connor insisted.

  "It's fine. It'll only take a moment, just like Dio said."

  "Are you...really?" Connor asked.

  She could see the tenseness in his shoulders. She brought her staff in front of her casually, reminding him of its presence. She knew he was jus
t being protective of her. "Really."

  "Aye, all right." Connor nodded and turned, making his way down the main road to the avenue leading back home.

  "Lead on," Laila said.

  Dio glanced between her and Connor, who was moving down the road, and then spun on his heel and walked down the avenue toward his shop. As they moved down the avenue, Laila watched as one of the Togati lit the lanterns that lined the avenue, illuminating the street against the slowly approaching dark. The houses on this avenue were much smaller than the ones that lined her own. This was an area where many of the Artisans lived. While they were Citizens, most of them did not have the wealth of the Consuls. The houses were made of stone, and most were only one story. A few of the houses they passed had a small garden in the front, looking dead and empty, waiting for the spring to be able to bloom freshly again.

  After a short walk, they arrived at Dio's shop. Laila saw his cart sitting against one of the walls. A part of the roof extended over the front of the house, providing Dio with a small workspace outside of his small house. A series of pots, from very small vessels, only meant to hold small plants, up to large, ornate creations were lined up against the wall of the house. Without slowing, Dio led her through the door and into his house. As long as she'd known Dio, she could not remember a time that he had ever invited her into his house. That was where he did most of his work as an Artisan, and she’d assumed he did not want anyone to see his unfinished work.

  As they entered, he lit his own lantern, lighting the workshop at the front of the house. A wheel with a small seat sat in one corner, a large clump of unfinished clay sitting on it. A large kiln sat on the other side of the workshop, cold and dormant now. Dio walked over to a large pot, similar in size to the ornate ones outside. He squatted in front of it, brushing at the carving lightly, clearing it of dust and studying it carefully. Laila watched him patiently, waiting for him to explain what it was he wanted to show her.