The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,62

eyes turn black, Laren and Lu’s from green to yellow, but this was something different. Red eyes, fangs bared, he roared now rather than yelled.

“Silence!” His chest heaved with the exertion of keeping himself under control. He stared into the crowd, daring anyone to challenge him.

The room was immediately quiet. Ardan searched the room, looking for a target for his anger. Tian, who sat on his left, placed a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Ardan looked at him, chest still heaving. His eyes turned from red back to brown and pearl white teeth took the place of fangs.

With one final deep breath, Ardan was back and the spirit of anger that possessed him was gone. He turned to address the crowd. “I don’t think our esteemed Council Leader was done talking. Thank you for your respect and civility until he is finished.” Arden sat down and looked to Adolpho.

His green eyes twinkled at the much younger Council member. Adolpho opened his mouth to speak. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes. As I was saying, with the Council’s decision, I would like to open the floor to the other party involved in this trial if there are any questions they wish to ask or explanations they require.”

Christof was on his feet in the blink of an eye. He knew the entire case rode on the question of whether Connor was a Judge. If he was confirmed as the savior, Faust and Randolph were doomed.

Christof strode to the Council table, his pale skin and blue eyes shimmering in the light.

“I would like to thank the Council for this opportunity to inquire into their decision. I know it is one of my qualities to embellish my vocabulary with unneeded words, so I will make this short.”

He paused, letting the anticipation build. Raising a blond eyebrow in an imposing fashion he continued, “If Connor Moore is the next Judge in history, as the Council states, let him prove it by passing the Tests.”

Connor was oblivious to what Christof meant by the Tests. Everyone else seemed to know. The room was too scared of Ardan to launch another yelling barrage, so they whispered and muttered to one another. Connor tried to gauge the level of importance Christof’s last statement carried by examining the faces of the Council and his friends.

The Council members tried to hide their surprise and confusion as they looked to one another for a consensus. Faust and Randolph sat next to each other, smiling and chuckling. Lu’s eyebrows reached his hairline, Laren was pale, and Morrigan, who never showed anything but perfect poise, tried to hide the fear in her eyes.

“This isn’t good, is it? This Test? It’s not like a math test, right? I’m horrible at math.”

Laren looked at him incredulously. She couldn’t help herself and burst into laughter. “No, Connor, the Tests were an ancient series of challenges that were presented to a Judge if there was any reason to believe he wasn’t what he said he was. They haven’t been used in centuries. I don’t even know if my father has seen one. They’re more myth and legend than history.”

“Oh—well, I probably wouldn’t have been joking about it if I had known that.” Connor slumped back into his chair, muttering to himself. “Great, just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.”

Thema rose from her seat.Her voice was heard loud and strong above the din. “The Tests have not been performed for centuries, maybe even longer than that.”

“Why would it matter when the last Test was?” Christof retorted, looking not only at the Council, but at the entire room. “Our judicial system states that if an Elite is to rise from our ranks and declare himself a Judge, and if there is any reason to doubt his claim, the Tests are a legitimate way to verify his validity. If he is what he says he is, then he should have no problem accepting. And there is no shortage of reasons to doubt this claim.” Christof balled his right hand into a fist and raised a finger each time he listed a reason. “He’s a half-blood, he’s the son of a notorious Law breaker, he’s already admitted to killing an Elite and ripping the eyes from another. Need I say more?”

Mutters of agreement met his ears. Christof stood proud as his scheme began to work. He was playing to the crowd. If he had them on his side, it would make the Council more likely to see his point, or so he