Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) - Sally Green Page 0,29
away from me and saying to him, “He’s just being Nathan. You’ve got to love him for it really.”
Celia shouts, “Nathan, you need to calm down.”
I turn from Gabriel to Celia, and swear at her and then I take a breath and say, “I take it everyone else knew?”
“Greatorex knew and had orders not to tell you, to keep you out of Camp One, which turned out to be easy, as you hardly even spent time at Camp Three.”
“And why are you telling me now?”
“Like I said last night, the Alliance has to ensure all witches are treated equally, that the rule of law prevails. This is war but we must still have rules and we must all follow them. Annalise is our prisoner. She’d like to leave the war. She doesn’t support Soul and never will, but she doesn’t believe war is the answer.”
“I don’t give a shit what she believes. What I want to know is what you’re going to do with her.”
“We’re going to put her before the new court that is being set up: a court of Black and White Witches who can make a judgment. She shot Marcus, a Black Witch and a valued member of the Alliance. And, as a result of her actions, the Alliance suffered a terrible defeat. There are a number of Black Witches, led by Gus, who want to see Annalise punished. And the Alliance wants—needs—to be seen to be acting fairly, to be treating all witches equally, whether they are Black or White. That is how we can show the Alliance to be different from the Council of White Witches. But also a fair trial for Annalise means she can put her case.”
“And what is her case?”
“That she acted in the heat of the moment. She insists that she was only trying to help her brother.”
And now I’m not feeling anger but disgust at Annalise, her lies. I tell Celia, “Connor was already dead when she shot Marcus.”
“This will be proven in the trial then. There will be truth potions for all witnesses to take. Trust me, Nathan. The truth will come out.”
“Then trust me when I say this is the truth: my father killed Connor O’Brien, a Hunter, who was reaching for a gun. Annalise shot Marcus when Connor was already dead, then she ran off and left us to deal with the consequences. Because of her my father is dead. Because my father is dead there was no one to stop the Hunters and a hundred Alliance members died. All their deaths are on her hands.”
“Your testimony will be heard, Nathan. It’s right that it should be.” Celia pauses and then adds, “And it’s also right that you allow the court to deal with Annalise. That you don’t seek your own revenge.”
“If they let her go I’ll seek what I like.”
“Well, then the courts will have to deal with you too.”
“Let them try.”
Celia says, “I take it you know what her Gift is?”
I’ve given it a lot of thought and I have my suspicions. After Annalise shot Marcus, a huge gun battle started. Gabriel pulled me to the ground to protect me and when I looked up again Annalise had gone. At first I thought she’d run off and hidden in the trees, but I think I’ve always known that she disappeared, literally.
“She can become invisible,” Celia confirms.
“How appropriate that she’s got the same Gift as her esteemed father and glorious brother. How perfect. Now we know that she’s just like them.”
“Yes, that’s Gus’s argument, but some would say you’re just like your father.”
“I can be proud of that.”
“Be careful, though, Nathan. There are many White Witches in the Alliance, many more White than Black, and, while they have no love for Annalise’s family, she has the advantage of being seen as weak and insignificant, despite her Gift. You are neither of those things. They see that you are like your father. They know what you did to take his Gifts from him.”
“What I had to do!”
“It isn’t good if they fear you, Nathan. And many White Witches fear what you are or may become. They feel sympathy for Annalise acting out of love and devotion to a misguided brother, but you they see as a murderous Black Witch, son of Marcus, eater of hearts. You killed Marcus. Some are saying that it is you who should be put on trial.”
“I wanted to save him! It was hopeless. He was dying. I didn’t want to do it!”