A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,90
took our seats. Acheron spoke first.
“Given the extraordinary circumstances and the unprecedented charges against the chief councilor of Visio, the Lady Supreme and I have decided to preside over today’s trial,” he said, his voice booming across the courtroom. “Acting in Visio’s best interest is our main responsibility as monarchs, and we want to make sure a just and fair sentence is passed, in keeping with Lord Shatal’s betrayal.”
Zoltan rolled his eyes, legs crossed as he leaned back against the steel bars of his cage. He looked positively bored, and I wondered what he was hoping to achieve with that attitude.
“Unfortunately, after numerous attempts to persuade Lord Shatal to speak and perhaps even save himself, we have come to the unpleasant conclusion that he is unrepentant,” Acheron continued.
I frowned, glancing at Tristan and Valaine. “What is he talking about?”
“After we got back from the Visentis mansion, we spent a couple of hours in the early morning trying to get Zoltan to talk,” Valaine replied, her father nodding in agreement next to her. “I did everything I could, short of giving him a proper brain hemorrhage, but he refused to talk.”
“Really?” Sofia seemed surprised. “I thought your powers were quite… persuasive.”
“Oh, they are,” Tristan said. “But Zoltan would rather die than betray the Darklings.”
“Therefore, a sentence shall be passed today,” Acheron continued. He stood up, but Zoltan couldn’t even be bothered to turn around to look at him. I spotted dried blood under his nose—probably left over from last night’s interrogations. “Zoltan Shatal, you stand accused of murder, high treason, and conspiring against the empire you were sworn to protect. How do you plead?”
Zoltan chuckled but didn’t respond.
Acheron waited, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Danika, however, seemed slightly amused by how this event was unfolding. My gaze traveled across the courtroom, finding Thayen sitting uncomfortably in his seat. Judging by the look on his face, he didn’t want to be here. Unfortunately for him, this was part of a monarch’s duty. My only hope was that they wouldn’t make him attend the execution, as well—because that’s where this was headed, especially considering Zoltan’s continued defiance.
“How do you plead, Lord Shatal?” Acheron asked again, raising his voice.
“The only thing I am guilty of is trying to protect the Aeternae from the Black Fever,” Zoltan finally replied. “Our nightmare will be over when Valaine Crimson dies. In another ten thousand years, someone else will have to die to stop another outbreak. It is the curse of our immortality, and it is high time we acknowledged and accepted it!”
Dozens of Aeternae gasped in the audience. I wondered how much of what Zoltan said was true, and how much was part of the Darklings’ mythology, in which I had little to no faith. I knew that Amal and Amane had found an apparent connection between Valaine and the Black Fever, but it wasn’t anything conclusive enough to support Zoltan’s claims.
“That is slander!” Corbin shouted, pointing an angry finger at him.
“Order!” a gold guard replied.
“You have no proof of what you claim, Zoltan Shatal. We have asked you for proof, and you refused to produce it. All you have are venomous lies aimed at Lady Crimson,” Acheron said. “This empire has had enough of your fabrications. Now, stand, for I shall pass your sentence!”
The crowd rumbled angrily, but no one objected. Movement caught my eye, but there were too many people for me to focus properly. Instead, I watched a gold guard as he walked over to Zoltan’s cage. Since the disgraced Darkling refused to get up, the soldier shot a hand between the steel bars and forced him into an upright position. “The Lord Supreme has ordered you to stand!” he growled.
“I do not recognize his authority. I only recognize the authority of the Master of Darkness, the supreme entity and true protector of the Aeternae,” Zoltan said.
“For high treason, for conspiracy against the empire of Visio, for murder, I, Acheron Nasani, Lord Supreme and Protector of the Aeternae Realm, Guardian of Its Principates and Leader of the People, sentence you, Zoltan Shatal, to death,” Acheron replied.
The courtroom was aghast, but the sentence had been passed. It was irrevocable and unbreakable. Acheron stood tall and proud, while Zoltan rolled his eyes again, surprisingly unimpressed. Only then did I notice that he was chewing something.
My blood ran cold.
“Sofia… Sofia, I think he just ate a Black Fever capsule,” I breathed, gripping my wife’s wrist. She followed my gaze and froze, her eyes widening with shock.