The drive to Dorchester, a small town that I had never heard of, felt much longer than it should have. The long minutes during which no one spoke were torturous. I shrank in my seat, taking as little space as possible. Still, it wasn't enough, thighs brushing with both passengers.

      While I waited for an explanation, I considered different escape plans; even in my mind, none were successful. When I concluded that there was no escaping, I huffed in defeat and became impatient for answers.

     "If I'm to be completely honest, I think the both of you and your stories ludicrous," I began casually, as we reached a red light. "But would you at least like to try to convince me otherwise?"

      Grey eyes narrowed as Aadya's grip of the steering wheel tightened, but through the front mirror I thought I saw Nathaniel's lip twitch upwards.

     "You ought to watch the way you speak," Aadya warned. "Especially in the presence of a Council member."

     "You're part of the council that's putting me on trial?" I demanded. "Pray tell, dear council member, what am I being accused of?"

     "We're not aware of you doing anything that breaches the Legion's laws... Your mere existence and the fact that we didn't know of it, is the problem."

     "So, I'm being punished for your lack of knowledge?"

     Aadya sighed, fingers tapping the wheel impatiently. I didn't need to search her mind to know she was irritated. I thought it irrational that she be the irritated one, when I was the one who seemed to be awaiting punishment for being born.

     "Hopefully the trial will go well, and no punishment will be warranted," she said.

     I wanted to ask about the form of punishment; to know my options and the potential outcome of my future. I was near ready to pull out my phone and contact the nearest lawyer. I wanted desperately to know more of the trial, but to my dismay she questioned me first.

     "What do you know about your birth mother?"

     So, they had concluded that the Irish woman hadn't birthed me.

     "Other than the fact that she left me on a riverbank for my father to find? Nothing."

     Aadya's gaze briefly flickered from the road to watch me curiously. Even Nathaniel's fixed attention had been removed from the endless corn fields. They waited silently for more.

     "My father claimed she was a nice woman," I continued. "Beautiful and clever, but very mysterious. They dated for a few months and then she disappeared. He hadn't seen her in months, but still my dad visited the valley where they used to meet... One day he found me, under the willow tree, small bassinet dangerously close to the river."

      Aadya stared straight ahead; grey eyes glossy in thought. Nathaniel watched his aunt cautiously, a mixture of shock and concern in his eyes. I realised, much to my chagrin, that the fear was not for himself. Again, he regarded me with a flash of pity.

     "You don't think—" he started, words dying as if his theory was too absurd to speak.

     "Not good," Aadya muttered, distracted gaze fading to study me carefully. Her eyes roamed my features; slowly moving to my hair, my thin nose, round cheeks, and dark eyes. Something specifically in my brown, nearly black eyes captivated her.

     "You're the spitting image of your father," she said. "But your eyes... They're so similar to Lahila's."

     "Who?" I croaked, panic gurgling deep in my throat. It seemed like this resemblance would bring nothing but trouble.

     She ignored my question.

     "How old are you?"

     "I'll be sixteen next month," I said. "I couldn't tell you the exact date. My father found me on July third, but the doctors suspected I was already a week or two old."

     Aadya was not happy with the news. I didn't understand how my unknown date of birth could be valuable, but the woman was unnerved. Long, pale fingers continued to fidget relentlessly on the wheel.

     "Lahila was a fugitive for months," Aadya explained. "She was nowhere to be found, until she returned on her own, on the first week of July. It is then that she jumped off Athuria cliff. She personally delivered her own execution... She could have hidden much longer. I never understood why she willingly gave herself up – until now."

     She spoke her last words quietly, as if they were dangerous. A naturally curious person, I yearned to learn more of the fugitive and execution, but a certain piece of information was more pressing. Aadya seemed to believe this Lahila woman to be my mother.

     "My birth mother's name was Tiffany," I said.

     Aadya shook her head. "She would not have shared her real name. Clearly, she intended to hide your identity."

     I had never before held interest in searching for the woman who abandoned me, but information right under my nose, how could I not be tempted to learn more?

     "You think this Lahila is my mother?"

     Aadya pressed her lips in a thin line, an act of restraint. "I will not voice my suspicions aloud," she said evasively. By the way she regarded me I understood her silent message: she whole-heartedly believed the fugitive to be my mother. Great.

     "Is it taboo to speak of her?" I asked, noting both hers and Nathaniel's guarded state.

     "To be a daughter of Odgen means an awful faith," she said. "The Council is already suspicious of you. You stand no chance if any other Council member suspects your heritage. If you are identified as Lahila's daughter, the Council will cower; you will be judged unfairly. If a trial of the such is to ever occur, we do not need anything else that could be held against you. You will not question your father for further information on this woman... Understood?"

     She made no attempt to hide the threat in her tone. Swallowing nervously, I nodded. I realised that she was no longer only fearful for my well-being. She was protecting herself and Nathaniel. It seemed that to suspect my true identity, but to withhold knowledge from the Council, placed the Burkhards in a compromising position.

     "Would they really punish me for something my mother did?" I asked ludicrously. I made it clear that I believed the idea atrocious, but Aadya didn't hesitate, she nodded. There was no doubt in her mind that I would be punished for Lahila Odgen's crimes.

     "Mateo was correct," Aadya began again. "Lahila was incredibly clever. Many feared her intelligence. She had the uncanny ability to predict an enemy's next move and she was a master manipulator. Not much is understood of the incident, but Lahila was unexpectantly the last of the Odgen's and she was named the leader of the clan. Since the creation of the Legion, the Duard and Odgen clan had been partnered. The Duard's are the main guardians of the seven stones of Boogdae.

     The Duard's lead the legion and until Lahila's betrayal, if the Duard clan fell, responsibility of the Legion fell in the Odgen's hands. The Odgen's' were the Duard's second in command; they revised the leader's decisions, planned protection strategies, and maintained order between the children of the Legion. The partnership was remarkable, even after Lahila took command of the clan.

     Order was only broken when Cloyd Duard became too old to lead. His wife just as old, and his eldest son and daughter tragically killed, his youngest son Ubel was named leader. He and Lahila did not get along. Only weeks into their partnership, the Legion found itself in the midst of a war. Stones went missing, and the Duhovi began to stir. They greatly outnumbered us, but still we focused only on fighting each other. The clans took sides; loyalties were divided between Ubel and Lahila.

     We lost many children of the Legion the Langston clan was completely lost; not a single member left. It took months but when the Duard's safely returned the stones, many abandoned Lahila and she lost her fight. There was no proof, but she was blamed for the disappearance of the stones, accused of causing disorder and deemed responsible for every death during the war."

     "You think she was wrongfully judged guilty," I noted aloud.

     She tried to speak objectively; tried not to take sides, but her mind emitted immense mistrust and dislike when she spoke of Ubel.

     "It's not my place to voice my opinion on the matter, and even if it was, this happened many years ago. It cannot be undone."

     Her evasive answer told me what I wanted to know; she believed my mother to be innocent.

      "So, she was found guilty, and the Council voted for the death penalty?" I clarified; face creased in disgust. They had sentenced a woman to death with no valid reason. It seemed to me that this Ubel guy was as guilty as she was.

      Aadya nodded. "The clans that took her side claimed to have been manipulated. They were pardoned and the blame was placed solely on Lahila."

     I stared at the dashboard in disbelief. Minutes ago, I hadn't thought I could be any less interested in joining the Legion.

      "That's awful," I finally acknowledged. I made a mental note to not ask Aadya for bedtime stories. "I probably don't want to know... But I still don't understand why I would be punished for something she did or didn't do."

      "They'd fear that you inherited her ways, or believe this was part of her plan—"

     "Part of her plan?" I demanded incredulously. "I was a newborn when she died."

      "They wouldn't put anything past her," Aadya contended. "Lahila had another child. He was only nine at the time of her sentencing, but he was imprisoned as it was the Council's belief that he had been corrupted. He could not be trusted to not follow in his mother's footsteps. Finneas was remarkably strong. He lasted many years before losing his mind..."

     "He's dead?" I guessed.

      Aadya nodded solemnly. "The cell of Muchen is unbearable. Many have described it as a worst sentence than death. The cells of Muchen are meant to drive you to the brink of insanity before your inevitable last breath. It is astonishing that Finneas lasted as long as he did, especially at his age."

      My mouth tasted of bile. I was overwhelmed with a mixture of fear, fury, and heartache. I knew very little of the Council, but I was appalled that the fate of so many laid in the hands of beings that voted inhuman punishments on innocent nine-year-old boys. If the Burkhard's stories were true and I was forced to join the Legion, I would not greet them with respect and courtesy as I guessed would be expected of me. Whether Finneas Odgen was my brother or not, I vowed to fight for his justice.

      "So, if they discover I'm Lahila's daughter, I'll be sent to this worse than death jail?" I simplified.

      "You would be appointed another trial during which the Council would likely vote between execution or imprisonment."

      "Execution?" I bellowed.

     I waited for Aadya's Just Kidding, but she wasn't the joke cracking type.

     "I've long believed the Legion's ways to be too harsh, but I do not hold the power to change anything." She looked at me sympathetically. "I have many alliances and many members will take pity. Many would be appalled by the idea of sentencing you to death, but many clans still fear Lahila."

     "And Tuesday's trial?" I asked weakly, head suddenly spinning.

      "You will first be questioned to determine if you're trustworthy." She spoke cautiously. The caution meant she was hiding something and that did nothing to ease my nausea. 

      "If she truly is a daughter of Odgen, we've got another problem," Nathaniel added. "She won't be claimed."

      "Claimed?"

      "You are a child of the Legion," Aadya explained. "You must belong to one of the clans. Long ago one of the Gladstone's committed adulteries and hid the resulting child. When the child was discovered, they were brought to court. To save the young girl, the Gladstone man was forced to claim her. I had hoped your case would be similar. If you are Lahila's daughter, no clan will claim you as theirs."

      "And what happens if I'm not claimed?"

      "The Council will think you cannot be trusted. A vote will be required to decide your fate."

      "And I suppose they can't just ignore my existence?"

     Aadya shook her head desolately. "A child of the Legion must join our ranks, but to join the Legion one must belong to a clan."

     The slice of pizza I had had for lunch was becoming dangerously close to finding itself splashed across the Ford's dashboard.

      "And the voting options if I'm not claimed?" I asked despite knowing that I wouldn't want to know the answer.

      "Execution or the Muchen cells."

      Panic reaching levels I hadn't thought possible, I couldn't find it in myself to react. I stared ahead blankly, not uttering a word or even shuddering a breath for many moments.

      "I'm screwed!" I finally declared, shooting Nathaniel an angry glare. "You've brought me to my death!"

      "We have orders to follow," Aadya reminded. "But we do not intend to let you die or rot in a cell. Under these circumstances a clan will be allowed to claim you even if you are not biologically theirs. But to do so would mean that the leader is taking full responsibility. If you committed a crime, they would be held as accountable... If they see your resemblance to Lahila as I did, it will be incredibly difficult to convince anyone to take you in. But I give you my word: We have three days, and I will do my best to see it through that you are safe."

      I appreciated her commitment to help and was relieved that her mind exuded honesty, but the situation seemed hopeless. As hard as she tried, it seemed highly unlikely that she would be successful. When I had searched her mind and found honesty, I had also found immense self-doubt. She was far from convinced that she would be able to help.

       "I'm going to puke," I said, holding a hand to my upset stomach.

      Nathaniel inched away from me.

     "If you could wait two minutes," Aadya requested, as if it was something that could be requested. "We're almost there."

      Grateful for the distraction, I turned my gaze outside the window and sure enough a small white home was coming into view. Surrounded by corn fields, there were no other buildings, no other signs of living in the area. The three-story house was in even worse shape than the truck. The wooden fence surrounding the yard was missing planks and had long begun to rot.

      The white siding was cracked and discolored and one of the front windows had been broken and languidly covered with uneven planks. Despite the horrendous tales and the explanation of my fate, it was the Burkhard's home that really got to me. There was nothing wrong with their living arrangements, but it made everything feel more real. I was looking at what would be used to hold me captive; a temporary cell until I was voted for imprisonment or death. And there was no one nearby to call for help.

      Jumping out of the car, Nathaniel and Aadya stepped away, hoping to save their worn-out running shoes from my digested lunch. Hunched over my knees, I waited to be relieved of my intense nausea. When nothing came up, pizza still deep in my stomach, I detected the moderate space between myself and the Burkhards.

      As much as I was beginning to trust Aadya, the chance that she could save me was unlikely. I wanted to fight for Finneas' justice, but I couldn't do so if I was left for dead. To be brave in this situation meant for my doom. I was alright with being considered a coward. At least, I would be a safe coward.

      Sensing in her mind that Aadya would soon approach to check on me, I took advantage of my small moment to flee. Still, in my school uniform and a pair of purple high-tops, I made a run for the woods behind the home. How I planned to survive in the wilderness and eventually find my way home? I couldn't tell you, but they could have easily followed me with the truck if I headed anywhere other than the woods. Even with my head-start, I didn't like my odds of outrunning them.

      Ungracefully jumping over the wooden fence, soon to emerge into the forest, I heard Aadya complain: "Stupid girl." I was relieved that her voice sounded far away.

      My moment of glory was short lived.

      Ground rumbling as something large approached, I looked up and was struck with horror. Just like the creature I had seen Katana girl slay, a greying corpse the size of an elephant charged towards me. If I didn't move, I'd soon be trampled. Terrified eyes glued to the monstrosity, I scrambled backwards. Clumsily colliding with the fence, I fell on my behind. Stupidly, I didn't make a move to stand. Frozen in terror, I watched with wide eyes as the creature rapidly approached. I didn't hear Aadya's approach. Unbothered, she heaved me to my feet and over the fence with an annoyed sigh.

      Though it could easily jump over the fence, once I was sprawled on the other side, the creature slowed, attention instead fixed on my far left. Sat nonchalantly atop of the fence, Nathaniel waited for the creature, long silver blade somehow in hand.

      "Nathaniel will take care of the Slon," Aadya said, once again forcing me to my feet. "Would you like to see the house, now?"

     Absent-mindedly I nodded. The woods were no longer an option. I supposed that I was stuck with the Burkhards. Heart still racing, silently I followed the woman, not a glance shot in Nathaniel's direction. I figured his encounter with the Slon wasn't something that I wanted to see.

      If only I knew that I would soon come to see so much worse.