Lena Matthews

Everyone settled in their seats, and Mrs. Pearce took her place on the podium. I had my own designated chair right next to her. Someone had given me a microphone so that everyone would be able to hear me during the proceeding. Jessica was seated at the back of the stage, but I could feel her eyes on me. Actually, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I could spot Carter somewhere in the crowd, shifting in his seat. Taylor, on the other hand, was inspecting her cuticles, seemingly unbothered. When she saw me staring at her, she gestured for me to smile. I didn't bother following her advice.

"Just to remind everyone of how our trials work, no one except the members of Court may ask Ivy Scott any questions. If Ivy is unsure about a question, Jessica will be answering. At the end, the Court will vote on the direction we will go regarding this new situation. Mr. Liu will be monitoring for dishonesty in the proceedings today." said Mrs. Pearce.

At her words, a large beast walked into view. Gray fur covered its huge body, and yellow eyes pierced directly into my soul. Mr. Liu continued to stare at me judgmentally as he tucked his hooves beneath him and sat down, his long tail sweeping the grass beneath him. Its long face reminded me of a goat, but its long horn that glinted in the sun reminded me of death. If I remembered what my dad had taught me correctly, this was a xiezhi.

Under its gaze, I felt cornered. My hands gripped the arms of my chair so hard that my knuckles turned white. I turned to Mrs. Delaney, hoping to see a friendlier face, but she only glowered back. Maybe she was still upset from her conversation with Makaya.

Mrs. Pearce stepped back and traded seats with Jessica, who took her place on the podium. Jessica didn't seem fazed by speaking in front of everyone. She adjusted the mic carefully and looked at me.

"Are you ready?" She whispered, covering the mic with her hand. I nodded. "Welcome, everyone, to the trial of Ivy Scott." Jessica announced. By the way she talked, I could have believed that this was a small party where nothing was at stake. I guess I was the only one here with something to lose.

"All due respect, Ms. Reynolds, but are you sure that you aren't biased?" One of the justices piped up. "It's pretty hard to deny the girl's resemblance to-"

"What a great question, Mrs. Moriyama." said Jessica, interrupting. "I am sure that Ivy's resemblance to my daughter has been registered by everyone. I am well aware that they are not the same person, as I have common sense." Despite her diplomatic tone, Jessica's words betrayed her annoyance at the question. "Do we have any questions that actually relate to Ivy, and not my qualifications?"

No one said a word.

"Perfect." said Jessica. She turned to me. "Ivy Scott, where were you at approximately 11:30 pm on January 31st?"

"Atalka Trail." I answered. "On the other side of the gate."

"Why were you there?" Jessica asked.

I looked at the xiezhi, a subdued panic building in my chest. I remembered being taught that they were known to impale liars with their horn. "I've always been more comfortable at night or in nature."

Jessica looked at me, her eyes full of confusion. That wasn't my rehearsed answer, but I couldn't say it now. I couldn't lie, not with Mr. Liu staring me down. When I lied in front of Jessica, all I had to do was say that I was nervous and my quickened heart rate was excused. But there was no way I was going to get away with lying here.

"Okay." said Jessica. Her voice didn't betray any of her uncertainties. "What did you see that night?" She asked.

"A werewolf." I announced. I had accidentally put the mic too close to my mouth, causing some feedback. I cringed at the noise as the audience whispered to each other.

"Are you sure it was a werewolf?" Another justice asked. "We haven't seen one since the settlers wiped them out."

"I know what I saw." I insisted. All eyes landed on the xiezhi.

Slowly, the xiezhi bowed its head, the horn nearly touching the grass. That was enough to confirm my claim. Chatter erupted from everywhere as people debated what the appearance of a werewolf could possibly mean. The volume built to shouts until Mrs. Pearce stood up.

Just like that, everyone went silent. I could hear the sound of a bird chirping at the top of a nearby tree. I turned around to see Mrs. Pearce watch the crowd carefully before giving a nod of approval. The crowd relaxed, but didn't say anything.

"The werewolf was huge, and terrifying. It came close, but Jessica and Carter got there and then it  disappeared. If it wasn't for them, I don't know what I would've done." Jessica had emphasized the importance of saying that last line. By showing gratitude to the Forbidden, I made myself appear more trustworthy. But the more the xiezhi silently bore into my soul, the less trustworthy I felt.

"How did you know where to find her?" Another justice asked, pointing to Jessica.

"Makaya." Jessica answered. "She told us that she believed Ivy was in danger. We got there as fast as we could."

The crowd murmured among themselves, and Makaya stood. "Friendly reminder that I'm not the one on trial here." She announced to the group. She got a few glares, and quickly sat down. "Just saying." I could hear her mutter.

"Put simply, Ivy Scott isn't lying about how the events of that night transgressed. I believe that with some education and monitoring, she can become a valuable member of our society." said Jessica formally. "Now, I'm going to step aside for Mrs. Delaney."

This was the part where each member of the council could ask me anything they wanted. Jessica was allowed to step in, but it would look bad on my part. Still, Mrs. Delaney was going as easy on me as she possibly could. She asked me simple questions pertaining to Atalka Academy and how much I liked the school. I felt like I was dancing over any lies as I answered each one, but I could tell that she was trying to paint me in the best light.

I was asked about everything under the sun, from my music tastes to my aspirations. I had to keep watch of the xiezhi's movements just to make sure that it couldn't identify any lies.

"And where did you live before moving to Atalka?" Mrs. Moriyama asked.

"Oak View." I answered. It wasn't a lie, as long as I didn't say the state out loud.

"Interesting." said Mrs. Moriyama.

"Not as interesting as Atalka, clearly." I actually managed to get a small chuckle from the crowd.

"That's true." said Mrs. Moriyama, amused. "Do you have a favorite supernatural creature, by chance?"

"Mermaids." I answered. My mind had subconsciously drifted back to Dad's obsession with Lanier Labs. I remembered how I had dreamed of going there the second I turned 18. Now, I wasn't so sure.

"We don't have any mermaids here," said Mrs. Moriyama. Her comment didn't surprise me. Lanier Labs led to a spike in the Agency's efforts to eliminate mermaids. They're all either gone or retreated as far into the ocean as possible. "What about your least favorite?"

"Do I have to answer?" I asked. I turned to Jessica, who nodded. "Um... I guess I never liked Ifrits."

The xiezhi narrowed its yellow eyes. It was a subtle movement, but enough to instill fear in me. Jessica covered her mic. "Just say it." She instructed.

"Vampires." I muttered into the microphone. I didn't look at Jessica or Carter when I said it. I really didn't like Mrs. Moriyama.

After the onslaught of questioning, we were released for a thirty minute recess while the Court came to a decision. There were refreshments provided for everyone, and they happily filled up their plates and gossiped about me. I sat down at the lip of the stage, allowing my legs to dangle off the edge.Mr. Liu had reverted back to his human form and was calmly enjoying his food with everyone else.

"So, you don't like us that much, do you?" Jessica asked, sitting down next to me.

"It's nothing personal." I said, picking at the hem of my dress. In reality, it was. My mom was attacked by a vampire, and I had never forgotten. As much as I wanted to separate that event from Jessica and Carter, I just couldn't. It was frustrating that my heart couldn't catch up to my logic.

"If it makes it better, I don't blame you." said Jessica.

"Right." I laughed dryly and undid the braid that Jessica had plaited so carefully this morning. It was starting to give me a headache. I put the hair tie on my wrist and fidgeted with it. Lost in thought, I pulled the hair tie back and let it snap back onto my wrist. It stung, but I didn't care.

"Rosie used to do something like that," said Jessica. "It annoyed me, and whenever I snapped at her, she'd do it more."

"Do you know why I look like her?" I asked.

"Coincidence, I think," said Jessica. "The first time I saw you, I thought that you were really her, somehow. That you had come back to kill me."

"Why would Rosie want to do that?" I asked.

"It's..." Jessica sighed. "It's complicated. She died alone and scared at the hands of some of the worst people you could imagine. It was my job to protect her, and I failed. I saved myself instead." Jessica looked at me, but I wasn't sure if she was really seeing me or Rosie. "I've let someone with your face down before, and I'm not about to do it again."

"We're ready," said Mrs. Pearce gently. She walked to the podium and announced for everyone to go back to their seats. I sat down in my chair in front of everyone, and Jessica went to the back of the stage while Mrs. Pearce helmed the podium.

My verdict was finally going to be announced. Even though I was seated in the open, I could feel the sky closing in on me.

"All those in favor of placing their faith in Ivy Scott may raise their hands now." Mrs. Pearce gestured to the Court.

"Gee, thanks Mrs. Moriyama." I muttered, realizing that her hand wasn't raised. Mrs. Delaney did have her hand raised, and so did the man sitting next to her. My eyes scanned the Court slowly. Four people had their hands raised. It was a tie.

Everyone murmured among themselves, wondering what was going to happen next. To them, this was a show. But this was my life. Makaya stood up from her chair.

"That should be my seat." Makaya announced boldly to the crowd. "I think I should be able to cast my vote, considering."

"Sit down!" Someone shouted.

"I get it. I break the family rule, blah, blah, blah." said Makaya. "But I trust Ivy, and I would trust her with this town."

"All due respect, Ms. Gladwell, but the fact that you break the family rule is not the reason that you can't sit in that seat," said Mrs. Pearce. "We are having this trial because of your negligence."

"I was the one who gave her the check up! I've been inside her head, so I know what I'm talking about!" Makaya protested.

"I'm sorry, but your voice isn't enough to swing the-"

"What about mine?" Carter asked. He stood up from his place in the audience. "I trust her."

He shouldn't.

"Think about it. A werewolf was seen that night. The first one to be seen in forever! That has to mean something!" said Carter, trying to convince the crowd.

"The werewolves were the first ones to make this town a sanctuary for the Forbidden. Seeing them again could be a sign. I don't want to go against the wishes of those who came before." Someone that I didn't recognize stood.

Shockingly, Taylor was the next person to rise. She looked around and shrugged. "What? I kinda want to see how this goes."

A slow ripple of Forbidden rose from their seats, standing in solidarity with me. I watched them stand, some of them giving me a small smile of support. It was welcoming, and genuinely kind. I couldn't feel anything malicious from any of them. They were all placing their safety in my hands. It was so stupid and naïve that I could cry.

In my mind, I made a silent promise to everyone. They trusted me, and I was going to return the favor. I had to save these people from the Agency. From me.

"Very well," said Mrs. Pearce. She shuffled through some papers before producing a few documents. I scanned them, knowing that they were the same papers I had been given earlier. Jessica walked over to give me a pen so I could sign Ivy Scott on the dotted line. Mrs. Pearce took the paper from me and showed it to the audience. Everyone burst into applause, their eyes alight with excitement.

"Everyone is dismissed," said Mrs. Pearce. "Congratulations, Ivy. You survived bureaucracy."

I felt so much lighter. Jessica pulled me into a tight hug, and I shook hands with Mrs. Pearce. Makaya winked at me from the audience, and Taylor and Carter came to congratulate me.

"I'm glad you're not dead," said Taylor.

"Thanks for standing up for me. It was... unexpected." I said.

Taylor shrugged. "What can I say? I'm off the clock, so I can act a bit more like myself."

"You're confusing." said Carter, saying exactly what I had thought.

"So, what happens now?" I asked.

Jessica and Carter drove me back to Atalka General and brought me to the wing of the hospital meant for humans. Mrs. Pearce typed away at the computer and announced to me that my house would be my only sanctuary. The moment I stepped off of the property, I could be monitored by someone. Carter would be shouldering that responsibility most of the time, but everyone had to do their part.

I knew too much and I wasn't dead, so that was a victory.

"Jane-Anne is half Forbidden, right? Like the Delaney kids?" I asked Mrs. Pearce. "Does she know?"

"My daughter is not to be trusted with that kind of information. She's sensitive, and she's been through enough as it is." said Mrs. Pearce, handing me back my phone.

"What if she has abilities that mirror yours?" I asked. "What then?"

"That's why I keep her with the girls," said Mrs. Pearce.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I keep her surrounded by people that I trust to keep everyone safe. It's their responsibility to keep her isolated. That way, if anything does happen, it won't really affect her." Mrs. Pearce explained.

Taylor did have a job, and it was to make sure that no one liked Jane-Anne.

"Does your husband know?" I asked.

"No." said Mrs. Pearce flatly.

"Do you think Jane-Anne is happy?" I asked.

"She's safe," said Mrs. Pearce. "That's what matters."

A/N: So Lena survived her trial! For this chapter's graphic, I found a lot of cool art that is inspired from same legends I used for the Forbidden that reside in Atalka! The xiezhi is in the top left corner. For my American friends, have a happy Thanksgiving! For everyone else, I'll see you soon with Jane-Anne's little adventure.

QOTD: What do you think about Mrs. Pearce's parenting choices?