Ruby:
The chief spirit judge stroked his chin thoughtfully, his expression contemplative.”Your concerns are valid. It is wise to be cautious in matters such as these.”
His eyes scanned the room, examining each person in turn. When his gaze locked onto mine, I felt a rush of nervousness wash over me, my hands dampening with sweat. It felt as though he could see the doubts swirling in my mind.
“Let me prove myself. Please observe,” he continued, drawing everyone’s full attention.
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing an intricate tattoo of a beautiful moon. The room filled with gasps as all eyes locked on the stunning design. I glanced at Lilith to see her reaction, but her expression remained skeptical, her eyes fixated on the markings.
Just when I thought the demonstration was over, the chief spirit judge took a deep breath, his arms stretching wide. A powerful surge of energy burst from him, rippling through the room with an intensity that sent everyone flying from their chairs. Shrieks of shock echoed around us.
To my amazement, I remained seated, unaffected by the force that had sent everyone else sprawling to the ground. My body felt strangely untouched, my head ducking instinctively from the unexpected display.
I surveyed the room and saw everyone else disoriented and still on the ground. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have laughed at Lilith, whose face was flat against the ground as she groaned in pain. It looked as though she had been forcefully convinced.
As I turned my attention back to the chief spirit judge, my eyes widened in astonishment. He was hovering in the air, and my jaw dropped in awe.
But it was the sudden flash of silver in his eyes that nearly sent me falling out of my chair. The resemblance to my son’s eye colour was uncanny. I blinked rapidly, trying to process what I was witnessing. My breath caught in my throat as I grappled with the realisation that this could not be a mere coincidence.
Why did the chief spirit judge’s eyes change from multicoloured to that particular shade of silver?
The chief spirit judge seemed to sense my penetrating gaze, locked eyes with mine, and saw the unspoken questions that needed answers. But he quickly averted his gaze, as if trying to mask his slip-up, and cleared his throat, leaving me feeling torn between confusion and curiosity.
“I trust I have proven my point,” he declared. “Now, bring the next case forward,” he commanded, taking me aback with his sudden change of topic.
“Next case?” I muttered wearily, yearning for this ordeal to end so I could return home to Damian and my son.
“Another trial?” An elder asked, a frown deepening the lines on his face. The chief spirit judge nodded, a smirk dancing across his lips. The other elders, still disoriented, slowly got up from the ground, dusting themselves off, and returned to their seats with visible reluctance.
“I wasn’t only summoned to resolve Miss Ruby’s situation,” the chief spirit judge began, his voice commanding the room’s attention, “but also to address another mysterious case that caught my interest. Now, will the next accuser please step forward?”
He pointed towards the door, drawing everyone’s gaze in that direction. My brow furrowed in confusion as Mrs. Smith entered the room.
“Honey, why are you here?” Mr. Smith shouted, standing up abruptly from his seat. Mrs. Smith ignored him and continued her determined stride towards the chief spirit judge. A surge of anxiety gripped me-had she discovered his secret?
Mr. Smith’s nervousness was visible as beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
Behind her, my heart stopped for a moment when I saw Damian confidently stride into the room, looking as handsome as ever. I gasped in shock, my hands instinctively going to my stomach.
“Damian!” I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. I leaped up from my chair and ran to him, relieved that he had come to support me and didn’t abandon me. His arms opened wide, enveloping me in a warm hug. I fought the urge to kiss him right then and there, especially to annoy Lilith.
“I missed you so much,” Damian said, his voice cracking with emotion as tears slipped from his eyes. I gently wiped them away, trying to reassure him.
“I know it wasn’t your fault. You were understandably shocked when you saw your deceased ex-mate standing before you. I get that. I have a lot to tell you,” I said, placing my hand on my belly. Would he be happy if I told him I was expecting? Perhaps I should confirm what the chief spirit judge said with an actual doctor before raising his hopes.
“I have a lot to tell you too,” he replied as another tear escaped. My heart sank. Was he going to break up with me to be with Ava?
“It turns out I am not Anna’s father. James is.”
“What?” I exclaimed, shocked by the revelation. Damian wasn’t Ava’s father?
“I-”
“There’s no time for chit-chat,” the chief spirit judge interrupted, cutting me off. “Please take your seats; the second trial is about to begin.”
I offered Damian a reassuring smile, and he nodded to the chief spirit judge in response. We walked together to find two empty seats among the elders. I felt a sense of relief knowing he was by my side, but I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my heart for the pain he must be feeling after learning he wasn’t Anna’s father. How could Ava do that to him? Damian was a good and loving father.
Yet, despite the shocking revelation, he still managed to be present and stand strong beside me. His resilience only deepened my love for him, and I could only hope that the chief spirit judge’s words about our future were true.
“Please step forward,” the chief spirit judge called, and Mrs. Smith moved to the centre of the room, standing in the same spot where I had been earlier. I focused my attention on her, still stunned by her presence. Sensing my anxiety, Damian squeezed my hand reassuringly and placed a tender kiss on my temple, providing me with comfort in the midst of the unfolding drama.
“My name is Becca Smith, wife of Mr. Smith, the council president, as you all know,” Mrs. Smith began, her voice tinged with a mix of bitterness and sadness. “I have been married to him for thirty years, but those years have been filled with heartache and sorrow. Sometimes, I wish I could turn back time and remain single forever, but unfortunately, that’s not possible,” she said with a bitter laugh that tugged at my heartstrings.
She glanced at her husband with a mixture of betrayal and pain before shifting her gaze to Lilith, who stood behind him with a tense and unreadable expression.
Was she even sorry at all?
Tears welled up in my eyes as I could feel the depth of Mrs. Smith’s pain in every word she spoke. I knew she had been through a lot, as I had once been in her position, and I understood how deep her hurt ran.
“I loved and cared for him deeply, but one day he came home with a son and told me he was the result of an affair,” Mrs. Smith continued in a shaky voice.
“He promised it would never happen again, but he couldn’t abandon the child, as I couldn’t give him one. That day, our home began to crumble. Despite everything, I took care of the boy because he was innocent, but I never knew the woman he had an affair with was someone I loved dearly, like a daughter to me. Now, this bitch stands beside my husband. I can’t believe this little dirty slut has been sleeping with her uncle and smiling in my face as if nothing happened,” she pointed at Lilth in anger.
“Language, please,” the chief spirit judge interrupted sternly, raising his hand to silence her.
“Apologies,” Mrs. Smith replied, taking a deep breath and wiping away her tears.
“I’ve always wondered why my husband’s illness had no cure, but now that I know the truth, it all makes sense. His involvement with Lilith led to his being cursed by the room goddess. Neither my husband nor Lilith are fit to hold any important positions in the werewolf world. I ask the court to strip them of their titles and publicly whip them naked,” Mrs. Smith declared, bowing her head at the council elders.
“Abominations! This can’t be possible! This is nothing but a mad joke! There’s no way our president would do such a thing, knowing the gravity and consequences of his actions!” An elder yelled, interrupting Mrs. Smith. I glanced at Lilith, who remained silent, her face flushed with a deep, angry red. I couldn’t believe the depths of Lilith’s betrayal, causing harm to a woman who had shown her nothing but kindness. What was her motive? Power? Fame? Money?
“Is that all?” the chief spirit judge asked with a sigh, throwing a stern glare at the elder who interrupted Mrs. Smith.
“I have plenty of evidence,” Mrs. Smith said, holding up a paper. “This is proof that Lilith is the biological mother of my husband’s son. What do I gain from lying to you all? Do you think I wanted this?” she asked, handing the paper to the chief spirit judge, who examined it carefully.
“My husband has lied to you all, insulting the sacredness of the council. That’s why he wanted to eliminate this innocent woman named Ruby to please his lover. Ruby never blackmailed him; she wanted to reveal the truth, but Lilith deceived you all to silence her. Being married to him has been a waste of my life, but for the first time, I’m going to make the right decision for myself. I’ve learned too many dirty secrets about them.”
“Auntie, no!” Lilith whispered, but Mrs. Smith shot her a glare filled with hatred.
“Yes, I slept with my uncle and had a child,” Lilith admitted, her voice shaking as she tried to defend herself. “But that doesn’t mean my aunt should betray our family like this and let our enemies win. We may have made mistakes, but we’re still family. This is a family matter that has nothing to do with the court. Let’s go home and settle this.”
“Yes, it does!” the elder with white hair interjected, glaring at Lilith.
“Uncle Sam, no!” Lilith pleaded. “I know I made a mistake, but please try to understand and reason with me.”
“You dare speak of loyalty after betraying your aunt, who treated you like her own? You wasted our time and lied about this innocent woman, nearly leading to her execution. You are shameless for wanting to be a council president,” Uncle Sam retorted, his voice filled with anger.
“I thought you were on my side,” Lilith said, her voice filled with desperation.
“On your side?” he scoffed. “What you did deserves death by hanging. Sleeping with your married uncle? I once admired you, believing you were a hardworking woman who rose to the top on her own. I was wrong-you slept your way to the top.” He spat on the ground in disgust.
“You ruined my family, and now it’s your time to be ruined,” she added.
“This situation is different! Stop being so emotional,” Lilith countered, trying to justify her actions. “I did you a favor by being with him. I gave you both a child when you had none, so you should be grateful to me instead of trying to destroy me.”
“Silence in the courtroom!” the chief spirit judge thundered. “Only the accuser is allowed to speak. Anyone else who interrupts will be removed. Mrs. Smith, please continue.”
Turning to Damian, I squeezed his hands tightly in mine and opened our private mindlink. “How did you get Mrs. Smith to come here?” I asked, my eyes searching his face for any sign of an answer.
A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, and he arched an eyebrow at me. “If I told you she came to me herself, would you believe it?” His expression was a mix of amusement and intrigue.
Mrs. Smith had sought out Damian? I found it hard to believe, considering she never seemed to care for me. My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of her motives.
“Trust me, Ruby,” Damian continued, his voice low and soothing, yet there was an edge of caution to his words. “She isn’t doing this for you. She’s doing it for herself.”
I could see the seriousness in his eyes, and I wondered what had transpired to cause Mrs. Smith to come forward like this. What did she hope to achieve by confronting the council and exposing her husband’s secrets?
Maybe he was right. Like me, she might have grown tired of living under Lilith’s manipulation and Mr. Smith’s control.