ACCUSATIONS AND ALIBIS

Elaris’s POV

Maevra’s chamber fell silent, and it became unbearable.

The power radiating from Averic filled the entire room in such a way that the guards guarding near the entrance couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably. There was a certain heaviness in the air, each breath burning in my chest, because I stood several feet away from Maevra’s bed.

I had been challenged by Caedmon when he said I was a murderer.

I had been cast off by everyone after sacrificing the baby I had prayed for all those years.

But this pain was different.

Because Averic used to look at me like I am someone who deserved protection.

But now he looks at me like I am the biggest threat to him in his house.

“I did not poison her.”

I said the words confidently despite the shakiness of my voice.

For a moment, Averic didn’t answer me. Instead, his gaze remained locked on mine.

"I would never hurt Maevra," I went on. "You know that."

"You thought you knew me," he whispered.

They hurt more than any shout could.

I swallowed back the pain that was rising into my throat.

"Every day I have taken care of your mother since you have let me stay here. I have mixed her medicines, stayed with her while she could not sleep, talked with her when she needed someone to listen to her. How would I suddenly decide to kill her?"

Averic’s fingers tightened at his side.

"I don’t know."

This fear was worse than any anger.

Virelle stepped between us before I could say another word.

Her fingers touched Averic’s arm, a gesture that looked kind to anyone looking on.

Then she gestured to my apron.

"She was carrying the bottle," Virelle said. "She had already taken it out of Maevra’s bedroom."

Her voice shook exquisitely.

Almost persuasively.

"Why are we still trying to defend her?"

I looked at the hand on Averic’s arm.

Something in me shrank back.

But not because Virelle was touching him.

No – because she looked way too comfortable standing beside him when I was getting treated like a criminal.

“She was found holding the bottle, Averic!” cried Virelle. “How much more proof do you need to see that she is bringing destruction into your family?”

“Enough.”

This was all Averic replied in a low voice.

Virelle instantly shut up.

He glanced at her.

“Do not determine her guilty before Harwin completes his examination.”

At least, hope sparkled in me for a brief second.

Until Virelle bowed her head.

“I only wish to protect you.”

It sounded so miserable.

I knew the routine.

“I wish you to think that she is protecting you,” I continued. “But she manipulates your perceptions.”

Virelle’s expression faltered.

Now that Averic’s eyes were on me again, the gap between us grew wider.

Doctor Harwin had no intention to deal with our fight.

He was hurriedly doing something with Maevra, grinding some herbs into a silver bowl while the other healer was pouring pure essence into the protective field around her bed.

“Her pulse weakens,” Harwin warned.

Averic instantly moved to him.

“Are you able to save her?”

“I can slow the poison.”

“Then do it.”

“I need silence.”

The order rang out across the room.

Everyone fell silent.

I watched Harwin’s hands speed up as he focused intently on creating the antidote.

Maevra’s breathing was labored and raspy.

Every uneven breath made me count down the seconds.

My fingers touched the silk packet hidden away in my pocket.

The burnt letter.

The only piece of proof that Virelle didn’t know that I had.

My heart started beating fast.

I could change everything by showing it.

I pulled the silk packet from my pocket.

The burnt edges of the parchment were delicate underneath the protection of the silk. Most of the writing was gone, but the handwriting was clear.

Caedmon’s.

Or, at least, it looked like Caedmon’s handwriting.

I stepped towards everyone else.

“I have something.”

Averic looked at me.

“What?”

“Fragment of a letter.”

Virelle had stopped breathing.

Only for a moment.

But I noticed it.

I unraveled the silk gently.

"This was found within the ashes in Virelle’s room," I explained. "It includes information about Maevra’s medicine."

Virelle's face paled.

I offered the paper to Harwin.

"If you want to know the truth, study the ink and handwriting. Look for some residue on the edges. There must be something you can use."

Averic gaped at the document.

"Where did you find that?"

"Neryss discovered it."

"And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I didn’t know who I could trust."

This statement hovered in the air between us.

Averic's face became serious.

"You should have trusted me."

"I wanted to."

My tone softened.

"But someone has been trying to make me look guilty since Virelle came here."

Virelle took a step back.

For the first time, real fear shone in her eyes.

It lasted only an instant.

Then she substituted it with disdain.

"That is ridiculous."

"You are scared of the letter."

"You are scared of what you are prepared to invent to save yourself."

Her voice grew sharp.

Averic glanced between us.

I could see the struggle in his mind.

He needed to believe me.

But Maevra was dying in front of him.

All the material evidence led back to me.

Harwin tried to grab the parchment.

Virelle moved.

Everything happened so fast that I didn’t realize what was happening.

Virelle tripped.

“Oh!”

Her shoulder knocked against Dr. Harwin.

His tray tipped dangerously.

Shattered pieces fell all over the floor.

“Watch it!” Harwin yelled.

A bottle hit my hands.

The silk bundle fell out of my hands.

“No!”

I went after it.

Virelle tripped again.

Perfectly.

Purposefully.

With her heel near the broken bottles, another vial was kicked off the table.

The counter-agent spilled.

The liquid poured into the silk.

The parchment hissed.

The blackened letters melted away in front of my eyes.

I stopped in horror.

“No…”

The piece of parchment folded inward as the chemical dissolved it.

I reached for it, but Harwin grabbed my hand.

“Don’t touch it!”

The liquid burned my skin.

A sharp pain shot through my hand.

I yanked my hand back with a cry.

Within seconds, everything else was dissolved into the solution.

There was nothing left of the parchment.

Just black ashes.

I gaped at it.

Virelle covered her mouth.

“Oh, Goddess…”

But I caught a glimpse of her eyes.

Behind the tears there was relief.

She had done it.

And she had known that I knew it.

"Forgive me," Virelle cried.

She fell to her knees on the floor among the shards of broken glass and trembled like the accident had affected her just as badly as it had broken the vials.

"I did not mean to do that. I was scared. All I wanted to do was see what Elaris was holding."

"You did not stumble," I murmured.

Virelle lifted her head.

"What?"

"You knew about the letter."

Her face changed into innocence again.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know perfectly well what it is."

Averic walked closer to us.

"Elaris."

I turned to look at him.

"She destroyed our only proof."

"Or," Virelle sniffed, "you brought that paper here knowing that the vial would give you away."

The silence fell heavy in the room.

Even Harwin stopped in the middle of movement.

Averic stared at the shredded parchment before shifting his gaze onto the acid burns spreading on my fingertips.

Lastly, his eyes traveled to Maevra.

His mother laid white against pillows barely conscious.

I could sense the war waging within him.

The man who had taken me in was at odds with the Alpha whose duty it was to protect his pack.

But when he finally spoke, there was nothing friendly in his voice.

“Guards.”

Two warriors stepped forward.

My heart clenched.

“Alpha…”

“Restrict Elaris to her quarters.”

I looked at him.

“You think that I did it?”

“I have no idea who to believe anymore.”

His words broke me into pieces.

“I do not order you punished,” he continued although he looked very far away from me, “but until my mother is stable, no one enters nor leaves your quarters without permission.”

Virelle bent her head down to hide a small smile of triumph.

I saw it.

Averic did not.

As the guards came closer, I glanced one last time at the black ash lying on the floor.

The evidence was gone.

All that I had left was the woman who was about to die.

And the woman who had erased all the evidence was next to the man that I started loving.

But then Harwin suddenly cried.

“Alpha!”

Everyone turned to look.

He was looking at the shattered vial that was lying at the feet of Virelle.

“There is something weird about this counteragent.”

Averic approached him.

Harwin picked up the shattered glass gently.

“This is not the serum that I made for Maevra.”

His eyes gradually turned to Virelle.

“Somebody must have exchanged the vials before I entered this room.”