Free Spearwood Academy Volume Five by A.S. Oren Page B

him? Why wouldn’t I run?”
    “Would you like to speak, Mr. Hansen?” Penguin asks.
    “She was having a fling with him and didn’t want me to find out about it. My brother told me about anyway, but she didn’t know that. He was going to tell her I knew on that day, but then he wound up dead. She had motive. She didn’t want people knowing she sleeps around, considering she’s supposed to be marrying me soon.”
    Chills run over my entire body. How could he say those things?
    Dante stands up from his seat. “That’s a flat out lie, and you know it, you prick!” He points and makes his way down the stairs toward me. “She didn’t care when you found out she was with me. Why would she give a shit if she found out you knew about your brother and her?”
    I must sleep around a lot in their memories. I don’t know how I feel about that. Why did they make me such an easy girl? So that it’d be easier for them to turn against me? Was Maverick getting killed Roseman or Aibek’s plan? If it was Aibek’s, why hasn’t he killed Amr and me yet? What’s changed between now and the time he wanted to off us in a dirt room?  What are we? Sitting ducks now? Easy targets?
    My eyes go wide. Maybe the arrow was meant for me and not for Maverick.
    The youngest governor bangs a gavel on the stand. “I will have order! You, young man, are not part of the trial. Take your seat, or you will be removed.”
    “You have no witness for her side. How is this fair?” Dante counters.
    “To your seat . . . now!” yells the old bulldog. His jowls quiver.
    Dante turns to me and rests his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll make it through this, Avvi. I know you will.” It’s weird hearing him call me Avvi. He never does that. Does he still call me Fire?. 
    His lips meet mine before I have time to react. I try to push my face away from his, forcing his lips to my cheek. He thinks we have something, but I just can’t do this right now. All I want is Maverick back.
    Dante returns to his seat beside Amr and Horace.
    “Without further interruption, we will now rule on your punishment,” Penguin says.
    “Avalon Roseman, for your crime of killing a Royal you will be sentenced to a trial of survival. If you succeed, you will be absolved of your crime. If you fail, may the Sun god have mercy on your soul. Your trial begins at sunrise.” The youngest governor bangs the gavel again. 
    I didn’t kill him. I love him.
    “You may take her back to her cell now, Mr. Norse.”
    Jericho Norse takes ahold of my arm and guides me to the exit. He’s been my day and night guard since we got back. He even sleeps on a bed in my living room. He can’t be older than nineteen. Why was he chosen to watch me?
    “C’mon, Miss Roseman, get a move on. I don’t have all day to wait on you.”
    If I had my way, I’d elbow him in the stomach. Unfortunately, these golden cuffs on my wrists prevent me from being violent in any way, whether physically or magically.

 
“The Cell”
     

    A beep sounds as Jericho opens the door to my dorm. He holds Enid, my P.A., in his hand. I’m not allowed to use her until my trial is over, not that I would know how to use her for anything dubious.
    He pulls me inside the room and unlinks my cuffs. They remain on my wrists, but I no longer have to hold my arms behind my back. “Go do whatever. You only have a couple hours of freedom left.” He says do whatever , but I can’t leave my dorm.
    Roseman had to pull some father strings just to get me under house arrest. If it weren’t for him, I’d be in the dungeons below the school. As much as I hate him and the guard I’ve been stuck with, I’m glad I’m not in a dungeon. Still, I’d like to know what they want from me. If Aibek wants me dead, why are they dragging this out?
    I’m sure Jericho will just go and read or watch something with the help of his P.A. I head for my room, closing and locking the door behind me. Sir Pointed Face can do whatever he wants