Free OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) by Sutton Shields Page A

glare with those of our own. She sat next to Vipor and removed a green journal from inside her purple and peach silk jacket. Treeva watched Madame Helena with great amusement before shooting Mom a humorous little ‘OMG’ look; even Kyle Zale stared at Helena Hambourg as though she walked out of a corny science fiction film. Doctor Tenly, on the other hand, made quite a production of leaning forward to ogle her.
    “May I help you?” Madame Helena asked Doctor Tenly, stroking her purple and peach checkered nails along her highway of a nose.
    “Hard to say,” said Doctor Tenly. “Perhaps when I’m next cooking cinnamon raisin bread, you could be so kind as to let me know when it’s done,” he said.
    Well, that did it—Treeva, Troy, Airianna, Trey, Benji, Mom, and I lost it, successfully offending most of the room with a combination of giggle-coughs, snorts, squeal-laughs, and even a few full-fledged belly laughs. Hell, even Kyle (shock) and Vipor used their hands to ineffectively conceal large grins.
    Madame Helena didn’t flinch. I often wondered if the woman was a statue in her past life. “And who might you be?” she asked Doctor Tenly.
    “Principal Jeepers. I run the school.”
    “I see. Not very good at it, are you? We wouldn’t be here if you were.”
    Doctor Tenly smirked, half-nodded, sat back in his chair, and allowed that smirk to stretch into a full cat-that-ate-the-goldfish grin. I could almost read his mind for once—he knew how easily he could crush her. Oh, if only the evil hag knew who she was dealing with! I’d pay good money to see her take on the doctor.
    “Right, then, moving forward,” said Graytone, reclaiming control of the hearing. “In combination with our observations over the last month, we will be looking to ascertain three conclusions from today’s proceedings. First, there must be no threat or danger between the banished and Merpeople. Second, we must see an earnest desire from each group to learn from one another. Third, in order for the banished to remain in this town, we will need to garner a sense of calm from all inhabitants. Naturally, we will determine who is at fault for violating clause ten of the Banishment Charter—revealing the existence of Merpeople to the banished—and the appropriate punishment. Based on our surveillance, we have narrowed the witness list to nine. The chairs, if you please, Madame Helena.”
    Nodding, Madame Helena waved her bony fingers in the air as though dancing them along a piano. Two deafening cracks shook the benches, startling all of us, and the entire left wall of the courtroom crumbled to the floor. From the darkness beyond the fallen wall, a row of nine individual iron chambers suspended from a swinging bar soared into the courtroom.
    “Cannot believe they have the nerve to let Helena use her powers, yet outlaw you all,” said Mom.
    “Probably some exception to the rule, you know, for the greater good,” said Meikle.
    “Yeah, the greater good being whatever benefits them at any given moment,” I said.
    “The Imperia calls Fletcher Gibbs, Camille Valentine, Katrina Zale, Troy Tombolo, Marina Valentine, Airianna Hail, Trey Campbell, Meikle Martinez, and Benjamin Wamberly to the chambers. Please sit in the order called,” said Graytone.
    We all peeled ourselves from our seats, like weeds in a bed of perfect, plastic flowers. I felt Troy’s hand brush against the small of my back as I climbed into chamber number five. Sitting in the chamber was a bit like being in a birdcage for a really large, really dead zombie-bird.
    “Shall we begin?” asked the albino. “Mistron, please commence the questioning.”
    Mistron Havenot, their science control expert, opened his folder and removed several blood-red sheets of paper. He adjusted his glasses over his crooked nose and looked at Mr. Gibbs. “Fletcher Gibbs, are you currently in a relationship with banished Marina Valentine’s mother, Camille Valentine?”
    “I am,” Mr. Gibbs