Free The Mage's Limits: Mages of Martir Book #2 by Timothy L. Cerepaka

We already know they did it. Why bother listening to their pitiful defenses?”
    “I already said why,” said Valumor. “It is a part of our justice system. Every accused person has the right to explain himself or herself to the Council. Not that it will do anything to change our minds, but I feel it is only fair that we do so.”
    “I'll kill 'em myself if I must,” said Kaxu. “They've been running free for a year. That is far too long for any criminal to run free, especially criminals as wicked and evil as they.”
    “I am the Head of the Council,” said Valumor. “And I say they get a chance to speak. It won't be very long—as you said, Kaxu, they've gone unpunished for too long—but it must be done in accordance with what Grinf commanded us many years ago.”
    Kaxu folded her arms, while the other two Council members remained as silent as always.
    “Now, who wishes to speak first?” said Valumor, addressing Durima and Gujak.
    Durima held up her chained hands. “I do.”
    Valumor sat back in his seat, looking slightly offended, probably because Durima had not called him 'Sir Council Member.' That had been intentional on her part. She held no respect for the Council, not after what they did during the Katabans War. She would address them as she wished, not how they wanted; after all, if she was going to be killed anyway, she had little reason to be polite.
    Beside her, Gujak was still quiet. She hadn't even sensed him about to speak, but that didn't matter. Durima knew better than to let Gujak get an opportunity to blubber. In his current state, if he talked to the Council, he'd likely break down completely.
    “Fine,” said Valumor. “Durima the Demon, wasn't it? Didn't we offer you a position as a Soldier of the Gods shortly after the end of the Katabans War for your bravery and expertise in battle?”
    Durima nodded curtly. “Indeed you did. And I rejected the offer because I did not want to obey you.”
    “A shame,” said Valumor with a sigh. “I remember how well you fought in the War. You went to work for the Ghostly God after that, didn't you?”
    Durima frowned. “I did. May I ask what our former Master is doing now?”
    “That is irrelevant to our current discussion,” said Valumor. “Anyway, this is not the time for conversation. It is the time for you to defend yourself and Gujak from our accusations, even though there is clearly no way for either of you to do that.”
    Durima drew herself up to her full height. “All right. Although the accusations thrown against us—that we killed the Spider Goddess—are correct, there are many nuances of that action that you Council members are probably unaware of.”
    “What is there to be aware of?” said Kaxu. She pointed at them accusingly. “You two murdered a goddess. That is proof enough that you deserve nothing more than the harshest punishment imaginable.”
    “You still don't understand,” said Durima. She looked at all of the Council members with disgust. “None of you understand the most important thing about what we did: Context. Nothing, not even the worst crime, happens in a vacuum. By ignoring context, you are going to commit a great injustice by putting us to death.”
    “Tell us, then, Demon, what this 'context' is,” said Kaxu. “I am interested in hearing you justify your murder of a goddess.”
    “It wasn't murder,” said Durima. “We didn't go to Bleak Rock intending to murder the Spider Goddess. We went there because our former Master, the Ghostly God, ordered us to get the God-killer. We didn't even know what it was at the time and only used it out of self-defense, because the Spider Goddess was going to eat us if we didn't.”
    “A likely story,” said Kaxu with a sneer. “Why would the Ghostly God ask you to get the God-killer? That makes no sense.”
    “Because he was being manipulated by Uron,” said Durima. “You know who Uron is, right?”
    The entire Council shifted uneasily in their seats at the