Jonathon shook his head. “I wish I could take you up on this, but Kristoff wants Lebron blood and you know the council has right of refusal.” He tented his hands on either side of his face, as if massaging a migraine. “But I could possibly swing it for Mischa alone. They mostly associate Jessa with me, and I would be a little less homicidal to know that you were in there watching her back,” he said to Braxton.
Lienda stepped in then. “I don’t want either of my girls in there, Jon. There must be something else we can do?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, my sweet, but Braxton’s idea is better than anything I can think of. Jessa is trained to fight, unlike Mischa. It is the best option.”
There were nods all around. No one looked happy, but they were a little more resigned.
“We will make sure the trial never has a chance for success.” Tyson kissed me on the cheek. “You just have to make sure you survive.” His voice got a little louder. “Do you hear me, Jessa babe, your only job in there is to survive.”
Jacob dropped a kiss onto my other cheek. “Forget about the prisoners in that room, now you have to be selfish and only think of Jessa.”
A blast of energy had all of us turning back to the large group waiting across the clearing. Their patience had ended, it was time to go quietly.
Jonathon’s face went dark and stormy. “Give me a moment.” The fact that his voice was low and growly was a pretty big indicator that he wasn’t calm.
Lienda reached out and looped one arm around Mischa’s shoulders. The other went around me. My arms were starting to ache from being held in their position at my back and I was missing my wolf like crazy. But I knew this sensation was something I was going to have to get used to, at least for the next week. We watched as Jonathon started to argue with the council, putting forth the proposal for the Braxton and Mischa switch. He only needed a majority vote, and I knew Torag would be on his side.
Three hands went into the air, which left Kristoff and Galiani, the fey, on the opposing side. That was victory enough for us.
Mischa was breathing rather rapidly for someone who’d just been given a reprieve.
“What?” I said.
She swallowed audibly. “I’m not okay with you going back in there without me. I don’t think I will survive the worry.”
I left our mother’s side and nudged into her. “Don’t be afraid for me, Braxton will never let anything happen to me, and more importantly … I can take care of myself.” I let the smallest of smiles grace my lips.
“We will make sure you don’t go back after the trial,” Lienda said. They all seemed to feel the need to repeat this. “Your father and Louis will figure out how to make whatever evidence disappear, including the guards’ memories.” Her voice dropped even further. “But if you’re convicted, we will run. I have done it once, I sure as hell will do it again to keep you safe.”
It wasn’t hard to see where she’d gotten the strength to run with Mischa, to leave behind her mate and other child, to keep her family safe. She might be a wolf, but the mama bear was there in spades.
Jonathon turned to us and with a wave of a hand indicated it was safe to walk across. I knew, as the quads closed ranks around us, that it went against their instincts to let this happen. They wanted to fight. The set of their jaws, the fire in their eyes, the power which rode all of them, they wanted to fight so badly. But there was a time for fighting and a time to wait, and now was the waiting part.
The trip to Vanguard was pretty uneventful. Braxton had been cuffed and we were both blindfolded. The leather necklace had been removed from my neck so I knew I was going to feel every single one of the security measures. But there was comfort in the warmth of Braxton close by. I was attempting not to think of the hard faces and tight hugs of my friends and family as they were forced to watch us leave. I hadn’t said goodbye. I refused to acknowledge that I might not see them again. Despite the odds against us, I was determined to survive and I was hardening myself to the experiences on the inside.
By the time the mask and cuffs were removed, we were in some sort of front entrance waiting room. I rubbed at my aching wrists and swung my arms a few times to move the blood through them again. The scent of this part of Vanguard was very different to that of the sewer area I’d been in, clean and sterile.
The first thing they did was separate me and Braxton. His expression and low growls indicated he wasn’t very happy about this move, but he didn’t say anything. He knew when to fight his battles. I assumed he’d already been through this and knew what was about to happen. I took comfort from that.