“Thank you,” Esmeralda whispered and gently rubbed his arm. “Galeta, have you any words?” The Green asked the headmistress.
Hugging her icy robe tighter, the Blue dipped her head. But instead of looking haughty and gleeful, as was her usual manner, her tone was subdued and tinged with a touch of remorse.
“As much as I’ve warred with Danika,” she glanced at the fairy in particular, “I did not know what Siria had planned when we’d passed judgment all those years ago. You must know, Danika and Jericho,” she looked at them both, “I would never have condoned this.”
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Esmeralda, because she was the one fairy who could see through any lie to the real truth beneath. The Green nodded.
“She speaks from the heart. There is no duplicity in there. Then if that is all that is to be said,” she quirked a brow at Galeta who nodded an assent, “I shall pronounce judgment.”
Suddenly the mass of black began to take shape and coalesce into a shadowy figure that sparkled with veins of brightest onyx. A face formed, and then a mouth, and when it moved, it spoke. “Galeta, you hated her as much as I. How could this be wrong? I’ve done nothing,” the smoky mirage pleaded, holding out her arms in supplication toward the Blue.
In a rare act of solidarity, Galeta hissed. “How dare you beg me for forgiveness.”
The mirage that was Siria frowned.
“But I thought—”
Galeta snorted. “That I’d back you? Be okay with this? I’ve never, in all my days, hurt a child. And I never would. I understand the need for vengeance, but this…” she dusted her hands together, “even I am not so heartless. Esmeralda, if I may have some say in this punishment?”
The Green frowned, as did everyone else. Judgment was the sole domain of justice, it wasn’t unheard of to have an outsider step in and dole out punishment, but it was exceedingly rare.
Galeta’s smile was nothing but sharp pointed teeth. “I think I know exactly how to hurt her.”
“Galeta,” Esmeralda warned, holding up a finger. “You might be head mistress but justice is justice and I will hand it down to whoever deserves it.” The threat to Galeta was obvious.
But the head mistress didn’t miss a beat.
“Indeed, I should hope so. I am not the monster you all assume me.”
Danika snorted, to which Galeta merely rolled her eyes.
“All I’ve done, I’ve done with purpose, as have the both of you.” She pinned both fairies with frosty glares. “I swear to you now, that the punishment I have in mind will favor us all and will be good for Kingdom as well. Do I have your trust?”
Aeric didn’t know much of fairy machinations, but he did understand that justice could only be handed down once. That was the way of magic justice, what was done could not be undone.
“I don’t know if we should,” Danika hedged.
But Esmeralda held up a hand. “I believe her. Galeta, I cede the right to you.” The Green stepped aside. “Just this once, mind.”
The Blue nodded. Danika held tight to Jericho’s hand. Alice and Hatter didn’t seem to be paying any of this much mind. They were still peppering their daughter’s brow with kisses.
Aeric had to squeeze his eyes shut against the sight of it. The sooner they finished here, the sooner he could go. And he had to go. Wonderland held nothing for him anymore. All its allure was gone with her.
Lissa had made everything sparkle, had made the beautiful ten times more beautiful and the dangerous even more exciting. Now it just looked like a spooky forest with a couple of twisted multi-colored trees. The excitement, the verve of the place… it was all gone.
He clenched his jaw.
“Siria, daughter of the son,” Galeta intoned.
Siria trembled.
“No longer are you guardian of the sun.”
“What!” Siria cried, eyes going wide in her hazy face. “You cannot do this, Esmeralda, please, she cannot do this!”
Danika and Esmeralda both sucked in loud breaths. Aeric wasn’t sure he fully understood why.
“Not only that,” Galeta continued, and staring deep into Siria’s eyes, the gleeful smile she always wore was nowhere to be seen, there was only determination and a fine hint of sadness, “you are now mortal.”
“Dear Gods,” someone breathed, and it sounded suspiciously like Jericho.
Esmeralda looked stunned. “But the sun, the sun requires a guardian, Galeta, what have you done?”
Galeta shook her head. “And the sun will have it, there will be an interim guardian until we find someone who can honor their position with the same type of class and grace as Jericho has exhibited.”