Page 123 of Salt in the Seas
Aeliana and Gaeren exchanged glances, unsure about this new turn of events. Even Sylmar seemed taken aback.
“Publicly?” he asked.
The guard nodded. “It was Nori’s request.”
At this, they all paused. Any thoughts Aeliana had of rushing to escape were put on hold. If this was Nori’s request, maybe she had a plan. Sylmar seemed to come to the same conclusion, because he was first in line to leave the hut, his staff remaining a deceivingly plain metal.
Because all ten of them were being escorted from the hut, a few more soldiers showed up this time, dividing them in groups of two. Aeliana ended up with Velden, who still managed a grin for their parade through the village. When he started waving at onlookers, Aeliana smacked his hand down.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit disrespectful after all that’s happened?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’m innocent. And I’m going to maintain my innocence while on trial. Hopefully they won’t kill Riveran. But I doubt they’ll kill the rest of us for something he did.”
“And you’re fine with him dying?”
“Of course not.” He frowned. “But I’m not going to walk around looking guilty because I know someone else in our party is.” Then hepicked up his hand and smiled and waved once more at a few curious children, who giggled as green and purple scales sprinkled across their cheeks.
“You’re going to miss being here, aren’t you?” Aeliana asked.
“You make it sound as if we’re leaving,” he said.
She snorted but didn’t bother responding. They entered the square, where atop the dais, gallows had been arranged.
Aeliana swallowed hard. “Do you think this means their verdict has already been made, and we’re not actually on trial?”
Even Velden’s shoulders tightened. “It’s possible. But I don’t think Nori would lead us astray.”
The guards hushed them at that point, herding them up on the stage like cattle before making them sit on the rough wooden floor.
Aeliana was forced to hope that Velden was right. She scanned the crowd, but she only saw the hard faces of the elders and their wives. Even Elder Mishkel, whom she’d managed to compliment on his fancy rainbow fin, had apprehension in his eyes.
Where was Nori?
The crowd continued to grow. Those in the back were so far away their faces blurred, and the number of attendees quickly became impossible to estimate. Some even entered nearby homes and businesses to lean out verandas for a better view, then a few climbed on rooftops. The air almost turned festive as everyone discussed the foreigners’ fate.
It made Aeliana sick to her stomach, and when she glanced at Riveran’s pale face, she feared he truly would retch. He’d overcome so much and had been through even more. This couldn’t be his end, not after all he’d done to protect Gaeren.
A glance at the prince made her realize his mind was moving in the same direction, his eyes darting around for a possible escape. Her heart seized with the realization that if Riveran was deemed guilty, Gaeren wouldn’t make it out alive either. He wouldn’t let his friend die on his behalf.
Nori’s father stood, joining the prisoners and their guards on the stage. He raised a hand, and the crowd hushed like a wave receding onthe sea. “As many of you know, it has come to our attention that our guests have not been completely honest about their history.”
Gaeren scoffed, the noise almost imperceptible, but Aeliana frowned, both at his risk of angering the Sayhleens and at Elder Algaen’s inaccurate representation of them.
“We have spent the last two days deliberating their actions. Because their murder of a sprite was seen through Elder Perla’s noetic skills, there was no need to question them for more information. Their guilt is clear.”
Aeliana tensed, but the crowd seemed to expect this. She supposed the elders’ deliberations had been kept from the prisoners, but they’d likely spread through the Sayhleen people like blood in water, attracting more sharks with each tiny spurt. They’d never even had a chance.
So what had made Nori request this public trial? Aeliana scanned the crowd wildly once more, and this time she caught sight of the younger woman at the dais’ edge, mostly hidden beneath a cloak. Despite her tense posture, she gave Aeliana an encouraging smile, a promise in her eyes.
“Instead,” Elder Algaen continued, “we deliberated how to address their guilt. It was clear the murder was committed by only one member of their group, with a second possibly complicit observer. Some among us felt only they should be held guilty for the crime. Others felt their group was guilty by association.”
His lips pursed, but Aeliana wasn’t sure which side of the argument he stood on.
“As much as we would like to collaborate with people across the barriers, we do not want to put our own people at risk. If these Vendarans are willing to kill a sprite, one of the creators we serve, how much less respect do they have for our people?”
Murmurs started up in the crowd, but they weren’t all in agreement. A tiny sliver of hope threaded its way through Aeliana, and she worked at it, trying to draw it out into something larger to latch on to.
“We also debated what punishment would fit the crime. An obvious option would be death.” He gestured toward the gallows.
