Chapter 15
The proceedings took about three hours. I took the witness stand and gave my account of the night Savannah was killed.
At first, I didn’t want to testify. I thought Bastian had a better handle on things than I did, but in the end, I had to do it. I presented a timeline of my movements that night and answered biting questions from the prosecution.
I was nervous but held my own with my head up, meeting the eyes of the jury because I had nothing to hide.
We took a recess for about an hour, during which we got something to eat and stretched out our legs a bit. I dreaded going back into the courtroom, but at this point, all I wanted to do was get this over with. I was innocent, and I didn’t deserve this.
As we filed back into the courtroom, I saw War sitting in the audience with his eyes fixed on me. He didn’t join us for lunch, saying he wanted to be alone with his thoughts until we started back up again. His expression was unreadable, but I could tell he was worried.
The judge called for silence as a new piece of evidence was presented—the surveillance video that showed Savannah and her killer, aka, me, entering an empty alleyway near the bar where she’d been that night. The footage was grainy, but it clearly showed our faces.
There were murmurs from the jury and spectators alike as they watched in shock at what happened next—Savannah's killer pulled out a knife and stabbed her multiple times, tearing her apart with brutal force before fleeing.
I felt my heart shatter into pieces inside me as tears welled up in my eyes. This wasn't fair. That wasn’t me. But everyone in the room was staring at me like I was a monster. Especially the humans.
Bastian leaned in, whispering in my ear. "Listen," he said gently, placing his hand over mine to comfort me. "I know things look bad right now, but you're doing great.”
I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to speak because of this strong facade I’d been putting up since coming here. It felt like it was crumbling away bit by bit.
Finally, it was time for my lawyer to question me himself. Bastian smiled at me warmly, conveying that he had it all handled as I settled in front of the courtroom.
He questioned me pretty much the same way the prosecution did, forcing me to go into detail about things that should have been private. I told the jury about my relationship with the three men in my life, and my history with Savannah.
They knew all about Gareth’s mate bond with her, and all that did was serve to make me look like a jealous murderer. None of it was working in my favor.
But finally, when everything seemed so bleak and I was starting to lose hope, Bastian directed everyone to look at the screen at the front of the room.
He went on to explain that a team of forensic investigators concluded that whoever was responsible for killing Savannah had actually glamored themselves to look like me, knowing that there were cameras in the alleyway.
At first, the jurors didn’t look convinced until Bastian pulled out the big guns. I was allowed to return to my seat as he called several witnesses. There were forensic experts, a couple of officers, and even a darkling medical doctor who all backed up his claims with evidence.
He spoke eloquently and got right to the point with each of them. After that, the trial went smoothly. The tide started to turn, and I felt like I could breathe a little easier.
The court took a brief recess while the jurors made their decision. I sat out in the lobby, sipping on a bottle of water, while Thane gently rubbed my back and Gareth brooded.
It was two full hours before we were ushered back into the room. I sat stoically, staring ahead, seeing my entire life flash before my eyes.
As we waited for the verdict, Bastian tried to assure me that everything would be alright. “I’m sorry it had to come to this.”
“It’s not your fault,” I interrupted him. “None of this was your fault. It was mine. I never should have gone to that fight. I should have stayed at the consulate like August asked me to. But I never fucking listen and look where it got me.”
The judge cleared his throat and looked over at Bastian, who stood, pulling me up with him. I was shaking like a leaf, unable to catch my breath.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” he began gravely. “Have you reached a decision?”
I felt my heart pounding erratically against my ribcage like an animal trying to escape its cage.
“We have,” came their reply.
This was it.
I was going to prison for sure.
Goodbye, freedom…