15. Molly
Molly looked up as the door slid open and the two big Kindred came back into Commander Sylvan’s office. Commander Torus settled beside her in his chair again and gave her a nod. She wanted to ask if everything was all right, but she didn’t dare with Commander Sylvan and Councilor Paige sitting right there.
“All right, thank you for waiting for us,” Commander Sylvan said, settling back behind his desk.
“Oh, we weren’t waiting—I think I’ve come up with an idea,” Lizabeth said, giving him an arch smile. “But first, is there anything else I should know?”
“Nothing except that I believe that Commander Torus was firmly in the right,” Commander Sylvan said. “After what he witnessed, he had no choice but to act as he did. And as a Kindred warrior, I would have done the same thing.”
Molly’s eyes widened. What had Commander Torus told his boss to make him side so firmly with him?
“As it happens, I agree with you,” Lizabeth said mildly. “Putting it simply, Molly’s ex is a complete bastard who got what he had coming to him. The question is, how do we sell that to a jury?”
“I thought you said you had an idea?” Commander Sylvan asked.
“I do.” The lawyer leaned forward. “But it’s going to take everyone’s cooperation and a little bit of subterfuge.”
“Subterfuge?” Torus frowned. “How do you mean?”
“Look—I told you we needed to establish two things to use the Rage defense. One—Molly had to be in danger of imminent harm. Now she has confessed to me, while the two of you were talking, that her ex’s harassment in sending the video made her feel suicidal. When she expressed those feelings to Commander Torus, that’s when he went into Rage.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Molly nodded and Commander Torus did as well, though he also got a pained expression on his face. Reaching down, he took Molly’s hand and squeezed it.
She felt a warm glow suffuse her and she looked up at him and smiled.
“Okay, good.” Lizabeth looked briefly at their clasped hands and nodded. “And two, we needed to establish some kind of romantic connection between the two of you—some reason that Commander Torus would go into a protective Rage for the woman he loves.”
“What?” Molly’s mouth was suddenly dry. “But he doesn’t—I mean, Commander Torus is my boss.”
“Well from now on, he’s going to be more than that. Or at least, appear to be more,” the lawyer said. “As of now, the two of you are getting engaged and tomorrow you’re getting married—or as the Kindred say, ‘Joined.’”