Chapter 31 Lukas
Lukas
“Pizza is here!” Remy yelled as he ran to the front door to receive the delivery.
The rest of the group got up from where we were sitting in the living room of Noah’s flat and headed to the kitchen.
It had been a long day, and nothing sounded better than too much greasy pizza to wind down with each other.
Henri’s testimony was finished, and we were one step closer to the end of the trial. With the testimonies that had been given so far, there was no way that the jury couldn’t find Aster guilty, and there were still many witness testimonies to come.
Pulling Elsie to my side, we waited in the kitchen as Remy set the pizza on the island, opened the top box, and took a slice before even getting a plate. Noah grabbed plates and slid them next to the pizza boxes, and we all dug in.
Immediately after court wrapped up today, we all came here to celebrate. I was sure we would do the same when Noah and Ivy gave their testimonies as well next week. And since William had taken a plea deal, I was certain his testimony would only further dig the grave Aster belonged in.
Noah quietly piled pizza on two plates and took them over to where Henri sat on a stool at the other end of the island. Carefully, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She had remained contemplative and introverted since we’d gotten here.
“Henri, I’m so proud of you for everything you said today,” Ivy said, looking across the island to her best friend. Henri met her eyes and smiled; her cheeks seemed to warm a bit.
“You really did so amazingly. And I know it must have been so hard, but you did great. You looked confident the whole time,” Elsie added, slipping out of my grip to lean over the island and pat her hand.
“I thought I was going to throw up the entire time,” Henri confessed, and even laughed a bit. It broke the worried tension all of us were feeling. “And I’m glad my part is over.”
Henri always seemed so sure and put together that I didn’t reasonably consider that recalling the events of the spring would probably be hard.
She had been the most significant thorn in Noah’s side, yet it had turned into something more.
In their discoveries and potions, she’d been caught in the chaos and caught in Aster’s web and nearly lost her life for it.
Surely, that was difficult for her to talk about in front of a full gallery and the jury, especially so soon after it had happened.
“Noah and I will give ours next week, and then things should really pick up after that!” Ivy sounded hopeful, but I didn’t miss the worry on her face as well. She also endured a lot at the hands of Aster. She was the central pawn throughout the attacks, after all.
“And then they’ll question Middleton, correct?” Noah asked with a serious look on his face. It was clear he didn’t feel lighthearted about anything. His expression was consumed with the stark concern he had for Henri.
“Yes. He agreed to a plea deal. It will take a few weeks because they’re calling in a specialized Oathbreaker from America to remove his oath before he can take the stand.”
“They’re bringing in an American Oathbreaker?” Everyone’s eyes were on me as Remy’s question hung in the air.
Oathbreakers were highly specialized witches and wizards. Each was completely different in their abilities and how much they could do, and they were rare. In the modern day, there wasn’t an immense need for oath-breaking. Typically, the only use of an Oathbreaker was in criminal cases.
“There’s only one Oathbreaker in the UK, and he’s not capable of breaking unknown oaths—only oaths of two specified individuals.
Since we’re not one hundred percent sure it’s Aster, the team had to call in someone with higher abilities.
The Oathbreaker from America can’t come in until the week after next, and he said the process could take a few days.
So the court schedule will be modified again. ”
As I spoke, I pulled Elsie to my side again because I knew this wasn’t the best topic for her. Though she didn’t have a great relationship with her father…it was still her father. And the idea that his oath being forcibly broken upset her. She didn’t hesitate to lean her head on my collarbone.
“Well, that will be interesting. Will they stay for the rest of the case?” Ivy asked, taking a massive bite out of her pizza.
“I’m assuming he’ll do his job and return to America.
” I shrugged, grabbing pizza for Elsie and myself before we moved to sit at the island.
Looking at Henri, I continued. “I think you’ll enjoy talking to him.
I can set up a meeting if you’d like. He’s probably the top Oathbreaker in the world.
Apparently, he’s also specialized in curse-breaking, too. And advanced potion-making.”
Henri perked up immediately. “Oh, I’d love that if he has the time!” She looked at Noah, who released some of the tension in his shoulders. He even smiled a little.
“Let’s talk about anything other than this case for the rest of the night. Yeah?” Elsie suggested.
“Agreed!” Ivy exclaimed. Noah and Remy were nodding their heads.
And we didn’t speak on the topic even once more that night. Instead, we enjoyed board games and more junk food, and pretended for a bit that there wasn’t a cloud of stress hanging over all of us.