Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"It's all right, Poppy,” Vale assures me. “The Axiom Throne tests the integrity of those who sit in it. It's like the lie detector devices used by humans, but is powered by blood magic and a million times more accurate.”
"Blood magic?"
"Don't look so scandalized. There's nothing nefarious about it or about the intent of the Order.
They simply want to hear your account of things and verify you have no hidden agenda by taking creative license with the truth.
I vouched for your integrity, but this will erase all doubt among the empowered communities. "
What he doesn't say is that because of Laurel's lies, there is a giant stormcloud of doubt and mistrust hovering over my head. If I hope to see sunny skies again, this is the way to do it.
"If you will, Miss Hallowind," Theron says.
I swallow and shrug out of my wrap, pegging Vale with all my objections. "If you swear this is only a search for truth, I'll do it. Though, given the whole blood bound to a demon thing, I'm not thrilled about poking that particular bear."
Vale offers me a sad smile. "One has no effect on the other, I promise you. And if there was any danger to you, I would tell you and put a stop to it."
There's no mistaking Vale's sincerity, so I lift my chin, hand him my wrap, and draw a steadying breath into the full depths of my lungs.
The Axiom Throne waits in patient silence, its blackthorn arms polished to a dark sheen, silver sigils pulsing faintly like a heartbeat beneath the varnished wood.
At first glance, I think the carved vines look decorative—artful and ceremonial. But when I lower myself into the seat, the vines shift, lengthening with a soft, organic creak.
A murmur ripples through the Order as the thorns descend back into the wood at the end of the arms.
“Place your hands flat and curl your fingers over the ends of the armrests to ensure full contact.”
I do as I'm instructed, and the armrests warm beneath my forearms.
"Deep breath, Poppy." Vale's voice is as steady as his gaze, and I give him a quick nod.
The moment I commit fully to what is about to happen, the vines emerge from their resting place in the wood and wrap tightly around my arms and wrists. I don't fight them. After realizing they were part of the magic of the chair, I figured they would act the part of restraints.
As the tangle of vines pins my arms to the magical field now glowing through the wood of the armrests, the barbs begin to rise.
Not a violent thrust—no, it's worse.
With a deliberate, agonizingly slow rise, each thorn pierces the center of my palms, punching through flesh in a twin bloom of pain that steals the breath from my lungs.
It stings hot, and despite my conviction, I yank to get away from the bite.
My blood ignites in my veins and a rush of my power spills beyond my control. My body's instinct to defend itself is taking hold.
"Easy, Poppy." Vale bends to bring his face into my direct line of sight. "I warned them that you aren't in full control of your affinity yet, but it would be better for all of us if you didn't detonate and ruin the party."
A joke? I'm about to rip apart at the seams and Thaddeus Vale cracks a joke?
Wow, he gets me.
It helps. I focus on his magical signature dancing between us as he stands with me through this trial.
"That's it. Deep breaths. Your blood will stop simmering when you stop fighting the magic. I know you have no reason to trust them, but you can trust me."
And I do.
Calmer now, I shut down my instinct to rail against the onslaught of magic. I work to accept the simmering burn in my blood and, exactly as Vale promised, the fire slowly extinguishes.
Vale winks. "Well done. Now we can get this party started. Archmagus, she's all yours."
For a heartbeat, I ignore the hum of conversation coming from the Order attendees and pull into myself. I'm in this now. Forward is the only way out.
Glancing down, I wince at the bloody points poking through the tops of my hands. Strangely, now that I've reined in my panic, it doesn't even hurt. The drama of it all is very stigmatic, but I suppose I'm not the first to sit in sacrifice.
The ick factor isn't lost on me, though…
Because as I sit here, I can feel the thorns drink.
With each soft, sucking pull, the wood seems to hum its approval, the silver sigils igniting to light up the chair’s arms toward my back and behind my shoulders.
Warmth pulses from the thorns, searching, reading me.
Archmagus Theron moves to stand in front of me and smiles.
"Thank you for joining us this evening, Miss Hallowind.
Going forward, if you speak the truth, the Axiom Throne will cause you no more discomfort than this.
If you lie, the thorns will taste your deception, and things will become quite unpleasant. Do you understand?"
I swallow. "Yeah."
"Wonderful, then let us begin." He straightens and when he turns to face the attendees, they are all seated behind several long mahogany tables arranged in a horseshoe. They all face inward, toward the empty space where I am seated at the top of the 'U'.
I’m not sure how or when that happened, but this is a super exclusive gathering of magic users, so I don’t give it much thought. Looking out at them all staring at me is unnerving.
It's like something straight out of King Arthur's court.
Theron straightens, looking imperial, and lifts his chin. "I call the Order of the Arcane gathering 3716 to order. All rise for His Honor, Garrison Stonehoof."
Everyone stands in a coordinated motion, and a figure materializes off to my right. I twist my head to get a better look, but the winged sides of the throne make it difficult.
When the new arrival moves into my line of sight, my mind fractures…
Garrison Stonehoof is incredibly tall and broad-shouldered, wearing midnight robes that ripple around what I can only describe as the upper body of a bison and the lower body of a man.
A massive, shaggy brown head of a bison crowns a seven-foot body built like a professional wrestler. Round dark eyes set beneath a heavy brow. Long curved horns polished to an obsidian gleam. And a shaggy mane, thick and untamed, spilling over his broad shoulders and down his back and sides.
"Be seated." His voice vibrates in the air and makes my bones hum.
"Tonight we convene to address matters of grave concern regarding the instability of Emberwood's ley line energies, the demon entity some of us have sensed, and specifically, to what extent, if any, the Emberwood Coven and their High Priestess, Laurel Cromwell are to be held accountable. "
Murmurs ripple through the assembly.
"Before we begin formal proceedings, someone introduce our guest."
Vale stands from where he's seated at the end of the closest table. "Thaddeus Vale, representing the interests of Miss Poppy Hallowind-Forrester, Spirit Witch and daughter of the late Zoe Hallowind of the Hallowind witches. Her preferred titles are Poppy or Miss Hallowind."
Every eye in the room finds me.
I resist the urge to sink into my chair. Instead, I sit a little straighter.
Garrison Stonehoof looks me over, and I can't tell what he's thinking. "From what your representative has submitted, Miss Hallowind, you've had quite the time of it over the past month, haven't you?"
I nod. "You could say that."
He holds his hands up in front of himself, and a podium rises out of the ground and meets the palms of his massive hands.
"Beginning on the eve of Halloween, tell us what has happened in your life and your understanding of the state of things as you see it.
And remember, the Axiom Throne will sense if, at any time, you color outside the lines in your recount. "
"I understand."
As intimidating as it is to be tied and blood bound to the hot-seat, there's something cathartic to telling my side of the story, knowing they have no choice but to believe me because I'm literally sitting in a bloodthirsty lie detector chair.
And so I tell them.
I tell them about waking at sixteen on a Kansas sidewalk, about building a life from nothing, and filling the emptiness where my childhood should have been.
I tell them about Sebastian portaling me back because he needed another Spirit Witch to handle Tharuzel, his minions, and the damage the greater demon was doing to the ley lines, the veil, and the people of Emberwood.
I tell them about Laurel having me kidnapped and experimented on, being sent to Arcana Academy for my lack of control, and blaming me for everything when it was her doing all along.
I tell them about Mom giving me my memories back and showing me how Laurel orchestrated the disruption of the ritual, causing the death of five people, the marking of my bloodline, and the ruin of my family.
And lastly, I tell them about being sought out by Davina Draven, interrupting Laurel’s secret meeting when they were talking about Davina, and our search for answers about what she did with my sisters and why.
There's more, of course, but Garrison said he was interested in what's happened with Tharuzel and Laurel's part in that, so that's what I talk about.
And if any of this gets other factions and empowered communities invested in finding out what Laurel is up to, maybe that will get us closer to finding my sisters.
"And she posted on ArcanaGram that I'm the destabilizing factor." I’m still galled at the audacity of that. "Which, if she means destabilizing her lies, I suppose I am, but the rest of it is on her."
The room remains silent except for occasional shared whispers between people sitting near one another.
"And that's about it." Having run out of steam, I meet Vale's gaze and shrug. "Did I miss anything?"
Vale smiles. "I can think of only one thing."