One month later...

“Just stay calm,” Lebec says. “And remember, these are the Lord Wizards of the twelve major plaines. They’re used to having their way. If they find you trustworthy and filled with deference, they'll remove your sentence of exile.”

“I thought you were going to handle all this,” I say. “I thought you were going to vouch for me. We already cleared everything up. I explained it all.”

“You explained it all to me and I verified it. They, on the other hand, want to hear it from you.”

“What about the blood wizard?”

Lebec shakes his head. “I wouldn't bring that up. Especially because, like you said, the abnormal behavior that took place in Nightsbridge was due to dustkin interference, not the blood wizard.”

“But—”

“Don't mention the blood wizard. I'm serious.”

I blow my hair out of my face and cross my arms. “Fine.”

Lebec leads me to a giant obsidian door. He pulls it open and gestures for me to enter.

I walk in and when he closes the door behind me, the entire room is dark.

A voice speaks from directly in front of me. “Hexana Covington, you are here on charges of being a witch. How do you plead?”

“I plead as not a witch. I'm cursed.”

“Yes, that was brought to my attention. After careful review, we find that you contain no discernable trace of astra magick. You do however have some abilities which we do not fully understand.”

“I don't understand them either.”

“They wish they understood,” Silvy whispers.

“Silvy, shut up.”

“Excuse me?” the voice asks.

“Nothing. My familiar.”

“Right. And there's the matter of the dustkins.”

I don't say anything. I wait for them.

“We understand there was an outbreak, an infiltration.”

I say nothing.

“You had nothing to do with this?”

“No,” I say. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“And the blood wizard? From what we understand, you speak of him often.”

I chew on my lip.

Don't do it.

I open my mouth to speak.

Seriously, Hex, don't do it.

“The blood wizard is real.”

Oh my God, what are you doing…

A long silence stretches out for what seems like years.

“We understand that you believe the blood wizard is real, however we believe he's no more than a myth. A rumor. An urban legend.”

“Sticks say the same things about witches,” I say.

“Watch your tone.”

I open my mouth to say something else but close it instead.

See? I'm learning. I'm getting better.

“Do you apologize for infiltrating the Centennial tournament? Do you apologize for your actions there and the embarrassment you caused Nidema?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Lord Wizard.”

“Good,” the Lord Wizard says. “I think you're learning. That's good. And do you apologize for what happened in Nightsbridge? Do you apologize for what you did to the adepts there? The ones you slaughtered?”

I swallow.

“Well?” the Lord Wizard snaps. “What is your answer?”

I clear my throat. “I want you all to understand something. The blood wizard is real and moving among us. I fought for my life in Nightsbridge. I defended myself. I will not apologize for that.”

Another voice speaks up. “We're not asking you to apologize for what you did. We’re asking you to apologize to us. You did not ask permission to do what you did. That's the issue at hand here.”

“Okay.”

“So you agree. You apologize.”

“No. I’m not going to apologize for what happened in Nightsbridge. I said it once, but if you need me to say it five more times before it sinks in, you're welcome to ask an additional five times.”

There's silence.

“Your exile is lifted,” the Lord Wizard of Nidema says, rage lacing every single syllable. “You will be monitored by the Austerium for the rest of your life though. You will be followed. You will be watched. If any other traits, besides the horns become apparent, you will be put down like the vermin witch you are.”

I turn and walk towards the door, fists clenched.

“You were not dismissed,” the Lord Wizard says.

I turn back around and wait, simmering.

“That's better,” the Lord Wizard says. “Dismissed.”

I walk to the door and pull it open, doing everything in my power to stay under control.

“Hey,” I say in a soft voice, turning around.

“Was there something else?” the Lord Wizard asks.

“Yeah. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.”