The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 332

Chapter 332: Broken Chains

“Grey didn’t kill them,” Ada said, louder this time.

Titus Granbehl’s hand reached up to cover his daughter’s mouth. “Ada! What are you—”

Slipping from her parents’ grasp, she stepped toward the judges. Words began to spill from her in rush as her face grew more and more red. “I was trapped in a mirror and Grey was trying to save me but Ezra wouldn’t listen and freed the horned ascender from the magic mirror while Grey was working with this artifact thing, and the other ascender killed my brothers, and I would have been stuck there forever but Grey saved me.”

The girl hid her face in her hands as her parents stood stiffly to either side of her.

Darrin gave me a victorious look before turning to Blackshorn. “Well, there you—”

“Lord Granbehl,” Blackshorn said, speaking over my council, “it is clear that your daughter is incredibly distressed. While we appreciate your blood’s bravery in attending this trial in person, it is the opinion of this panel that we cannot accept Ada’s testimony at this time, and will instead use the written account of events we have already received.”

Ada gaped up at the high judge as her father nodded, his cheek twitching as he suppressed a smirk.

“You may go, all of you,” Blackshorn added.

The chains began tightening once more as I failed to suppress my growing annoyance. I pressed my hand into the sharp, twisted metal where I’d torn the armrest free, letting the pain burn bright in my mind as it cut into my skin.

Someone behind me yelled out how this wasn’t fair, wrapped neatly in a string of curses, and in seconds the entire courtroom had exploded into a chorus of shouts and insults being thrown at the judges.

“—got to be kidding—”

“—even listening what the girl said—”

“—a sham, a total fraud—”

“—better let Ascender Grey go or—”

All the judges were on their feet—except Tenema, whose wrinkled old face had scrunched up in displeasure—as Blackshorn hammered with his gavel over and over again, but the courtroom was in full revolt behind me. Hearing the eager crowd turn against the corrupt judges helped settle my nerves just enough for the chains to simply restrain me and not try to take my head off.

“Silence!” the high judge was howling. “Silence! Silence!”

Harcrust turned to an official who had been half hidden behind the desks. “Clear the room. Do it. Now!”

Suddenly, soldiers in black armor were pouring into the courtroom, but everything was happening behind me. I twisted in my seat to get a better look, but the chains bit down, cold and hard, keeping me pinned to the iron chair.

Regis let out a scoff. ‘They’re pushing everyone out.’

A panicked scream resounded through the court.

‘Damn, one of the soldiers just knocked someone out. And of course the Granbehl guards are helping them.’

In front of me, Darrin watched in horror as the High Hall’s enforcers escorted the mob through the huge double doors and out into the long hallway. The judges wore looks of mingled disgust and satisfaction.

The doors slammed shut, and the shouts and heavy, stomping steps were dulled, then slowly disbursed, until the courtroom was left in a state of eerie silence.

Aside from the five judges and a handful of the black-armored High Hall guards, only Darrin, Alaric, Matheson, and I remained in the room.

“Is there any point in reminding the high judge that a trial before a panel of five should be open to the public?” Darrin asked, his voice a growl of suppressed fury.

“None at all,” Blackshorn snarled, staring grim-faced down at the four of us. Darrin and Blackshorn locked eyes, but after a few seconds my council submitted to the judge, looking down at the floor of the platform.

Alaric had moved to stand at my other side, while Matheson kept his distance. Alaric leaned down a little and whispered, “I know this looks bad, kid, but don’t go doing anything stupid. We still have a couple tricks up our sleeve...I hope,” he added in a slightly hesitant undertone.

Blackshorn cleared his throat, a wet, rasping sound like a blade being sharpened. “It is clear to me that someone has worked to antagonize this rabble and disrupt these proceedings. Fortunately, we were forewarned this might be the case.”

Frihl let out a sharp “Hah!” that silenced the high judge and caused the rest of the panel to turn toward him expectantly.

“When I heard someone was spreading stories, riling people up, I knew it must be ‘man of the people,’ Darrin Ordin, fouling this trial with his sense of low man’s justice. Bah!”

Frihl’s face melted into an exaggerated frown. “You’ve become predictable, Ordin. But your games won’t work this time.”

‘I wonder how many horned asses he had to kiss to become a judge?’ Regis asked in a tone of mingled wonder and horror.

“Thank you, Judge Frihl,” Blackshorn said placatingly. “As I said, we were expecting such tactics, but won’t allow this trial to become some kind of circus.”

I laughed, cold and humorless. Darrin shot me a warning look and Alaric shook his head, but I was done.

“It seems like Ascender Grey is finally revealing his true nature,” Blackshorn said, raising his brow. “His ability to laugh after such dire events have occurred speaks volumes.”

“Honestly, I feel as though this has been a trial for my patience rather than the Granbehls’ ridiculous allegations,” I said matter-of-factly. “What’s next? Perhaps the honored judges will reveal that the corpses of Kalon, Ezra, and Riah were magically recovered from the Relictombs, and their wounds prove beyond a shadow of a doubt—somehow—that I’m the killer?

“Or, better yet, perhaps you’ve found my secret diary that I conveniently misplaced in some public place somewhere, detailing my evil plan to kill all the Granbehls, except of course the one I saved.”

Frihl shot up from his seat, his gnarled finger pointed at me. “How dare you utter such blasphemy in front of—”

Blackshorn raised a hand, quieting his colleague before leaning back in his chair. Rather than being angry at my not-so-subtle sarcasm, he merely studied me, his fingers steepled before him.

Frihl’s face was crimson with seething rage, but he held his tongue, as did Falhorn and Harcrust. Tenema was the only one who appeared uninterested, seeming to find more interest in a loose thread on her robe than me.

“The absence of physical evidence is hardly an issue, considering the compelling witness statements we received,” Blackshorn answered with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Which brings us to the deliberation portion of this trial, I believe.”

Tenema, frowning slightly, plucked the thread loose and let it drop on her desk. “Guilty, I’d say. I can see it clear as day.”

Darrin’s face fell as he glanced back at the main doors. Opposite him, Matheson let a self-satisfied grin creep across his face.

‘At this point, it’s hard to tell which ones are corrupt and which ones are just stupid,’ Regis said with a sigh.

“No deliberation necessary. Guilty,” Judge Harcrust spat, his finger again twirling his oily goatee.

Falhorn’s jowls jiggled and swayed as he shook his head. “A piteous display. Guilty.”

Frihl’s sharp gaze locked on Darrin as he hissed, “Guilty, three times over.”

A slight movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention: Lord Granbehl, standing in the shadows of an alcove at the far edge of the chamber. Even in the gloom, his bright white teeth shone as he smiled victoriously.

Blackshorn leaned forward over his high desk. “Guilty,” he said slowly, savoring the word.