I had never heard the Council so angry, but I was not surprised by their response. It was an unspoken A’li-uud creed to address Elders with the utmost respect, and even those who failed to do so still demonstrated a level of restraint. Lena’s outburst was likely one of the most insolent they had ever witnessed. I feared for their response, but I admired her strength of character and unyielding courage. She constantly surprised me.

“There will be silence,” Vi’den boomed. Though he spoke with remarkable serenity, his voice still carried over the others, flowing up to the ceiling and careening back down to wash over all of us. It took several seconds before the silence he demanded was proffered, but it came nonetheless. He turned his judicious gaze to Lena. “You are fiery of spirit, Lena Devereaux,” he said thoughtfully. “But perhaps you are a bit too quick to your conclusions. A vote must be taken before we can definitively say whether Khrel is facing any consequence, prison or otherwise. As of this moment, he is still a very free A’li-uud.”

“The fact that you even have to take a vote is ridiculous,” Lena snapped irritably. I yanked on her arm again to quiet her, but she wrenched her limb from my grasp. “No, I mean that. Even the Novai don’t think he deserves punishment. The only reason you need to take a vote at all isn’t because it’s protocol; it’s because you’re on a power trip and need to make sure everyone here understands the Council is the ultimate authority.”

“Lena,” I snarled, spinning on my heel to face her and block her from view. “You are not helping.”

“Well, if you’re not going to stand up for yourself, somebody has to,” she bit.

I grabbed her chin between my thumb and index finger and tilted her face up until her furious eyes were stuck to mine. “Listen to me: every trial requires a vote. If I am let off without one, it has the potential to be brought up again in the future. A vote means finality; I cannot be tried again. Whatever the outcome, I want this to be over. I do not want this to be the ghost that haunts the rest of my life.” She scowled, but she said no more, and I turned back to Vi’den. “I apologize for the interruption, Council.”

Vi’den was staring hard at Lena. His expression was not one of offense or distaste, but rather of deep consideration, and he trailed the tip of his index finger over his lower lip as he thought. After a brief moment, he straightened up once more and called, “Those in favor of sentencing?”

In my peripheral vision, I saw a hand raise, and I heard the movements of motion from somewhere behind me as well. I swallowed hard and forced myself not to look around and count.

“Those in favor of dropping all charges?”

Vi’den lifted his hand in the air before he even finished his sentence, and, within a breath, I was surrounded by raised arms—including Sevani’s. There was no need to count now; the numbers were exponentially in my favor, and I was free.

“Good,” Lena muttered under her breath. I wanted to grin, but I forced myself to remain stoic and still.

“All charges will be dropped,” Vi’den announced. His eyes danced as he looked at me, and I swore I saw a smile of delight lingering in his mouth. “Now, onto the final matter of colonist relocation…”

All of the joy that had flooded me a mere minute before seeped from my pores, leaving me devoid of positivity. I had forgotten the possibility of Lena being forced to go to Dhal’at. The reminder was extremely unwelcome.

“It seems Eejah does not have the measure of control over his colonists that he believes to have,” Sevani said. “As long as the Novai remain on Albaterra, which is another matter we must discuss in the coming days, I feel our human colonists would be best served in a kingdom far from potential rogue Novai.”

Lena made a small squeaking noise between her lips, and she tensed against me.

“What say you, Kharid?” Vi’den asked, looking over my shoulder.

I turned to see the Dhal’atian Elder, Kharid, leaning forward in his chair. He looked very similar to Zuran with his platinum hair and deep royal blue skin, but he was pensive rather than cocky. “We have the means to take the two Pentaban colonies,” he said slowly. It was clear he thought carefully about each word before he said it. “There is more than enough room, and our resources have been abundant this year. If Sevani wishes to relocate them, Dhal’at will accommodate.”

“I believe it to be best,” Sevani agreed.

“So it shall be,” Vi’den proclaimed.

“No!”

All eyes turned to Lena again, mine included. She had secured both hands around my arm as if I were her lifeline, and her gray eyes were swirling with bravado.

“I’m not leaving Pentaba!” she cried. “You don’t understand how difficult it is to transition to another planet, but that’s exactly what all of the colonists have done. We aren’t nomads; we don’t want to be shuffled around Albaterra at your convenience!”

“It is for your safety, Lena,” Vi’den told her quietly. There was understanding in his eyes, and I knew he knew her opposition was more than the stress of a second relocation. “The Novai cannot be trusted. Surely, you do not wish to have another episode like the night you were taken.”

She shook her head wildly. “No, of course I don’t, but—”

“I will go to Dhal’at.”

I stepped forward, cutting Lena off mid-sentence. Vi’den raised his eyebrows, and Sevani shifted in his seat, but I was not deterred.

“If the colonists are being relocated to Dhal’at, I am going with them,” I announced.

Lena grabbed my hand, and I wrapped my fingers into hers.

“You are War Chief,” Sevani interjected, drawing my attention to him. “You have obligations in Pentaba.”

“Obligations that I apparently did not need to tend to for weeks, at the present,” I said to him. “Surely a while longer would make no difference, and we will need a brigade of Pentabans to transfer the colonists to Dhal’at anyhow.”

“And after they are settled?” Sevani questioned with narrowed eyes.

I stared unflinchingly at him. “We will see where my obligations lie at that time.”

He gazed back at me, a muscle jerking in his cheek. Vi’den waited, and, finally, Sevani gave him a single nod of reluctant approval. Vi’den extended his arms to the side once more, looked around the circle, and pinned his eyes on me.

“So be it.”