Mandy sat in her office with the door firmly closed, twisting a long strand of hair nervously around her finger and watching the minutes tick by on the clock, ever closer to nine a.m. She’d felt reasonably confident when she left her house at seven this morning, but that confidence had slowly slipped away the closer she got to her nine o’clock meeting with the High Council. She had less than ten minutes now until she had to leave the safety of her office to walk over to Council Chambers, where she would have to convincingly tell the High Council about the lies Commander Hawkins had told her when she took on Russ’s dragon recovery job.

Mandy stood and started pacing, smoothing down her long wizard robes. She hadn’t worn these robes in years. They were only for formal occasions, and Mandy hadn’t been part of very many formal occasions. The recovery agents, despite their importance to the long term safety of Torch Lake, were treated like grunt workers. They were never invited to the fancy balls the High Council put on for the military elite, and they certainly weren’t invited to the official government proceedings that many of the high-ranking commanders regularly attended.

And so, Mandy rarely wore the deep purple robes she was wearing now. The fabric was velvet, and the purple was interwoven with golden threads, making her robes shimmer. She had a wizard hat that matched the purple of the robe, and had shimmering gold streamers flowing down from the top. The whole ensemble matched her magic ring, which was also a deep purple. Purple had been the official color of her old clan, and Mandy had decided not to replace her old clan robes with the midnight blue of Torch Lake’s official colors. Wizards assimilating into the Torch Lake clan from one of the many clans lost to the war had been given the choice of getting new robes or keeping their old ones, and most wizards had kept the old ones. It was a way of remembering the friends and family who had been lost in the war.

As much as Mandy loved a reason to dress up in her formal robes, she would have gladly skipped the formal event she was attending today. She’d been dreading this since she submitted her formal written complaint against Commander Hawkins three days ago. Any complaints against a commander were required to be submitted in writing, and, after the High Council had a chance to review the written complaint, they would call a hearing to allow all involved parties to testify. Today was that hearing, and Mandy alone would be testifying against Commander Hawkins. None of the other commanders had agreed to back her up, but she had expected that. What she hadn’t expected was for every single one of her female colleagues to decline to testify. She knew they were scared of the backlash they might get from Commander Hawkins, but she would have thought the chance to bring him down for good would have been enough for them to take a chance. No one had, though, and so she was here alone, about to face the High Council with nothing but her own word as proof. Even Russ had refused to come.

The thought of Russ sent a fresh rush of pain through her heart. She had put great effort into pushing him out of her mind, but she could not stop his angry words from replaying over and over in her head. An image of his red face with its furrowed brow constantly ran across her mind, and Mandy had finally resigned herself to the fact that he hated her. Whatever brief moment of shared passion they had enjoyed in Chicago had not been enough for him to overlook the fact that she had agreed to be part of a scheme to seduce him. It didn’t matter that she had never actually tricked him. He didn’t care that their kiss had been as real for her as it had been for him. He had decided she was a liar, and he wanted no part in helping a liar.

Mandy gave herself one last look in the mirror, pushing back a few stray strands of hair before donning her wizard hat. She felt like she was going to her doom. Without any supporting witnesses, she was unlikely to prevail today. Jake would be there to sit on her side of the hearing room and support her—a bold move, since the commanders had the ability to make his job miserable if they wanted to. But Jake had no firsthand knowledge of any of the events involving Commander Hawkins, and therefore could not testify.

Before she left, Mandy paused with her hand on the door and looked around her office. There was a good possibility that she would be losing her job, and this office, after the hearing today. She bit back tears. She loved her work here, but she had to hold it together right now. It would not do to arrive at the hearing looking like a blubbering mess.

“Well, it’s been a good run,” Mandy said to her empty office, then turned and left, closing the door firmly behind her. She moved as if on autopilot, not willing to let herself fully comprehend the fact that she was walking to a losing battle. If she didn’t let herself think about it too much, maybe she could actually make it through this.

The hearing room was already full when she arrived. The room looked similar to a small courtroom that you might find in a fully human town. At the front, behind a high table, sat all twelve members of the High Council. The wizard Council members all wore dress robes of Midnight Blue, with the insignia of Torch Lake embroidered on their chests in gold. The shifter council members wore uniforms of midnight blue that were designed similarly to the dress blues of an army uniform, complete with badges and decorations that denoted their high rank.

In the middle of the room, a wide, empty space was interrupted only by two wooden pulpits, where Mandy and Commander Hawkins would be called to testify. Mandy’s heart lurched just looking at the pulpits. She felt wildly unprepared to stand there and accuse one of the highest commanders in Torch Lake. She glanced down at her magic ring and wished with everything in her that she could have used an invisibility spell and disappeared right then. But no, she must follow through with this. She must hold her head high and at least try to make the High Council see what Commander Hawkins had done.

Past the pulpits in the middle of the room, several rows of benches were available for spectators and witnesses to sit and watch the proceedings. The benches were already filled with the commanders who worked under Commander Hawkins, and with several of Mandy’s colleagues from the dragon recovery bureau. No one would meet her eye, and with good reason. They all knew they were about to tell bald faced lies. They were going to stand in front of the Council and lie through their teeth, saying that Commander Hawkins had never done any of the awful things Mandy was accusing him of. What choice would the High Council have at the end of such a hearing, other than to acquit Commander Hawkins?

You have to stand up for what’s right, even if you’re standing alone. The mantra that her father had taught her to live by came to her in that moment, giving her strength. She’d lost her parents in the Dark War, but she knew they would be proud of her right now. Even if she lost everything she’d worked so hard for today, at least her conscience would be clear. At least she would know that she was standing up for what was right. She wished she would have pushed back harder in the beginning, when Commander Hawkins first told her that she would have to seduce Russ to bring him home. But since she hadn’t, this was her chance to redeem herself. This was her chance to say that, at least for her, dishonest tactics were not acceptable.

The front row of benches was the only empty row, and Mandy sat in it, feeling conspicuous and exposed. She kept her back straight and proud, but it was hard to ignore the muffled laughter behind her. She knew they were laughing at her. They were all here to watch as Amanda Evans, the best agent in the Dragon Recovery Division, brought about her own demise. Mandy glanced up at the giant clock that hung on the wall behind the High Council. She had approximately one more minute until her demise began.

The door to the hearing room opened again, and the laughter behind her momentarily stopped. All eyes turned to see who the newcomer was, and then the laughter and whispers started again when they saw it was Jake. Mandy gave him a weak smile, and he responded with a much stronger smile.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered as he sat next to her. “Everything is going to be alright. We have an ace up our sleeves.”

“We do?”

“A dragon,” he said, his smile widening.

The hope that had briefly flickered in Mandy’s heart flickered out just as quickly. Did Jake really think that just because he was a dragon and on Mandy’s side that everyone would believe Mandy? Yes, dragons commanded a great deal of respect in Torch Lake, but even a dragon like Jake couldn’t do much to help when he hadn’t actually been a part of any of the events that had led up to this hearing.

“I don’t think—” Mandy started to protest, but before she could finish her sentence, the senior wizard of the High Council was standing and speaking.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to officially call this meeting to order. All rise, please.”

Everyone in the room stood, and the Head Wizard, Blaise Morgan, waited until the noise of shuffling feet had stopped before speaking again. “As you know, we are here today for a hearing on the matter of Commander Alex Hawkins versus Dragon Recovery Agent Amanda Evans. Will the two parties please step forward?

Mandy took a deep breath, gave Jake one last, uneasy look, and then made her way to the podium on the right. Commander Hawkins sauntered up to the podium on the left, a sneer on his face as he took his place. Behind him, more barely muffled laughter could be heard, until Councilor Morgan sharply yelled, “Enough! I will not have people acting like clowns in my courtroom.”

The laughter quieted, but Mandy could still feel the mocking eyes of the crowd boring into her back. She looked straight forward and tried to focus on what Councilor Morgan was saying.

“Those of you in the witness stands may be seated.” This statement was followed by more noisy, shuffling feet, “Commander Hawkins, you are accused of giving Mandy orders which you claimed came from the High Council when, in fact, the Council never gave any such orders. Specifically, Ms. Evans accuses you of telling her that she would be required to use her feminine charms to flirt with Russ Porter and seduce him into returning to Torch Lake with her. For the record, let it be known that the High Council never ordered any such thing. Our primary method of dragon recovery is to offer financial compensation. We have a few other methods for convincing dragons if financial offers fail, but we do not under any circumstances advocate for any method that requires coercion of any sort. Falsely giving commands under the supposed authority of the High Council is a treasonous offense, punishable by prison time and potential excommunication from the clan. Commander Hawkins, how do you plead to the charges against you?”

“Not guilty, your honors.”

Mandy shivered at the mocking tone in Commander Hawkins voice, but again, she forced herself to remain calm and composed. Councilor Morgan asked Commander Hawkins to give his side of the story, which he did with great flourish. He went on at great length about how he had dedicated his life to the Torch Lake Clan and would never dream of defying the High Council. Mandy bit her tongue hard to keep from yelling at him. She would have her chance to respond, she knew, but it was hard to stand there and listen to him lie through his teeth about how dedicated he was to the town. Mandy loved this town, and the thought of an asshole like Commander Hawkins being allowed to keep his position of authority was almost more than she could bear.

After Commander Hawkins finished his nauseating monologue, the High Council allowed him to call witnesses. Mandy’s heart sank deeper into despair as she watched half a dozen different people take the stand and swear on their honor that they had never heard Commander Hawkins tell Mandy to use anything other than standard recovery procedures when trying to bring Russ Porter to Torch Lake. Her situation was looking bleaker with every passing second, but she stood tall and kept up the appearance of being calm. She focused her gaze on the High Council members in front of her, who were busy taking notes on the yellow legal pads, or on the court reporter, who was furiously typing away, creating a record of every lie being spoken here today. When at last all of Commander Hawkins’ witnesses were finished, Councilor Morgan turned to Mandy.

“Now, Ms. Evans, you may share your side of the story.”

Mandy took a deep breath and launched into an account of how Commander Hawkins had told her, in front of everyone on the dragon recovery team, that she should use flirtation and seduction techniques to win over Russ. She managed to keep her voice steady, despite the occasional snicker she heard from behind her. When she had finished her monologue, which repeated almost word for word what she had written in the official complaint, she looked up at Councilor Morgan while gripping the podium so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Thank you, Ms. Evans. Now, you may call your witnesses.”

Mandy gripped the podium even tighter. “Your honors, I don’t have any wit—”

“I’ll be her first witness,” a voice behind her interrupted.

Mandy’s heart jumped, and started pounding wildly in her chest. She turned to see who had spoken, but she already knew. She would have recognized that voice anywhere.

“Russ,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his in disbelief. For a moment, it felt like she and Russ were the only ones in that room. The wood-paneled walls, the proud High Council table, and even the sneering faces in the crowd all faded away. She felt her heart leap the same way it had the first day she met him in the bar. The hatred that had been so evident in his eyes when she ran into him outside the locker room had disappeared. His expression was softer now, almost apologetic. He made an impossibly handsome figure in a charcoal gray suit. His deep purple tie matched the color of Mandy’s wizard robe, and she had a feeling that the color had not been chosen by accident. His close-cropped hair was neatly combed and he was clean-shaven, which showed off the sharp, chiseled outline of his jaw. His brown eyes flashed with determination as he looked around the room, daring anyone to question his right to be there. He nodded to her as he approached the podium, and motioned for her to step aside. Mandy felt a delicious soothing warmth fill her body as she stood in wonder only a few feet away from the dragon who had just come through for her. The room had become so silent that Mandy could hear the ticking of the big clock on the wall. She had no idea when Russ had entered the room. Somewhere in the midst of the snickering and loud, emphatic testimony of Commander Hawkins’ little cronies, Russ had slipped into the door without Mandy’s noticing.

“Please state your name for the record,” Councilor Morgan said, as the court reporter once again began typing. The High Council members all sat looking down at Russ with interest, their pencils poised over their legal pads. Behind Mandy, things were still quiet. She took a long, shuddering breath, and silently prayed that Russ’s testimony would be enough.

“I’m Russ Porter, dragon shifter. I’m currently in the training program in the Dragon Utilization Department. I am the dragon that Mandy was sent to Chicago to bring back to Torch Lake.”

A murmur went across the room, although Mandy wasn’t sure whether it was of surprise, disapproval, or a mixture of both. Not everyone had met Russ, and many of the people in the room likely hadn’t realized that he was the newest dragon shifter in town until he got up and introduced himself. Mandy felt that tiny flicker of hope starting within her once again.

“I’m here to verify that Mandy’s story is true, as far as I can tell. When I met her in Chicago, she was at a bar, and clearly there to flirt with me. Admittedly, I found her quite attractive—”

A few muffled snickers came from the crowd behind Mandy at this remark, and she felt her cheeks burning with anger and embarrassment. What was so funny about the fact that a man had found her attractive? True, she wasn’t as stunning as some of her long-legged, blue-eyed, colleagues with shiny blonde hair. But she wasn’t exactly ugly, either. If Russ heard the laughter, though, he simply ignored it and kept on talking.

“And I was contemplating asking her to date me. Before things could get serious between us, though, Mandy confessed to me that she had only flirted with me because she had been given orders to do so.”

Mandy felt her back stiffen. Russ still thought the flirtation had all been fake. Mandy ached to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and ask him how many times she had to tell him that her feelings for him were real. Now was not the time to push that point, though. She remained silent and let Russ continue his testimony.

“I have no reason to believe that Mandy was lying. In fact, she seemed quite torn up about the fact that she had tricked me. She explained to me who she was, and offered me monetary compensation to come back to Torch Lake with her.”

Russ paused, and Councilor Morgan looked down at him for several long moments before replying.

“We appreciate your testimony, Russ, but this is still circumstantial evidence. Mandy told you she was given these orders, but you yourself obviously did not hear the orders being given. We still have no eyewitness proof that Commander Hawkins did, in fact, tell Mandy to use flirtation techniques.”

Mandy’s heart dropped. Was this really happening? Was it possible that even Russ’s testimony, the word of a dragon, would not be enough to sway the High Council? Mandy blinked back the tears that were starting to threaten her lower eyelids, and focused on Russ, who was once again speaking to Councilor Morgan.

“I understand this is not direct proof. However, I think the fact that Mandy was so upset when she told me about the orders she received speaks to the truth of her statements. If she were merely making up a story, I don’t think she would have been nearly as emotional. Additionally, she only stood to lose by confessing to me that her flirtation had all been part of a scheme she’d been ordered to undertake. Like most dragons would have been, I was angered at being tricked. This made it more difficult for her to convince me to come back to Torch Lake, even with the money. And everyone in this room knows how important it was to Mandy’s career that she actually come back with a dragon. When you consider how upset she was, and that she was acting against her own interests by telling me about her orders, it seems reasonable to me to assume that she was telling the truth. She had no reason to lie about this.”

“Don’t be an idiot!” Commander Hawkins suddenly interrupted. “She was trying to make you feel sorry for her so you’d come back. Your testimony proves nothing.”

“Commander, restrain yourself, please,” Councilor Morgan warned. “It’s up to the High Council to decide what Russ’s testimony does or does not prove.”

Commander Hawkins fell silent, but he gave Mandy a glare that spoke volumes. She swallowed, hard. If he was acquitted today, there was no way she would be able to go back to her job. Even if the High Council allowed her to, she wouldn’t be able to sit in the same room as Commander Hawkins anymore. He would do everything in his power to make her life miserable.

“Ms. Evans, do you have any further witnesses?”

Mandy turned her attention back to Councilor Morgan. “No, your Honor. I—”

“I will speak for her.”

Mandy turned, shocked to be once again interrupted by an unexpected witness.

“And you are?” Councilor Morgan asked.

“Jordan Cooper, equipment specialist at the Dragon Recovery Division.”

Mandy’s eyes widened as she recognized the man who had given her all of her supplies before she headed off to Chicago. He walked up to the podium, giving her a small, courteous nod as he did. Russ stepped aside to let Jordan take the stand, and Mandy felt the air crackling between Russ and her as he stood beside her. She wanted to look up at him and see the expression on his face, but she didn’t dare. If she saw him looking at her with anything close to contempt right now, she was pretty sure she would fall apart completely. Instead, she focused her gaze on Jordan, who was clearing his throat to give his testimony. She wasn’t sure what an equipment specialist was going to say that would help her, but she was grateful for any support she could get right now.

“I tracked down this guy for you,” Russ whispered to Mandy, tilting his head slightly toward her so that she could hear his low whisper. His hot breath hit her ear, and she felt her stomach fill with nervous butterflies. She hadn’t expected to ever stand this close to Russ again, let alone to have his mouth inches from her ear. She was so flustered by the moment that it took her a few seconds to realize what he was saying. She looked over at him with wide, questioning eyes. He had found Jordan? But how, and why? Mandy was about to find out. Jordan was speaking again, and everyone in the room listened with rapt attention.

“I was assigned to prepare Mandy for her trip to Chicago to attempt to bring Russ Porter to Torch Lake. On paper, everything looked like a completely normal job. The only surprising thing, I’d say, was that the recovery agent was a woman. I’d never seen a woman sent on a recovery job before.”

Mandy saw several of the High Council members frown and scribble on their notepads when Jordan said this, and she felt the flicker of hope growing stronger. Her written complaint had gone into great detail about how she thought Commander Hawkins had falsified her orders to try to intentionally cause her to fail her job assignment, with hopes of “proving” that female agents could not succeed at dragon recovery jobs. She was glad that Jordan was subtly reminding the High Council of the fact that Commander Hawkins had vehemently opposed women going on dragon recovery missions.

“I gave Mandy the standard equipment for a dragon recovery job, but when I had handed over everything, she still looked confused. Then she asked me if there was anything else. When I told her no, she pushed me and said she thought there would have been some sort of special training or equipment since she had been ordered to use her powers of feminine persuasion to bring home this dragon.”

Mandy saw several of the High Council members exchange glances at these words. Her heart continued to pound in her chest. Was it actually possible that she might triumph over Commander Hawkins in this hearing?

“I thought Mandy was making a joke at first. But when I laughed her off she seemed distressed, and told me she was serious. She thought that perhaps there would be special outfits or perfume intended to help her flirt with Mr. Porter, as per her orders. I still thought she was joking, but she was so insistent about it that I actually made a note of it in the equipment file for Mr. Porter. I brought a copy of it with me today.”

Jordan raised a sheet of paper and waved it around, and Councilor Morgan beckoned him forward.

“I’d like to see that if you don’t mind, Mr. Cooper.”

“Certainly,” Jordan said, and stepped forward to hand the paper to Councilor Morgan. As Jordan returned to his spot at the podium, Councilor Morgan studied the paper with a furrowed brow. Then he turned to hand it to one of the other High Council members.

“It does appear to be a certified, official record from the Russell Porter file,” Councilor Morgan said.

“Are you kidding me?” Commander Hawkins interrupted again. “You think a note in a weapons file that Mandy whined about wanting perfume proves anything?” His voice was rising and his face was turning red, a fact that gave Mandy immense satisfaction. She knew that, at the least, he was getting worried. Even if she lost this war, at least she hadn’t gone down without a fight.

“Quiet, Commander,” Councilor Morgan warned again. “I’m growing quite weary of your outbursts. Jordan still has the floor.”

“Thank you, your Honor,” Jordan said, giving Commander Hawkins a sideways glare. “I obviously cannot speak for what happened in the meeting where Mandy was assigned the job, but I can tell you that when she came to get her equipment she seemed genuinely confused as to why there was nothing in Russ Porter’s file about using flirtation to bring him home. I think most would agree that this would be an odd thing to joke about with an equipment specialist, which makes me think that Mandy was telling the truth about the strange orders she received from Commander Hawkins. I thought the High Council should be aware of the incident in making their decision.”

“Thank you, Jordan,” Councilor Morgan said. “Now, would anyone else like to speak on Mandy’s behalf?

“We would, your honor.”

Mandy turned to see Jake standing, along with, to her surprise, Leif and Clint. She had worked briefly with Leif and Clint, and knew they were two dragons who had decided to stay in Torch Lake after being brought here by recovery agents.

“What’s the meaning of this,” Commander Hawkins exclaimed. “These three can’t possibly have any knowledge of what orders Mandy received. I object to their being called as witnesses.”

“Your Honor,” Jake said, after giving Commander Hawkins a poisonous glance. “Section seventeen of the Torch Lake Hearing Procedures Code states that any party in a hearing may call character witnesses who, although they do not have direct knowledge of the matter at hand, can bear witness to the good character of the party bringing or defending a complaint. We would like to be character witnesses for Ms. Evans.”

“Very well,” Councilor Morgan replied. Mandy watched as Jake, Leif, and Clint stepped up to the podium and each, in turn, testified that she was well-known for her moral character, for working hard, and for always telling the truth. Commander Hawkins’ face turned redder and redder as each of them spoke. Mandy felt tears stinging her eyelids once again. She had felt so alone when she walked into this hearing room, but now she was quite unexpectedly surrounded by friends. Four dragons stood around her at the podium, a sight that would make it hard for the High Council to easily dismiss her complaint. Dragons were too greatly revered in this city to overlook four of them joined together for her cause.

As Clint finished speaking, Russ leaned over and whispered proudly in Mandy’s ear. “I found that rule that allows character witnesses. Pretty useful, don’t you think?”

Mandy looked up at Russ, her heart flip-flopping in her chest at the sight of his face only inches from her own.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She didn’t know what else to say. Something had changed in Russ’s attitude toward her, and she found herself wondering if there might be a small chance that he was once again allowing himself to feel a tiny bit of the passion that they had both felt that night in Chicago.

Before her heart could get too carried away, Councilor Morgan was once again speaking. “Are there any further witnesses?” His question was met with silence, and so he continued. “The High Council will retire to chambers to deliberate. Everyone please remain seated and wait here while we make a decision on this case. If it takes us longer than one hour to come to a conclusion, we will let you know. In that case, you will all be dismissed and we will reconvene tomorrow.”

Mandy turned and walked back to the front row, but now, she did not walk alone. She sat between Russ and Jake, and Leif and Clint sat on either side of them. Mandy was surrounded by dragons, and she felt invincible. Who could touch her now? Around the room, she heard angry murmuring, but the snickering had stopped. No one was laughing anymore, especially not Commander Hawkins. Mandy chanced a glance at the Commander. He was sitting with his arms crossed and staring straight ahead. The sneering expression on his face had disappeared, replaced with something between anger and worry.

He knows things don’t look good for him, Mandy thought.

Next, Mandy turned to try to sneak a glance at Russ. But there was little chance of her peek going unnoticed, since Russ was steadily staring back at her. His gaze filled her body with fiery warmth, and she quickly looked away. Russ reached over to grab her hand and briefly squeeze it, which only made the fire inside her hotter.

“I’m sorry for everything,” he whispered, his breath once again hot in her ear. She didn’t dare turn her head to look at him again. Instead, she stared straight ahead and focused on the big clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by. Her hand burned where he had touched it, and a thousand tiny prickles of electricity seemed to emanate across her body from where his fingers had been moments before.

The minutes that ticked by felt like an eternity, but in reality the High Council deliberated less than ten minutes before they came back out. Mandy felt like she couldn’t breathe as she watched them solemnly walk back to their seats at the front of the room. The rest of the room seemed equally breathless. Not even the tiniest of noises could be heard as Councilor Morgan stood and cleared his throat.

“In the matter of Commander Hawkins versus Amanda Evans, the High Council has decided that several days will be required to deliberate over the matter.”

Mandy felt like she had been dunked in cold water. This wasn’t bad news, but it wasn’t necessarily good news. The ten minutes she had just waited had been torturous. How could she possibly wait several more days to hear what Commander Hawkins’ fate would be? What her fate would be? Their futures were closely tied, after all. Councilor Morgan was continuing to speak, though, and Mandy forced herself to pay attention.

“The Council does agree, however, that on preliminary viewing the evidence points strongly to the possibility that there is some credibility to Ms. Evans claims against Commander Hawkins.”

A murmur arose from the crowd, but Mandy sat perfectly silent and still, her heart pounding.

“Accordingly, it is the decision of the High Council that, while we finish our deliberations, Commander Hawkins will be placed on temporary probation.”

More murmuring, and an angry exclamation from Commander Hawkins.

“This is an outrage!” the Commander said, but before he could say anything else, Councilor Morgan raised his hand and gave him a harsh look.

“Commander Hawkins, you will refrain from interrupting the High Council while we deliver our official remarks.”

Commander Hawkins gave Councilor Morgan a sullen look, but didn’t make any further noise.

“This probation means that no new projects will be assigned to Commander Hawkins. He may finish any vital work on his current projects, but all orders he gives must be approved by at least two other commanders before they are implemented.”

Mandy saw Commander Hawkins shift uncomfortably in his seat, and the murmuring from the crowd grew louder. Councilor Morgan banged his fist on the wooden table in front of him.

“Quiet, everyone!” the noise lessened, and Councilor Morgan took a deep breath before continuing. “The High Council will debate the matter and call another hearing when we have reached our final decision. In the meantime, please consider these proceedings confidential, and refrain from discussing them with other citizens of Torch Lake. With that admonition, you are all free to go.”

Instantly, the room filled with noise. Everyone was talking at once. Commander Hawkins’ friends were surrounding him, already ranting about how unfair the proceedings had been and about how they were going to file an appeal. Mandy shook her head. It was too early for an appeal. The final decision had not even been made yet. Around her, Mandy’s four dragon champions, and the equipment specialist, were congratulating each other in low tones for their successful coup of the hearing.

Mandy herself felt dazed. She had been so sure that she was going to lose these proceedings that she didn’t know how to respond to her victory. And it was a victory, even though the High Council had not made a final decision. Commander Hawkins had, at the very least, been sent a message that the accusations against him were being taken seriously. He also wouldn’t be able to work on any new projects, which would irritate him to no end. Mandy felt less victorious over the fact that any new orders on his existing projects would have to be approved by other commanders. She knew that none of his commanders would dare question any order that he put forth for approval. Still, it would at least be humiliating for him to have to ask permission.

The High Council had stood now, and left the room. The court reporter was gathering up her things, and, slowly, the rest of the crowd was starting to filter out of the room.

“Shall we go?” Jake asked, glancing at his watch. “I think a celebratory lunch is in order. Perhaps even a round of drinks. It’s almost noon, which I think is a perfectly respectable time to have a beer, especially considering the circumstances.”

“I’m down for that” Leif said. Clint and Jordan agreed. Mandy turned to Russ, half-expecting him to say that he’d done his part for honor and wasn’t going to socialize with her any further. But he smiled and gave Jake a thumbs up.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

All eyes turned to Mandy, and she realized they were waiting for her, the most important person of the hour, to give her approval to the plan. She felt exhausted, and would have preferred to go home and collapse into bed. But everyone looked so happy and hopeful that she didn’t have the heart to turn them down. Besides, she was curious to see how Russ would act toward her. She had no idea what had brought about the changes in him, but she was eager to see how deeply those changes ran.

“Alright,” she said. “I suppose I have to eat lunch one way or the other, anyway.”

Cheers went up from the group, and Mandy smiled despite her exhaustion. She had good friends surrounding her, and it was possible she might actually win her case against Commander Hawkins. And, of course, Russ was speaking to her again. How long he would continue to do so was anyone’s guess, but she was going to enjoy this while it lasted. Things were looking up for her.

She turned to leave with her friends, but the smile on her face froze when she found herself face to face with Commander Hawkins.

“This isn’t over, you know,” he said, getting so close to her face that his nose nearly touched hers. His eyes flashed with anger, and Mandy wrinkled her nose in disgust at his onion-scented breath. Before Mandy could respond, Russ stepped in and pushed Commander Hawkins back with a firm hand on the Commander’s chest.

“Get out of her way, Hawkins. The High Council will decide when this is over, and, in the meantime, you have no right to threaten Mandy.”

“Oh, I’ll threaten whoever I want to,” Commander Hawkins said, turning a scornful eye to Russ. “Trust me, this was a big mistake. All of you are going to pay. Every last one of you.”

Russ rolled his eyes at Commander Hawkins, and motioned for the group to follow him to the exit. Mandy left without another glance at Commander Hawkins, but she couldn’t keep the words he’d spoken from echoing through his head. Commander Hawkins loved nothing better than revenge, and Mandy had a feeling the man was going to do his best to make good on his threat that they would all pay for what they’d said at the hearing today.

“Don’t worry about him,” Russ said, grabbing Mandy gently by her upper arm and steering her toward the exit. “He’s just barking because the High Council has muzzled him and he can’t bite.”

“I hope you’re right,” Mandy replied, even though she had a sinking feeling that things were going to be difficult for all of them over the next few days. But she forced herself to smile again, and to focus on how wonderful Russ’s hand felt on her arm. There would be plenty of time later to worry. Now, she wanted to go enjoy a beer with the man who still managed to drive her wild, even after everything they’d been through in the short time they’d known each other.