Chapter 106
HANNAH
Julia walked further in with a disgusting smirk on her face.
"You!" I bit off and then noticed she had one arm tightly wrapped around her other arm. Her cut, bleeding arm.
My panic was immediately replaced by mind-numbing anger. I got to her in two strides.
"Where the hell is Willa?" I growled. "What have you done to her? Why are you bleeding?”
Julia burst into laughter. "Wow. This was too easy. I can't believe you actually fell for it."
I took another step closer to her, my hands curled into fists. Maybe we would start a duel of our own here and now, one where I would beat the shit out of her if she didn't give me some answers.
"Last chance," I said. "Tell me where Willa is or I swear to the goddess, I'll..."
The door flew open. Asher stormed in with two hefty guards. He pointed a finger at me.
"Grab her!" he roared.
The guards seized my arms. Before I knew what was happening, I was dragged outside to the front of the arena where the contestants had dueled. I was too surprised to even struggle.
The noisy crowd immediately went silent. The moderator was confused. A guard started whispering to him. Jace, Chase, and Cade hurried down to the stage, shouting and demanding to know what had happened.
"Let go of her," Jace ordered the guards. He turned to me. "Hannah, what's going on?"
"I- I don't know," I said in a tiny voice. "They just grabbed me and brought me out here."
My head was spinning. I couldn't make sense of anything.
"She's a killer," a voice shouted.
Julia's father, Lucius, was marching towards us, shaking his fists angrily. Julia stumbled along behind him, clutching her bleeding arm I knew nothing about.
"She's a killer!" Julia's father shouted again in a voice that echoed around the arena. He pointed at me and faced the crowd. They were all on their feet now, staring with wide eyes and open mouths. "This girl attacked my daughter in the bathroom. It's not the first time she has tried to kill my Julia."
Like it was her cue, Julia burst into tears. She sagged against her father, who held her up.
Julia's father pointed to the knife I was somehow still holding. When I had seen it, I thought Willa was hurt. But now, I wasn’t so sure. The knife could very well be the last piece of evidence they needed to nail me, and just like Julia said, I fell for it so damn easily.
"If I had been a second too late, she would have murdered my daughter in the ladies' toilet." Julia’s father yelled, looking around the arena.
The crowd caught it's breath in a collective gasp.
A shocked Edward got to his feet and turned to Alpha Dawson, who was sitting beside him.
"I think we should resolve this matter in private," he said quietly.
"No," Alpha Dawson's voice rang out. He bowed. "Your majesty, I do not wish to go against your wishes, but we have laid down laws that deal with cases of attempted murder like this one."
"It's a lie," I shouted, finally finding my voice. "I didn't try to kill her! She's lying!"
"Silence!" Alpha Dawson barked. "Since it was Julia's life she almost ended, she should be the one to decide her punishment. I believe she has endured enough in the hands of that girl.”
"No one is hurting Hannah!" Cade bellowed.
"You don't get a say in this, asshole," Asher hissed.
Hot, angry tears ran down my cheeks. Like my father, I was being humiliated and falsely accused in front of hundreds of people. It was happening again. I was being labelled a traitor. They had set me up just like him, and I knew very well that my punishment would be worse than his. But what would it be?
Asher's father bowed to Edward again.
"We are waiting for your final verdict," he said. "But we must uphold the law no matter what... especially in the presence of so many witnesses."
Edwards gaze flickered to the crowd, intently watching his every move. With a sigh of defeat, Edward nodded. He gestured to Julia to take the stage.
"Choose her punishment," Edward said.
Julia's eyes filled with tears as she surveyed the crowd. Again, the crowd went so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"I'm tired," Julia started, her voice breaking on the last word. She staggered a bit. My fingers tightened on the handle of the knife as I imagined different ways of hurting her so she could cry real tears. "I'm sick and tired of Hannah always threatening my life. I can’t sleep at night because I’m terrified she would jump out of the shadows and try to kill me. I’ve dealt with her hatred toward me silently for so long, but I now know she’ll never stop coming after me. She believes I’m to blame for Asher’s rejection, and my family helped in banishing her father.” She paused, wiping her fabricated tears.
Anger. Real anger coursed through my veins, and I didn’t know when I took a step forward, my knuckles white from gripping the knife. This was my last straw.
Julia’s father urged her to continue, and she did. Lifting her arm, she showed everyone. “This is the least she has done. She once stabbed me with a silver knife, and I barely survived. I want to end this once and for all. I challenge her to a blood duel."
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