Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 21.1: The Trial

Blaming hormones for the tears that flooded her eyes, Reine hid them behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. The ruse worked; the girls didn't see her disappointment.

Morgan was in her usual, talkative mood, and during the short drive into the city, she decided to give Noor a travel lesson. "Bruges is the oldest surviving medieval city in the world, so you're going to feel like you're in a Grimm fairy tale. But the evil witch isn't what you need to avoid today," she said, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"No, darling, your enemy today will be all of the kilos you'll pack on while eating your way through the afternoon. Belgian waffles were invented here, and you can get them topped with pretty much anything that'll go directly to your hips." She laughed, playfully slapping her midsection. "Add that to the chocolate stands and ice cream shops on every corner, and . . . well, let's just say this is not the place to start your diet! Oh, and those swans floating on the canals may look all cute and cuddly, but they're evil little buggers that'll peck your eyes out if ya get too close."

Noor smiled. "You know the city well?" she asked.

"Well enough, I suppose." Morgan nodded. "Our Council has been meeting here since the inception of the Confraternity of the Resurrection."

Although she'd been blankly staring out the limousine's window at the passing landscape, the mention of the brotherhood piqued Reine's interest.

"Tell me about the Council. What should I expect tonight?" She sat up in her seat, and turned toward the young woman.

"The members rotate and are drawn by lottery every quarter. There are ten of them, and they meet once a month to preside over the gravest offenders among our kind. They hear witnesses, deliberate, and then hand down punishments as necessary," Morgan said.

The explanation reminded Reine of a tousled haired young man defiantly standing in a ballroom surrounded by strangers. "Is that what was going on at Max's that first morning I was there? Did he put Gabe on trial?"

Morgan shifted in her seat and tucked a strand of curly, red hair behind her ear. "Technically no, I wouldn't say that. He . . . uhm . . . we can't preside over mortals."

Reine reached across and grabbed her hands, forcing the girl to look at her. "What was that all about then? I know that's when he kicked him out. Tell me the truth, Morgan."

"Max was just being Max, I guess. Since we were all there--"

"So he made a mockery of him!" Reine exclaimed as her blood pressure rose at the realization.

Morgan's eyelids fluttered over her emerald green eyes. "No. No! I mean, he could have handled things privately, but nothing he said to Gabe was untrue. He had every right to make him leave for both disobeying his orders to follow you to Venice and then failing to protect you once he was there. Honestly, I'm surprised you guys ever got together after that."

Reine leaned further in, but could barely get the words out. "What do you mean?"

"Max wanted to let the boy keep the Landy, but Gabe initially refused the car. I always felt that if you wanted to read too much in to it, the actual words he used could have meant a lot more," she said.

Reine squeezed the girl's hands to urge her on. "And? What did Gabe say?"

Morgan cleared her throat before continuing. "He said 'I don't want anything that belongs to you'."

Although Morgan's words matched most of what Gabe had later told her, he failed to mention this statement to Reine. Dropping her gaze to the floor, she slowly let go of Morgan's hands and slunk back into her seat.