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“You’ve fought proudly for our Empire,” Taggar admits, “but your crimes are clear. Is there any other reason you can see that I should grant you leniency for your crimes?”

The anger fades from his face. Now, he’s searching us – a quizzical look on his face.

Down in the front row, Mr. Carani’s face turns into a cold grin. He feels like he’s won.

Three hundred years is a long time for my triad – even by Aurelian standards. It’s much longer for a young woman like Natali. She won’t be able to feel our Auras, or the Bond, for the length of our sentence.

In that time, she may forget us – even if I will never forget her.

Lazar’s guilt spikes – like an iron pole driven through his heart. Beside me, Brennan grows angry and fierce.

I feel a strange calmness, though. I can’t feel Natali’s aura – but I know she must be watching us, somehow.

Natalimusthave left us a way to escape this. I can’t see it – and Lazar, the smartest of us three, is too focused on his own guilt to follow the trail of clues I’m sure she must have left.

Why isn’t she here?

There has to be a reason for it. I need to stall.

Brennan opens his mouth to speak, but I put my hand on his thigh, silencing him.

The entire courtroom is staring at us, ready for the final words as Lieutenant Taggar passes his judgement down on us.

“You know why you can’t convict us,” I suddenly say, filled with confidence – but having no idea where I’m going with this.

Taggar’s face flickers. He wants to conceal his emotions, but I can see he was half-expecting this.

Why isn’t she here? What if the Bond Disrupter was put on her to stop her from communicating with us? What if Natali needs to pass us some message, from across the room?

From across the room –that’s it!

“Out with it, then!” Taggar demands.

My mind races. Lazar said she didn’t regret us kidnapping her – that we weren’t stealing her, butliberatingher. Is there some way to turn that into a legal argument?

I wish I had Lazar’s keen mind. I’m currently working on instinct alone.

“That man,” I suddenly say, pointing to Mr. Carani. “That man kept Natali Carani behind walls. She barely saw another human being other than her guard for her entire childhood.”

There’s a gasp across the courtroom.

“She was a prisoner for all her teenage years, and the start of her adulthood. That man was keeping her captive. We didn’t kidnap her – wefreedher.”

Mr. Carani stands, rage on his face. “What gives you the right!”

Lieutenant Taggar stares him down for a second. “Silence!” He bellows.

Then, he turns to me: “That is no justification for kidnapping!”

“We didnotkidnap her,” I repeat, feeling an instinctive force driving me forward. I’ve never been the smartest man, but I’ve always trusted my instincts.

If we plead guilty to this crime, we’re facing three-hundred-years, minimum. That’s too long. We’ll lose our Fated Mate if we’re imprisoned for that long – and even if she stays loyal to us, without feeling our auras for three centuries, it’ll be too much beautiful time that we’ll have wasted without her.

Lieutenant Taggar’s face flickers. Then, he sets his slate-grey eyes on me; now so differently colored than mine.

“Natali Carani is not in attendance at this trial,” the Lieutenant nods, “and for one reason – that she may subtly indicate a way for you to be absolved of guilt. So, tell me this, then: If you don’t admit to kidnapping, but your own triad’s leader admitted you three stole her from her bedroom, then whatdidexactly happen?”

Brennan looks at me with a blank stare – but inside, he’s filled with disbelief.