Page 6 of How to Charm a Coven (How to Flirt with a Witch #2)

The Verdict

T he oatmeal that slid into my cell an hour ago sits like a rock in my stomach, along with the fear that I’m about to lose everything—my future with Natalie, my chance to be part of the coven, and a lot more.

I spent all night poring over the documents Natalie smuggled me—the coven’s laws, my oath, every piece of information I need to build my defense—but it might not be enough. Now my eyes burn and my brain feels as brittle as a dried-up sponge.

Hayley and Neil come for me, and my heart pounds frantically as they guide me up the stairs. Natalie’s scent lingers on the hoodie and joggers she gave me, which are too long and bunch around my wrists and ankles. Even the comfort of wearing her clothes can’t calm me.

The sconces lighting up the brick hallway sting my eyes, and my feet are clumsy as I try to get my bearings. The scent of greenery hits my nose, but I have no idea where we are.

They escort me through the halls, taking turn after turn until we arrive at a high-ceilinged chamber that’s strangely familiar. Thorny roses cloak the brick walls, their shadows writhing in the flickering torchlights .

Oh God, this is the same room where I had my induction into the coven. The furniture has been rearranged to resemble a courtroom, which does nothing for the nervous jitters rocketing through my body.

The jury sits to the left: twelve witches I mostly recognize, including Agnes with her usual high pigtails and scrunched-up face, another Director named Amir, an Alchemist named Jaques, and Sky.

Relief washes over me at the sight of Natalie’s sister.

She’s dressed more formally than I’ve ever seen her in a white collared shirt and slacks, her head freshly shaved, her makeup as perfect as always.

When our eyes meet, she gives me the smallest nod. At least one person here is on my side.

But where’s Natalie?

Nausea churns inside me. I shouldn’t be surprised—the Directors definitely wouldn’t allow it. Still, I’d hoped…

Hayley and Neil release my arms and melt into the jury section, leaving me exposed to everyone’s stares.

A large wooden chair sits in the center of the room. My seat, I guess.

My stomach drops as I see who’s behind the desk at the far end.

Of course Fiona is the judge.

“Sit,” she says.

As I walk to the chair, my footsteps carrying, a hiss rises.

Whispers?

No, the roses on the walls are writhing like snakes, their thorns scraping the stone as if threatening to tear into me.

The chair scoots forward and slams into the backs of my knees, forcing me to sit. I drop into it, a surprised gasp escaping.

Snickers rise from the jury, and heat floods my cheeks. But I refuse to shrink. If they’re trying to intimidate me, they’re going to have to try harder.

I meet Fiona’s gaze as she towers above me behind the wooden desk. A stack of papers and two empty glass vases are in front of her. She riffles the pages and clears her throat .

Her voice fills the cavernous room. “Katie Medina Alexander, you stand accused of violating your oath to the Coven of Shadows and Alchemists for Managing Magic. Specifically, you are charged with the unauthorized release of fifty-six instances of harnessed biological magic, endangering both our secrecy and public safety. You are also charged with the murder of Frederick Madsen, a civilian who is protected from magical harm under our laws.”

The room is dead silent. Fuck, she’s bringing what happened with Freddie into this?

I adjust my seat, the chair creaking. The wood feels unnaturally cold beneath me, like it’s leeching my body heat.

“How do you plead?” Fiona asks.

“Not guilty,” I say firmly—though my heart pounds faster hearing her put everything I did into blunt words.

“So the chimeras set themselves free?”

“I did free them, but—”

“And you broke into their cages yourself?”

“Yes, because the Madsens—”

“And you recall me and several others telling you not to proceed?”

I clench my fists in my lap, my gut twisting in frustration. “There wasn’t time to discuss it!”

“And did you kill Freddie Madsen with a sword from one of the Alchemy rooms?”

“Yes, but—”

“There you have it,” Fiona says to the jury.

“I freed the magic for everyone’s benefit,” I say, my voice coming out too loud. “And Freddie was—”

Fiona looks down at me over her nose. “Who told you it was for everyone’s benefit? I expect you consulted a Director when you made this important decision? ”

I take a breath, trying not to let her interruptions and leading questions bait me into losing my temper. “I made the decision myself.”

“Well, I vividly recall asking you to stop, and instead, you sent Natalie Zacharias and several others to fight me while you kept doing what you deemed necessary.”

I clutch the wooden seat, fighting to keep my composure. “The Madsens were about to break into the room and steal the magic, and you know it!”

Fiona leans forward, her eyes flashing dangerously. “We had it under control.”

“You didn’t,” I snap back. “Agnes had just blurted out the location of the room, our defenses had crumbled along with the entire goddamned building, and somehow, Sophia Madsen’s powers were better than several of you combined.

You did not have it under control, and if you would put your inflated ego aside for half a second, you might actually see that! ”

A deeper hush falls over the room. Fiona’s expression turns stony. Agnes’s scrunched face reddens until she looks like she’s ready to pop.

I clench my jaw. Dammit. I need to keep my head and remember the research I did last night.

“Clause 6a of the coven’s oath states that we must protect magic from those who would misuse it,” I say into the tense silence. “The Madsens were moments away from stealing magic for nefarious purposes. By releasing it, I was upholding my oath.”

There’s a pause. The room is very still other than the shivering torchlight.

“And Clause 8b, as the Shadows know, states that the use of force against a non-witch is permitted in acts of self-defense.”

In the jury, Amir leans forward with his brow furrowed. Agnes sits with her arms crossed, as sour as ever. Fiona’s posture stiffens with each word .

That’s right, Fiona. I’m not about to get dragged through this without a fight.

“Further,” I add, my voice steadier by the second. “According to Article 17 of the coven’s charter, I have the right to a full defense.”

“Ah, who would you like to present as your witness?” Fiona asks in a mocking tone. “Your girlfriend , with whom you had a relationship that was explicitly forbidden? Or maybe Sebastian and Millie?”

At their names, the temperature in the room seems to plummet.

“Oh yes, they disappeared after they helped you,” Fiona adds in a low voice. “We are searching for them, and trust me that when we find them, their role in this mess will not go unpunished.”

The door bursts open, and my heart leaps as Natalie barges into the room, out of breath.

She’s wearing a dark gray suit, her hair pulled back in a sleek bun that accentuates her perfect jawline.

She looks like my hired lawyer, and more importantly, my salvation.

That familiar warmth floods through me in her presence, filling the cold void.

It’s like some part of me was incomplete until she walked in.

The sight of her floods me with hope—the confidence in her long strides, and the flash of reassurance as she briefly catches my eye.

“I have evidence,” Natalie says, “that Katie’s decision was necessary.”

I straighten my spine. I have zero idea what she’s talking about, but a spark of optimism ignites inside me.

Fiona opens her mouth, probably to tell Natalie off, but stays quiet as the jury looks on with interest.

Natalie pulls her phone out of her back pocket and holds it up.

“A map analyzing the locations of all chimeras since the incident. If you look at the data, you’ll see that anomalies in close proximity are the most severe, which means keeping chimeras trapped here was incredibly risky. It’s safer dispersed.”

I stare at her as she drags her finger over the screen. Maps, data, analysis? This sounds like something Hazel would make .

Natalie zooms in on what I assume is the map, though she’s too far away for me to see it—and too far for anyone else to see it either. I resist the urge to get up and push her closer to the jury. Can’t we roll a projector in here or something?

“And it is dispersing,” Natalie explains. “The map shows a slow progression outward. In time, it will be safely out of the city and away from the Madsens. This was the safest way to stop them from getting it.”

“How dare— That is not for you to decide!” Fiona snaps. “Dictating how we manage magic is beside the point of this trial.”

Natalie cocks an eyebrow. “Even when this shows that Katie made the right call? You’re determined to ignore the fact that we were losing our fight against the Madsens, so Madsens aside, here’s proof that Katie’s actions had a desirable outcome.”

Agnes’s scoff echoes through the chamber.

Fiona grips the desk. “All that map shows is what a mess you both made. Now, are you finished with your little presentation?”

“One last thing.” Natalie clicks off her phone and crosses her arms. “I want you to consider what imprisoning Katie means. You’ll be punishing someone for acting in defense of magic—someone who agreed to use her abilities to serve the coven.

We need Katie to help us track down curses and feral magic…

and to find my dad. And yet you’re punishing the intuition that could save us. ”

The jury is quiet, looking between Natalie and Fiona.

Natalie dips her chin. “Thank you. I’ll answer any questions you have.”

Fiona glares at her for a long, tense moment. The jury whispers, heads bowed together, glances shifting my way.

Gratitude swells in my chest. If Natalie’s arguments can’t convince the coven that I don’t deserve punishment, nothing will.