All eyes turned in their direction as they stepped into the room. The air around them thickened, and Annette could feel the tension burning within it.
She swallowed hard. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her shoulders high.
Her gaze swept over the figures before her. There were about ten people altogether. Some of them were councilors. She did not know any of them personally, but judging by the confidence and authority they exuded, it was not hard to connect the dots.
Two women sat beside each other, consoling one another. One of them was Beth's mother; the resemblance was uncanny.
Annette swallowed again, tears welling in her eyes. If only she had been more careful, things might have ended differently.
One of the guards kicked the back of her legs, causing her to fall to her knees. She winced at the impact but said nothing.
A suffocating moment of silence passed.
Tarlath was the first to speak.
