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“He had information about these missing boys. He knew what the kidnappers were capable of, and he still went to Pinewood Manor on his own,” Olivia told the jury. “Miss Olson, isn’t it possible that Lucas Taylor went to Pinewood Manor to get revenge on the kidnappers he’d been researching all semester? Isn’t it possible that he intended to harm these women all along?”
“No. That’s not what happened,” Chloe said in an even tone.
“But you weren’t there when he made the decision to come after you,” Olivia alleged. “So you could not be certain of his motives. Isn’t that right?”
“It is correct that I was not there when he made the decision. Like I said, I was tied up in Pinewood Manor. He saved me.”
“You say that your friends pursued you because they didn’t believe the police would get there in time. Are you shining doubt on the Miriamic Police Department's finest? You want to defund the police department, just as Lucas Taylor and Nadine Evers do! Isn’t that right, Miss Olson?”
“Objection!” Verla shouted. “Lucas and Nadine have never advocated for defunding the police department. The defense requests that the prosecution submit evidence of this claim, and if they cannot provide it, we make a motion to remove the claim from the court records.”
The judge nodded. “Sustained. Attorney Sinclair, please provide the court with evidence, or you will have to rescind your statement.”
“I rescind my former statement,” Olivia said. “No further questions, your honor.”
Olivia smirked. It didn’t matter. She’d already made the jury believe we were against the police.
Verla called Nadine to the stand.
I squeezed her hand and whispered, “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Nadine nodded. She took a deep breath and approached the witness stand.
“Priestess Nadine Evers,” Verla said, deliberately using her title as a sign of respect. “You have testified upon Mother Miriam’s holy grimoire to tell the truth, so help you Goddess. Is it true that you had intentions to overthrow the Imperium Council?”
Nadine’s tone was even as she answered. “No.”
“What were your intentions, Priestess?”
“My only intention has always been to protect the coven, as I swore to do during my Induction Ceremony.”
“Priestess Margaret testified that you objected during council meetings,” Verla said. “Is this correct?”
“Yes,” Nadine answered.
“What exactly were you objecting, Priestess?”
“There were several matters which I did not agree upon, that I felt would hurt the coven rather than help them. Most notably, the priestesses voted to revoke school-sponsored healthcare for all students, even though it is paid for through our tuition plan.”
“Priestess, when did this new policy go into effect?” Verla asked.
“This past January. The priestesses didn’t even notify the students.”
“Objection!” Olivia yelled. “That was not the question.”
“Sustained,” the judge said.
Verla flipped through her notes. “Priestess, what did you witness as a result of this policy change?”
Nadine dropped her gaze. “I witnessed my peers lose access to vital health-care resources. I watched diabetics ration the last of their insulin shots, until they could no longer afford the life-saving treatment. I watched my friend go into several thousand dollars of debt due to an overnight hospital stay that was required after he went into a diabetic coma. This was not a choice he made—he would have died without treatment. I witnessed people I love lose access to mental health resources and therapy. I watched as they were refused birth control, simply for having no health-care plan; and I saw them ride out chronic pain flare-ups without intervention because the treatments are too expensive for students to afford.”
Nadine teared up the more she spoke. “And I watched the priestesses walk by a woman in the infirmary who had been paralyzed from the waist down during The Hearse Tragedy. She was a student, and they didn’t care that she couldn’t afford to ever walk again. They did nothing to help her. In fact, Priestess Margaret looked me in the eye and said—and I quote—We’ll save the ones who can pay.”
Several jury members gasped, but Priestess Margaret leapt out of her chair and shouted, “Objection! She’s lying.”
The judge frowned. “Priestess, this is a court hearing. Please consult your council if you wish to object.”
“We object,” Olivia stated.
