Today was the day of the trial. Either I would be free, or I would be dead. God only knew what the outcome would be. I could see Dimitri in the back of the church, looking concerned. Lissa was next to him. Adrian was sitting closer to the front, looking depressed and drunk. Abe was sitting at one of the make-shift tables, and I was next to him. My mother's Moroi wasn't here, so neither was she. I almost wished she was, but I was also glad she wouldn't have to see me killed.

Why it was happening in the church was beyond me. Something to do with it being safer than the actual courthouse. I thought it was a bunch of bull.

The spirits were acting up more than usual today. Even in the protection of the wards, I could feel them shifting about. It was starting to annoy me. I mean, I'm not usually happy to have the dead wandering around in front of my eyes, and not fin front of anyone else, and having people look at me like I'm crazy just because I moved out of the way of the little not-quite-dead girl who came hurtling at me, but then again, I'm not too sure anyone else would be quite okay with that either. But I've been coping. With the wards at Court and my own mental protection, I'm usually fine with them, and they don't bother me much.

Usually. It's a little different when you wake up to see an unfamiliar, burning, practically naked man in your supposedly 'secure' cell room, screaming about how the end is near and you'll soon be getting what you deserve for all that you've done and the others would only have to wait a matter of time before they saw what you really are. When that happens, it's a little different.

So, needless to say, I was a little bit on the edgy side of things today, and my lack of sleep wasn't really helping, especially as I saw Adrian's dad walk in. Prince Ivashkov had never liked the thought of us dating. I assumed he would find me guilty, no matter what. It was a convenient way to break us up.

With the twelve families seated – oops, I mean with the eleven old geezers there who happened to leave Lissa Dragomir, the Princess of the Dragomir family out of it were seated – they called it all to order, and the trial began. I could hardly breathe.

They started by calling me up, to hear my story again and to question me. I could only comply. Resistance was futile, and would only make me look even guiltier than they already thought I was.

"So, Miss Hathaway, could you please tell us again how you hated Queen Tatiana, and continued on to murder her?"

"I disliked the queen, but I never claimed to hate her." Out loud. "And I didn't kill her. I promise." That got some laughter from the onlookers, and from that snotty lawyer lady.

"Promise? Our leader is dead, and you can only promise that you didn't do it? What good is your word, when you're on trial? And, even if you weren't, why would I believe someone with your record?"

Ouch. Yeah, my history was splotched with a lot of bad things I had done. None coming close to murder, of course, but still. She had a point. I opened my mouth to say something, but at that particular moment, the spirits decided to act up. Basically, I got a killer migraine that seemed to last forever. When I finally came to, I was looking up, into Abe's eyes.

"Rose," he whispered, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I pushed him away as I stood up. "What happened?"

"You collapsed. It looked like you were mad, and about to say something incredibly stupid, and then you just gave this awful noise and fell over. Are you sure you aren't hurt?"

"Not any more than any other Shadow-kissed." Now, that turned some heads.

"Shadow-kissed?" the lawyer asked. "What right have you to the title of Ana?"

"Every. I've been dead, and come back. It's a long story. It's how Ana and Saint Vladmir became bonded."

"Then, who are you bound to?"

"Me." Lissa's voice carried over the deafening silence of the crowd, drawing them to look at her. "I am Spirit-blessed, and healed her after she died in the crash that killed my family. I've healed animals in similar ways before, too. I healed Dimitri in a similar way, when I stabbed him with a Spirit-charmed stake. Rose is my Shadow-kissed."

They all just stared. Her burns from that night were still healing, and could be seen by all. Dimitri sitting next to her and looking stoic and handsome as ever just remained silent, aware of the eyes on him, and meeting as many as he could. Finally, those eyes turned back to me.

"Are there any others?" Apparently, gossip could outdo an actual trial, if it was juicy enough. I thought carefully before I answered Ms. Snot's question.

"The only other Shadow-kissed I have met were either outcasts who lived on the edge of society or both bonded to one person. The outcast was nice enough, but lives in a different country, on a different continent. The other two now live in a crazy ward."

"And, what do spasms like that one have to do with this?"

"It's a long story. One the Mother could explain more than me."

"Whose mother?"

"She's someone you meet when you die. She isn't a spirit, per se, but she isn't exactly alive either. She's from a race that came even before Moroi and Strigoi. She's the one who started it all. I don't remember much more than that, but I do know she's dangerous."

"Could you bring her here?"

Did this idiot not here me? "She's dangerous," I repeated. She just looked at me. I could feel all their eyes on me. "She wouldn't come if I called, but another might." I couldn't believe what I was saying. I couldn't remember anything about being dead just three minutes ago, and now I was spilling all this knowledge as it came back to me, with no censorship. But, hey, it was worth a shot. "I'll need a knife."

She looked at me. I knew what she was thinking. I was on trial for murder, making weird stories up, and asking for a knife so that I could fight my way out. But, the thing is, I couldn't get out even if I wanted to. If I even made a move out of place, at least twenty guardians would be on me in under ten seconds. So, where was the harm in humoring me? Prince Ivashkov seemed to agree with me. Either that, or he thought it would be good fun to see me humiliate myself, which was probably all I would end up doing.

"I don't personally see the harm in it," he boomed. "Might as well give it to her, just to see what happens." So, a knife was brought to me; offered up by one of the guardians nearby.

Before they could react, and before I could think, I dragged it across my wrist and screeched, "I, Rosaline Hathaway Marie Mazur, do so summon thee, Rilion Greyson Donatello of None! Show yourself to me, that I may be pleased and be freed from this torment!"

Nothing happened. They all stared at me.

"Please," I whispered, falling to my knees. "Please, Show yourself, that I may love you again."

"You couldn't wait another three seconds? What, think it was gonna be instant?"