Alright a little warning this is only half-edited. Normally I go over a chapter 3 maybe 4 times after I have what I want in it but I only went over it about 2 times this time. Just keep that in mind. So go enjoy!!  

~Alex

* * * * *

Her face was pale with blood loss, her skin purple and swollen where their bare feet had brutally met her flesh. My eyes were focused on her chest, making sure it continued its steady path of up down, up down. It had been only hours since someone had heard my cries for help and brought us back to the infirmary. The doctor said it was close, but she would be all right. She had woken up only briefly, her groggy, oxygen-deprived brain sending out rambles of incoherent words and weakly struggling against the doctors hold. She was sleeping now, and despite the new-forming bruises and bleeding knife-tracks, she looked peaceful.

The doctor came over to me once again begging to let her tend to my wounds, but I refused, a slight growl under my breath. The cut in my back was hardly life threatening, but still she said it needed stiches. My shield had deflected most of the blow; the doctor said if it wasn't for that, I would be dead. And maybe I should have been. This was my fault. I had run out into the forest when I had smelled them coming. She called for me again and again, but I ignored her. It was all my fault...

"Maggie." I turned my head slowly to look at Connor, who stood at the door. "Come on. You need to get cleaned up and get some rest. She'll be fine. I promise."

"No..." I whispered. "I'm not leaving."

"You need rest. Now come on, let Amy stitch you up then go take a shower. Please just do it."

"...Alright..." At Connor's signal the doctor came back over, carrying disinfectant and a needle and thread. I laid on my belly on the hospital bed next to Cece, still keeping a watchful eye on her, but my vision was blocked when the nurse pulled the curtain around my cot. I felt the needle tug at the gaping divide on my spine. The pain barley registered to me though, my mind was far away from the infirmary, far away from the house, far on the other side of the forest.

* * *

The Doctor led me up the stairs to the small library. The unused door creaked as I opened it, but the noise didn't seem to bother Connor. He was hunched over at a desk, shuffling through the pelt of papers that clothed the desk. A mumbling of incoherent words came from him as he wrote something down and began to search through the stacks.

The doctor cleared her throat, finally getting Connors attention. "Hello." He stood up and walked to us. "Just working out the supply list for this month." He gestured to the clutter of papers that almost hid the desk from sight.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked.

"I was wondering, Maggie... Would you be willing to plead your case to the counsel? They're all listening to Sasha; she can be very persuasive when she wants to be. And Gunner has some pull with the others too and that doesn't help."

"Where are you going with this Connor?"

"Well, I'm thinking that the council will continue to listen to Sasha and Gunner as long as you and Davo remain an unknown threat." He went back to his desk, pushing the papers together in a messy pile. "That's what they're afraid of; the fact that they don't know you. None of them, well besides Andrew and I, have heard your story. All they know is that you were in Danny's pack for a time, and to them, that's suspicions. It took them almost a year to begin to trust Elli. I highly doubt Sasha or Gunner could be swayed, but Cameron is on the edge, he's been following Sasha but he's not as resolved in it as Gunner is. It's possible he could be convinced of your innocence. And then there's Ally. I have known her for some time and she's a very reasonable person. And while Sasha did make some good arguments, I think she will change her mind once she has had a chance to ask you questions. I think you should meet with them, tell them your story. Show them that you and Davo are innocent."

"Alright. I'll do it."

"Well that's good. We meet with them in half an hour."

"What? Half an hour? Why so soon?"

"I scheduled the meeting last night, and I thought you would have gotten up here earlier, and of course I hadn't anticipated what happened earlier. But now there is no time to waste. Take a seat Maggie." He gestured to a step stool that was set up against the bookshelves. I dragged it over to the desk and sat, leaning my elbows on my knees.

"So what about Davo? Will he be talking to them too?"

"Well I think I'm going to start with you and then if they seem open to the idea, I'll bring Davo."

* * *

"Why were you at Danny's camp?" Gunner questioned me.

The rec. room had been cleared out for the meeting. Six chairs were facing me, the faces of the council staring me down. Connor and Andrew were in the middle; Connors was the only face that was encouraging. Andrew wouldn't even look in my direction, his eyes always glued to the ceiling or to some paper in the table infront of him.

Gunner and Sasha sat to the left of Connor, both of their faces glowering at me with hate and disgust. To the right of Andrew sat Cameron and a girl, who I assumed was Ally. She was older than I was, maybe in her mid or late twenties. She was well muscled and showed it in her tight gray tank top. A small golden pendant hung from her neck and she played with it often, twisting it and turning it in her fingers as she waited for me to answer the next question. Her hair was like fire, and a wild fire at that. It was long and unruly, curling into a puffy mess about her shoulders. A few curls swept over one questioning electric blue eye as she stared at me. She seemed curious, genuinely interested in what was going on. It seemed she was the only member of the counsel who hadn't made up their mind already. Cameron sat beside her, looking nervous and unsure. As if he were the one on trial, not me.

"I wasn't there out of choice." I couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into my voice as I spoke. "They kidnapped me and forced me to stay there."

"But you were valuable to them, no?" Ally's smooth French accent was a contradictory to her looks. It was soft and mild, and with her stark-red hair and large bizarrely light blue eyes, it seemed out of place.

"Yes. I was. They sent me away to a separate camp for a time to train with another Amoveo Deus. I may not have been as expendable as the other soldiers, but that was all I was to them. A soldier. A weapon."

"You say you would not betray the pack, but how can we trust you on that?"

"I have friends here. You have treated me like family up until a few days ago. Why would I try to harm the one place I have left? I would never go back to Danny's pack. They're sick and twisted and I hate them. I have offered to fight for you, to risk my life to take out our biggest threat, and that offer still stands. I wouldn't betray this pack because it's the only thing I have left..." My chest tightened, I took a deep breath to keep the tears from falling. "Why would I help to destroy the only place left that I can call home?"

I waited for the next question but one never came. Connor looked at me with sympathy and I could see a twinge of pain in Andrews diverted eyes, while Gunner looked as if he didn't believe a word I said. Sahsa looked at me with pure, firery hatred, disgust clear on her face. Cameron looked guilty and averted his eyes about the room, never letting them set on me. I could see the slight shine of sweat on his face.

Ally remained serious and intent, looking at me as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle. She was thinking, and thinking hard. I could only hope that she would come to the right conclusion.

Connor stood and addressed the cousel. "If that is all of the questions you have we will go into deliberation. Maggie, please go with Elli. I'm afraid you'll have to wait in the basement until we're finished."

I stood and followed Elli out of the room, leaving them to decide my fate. We walked in silence to the basement. When I came to the cell, I told Davo what happened so he could prepare if Connor decided to have him go before the counsel too. It was at least an hour before Elli came back down. She started pacing furiously, mumbling under her breath.

"Elli whets wrong?" I asked, leaning forward on the bars.

"Those...Those idiots ruled against you!" She said. "They believed Sasha over you! How could they do that? It makes no sense for either of you two to be the traitor. You just got here!"

"Elli-"

"This counsel has always had some sort of brain aneurism but this just tops it! I mean first they appoint a new guy over an experienced warrior that has fought for them time and time again and then they're blind enough to-"

"Elli!"

She stopped pacing, and ran her hand through her hair. "Sorry, Maggie...I'm just really mad..."

"It's alright. Just calm down..."

"What exactly did they say?" Davo leaned against the bars beside me.

"Well, Sasha and Gunner obviously voted against you. Cameron was iffy for a while but eventually went with them. Connor Voted for you and Ally did too...but..." She trailed off, averting her eyes to her feet.

"But what, Elli?"

"Well...Andrew forfeited his vote..."

"Forfeited? What do you mean?" For a time she wouldn't speak, but I let her find her voice.

"It means he gave up his vote. He didn't vote for them...or for you."

For a moment, my mind seemed to stop. I stared at her, not wanting to believe the harrowing message she just delivered.

"I...I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, Maggie."

"If he...if he had voted in our favor...made the vote a tie, what would have happened?"

"They would have brought the next ranking member in to break the tie...me..."

"And he knew that?"

"...Yes..."

If Elli had been brought in to vote it would have went our way, and Andrew knew that. He wanted me down here, wanted me to suffer. He had betrayed me, just like everyone else.