HAZEL
The silence that followed my plea stretched taut as wire.
"Not guilty."
The lead elder repeated my words slowly, like he was tasting something foreign on his tongue. His eyebrows drew together. "Not guilty?"
Around the chamber, murmurs rippled through the tiers of seated elders. I caught fragments of whispered conversations, saw heads turning toward one another. Even Mother shifted in her seat above me, her composure cracking just enough that I could see the white of her knuckles where she gripped the armrest.
The lead elder leaned further forward. "Are you certain of this plea, Luna Hazel?"
I held his stare. I didn't let my voice waver. "Why would I go back on the truth?"
The murmuring grew louder. Someone coughed. Another elder whispered something sharp to their neighbor.
