"This is outrageous!" Islinda screamed, unable to hold back any longer, heedless of the high Fae's warning. "How are you people so dumb? How does Elena know so much? How can a mere human like me murder your high Fae?! Think about it! You are being fooled right now!"
A hush fell over the hall. The sudden outburst silenced the whispers and brought all attention to Islinda. Her eyes were wide with desperation, silently pleading for their understanding. But the high Fae, in all their haughtiness, stared at her with cold, unblinking eyes.
And it was made worse when she turned to Aldric, silently begging him to step in and resolve this. Even if he was under Elena's manipulation, wasn't there a part of him that felt the wrongness of the whole thing and was fighting back. But Aldric stared on like a moron, as if his mind wasn't his anymore.
"Of course, you couldn't have acted alone," Elena said at the moment, climbing down the stairs and approaching her.