Page 97 of Saints & Sinners

My stomach dropped. “What?”

“Eden’s waiting for you in the main building,” he said.

I glanced at Marnie, my pulse racing. “What do I do?”

“You tell them the truth,” Marnie said, squeezing my hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. They just want to get the story straight.”

Brandon gave me a reassuring nod. “It’ll be fine. Just... don’t overthink it.”

But that was impossible not to do!

Trying to steady my breathing as panic clawed at the edges ofmy mind, I thought about the Council. They wanted to speak with me. Hunter and I were just as guilty for many things that didn’t even deal with Matias.

As I moved toward the door, my legs felt like they were made of lead.

“Grace,” Marnie called softly, stepping forward to fix the collar of my jacket. Her smile was warm, but her eyes betrayed her concern. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”

I nodded, clinging to her words, before pushing the door open and stepping out into the corridor.

When I arrived, the main building was quiet, my footsteps echoing off the polished floors. Eden stood near the entrance; her expression calm but unreadable.

“Don’t worry,” she said as I approached. “They just want to hear your account of what happened.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as she led me through several hallways. We stopped in front of a large set of double doors, and Eden pushed them open, revealing a grand hall that resembled a courtroom inside the academy.

The Angelic Council sat at a long table at the far end, their presence overwhelming. Joe stood off to the side with Nadael, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“Grace Martin,” one of the Council members said, his voice deep and resonant. “Please, come forward.”

My legs felt like jelly as I walked toward them, my heart hammering in my chest. They asked me to recount everything that had happened, and I did my best to explain, my voice trembling at first but growing steadier as I went on.

When I finished, the room was silent for a moment before the doors opened again, and Hunter and Matias were brought in.

Matias immediately started defending himself, his voice sharp and defensive. “I didn’t do anything! She’s lying—”

“Quiet!” Another Council member said, silencing him with awave of their hand.

Hunter didn’t say anything. His gaze flickered to mine briefly, and I felt a rush of emotions I couldn’t begin to untangle.

The Council deliberated for what felt like an eternity before their verdict was given.

“For Hunter Cain,” Cael this time announced. “You will be suspended from training for this week. Fighting outside of sanctioned sessions cannot be tolerated.”

Hunter’s expression didn’t change, but I saw the flicker of tension in his jaw—the barely perceptible clench that told me just how hard he was holding back.

But Cael wasn’t finished. “In addition,” he said, eyes sharp with authority, “you are to wear binding chains for two weeks. They are not to restrict your movement but to suppress your power. As a reminder that strength without control is no strength at all.”

A ripple of silence moved through the room. My stomach dropped as two Celestials stepped forward, silver chains glowing faintly with runes in their hands. They weren’t linked by a chain. Instead, they hovered slightly as they fastened around Hunter’s wrists—one on each arm—locking in place with a soft, almost ceremonial click.

Hunter glanced down at them once. Then straight ahead again.

He didn’t resist.

Didn’t even speak.

But I could see it—the flicker of something behind his eyes. Pain? Rage? Or maybe just the humiliation of it all. Because these weren’t just restraints.

They were a message.

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