Page 142 of Strays
“Prosecution, call your next witness,” Judge Conway says.
The DA straightens his jacket again. “The State calls Kacy Silvester.”
Another side door opens, and Kacy steps into the room, her expression tight as she crosses and takes the stand. She folds her hands in her lap.
The DA approaches, his tone soft. “Ms. Silvester, can you describe the events of the evening of May eleventh, two thousand twenty-five?”
She nods slowly. “It started normal. Relaxed. It was my first time at their house. There were neighbors, friends... the food was good. Everyone was having a nice time.”
“And what changed?”
She hesitates just slightly. “Luc had a little too much to drink. He made a couple of off-color comments. But he didn’t mean anything by them. It was just... him being stupid.”
The DA tilts his head. “Can you be more specific?”
She sighs. “He made some jokes about nyras. It was crass. But not threatening.”
“Did anyone respond to the comment?”
“Yes. They told us to leave.”
“Did you?”
“We started to,” she says, her voice tightening. “But Luc was drunk and confused. He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong and wanted to talk to them. He turned around and walked back into the yard.”
“What happened next?”
“One of them, Jayson, punched him. There wasn’t any warning. No attempt to talk. Just—” she gestures with her hand, voice rising slightly. “Violence. Right away.”
The DA slows. “And how did you feel in that moment?”
Kacy blinks. “I was scared.”
“Why?”
She glances toward the jury. “Because they’re huge. All three of them. And they just snapped. I didn’t know what they were going to do next. I thought—” she swallows, “—I thought maybe we’d both end up hurt.”
“You felt threatened?”
“Yes.”
“Even though Luc was the one who got hit?”
“I didn’t know where it would stop.”
“Did Luc touch Johane Larsen at any point?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
The DA nods slowly. “So... just like Johane Larsen may have felt threatened by Luc without ever being touched, you felt threatened by the three aegis, without ever being touched by them.”
Kacy nods. “Yes. Exactly.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The Trial - Part Two
Aquiet murmur runs through the jury box.
