“We are here to decide the fate of Nico Kanazawa,” spoke councilwoman Ulrich. She was a thin woman who wore a default peevish expression, as if she had a million other things that were more worth her time than this. Her frizzy ginger hair was tied in a neat bun, and she wore a pinstripe pantsuit that screamed, “I don’t have time for whatever you’re about to say.”

She sat in the center of the underground, stone courtroom, on a high stone table which held four other chairs. To her right was Israel Nwaigbo, who Nico recognized as Carmen’s boss at the Friends of the Night People. His posture was perfect, and his hands were thick and calloused from years of labor. He was broad shouldered, and a physique that made it look like he was carved out of black marble..

Israel was not only the head of the Friends of the Night People, but their Holder, the one who controlled all of the nascent power of that hold of faith. Nico had heard a little about Israel from Carmen. He was a kind man who spent his time helping to feed the poor and give refuge to the lost, and most of all, he suffered no bullshit.

The Holder of faith radiated a kind of power Nico had never felt before. It wasn’t quite magic. Israel kept his eyes locked on Nico, studying him. For some reason, Nico didn’t feel weird having the large, black man staring at him while councilwoman Ulrich read the verdict.

On the other side of councilwoman Ulrcih was an empty chair, but it swiveled as if someone were in it. Fu’s voice echoed from the empty seat as the chair turned to councilwoman Ulrich. “Janette, since Pullman confessed to his crimes, Nico should not need to be handcuffed.”

Janette Ulrich raised an eyebrow at the empty chair, and looked past it to the chair farthest away from the center. She asked, “Did Perry Pullman have information as to colluding with Nico Kanazawa?”

The chair sat far enough from the light that the man sitting in it was half bathed in shadow. His half-moon glasses gleamed in a way that Nico could not see the color of his eyes. His chestnut-colored skin contrasted handsomely to his immaculate white, double breasted suit. Behind his chair was a tall sikh, wearing a warrior’s band on his wrist.

The hair on Nico’s neck rose.

Nico’s divination powers had been extremely dulled since entering the courtroom. He realized it was the first time he noticed Balthazar Patel. Only a few minutes had passed since the Sentinels of the Coalition had shoved him into the stone courtroom beneath Buffalo City Hall. Had Balthazar been there this whole time?

Balthazar gave the barest hint of a smile, and Nico's stomach sank. Although Nico had been the one to trap Pullman, there was still the chance that Nico could be implicated in his crimes as well. Balthazar said casually, “My inspection Pullman’s mind found no trace of their collaboration of the ritual.”

Nico gulped. Balthazar could enter people’s minds? Holy shit. Nico quickly reviewed his memories with Balthazar, and immediately questioned the validity of their encounter. Was this why Pullman couldn’t say Balthazar Patel’s name? Had his mind been tampered with to the point he couldn’t even say it?

And now Nico’s freedom hinged on Balthazar’s investigation into Pullman’s mind. It was too convenient. Now Nico knew what Balthazar was really after, and it sure wasn’t a simple grimoire. But if that was the case, wouldn't it have been easier to implicate him with Pullman?

Once again, Nico questioned what game was really being played.

“See? Even the snake said he’s innocent,” Fu’s voice claimed excitedly from the empty chair. “Janette, remove him from the red list.”

Councilwoman Ulrich frowned at Fu’s empty chair. “You overstep your position, Holder. The only one who can make such a decision is my master, and I cannot do so in his absence. Therefore, as per our bylaws, it shall come to a vote. So, those Holders who believe Nico Kanazawa to be innocent, say so now.”

Israel and Fu both said, “Aye,” at the same time. Councilwoman Ulrich stated, “I am not a Holder, and only represent my master’s voice. Therefore, his vote is withheld, and the decision must be unanimous.”

Nico turned to Balthazar, and found himself surprisingly calm. If Balthazar voted no, Nico had no idea what would happen to him. There was a chance he’d be sentenced to death. He didn’t know the laws of the Coalition since he was only a hedge magician.

Maybe the calm came from the fact he had done what he set out to do, to take down Pullman and clear his name. Or maybe, it was because he had one card left to play. But now was not the time to play it.

Balthazar stared at Nico, and Nico suddenly felt as if he were center stage of a puppet show. A moment passed before Balthazar said, “I don’t know. Despite Pullman’s confession, wouldn’t the truth be more certain if we also inspected Nico’s mind?”

“No,” Fu’s voice simmered. “Pullman’s confession is enough. And I will not have his young mind tampered by your grimy little–”

“Holder Fu,” Councilwoman Ulrich admonished, hitting the stone table with a gavel that seemed to appear in her hand from nowhere. “You will conduct yourself in a manner befitting your station.”

Israel leaned forward in his seat, and the others went still, turning all of their attention to the Holder of faith, the sole paladin of the city. His tone was a deep baritone, full of patience and strength. “As you know, I don’t know much about magic, but I’ve been led to believe that telepathy is not surgical in its precision.”

“Izzy’s right,” Fu said hurriedly. “Remember that last ‘confession’ a decade ago you got out of that rogue magician? You destroyed her ability to speak. She’s been mute ever since.”

“But it worked,” Balthazar replied calmly, although Nico sensed a retaliatory venom seething at the edges of his voice.

“I remember,” Israel said. “We held her for forty days until she admitted to killing all those children.”

“Justice is patient,” Balthazar claimed. He turned to Ulrich. “Councilwoman, give me thirty days, and I will extract every little memory Mr. Kanazawa has made it in the past twenty four hours. Of course, I’ll do so as…delicately as I can.”

Fu’s voice boomed from the empty chair. “Thirty days? Are you kidding me? Nico just turned twenty one, and has to pledge himself to a Hold within that time. If he doesn’t, he’s blacklisted. Thirty days will kill him.”

Councilwoman Ulrich steepled his fingers, and looked focused. She turned to the empty chair. “You seem so fond of the boy, couldn’t you offer him haven as an apprentice to your Hold?”

Balthazar seemed to relish in the question, leaning forward expectantly.

Fu’s chair went silent for a long moment before he said, “I already made my offer. He rejected it. The offer for apprenticeship can only be made once for hearth homes.”

Nico felt his eyes widen. Fu hadn’t just offered him the apprenticeship to his Hold for protection. Fu had actually wanted Nico to become his apprentice.

Balthazar’s grin widened into a triumphant smile. He knew, Nico realized. He had known or at least foreseen Nico denying Fu’s offer. How? Balthazar leaned back in his chair, relaxed as a lion sleeping among gazelle. “So, it’s decided then.”

Nico absorbed their words without interruption. His ability to divine information from his surroundings was dampened by the courtroom, but Measure’s ability to withdraw information from himself was not affected at all. Measure provided him multiple scenarios and percentages of how this could play out, narrowing down his options little by little to work in his favor.

“I think Nico had something to say,” Israel said. He uncrossed his arms, and gave him a slight grin. Ever since entering the courtroom, Israel’s gaze on Nico had been unwavering. And now, Nico suddenly felt as if he’d passed some sort of test.

Fu’s empty chair turned to the open room. “Nico?”

Councilwoman Ulrich leaned back in her chair. It seemed too big for her, but she held the position with confidence. She said, “Mr. Kanazawa. You have something to say?”

Balthazar went still as an owl perched on a dark tree, his smile fading and attention wide and full and ready.

Nico calculated the odds with Measure, and sighed. It was now or never. He said plainly. “I’m already pledged to a Hold.”

Balthazar turned in his chair until he was once more half in shadow. His eyes hid behind his half-moon shaped glasses.

Israel crossed his giant forearms across his chest once more, a look of satisfaction in his face. He turned his wrist to check the time, acting as if this entire conversation had already finished. How did he know?

Fu asked, “What are you talking about, Nico? Don’t tell me you went to that snake?”

Nico smiled at the empty chair. “Don’t worry.”

Councilwoman Ulrich waved her hand, and a long scroll of parchment appeared before her on the table. Her eyes scanned the parchment, and she frowned. “I see no Hold has taken you in, Mr. Kanazawa. Let me say this now, if you lie to us again we shall-”

“I’m not lying,” Nico said confidently. He lifted his handcuffed wrists, and closed his eyes. In the back of his mind lingered the red eyes, vigilant and burning. With a hint of will, he commanded the eyes to the forefront of his thoughts.

The air warped between Nico and the judges inside the courtroom. Sentinels stationed at the sides of the courtroom shouted in alarm, withdrawing their wands and guns with expert speed, pointing them at Nico.

A skeletal warrior equipped with grey armor and a long, jagged sword stepped out of the warped air, facing Nico.

“What in the nine-” Councilwoman Ulrich began to curse, flinging up golden shields of light.

The sikh placed a hand on Balthazar’s shoulder, and lightning cracked the air around them, forming a sphere of electricity around them. Balthazar only titled his head to the side, his face wearing a curious expression. Vines grew on his chair, dark and green and vibrant.

Fu shouted something Nico couldn’t hear beneath all the Sentinels shouting at Nico.

Israel had no reaction, still looking at his watch, almost bored. He said casually, “Sentinels, hold your fire.”

The grey knight lifted its sword above Nico, and swung.

“No!” Fu shouted from his empty chair.

Nico’s handcuffs snapped in half at the grey knight’s sword, and vanished. Nico rubbed his wrists as the grey knight turned around, bowing slightly to the judges.

“I’m sorry about the dramatic entrance,” Nico lied, thoroughly enjoying himself. “Those handcuffs were uncomfortable. Don’t worry about my knight. He’s harmless.”

Councilwoman Ulrich’s face was pure red. She sputtered. “You will explain yourself Mr. Kanazawa!”

Nico cracked his neck, taking his time. He summoned the last golden window provided to him by Gallahad’s tower, reading its contents. This was what Balthazar had really been playing for, the reward anyone would seek more doggedly than a grimoire. And now, it was Nico’s.

He looked at Israel, whose pointer finger was up, as if it was the only thing preventing all of the Sentinels in the room from killing Nico on the spot. He wore an expression that said, “You better hurry up.”

Nico continued. “The Hold I pledge myself to is my own.”

Balthazar turned once more in his chair until he was completely covered in darkness. The vines on the chair withdrew and withered into dust. The electric sphere around them fizzled into nothing.

“Nico, how?” Fu wondered, his voice seemingly at a loss for words.

Ulrich summoned the parchment once more. The paper wasn’t completely opaque, and from where Nico stood, could dark letters scratching themselves into the very bottom of an extensive list. Councilwoman Ulrich stared at the scroll with a dumbfounded expression.

Israel broke the awkward silence. “I think this means Mr. Kanazawa is now a Holder, and therefore given higher privileges than the ones we’ve afforded to him so far?”

The scroll in Ulrich’s hands trembled, and she made it vanish. She cleared her throat, and straightened her back. “Um. Yes. Per our bylaws, he is afforded privacy and leniency to that of a Holder. Of course, only if he agrees to sign with the Coalition.”

Nico blinked at that. That was something he hadn’t planned for. Weren’t all Holds automatically part of the Coalition? Apparently, he was wrong about that. There were countless other questions about Holds he’d have to save for his next visit with Fu.

Israel leaned forward, eyes steady, locking with Nico. He nodded. “You want to sign with the Coalition. Trust me.”

Nico did. Although, he turned to the empty chair just in case. Fu seemed to understand the attention was on him, and his voice said. “Do it, Nico. I’ll explain more later. But listen to Izzy.”

“Um, okay.” Nico confirmed. The parchment councilwomen Ulrich had once held appeared in Nico’s hands. Ink lined his thumb, and he there were was a large x printed at the bottom of the paper, an indication for him to place his thumbprint there. He pressed his thumb next to the words, “Nico Kanazawa, Holder of…”

The rest of the space was blank. The paper vanished.

Nico felt something inside him shift, if only a little. The grey knight turned over its shoulder, and gave him a slight bow before vanishing once more into the back of Nico’s mind. With the grey knight gone, the Sentinels holstered their weapons, but kept their eyes locked on Nico.

Ulrich shook her head, and pressed her temple with her fingers as if getting a very large headache. “And do you know what kind of Hold you possess?”

Nico shrugged, answering honestly. “No.”

Israel stood up, checked his watch and nodded. “He will. I think we’re done here?”

Ulrich nodded. “I’ll send the follow up paperwork to his address.”

“My apartment is gone,” Nico reminded her.

Ulrich looked annoyed. “By your doing, according to the reports.”

Nico had a few terse remarks for her, but Fu interrupted. “Send them to my place, Janette. I’ll fill him in.” Fu’s voice echoed one last time before the chair went silent. “Good job, Nico. We’ll talk more later. Get some rest.”

Ulrich got up, following Israel. The sentinels filed out, one by one, until Nico was left alone. He checked Balthazar’s seat, and saw no one was in it. How had the man left the room without anyone remarking on it or Nico noticing?

Nico stood alone in the room. He made the golden window appear once more.

[You have employed the true magic and passed the final test. Congratulations. Your reward is possession of the tower and Hold of the NextOver.]