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I scowl at him. “If Iwantedto hurt any of you, don’t you think I would have already? If it’d been up to me, I’d never have ended up in this situation to begin with. But I did, and I don’t want someone else’s toxic magic wrecking this city any more than I want my own to, so I stuck around and did what I could to help. Even though that meant being surrounded by the people most likely to have me hanged if I slipped up.”
Stavros glowers back at me, but it’s Casimir who speaks next, in a careful but gentle tone. “Why did you agree to take the risk, Ivy? You could have walked away, even with Julita’s spirit in you.”
I rub my forehead, abruptly embarrassed by the answer. “I did want to help. I wanted to protect the city. But it wasn’t totally selfless. I—I had the stupid idea that maybe if I played a large enough role in stopping the scourge sorcerers, the godlen would forgive what I’ve done before. Maybe they could heal my soul so it wouldn’t be riven anymore.”
I can’t quite bring myself to look at any of the men after my admission. Their silence seems to confirm how idiotic that idea was.
Riven sorcerers don’t get forgiven. Our whole reason for existence is to remind the rest of society of humanity’s past wrongdoings.
To show that limitless power is a curse more than a gift, and that no one should strive for it the way the scourge sorcerers did before.
Julita speaks up in a more spirited tone.Theyshouldpardon you. It would only be fair, after everything you’ve done. You must have saved more lives than you hurt already!
I don’t know about that.
I wet my lips. “I’d like to keep helping. I know that by law you should consign me to execution—but Ihavekept my powers under control. You can see I’m nowhere near insane. I still want to stop the scourge sorcerers. Whatever happens after… I’ll be happier knowing I did one really good thing no matter how my life ends.”
“Ivy,” Casimir says, with a rasp that makes me glance up. The compassion that made me fall for him gleams in his eyes before he looks at Stavros. “I think we should give her that chance. She hasn’t done anything wrong the whole time she’s been here.”
Stavros glowers at both of us. “As far as we know.”
I let out a huff of breath. “If you still don’t believeme, you could check with Julita. She’s been along for the ride every moment.”
Stavros raises his eyebrows. “And how exactly am I supposed to ask her when she only talks through you?”
I think back to the first time I told them about Julita’s ghost. “Ask a question only she could answer, about something you’re sure she wouldn’t have randomly told me about before. If she thinks I’m lying to you and doesn’t want you to trust me, she won’t tell me what to say. Simple enough.”
Yes,Julita says.Of course I’ll speak for you.
The former general pauses, his eyes going distant as he contemplates his test. Then he motions to me. “At the last ball—the last one she was alive for—what did she spill on herself?”
Julita’s presence shifts restlessly.Spill? I didn’t spill anything on— Oh.
I avert my gaze so the men won’t think I’m talking to them. “Ohwhat?”
Her tone turns abashed.It wasn’t exactly “spilling.” I was trying to be stealthy and sneak closer to Wendos to overhear what he said to the people around him. I was just slipping past the refreshments table when someone backed up right into me. I lost my balance and dunked my elbow in a bowl of crackleberry pudding.She pauses.I didn’t realize Stavros even noticed.
“Well?” Stavros says.
I focus back on him. “She says she didn’t spill anything—someone bumped into her and her elbow landed in crackleberry pudding.”
His mouth flattens, as if he’s not happy that I’ve answered right. Was he trying to trip me up with his phrasing, thinking of another spill she might have mentioned already that I’d try to con him with?
Let him be disappointed. I proved my point.
“Kosmel himself gave her a vote of confidence,” Alek points out. There’s no hint of how he might feel about that fact in his flat voice. “We all saw it. And she has been a lot of help. It’s not as if she poses any danger to the rest of the school right now.”
Stavros scoffs. “The riven arealwaysdangerous.” But then he sighs and rocks on his heels with a resigned expression. “How exactly do you propose you’re going to help next?”
Is he seriously giving me the chance?
I lift my head, trying to look more confident than I feel. “We know that Ster. Torstem is playing a major role in orchestrating the conspiracy. He has an inner circle of associates who are conducting scourge sorcery with him. The only campus organization he leads that Wendos was involved in is the entomology club—I even heard Wendos using bug talk as a cover to discuss the daimon attack at the ball. At least a few of the other members must be part of the conspiracy. We should focus on them.”
“They’re not going to admit to conspiring with illicit magic if you simply ask.”
Alek appears to perk up. “I can dig into the records and come up with a list of current members for Ivy to spy on. They’ve got to slip up somewhere.”
Stavros still doesn’t look convinced. “They managed to conceal their activities so well that it’s taken us all this time to be sure ofanyonewho’s involved, even with Julita keeping a close eye on Wendos.”
