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Four
Ivy
Even after Alek has unfurled a blueprint scroll and pointed out the entomology club’s dedicated room on the third floor of the Quadring, Stavros keeps scowling.
“And how exactly are you planning to get in?” he asks me in an acidic tone. “With your magic?”
I bristle before I can catch my reaction. “No. I’m a thief, as you so enjoy reminding me. There are plenty of non-magical methods of breaking and entering. If anyone’s there, I’ll see what I can overhear. If they’re not, I’ll search for evidence. It’s worth a shot.”
It’s better than waiting around to see if he’ll decide to send me to the hangman after all. And I can hope that the more he sees me working toward the same cause he believes in, the less murderously inclined he’ll be.
Casimir speaks up in his usual mild way. “If we’re going to let Ivy stay a part of our investigations, we have toreallylet her be a part. In every way she can.”
Alek finishes re-rolling the blueprint and hesitates for a second before adding his own understated vote of support. “She’s never hurt anyone at the school before.”
Stavros considers both of them, his jaw working. He knows I have hurt one person here—but only in self-defense. The rest of their points he can’t argue at all.
“Fine,” he bites out, pinning me with his gaze. “You see what you can make of the bug club’s headquarters, and then you come straight back to my quarters. If I get the slightest hint that you’re deceiving us about anything…”
He doesn’t need to finish that sentence.
I nod in acknowledgment, and he moves toward the wall that holds the secret passage. As Stavros steps into the shadows, Alek ducks through the doorway that leads to the rest of the archives.
Casimir aims a soft smile at me. “We’ll work this out.”
I’m sure we will. I’m just not yet convinced it won’t be worked out with a noose around my neck.
The courtesan vanishes after Stavros, and then I’m alone. I should give the men at least a couple of minutes to leave the area around the library before I come waltzing out too.
Well, I’m alone other than my uninvited ghostly friend.
Thank you, Julita says.For what you said about me… You really didn’t need to do that.
I shrug. “I felt like I did. It was true.”
She doesn’t confirm or deny that point.
In her silence, I realize there’s a little more I should probably say to her. I flop into one of the chairs near the desk. “Are you sure thatyou’reokay working with me? Hanging out in the closest possible proximity to a riven soul? Now that you know.”
Julita guffaws.Ivy, Ihavebeen with you through everything. If more of the souls around here were like you, we’d have a much smaller mess on our hands. I don’t know what it’ll mean for you in the future, whether the power will start to control you, but right now, I’m not worried.
More relief than I expected washes over me. I start to push myself upright, but Julita speaks again.
Are you sure you wantmehanging on?
I knit my brow. “As opposed to…?”
You’ve already been stuck with me for longer than either of us expected. I know it can’t be easy having your head invaded. I could try to leave, to pass on, however exactly that works.
I didn’t ask to have another woman’s soul lodged inside me. I’ve wished my life were entirely my own again more times than I can count.
But hearing her extend the offer makes my heart lurch.
It’d be like asking her to kill herself. No one knows exactly what happens when your soul moves beyond this plane of existence into the embrace of the gods—how much you’ll remember, how much you’ll be aware of.
The thought of Julita’s determined spirit fading away just feels… wrong.
I keep my tone dry. “You dragged me into this mess. You can’t leave me to fend for myself now. And Alek’s right—your knowledge of how your brother and Wendos talked and acted should come in handy.”
