fortunate that I kept it instead of throwing it away.
Councilor Merrydale calls a guard in—the same woman who brought me here—and sends her to my home with a note addressed to Dad, probably telling him to send my bag back with her. “While we wait for Clove to return,” he says, “there is something else you need to explain.”
I shift anxiously in my chair. “Okay.”
“The dragon-eye ring in your locker.”
My limbs go still as a chill runs through me. “What … what dragon-eye ring?”
“Your locker was searched this morning and we found a ring exactly like the one Miss Starkweather was wearing.”
“But … I don’t have a ring like that. Somebody must have put it there. It must be part of the set-up.”
Councilor Merrydale nods and makes another note on his reed paper.
“You didn’t touch it, did you? I think the ring is what made Saskia sick.”
“Oh?” He looks up. “What makes you think that?”
I suppose I’ll be compelled to answer these questions at some point, so I may as well come clean now. “When I was Underground recently, I saw those rings in a shop run by witches. Their magic is very different from ours, isn’t it? And this sickness that killed Saskia isn’t something anyone seems familiar with, so it might very well be a witch’s spell.”
“Witches,” Councilor Merrydale murmurs, a frown on his face now. “How odd. And what were you doing Underground?”
I hesitate before answering. “It isn’t illegal to go Underground, is it?”
“No. Although it certainly isn’t encouraged. Where exactly is this shop?”
I explain the location as best I can, and while he writes down my instructions, the guard returns with my training bag. “That was fast,” I say to her with a smile. She nods and leaves without a word.
“Okay, let’s add this letter to the evidence we already have, and then you can return home,” Councilor Merrydale says as he rolls up the reed paper.
I unzip my bag and dig between the books and training clothes. When I don’t see the crumpled letter, I start unpacking my belongings. I remove every single item from my bag until all that remains are several bits of charred paper. Like a letter that was burned or had a self-destructing charm applied to it. I breathe out slowly through my nose as I stare at the empty bag and start to wonder just how deep this deception goes. Then I straighten, resigning myself to the fact that this piece of evidence is gone for good. “It’s not here anymore,” I say quietly, not bothering with any excuses.
Councilor Merrydale nods. “That’s unfortunate.” He leans back in his chair and sighs. “You understand that none of this looks good for you.”
I swallow, feeling sick. “But … the compulsion potion. You’ll know I’m telling the truth then.”
“Yes,” he says as he pushes his chair back and stands. “Hopefully.”
Hopefully? Hopefully? What does that mean?
“Thank you for coming in, Calla. I’ll be in touch when we’re ready to proceed with the next step in the investigation. Clove will see you home now.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
“Tell me again what we’re doing in here?” Gemma asks on Monday afternoon.
I lift the goggles hanging around my neck and position them over my eyes. “My dad told me to paint. So I asked if I could paint the walls in the guest bedroom. He said yes.”
“I see.” Gemma gives me a doubtful look. “I’m guessing he didn’t know you meant this .”
I look around the bare room at the balloons of paint floating in the air. “He didn’t ask me to be specific, so …” I shrug. “I didn’t give him specifics.”
“Uh huh. Hopefully he appreciates your design style.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. Mom, on the other hand, will probably freak out when she wakes up and sees it. Who knows when that will happen, though, so let’s not worry about things we can’t control.” I push my shoulders back and lift my arms into position. A
Councilor Merrydale calls a guard in—the same woman who brought me here—and sends her to my home with a note addressed to Dad, probably telling him to send my bag back with her. “While we wait for Clove to return,” he says, “there is something else you need to explain.”
I shift anxiously in my chair. “Okay.”
“The dragon-eye ring in your locker.”
My limbs go still as a chill runs through me. “What … what dragon-eye ring?”
“Your locker was searched this morning and we found a ring exactly like the one Miss Starkweather was wearing.”
“But … I don’t have a ring like that. Somebody must have put it there. It must be part of the set-up.”
Councilor Merrydale nods and makes another note on his reed paper.
“You didn’t touch it, did you? I think the ring is what made Saskia sick.”
“Oh?” He looks up. “What makes you think that?”
I suppose I’ll be compelled to answer these questions at some point, so I may as well come clean now. “When I was Underground recently, I saw those rings in a shop run by witches. Their magic is very different from ours, isn’t it? And this sickness that killed Saskia isn’t something anyone seems familiar with, so it might very well be a witch’s spell.”
“Witches,” Councilor Merrydale murmurs, a frown on his face now. “How odd. And what were you doing Underground?”
I hesitate before answering. “It isn’t illegal to go Underground, is it?”
“No. Although it certainly isn’t encouraged. Where exactly is this shop?”
I explain the location as best I can, and while he writes down my instructions, the guard returns with my training bag. “That was fast,” I say to her with a smile. She nods and leaves without a word.
“Okay, let’s add this letter to the evidence we already have, and then you can return home,” Councilor Merrydale says as he rolls up the reed paper.
I unzip my bag and dig between the books and training clothes. When I don’t see the crumpled letter, I start unpacking my belongings. I remove every single item from my bag until all that remains are several bits of charred paper. Like a letter that was burned or had a self-destructing charm applied to it. I breathe out slowly through my nose as I stare at the empty bag and start to wonder just how deep this deception goes. Then I straighten, resigning myself to the fact that this piece of evidence is gone for good. “It’s not here anymore,” I say quietly, not bothering with any excuses.
Councilor Merrydale nods. “That’s unfortunate.” He leans back in his chair and sighs. “You understand that none of this looks good for you.”
I swallow, feeling sick. “But … the compulsion potion. You’ll know I’m telling the truth then.”
“Yes,” he says as he pushes his chair back and stands. “Hopefully.”
Hopefully? Hopefully? What does that mean?
“Thank you for coming in, Calla. I’ll be in touch when we’re ready to proceed with the next step in the investigation. Clove will see you home now.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
“Tell me again what we’re doing in here?” Gemma asks on Monday afternoon.
I lift the goggles hanging around my neck and position them over my eyes. “My dad told me to paint. So I asked if I could paint the walls in the guest bedroom. He said yes.”
“I see.” Gemma gives me a doubtful look. “I’m guessing he didn’t know you meant this .”
I look around the bare room at the balloons of paint floating in the air. “He didn’t ask me to be specific, so …” I shrug. “I didn’t give him specifics.”
“Uh huh. Hopefully he appreciates your design style.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. Mom, on the other hand, will probably freak out when she wakes up and sees it. Who knows when that will happen, though, so let’s not worry about things we can’t control.” I push my shoulders back and lift my arms into position. A
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