Page 17 of Rogue Witch

We three freeze for several heartbeats before Raith says, “We don’t know.”

“Is Chelsea responsible for the attempt on Leilah’s life in Ethan’s class?”

“That’s my guess,” Raith replies. “I find it unlikely a second person tried to kill Ms. Crowe.”

Olympia’s lips thin. “I agree. When the Nightlow girl returns—if she returns—she is to be confined to her room. I will deal with her. A Reaping and the gods’ nightmares are strange enough. The attempt on Leilah’s life is….” She shakes her head. “I don’t like it.”

I am in complete agreement.

“I am going to the Crowe Potionary,” she continues. “Miriam is the key to all this.”

Raith angels his head in assent, but I recognize the barely disguised impatience in his eyes.

Olympia’s gaze sharpens. “The Wall didn’t name Seton as a High Potential. Didn’t Miriam nominate Seton as a student for The Academy?”

“Bloody hell,” I murmur. “Miriam did nominate him.”

Olympia’s eyes glaze. “I have no one but myself to blame. I should have kept a closer eye on Miriam. If Blade is right, and she isn’t dead—”

“Miriam not dead?” Raith blurts.

Olympia’s brows shoot up. “Blade didn’t tell you? I thought you three shared everything.”

If Olympia had any idea how right she is….

“Apparently not.” Raith’s mouth thins. “What is this about Miriam not being dead?”

“Just a theory,” I say. “The night before the War Games, Zedkeil visited me here at The Academy.”

Raith barks a laugh. “A high angel of the Most High deigned to set foot on Academy grounds?” His amusement dies. “He came to tell you that Miriam is alive?”

“He informed me that we must prevent her from finding a way into Hell.”

“What?” Ethan blurts.

“Shocking idea, don’t you agree?” I say. “By the end of our conversation I deduced two things. One, the angel wasn’t being completely honest when he said we have to prevent Miriam from finding a way into Hell—because he fears she’s already there.”

Raith scowls. “That’s ridiculous.”

“You haven’t heard the best part,” I say. “This second point I know is truth, though Zedkeil denied it—far too vehemently. Their god Elohim is locked in Hell.”

Ethan and Raith exchange a glance that says they question my sanity.

“You can’t be serious,” Raith says.

“He’s quite serious,” Olympia says.

“That explains the god’s silence all these centuries.” Raith laughs with dark amusement. “Another good reason to make sure the Hell Gates stay locked.”

“Maybe,” Olympia says. “If Blade is right and Miriam was looking for a way into Hell—”

“Forgive me, Grand Witch,” I interrupt. “But I never said I believe she was trying to get into Hell.”

Olympia waves me off. “None of us know for certain, but that would explain much. If she succeeded, that means there’s a breach in the spell binding the Hell Gates. That could explain the early Reaping, the gods’ nightmares, and Tychon’s interest in Miriam.”

She’s reaching. There’s nothing to indicate the Reaping has anything to do with the Hell Gates being locked or breached. More and more, I’m convinced the Reaping was triggered by the War Games taking place in Olympia’s virtual world, but I remain silent. She will look long and hard to find a way to redirect blame away from herself. Still, the possibility that the War Games trigged a Reaping is troubling.

The first Reaping took place after the great Shadow War in the fifth century. The spell is as powerful as that used by Senorn and Eledin to lock the Hell Gates, and so complex that even the Council of Kispu have been unable to break the spell. In a way, Olympia’s virtual Shadow world is not unlike the Reaping. I don’t like any of this. The accusation that Miriam might have been trying to open the Hell Gates is enough to bring Leilah deeper under Olympia’s scrutiny.