Page 72 of The Villains of Winter

James moved to check his watch for a fifth time, a habit he couldn’t quit since the moment he was traumatized, concerned there wasn’t enough time to rescue Elliott, when their next question jarred him.

Pritchard leaned forward. “There’s something strange that’s happening at that college, isn’t there?”

“Why do you ask?” James was grateful his voice sounded even.

“The provost has written on your behalf.” Pritchard leaned even further. “Hell, the secretary of state has sent in a formal letter as some sort of character evidence to you. That’s not even counting a line of U.S. representatives that have personally made a phone call. I was invited to play golf at a private members-only society club with the Montana congressman in regards to you.”

“That makes sense, I’m innocent.”

“You’re well-connected.”

“I’m mostly just innocent. However, I do come from a lineage of congressmen and the former governor of Connecticut. It’s a random coincidence.”

James didn’t dare expose the truth.

In the system of the Oxlade Cabal, there were three concurrent archons in every state in the United States of America–the archon eponymous, the polemarch, and the archon basileus.

In ancient times of Athens, the archon basileus held the power over religion and priesthood. In the cabal, the archon basileus was charged with the political affairs of the state. Congressman Pittman was the archon basileus of Montana.

The current governor of Connecticut was the archon basileus of Connecticut.

In Athenian history, the polemarch was the war leader, the commander of the army, and head of the military. In the cabal, the polemarch was charged with the extortion of political enemies, character assassination of diplomatic opponents, actual assassination approval, and belligerent propaganda campaigns against dissenters and protesters of candidates sponsored by the cabal. The political strategist of the Republican Party, Caine Murdock, was the polemarch for Connecticut.

The remaining six archons were the thesmothetai, who presided over legal matters, judicial verdicts, and trial processions. In the Oxlade Cabal, the thesmothetai were high-powered lawyers, federal judges, lawmakers, and International Court of Justice members. There were even United Nations members raised in Connecticut for global power.

In the past, the archon eponymous was the sovereign ruler of the city-state. They held the highest political office of the three. The provost of Æscwulf College was the archon eponymous of Connecticut, which could only be inherited, not elected, unlike the rest of the cabal positions. Provost Tytheridge’s lineage extended throughout the centuries to the very origins of the pagan rituals.

James was hand-chosen at sixteen by the archon eponymous, exactly like his forefathers before him, but to speak of any of it was a death order.

“Your father is a U.K. diplomat who was born in Hammersmith, England. Do you two keep in contact?”

James knew if they had his flight records, then they certainly had his phone records. They would know that James hadn’t called his father in years. There were no heartwarming, congratulatory messages on his cellphone or voicemails from the high commissioner about the political climate in the United States and the United Kingdom. Their line of communication was as dead as roadkill.

Therefore, James had to articulate carefully, “He’s busy with international relations. There are tensions abroad, and he’s concentrated on economic resolutions in a foreign country. No, I haven’t spoken to him. But we love each other immensely, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“He could’ve pulled strings for you.”

“He wouldn’t have needed to.”

Not when the Oxlade Cabal made him a member that winter.

​​ CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

JAMES RECEIVED A MIRACLE IN March. As the rest of America wore green in mass parades, celebrating with shamrocks and four-leaf clovers that originated in nature worship, the pagan roots of the spring equinox holiday were embraced by Catholics as St. Patrick’s Day instead. Saint Patrick drove paganism out of Ireland and therefore Æscwulf College didn’t acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day, but rather the nature rites of the vernal equinox. Thus, Professor Ilaria kept her word on a densely fogged, rainy morning in the second week of March.

A beauteous gift of the equinox.

A body was found.

Lucien Montclair was declared a drowning victim by the local police.

The coastal fish had devoured the corpse’s features beyond recognition. The marina scavengers had rendered him nearly indistinguishable within the decomposed corpse skin.

Even still, James refused to thank her for any of it. He revolted against any ideas to plead to her in supplication, and he spurned her demands to make reparations with her.

After all, the entire ordeal was her fault.

She endangered Elliott. She imperiled Finch. She threatened James’s freedom.