Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)(40)
Author: Jennifer Estep

I sat there and thought and thought, but I couldn’t figure out a way to sidestep the question. Finally, I sighed. "I used my psychometry on Logan. That’s how I was able to beat Preston."

"You used your magic on another student?" Linus’s voice dropped to a dangerous rasp. "On my son?"

"It was the only way I could defeat Preston," I said. "Logan knew that as well as I did. He let me use my magic on him, let my use my psychometry to tap in to his memories, his fighting skills. Once I did that, I was able to use his skills like they were my own. That’s how I was able to beat Preston, because Logan’s memories made me almost as good a fighter as he is."

"Students are not supposed to use their magic on others," Agrona said, toying with her necklace. "Not even in extreme situations like that. It denies the other student’s free will, which is what we’re all here working so hard to protect."

Metis and Nike had said more or less the same thing to me before, but the words seemed strange coming out of Agrona’s mouth, almost like she didn’t really believe them. Or perhaps that was just because her voice wasn’t as loud as her husband’s and she didn’t seem quite as eager to convict me.

"Well, it was either that or let Preston take off my head with his sword," I said. "I happen to like my head right where it is, thank you very much."

Ajax let out another laugh. This time, Linus didn’t even bother looking at him. Instead, the head of the Protectorate leaned forward and fixed me with a fierce glare.

"Take us through the fight, exactly what happened, Miss Frost. Step by step. And be sure you include everything-especially what you did to my son with your magic."

I sighed again, wondering if the questions and accusations would ever end.

And on and on it went. Somehow, the Protectorate had found out about everything I’d ever done since coming to Mythos. All the times I’d been late for my shifts at the library, all the lost and stolen items I’d found for kids using my psychometry, all the catty comments I’d ever made about other students. It seemed they went out of their way to focus on the bad things, all the rules I’d broken and all the mistakes I’d made, whether on purpose or by accident.

And they seemed to have a grand time doing it, especially Linus. If the others hadn’t been around, he probably would have gleefully cackled every time I confessed to something, especially when it came to all the times I’d slipped by the sphinxes on my way to go see Grandma Frost. Apparently, I’d snuck off campus more than fifty times since I’d been at Mythos.

"By far the worst infraction of that particular rule ever recorded in the annals of academy history," Linus said almost in a cheery tone, making another mark on his papers.

I slumped over the table a little more.

"And now we come to the charges that are at the heart of these proceedings," he finally said. "Accusations that Miss Frost willfully conspired with Reapers of Chaos to murder students and staff members at the Crius Coliseum, steal artifacts from the coliseum, recover the Helheim Dagger, and use said dagger to free Loki from the prison realm the other gods placed him in."

I shook my head. "No. That’s not what happened at all. None of that is true. Not one word of it."

"We’ll see," Linus said.

Nickamedes got to his feet. The librarian had been quiet while I’d been questioned, although he’d been taking tons of notes. I wondered if this was the point when he finally went on the attack and actually, you know, defended me.

"So far," Nickamedes said, "you’ve offered a vastly different interpretation of events than what actually transpired, given that Metis, Ajax, Raven, and I were there to witness some of the things you’ve accused Gwendolyn of. But you haven’t offered one shred of proof that things happened the way you claim they did-not one single shred. Unless you have that proof, I see no reason for this absurd trial to continue any further."

Linus gave his former brother-in-law a thin smile. "Why, I thought you’d never ask, Nickamedes. We do, in fact, have a different perspective on the situation, especially on what transpired at the Crius Coliseum and everything after that. We have a witness who claims to have been present at all the events in question, the person who made the accusations against Miss Frost in the first place. She’s been quite convincing in her testimony so far, which is why the charges were initially brought against Miss Frost."

"What witness?" Nickamedes asked in a guarded tone.

"Why don’t we bring her in, and you can see for yourself?"

Linus nodded to Agrona, who got to her feet, stepped off the dais, and went over to the entry. Agrona pulled on the door, which slowly opened with another loud screech.

"You can come in now," Agrona called out.

Something whispered out in the hallway, and a second later, the very last person in the world that I expected to see walked into the prison-Vivian Holler.

A Gypsy, just like me. Loki’s Champion. And the Reaper girl who’d killed my mom.

Chapter 18

I was just-stunned.

Absolutely stunned that Vivian was back at the academy after all the things she’d done. Tricking me into finding the Helheim Dagger, kidnapping me, slicing my palm open with the dagger, using the weapon and my blood to free Loki.

Anger exploded in me, blocking out everything else. The trial, the Protectorate, the endless questions. All I was aware of was the rage pulsing through my veins-the same red-hot rage I felt whenever I thought of Vivian and how the other girl had murdered my mom-and laughed about it.

Vivian stepped into the prison, flanked by two men and a woman wearing black coveralls. I leaped up out of my chair and started to charge at the other girl, but I’d forgotten about the handcuffs and chain. I lunged for her and almost pulled my shoulders out of their sockets when the chain stopped me short. I looked down at my shackles. This was how Preston had felt, I thought bitterly. The Reaper had wanted to kill me more than anything else, which was exactly what I wanted to do to Vivian right now.

The Reaper girl stepped closer and gave me a sly, satisfied smile, and I knew that I’d reacted exactly how she’d wanted me to.

"Temper, temper," Vivian said in a mocking tone. "See? I told you she was violent."

"When it comes to you, violent doesn’t even begin to cover it," I snarled.

Everyone stared at me, and I had to struggle to get my rage under control. Here I was shackled, and Vivian had strolled right into the academy prison as if she had every right to still be at Mythos.

"Long time no see, Gwen," she said.

"Shut up, you Reaper bitch," I snarled again.