Page 19 of A Resistance of Witches
Sybil eased herself into an overstuffed chair. “I’m not sure.”
“Who could have cut that door in the warding? Could someone from the outside have—”
Sybil shook her head. “No. That would be impossible. No part of the warding can be dismantled by anyone who wasn’t a part of its making. That’s its entire purpose, to protect from outsiders.”
“But that means…” Lydia saw no other possibility. She felt a tremor run through her as she finally gave voice to the unthinkable. “That means someone inside the academyallowedthat woman in.”
Sybil stared into the fire, momentarily lost in thought. She exhaled and looked at Lydia. “Have you told anyone else what you found?”
“No. Only you.”
She nodded, fidgeting anxiously with one of her rings. “We need to alert the council. The selection ceremony will have to be postponed until—”
“No,” Lydia said. “We can’t allow anyone else to find out. Not until we know who is responsible.”
Sybil stared at her. “Good heavens, Lydia. You can’t possibly think that someone on the council could have…” She trailed off, the thought too terrible to contemplate.
Lydia felt a growing unease creeping over her. Speculating felt like heresy, and voicing her suspicions somehow even worse. And yet…
“When Vivian came to see me, she told me she would support my nomination for grand mistress, but only if I withdrew the academy from the war effort. She told me if I refused, she would challenge my nomination and do it herself. Is it possible Vivian could have—”
“Vivian has been a member of the council for as long as I’ve been alive. I can’t imagine she could ever do such a thing.” Even as Sybil said the words, Lydia didn’t think she looked very sure.
“Not even if she thought she was protecting the academy? By returning us to the way things were before?”
Sybil looked deeply troubled and did not answer.
“Something else has been bothering me. How could Vivian, of all people, not have known that Isadora was going to be murdered? How could she not know there was a traitor inside the academy, unless…”
Sybil shook her head. “Visions aren’t always like that, my darling. Seers aren’t all-knowing, and Vivian…” She paused, uncertain how to continue. “Vivian isold.Her power isn’t the same as it once was. She would never admit it, not to herself, or anyone else for that matter, but her visions have been fading for some time now.”
The fire popped and crackled. They sat in silence for a long moment.
“Someone let that madwoman into the academy,” Lydia said quietly. “Not just to kill Isadora. I saw her, Sybil. She came for that piece of theGrimorium Bellum. Why do that if they don’t plan to use it?” Sybil looked thoughtful but did not reply. “This wasn’t one rogue witch. This was an organized effort, with help from inside our own academy. We have to stop them.”
“I know. But, Lydia, the council will never let you go after it.”
“Nonsense. Half the council supports my claim for grand mistress. If we can sway Alba and Josephine—”
“It won’t matter.”
Lydia stopped. “What?”
“There was a vote, earlier today. Limiting the grand mistress’s wartimepowers. No further action can be taken on behalf of the war effort without the unanimous agreement of the high council.” Sybil looked down, twisting one of her rings. “I tried very hard to stop it.”
Lydia sat in silence as Sybil’s words sank in.
“Who requested the vote?”
Somewhere, a clock was ticking. Sybil held her gaze. “Vivian.”
Black despair reached up and caught Lydia by the throat.
“Then there’s no point. Whether it’s me or Vivian, it’s all the same now. She’s won.”
“No,” Sybil said firmly. “No, it is not all the same. Isadora did not choose you out of a hundred other girls for no reason. She chose you because she knew that you are what the academy needs. Vivian will drag us back in time, butyou…” She trailed off, then looked intently into Lydia’s eyes. “What if you’re right? What if it’s Vivian? And then she becomes grand mistress?” Sybil pressed her fingers to her lips, unable to finish the thought. “It has to be you, Lydia. It can’t be anyone else.”
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