Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters - Bella Forrest Page 0,128
cured.
“I didn’t want innocent people dying because of an infectious curse,” I said firmly, keeping my chin up. “I know we agreed to trust one another, and I’m sorry I didn’t involve you in this, but I wasn’t sure what your course of action would be. I couldn’t risk another code red, not with human targets. Anyway, the Veritas people were cured and it’s not contagious anymore, but Reid—my kidnapper—still has it. The antidote didn’t work on him.”
Victoria stayed very still and very silent for what felt like an eternity. I watched for signs of an imminent explosion. Instead, every shred of color drained from her face, leaving her a ghostly white. Her mouth had straightened into a very thin line.
“You foolish child.” Her voice came out low and threatening. “After everything we’ve already been through, you do this again? You have no right to decide which course of action is best. You are a novice. You lack worldly experience. Do you think you know better than those who are older and wiser than you? Do you understand what you could have unleashed if you had not gotten lucky with that Purge?” She braced her hands against the desk, her knuckles bone white. “Do you understand what you might still have unleashed because you Purged? Now that they’ve seen monsters of that magnitude, they will take up arms against us. You silly, stupid little girl. I told you to leave it with me, yet you defy me once again! And worse, you tangled Genie and Nathan into your web of deceit. Genie, who was unwell at the time. And Nathan, who is a valued member of our staff. They could have died, Persie! You could have died! When will it sink in, that you are not the center of this universe? You do not get to make choices that are above you!” Her words ratcheted up to a chilling shriek that made me realize why she rarely lost her temper. In a sentence, it was utterly withering.
Even so, I held my ground. “I did what I thought was right, Ms. Jules. Had you told me about the witch hunters when I’d asked, maybe I would’ve felt more comfortable coming to you with this. I deserved to know what sort of people were behind my kidnapping, but you kept it from me. That’s why I had to hide this from you.”
“You realize that I can’t continue to make one rule for you, and another rule for all the other students?” she hissed, a vein throbbing in her temple. “This is beyond the pale, Persie. I had my reasons for not telling you about the witch hunters and I will not apologize for those, for the same reason that you should not have done this: it is not your place to know. You do not have the clearance! This is being dealt with by experts who are equipped for this sort of thing—instead of someone like you, fumbling blindly and making heinous errors in judgment! This will not stand, Persie. I cannot allow it.”
Time for that trump card. I had expected her to put expulsion on the table, or at least the threat of it. But I was armed with a counter, something that just might keep me in the Institute.
“Aren’t you curious where Reid Darcy got that curse?” I said, my voice even. I made sure to add the ‘Darcy,’ watching for a flicker of recognition. And I got it, in the subtle flinch of her eyelids. “He kept accusing me of putting it on him, until I convinced him that I didn’t have powers other than Purging. But he seemed pretty sure it came from someone in this Institute. Shouldn’t that be where your primary concern lies? That someone in this Institute is out there running rogue, cursing non-magicals? I’ve come clean, and I’m giving you information. I’m not asking to avoid punishment for my actions, but I’m asking you to consider the bigger picture. Someone is meddling with non-magicals. As you know, that’s a much bigger crime than curing a bunch of infected people who were only infected because someone meddled.”
The switch in her demeanor nearly left me with whiplash. One moment, she was gripping the desk, fury in her eyes. The next, she pulled her hands away from the desk and sank back in her chair, taking a few deep breaths. She didn’t need to say anything; I could see it all in that rapid transformation. She knew