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Vivian stopped her story, and I saw the fear in her eyes that the snake would bite her a second tier the poison But she quicklyShe wasn’t just o questions like I had about Jas, but the asp didn’t seem to notice

She ic, I realized So her like it was supposed to Another bloody loophole, as Vic would say

So I ignored her words and focused on Vivian herself If I could figure out how she was fooling the snake, irl, but Vivian looked the sa special about the black cashner jeans she had on The only jewelry she as a gold ring on her right hand

I eyed the band It was actually quite plain, co the other kids had Instead of dia sported two sht and laughing Vivian had once told innings and endings who had two faces, one looking back into the past and the other peering ahead into the future The two faces also syer I looked at the ring, the e, until they were both turned and grinning hideously atReaper red-

Wait a second Ruby chips? I didn’t re before I pulled up all theCreepy faces, yes Rubies, no No diamonds, no emeralds, no jewels of any sort I frowned So ould there be gems on it now?

Maybe it was the rubies’ red flash, but I thought of the box that the Reaper had stolen froed to Apate The Reaper had lifted the box up, and the jewels on the surface had sparkled, along with se

My eyes narrowed So that’s why the Reaper had wanted the box Apate was the Greek goddess of deception, so it only made sense that her box and all the jewels on it would have so Vivian lie to the Maat asp without being bitten

I opened ht occurred toto what Linus had said, Vivian had been in Protectorate custody for weeks now Even if they really believed that she was Nike’s Champion, there was no way they would have let her out of their sight, not even for a minute, which ht with the other Reapers No, soiven the ruby chips to Vivian, so she could pull off all her elaborate lies today Vivian had to be working with someone, most likely a member of the Protectorate-someone as probably in this very rooaze went fro at Vivian, listening to her story, and scribbling down notes Nothing out of the ordinary there, and none of theirl a sly wink The sauards They were just doing their jobs and standing watch

Frustration and anger surged throughI could do but sit still and keep my mouth shut I doubted the Protectorate would believe that one of their oorking with Vivian, and my accusation would only tip off the Reaper that I was on to hiet out of this situation? Because, Reaper or not, if enough hts out for me-permanently

"And I’ve been on the run ever since Loki was freed," Vivian said, finishing her ridiculous story "Wrongly accused of being his Cha Nike this whole tie to the Protectorate, to all of you, so I could come here today and finally clear my name"

"You couldn’t clear your naave me a sad, wounded look, like she couldn’t believe I would say so so hurtful Her poor, pitiful htened its grip around er I looked at the small, jewel-toned snake It was really the only impartial creature here At least, it would have been if Vivian hadn’t found a way to fool it Stupid ic loopholes

The words bounced around in ic to fool the asp, but she wasn’t the only one here with power Maybe there was a way I could prove uilt once and for all

Linus stared at Vivian, thenstory But what I findis that the asp hasn’t attacked either one of you, yet obviously one of youAt the very least, you can’t both be Nike’s Champion"

Everyone’s eyes focused on the asp on the table The creature flicked out its tongue, al at it, but it o ahead and confess, Gwen," Vivian said "Make things easier on yourself"

She slared back at her

"And that concludes the interrogation," Linus said "Rest assured that ill carefully review everything you’ve both said today"

He started talking about exactly how the Protectorate would nored him It was obvious that the Protectorate didn’t want to believe me, but I didn’t think they’d wholeheartedly sed Vivian’s story either I could see the doubt in even Linus’s face about what she’d told them But I was determined to show everyone just what a liar Vivian really was

Professor Metis had once toldobjects and seeing things That was the mental aspect of my power, but Metis had said that there was a physical coic as well That I could touch people and actually influence theet them to see what I wanted them to see, feel what I wanted them to feel I’d done it once before with Nott, when I’d showed her memories of rando protect her when Vivian and Preston had been on their way to kill her

Noondering if I could do the saaze dropped to the Maat asp, which was still wound around my wrist I wondered what the creature would do if I showed it what had really happened-if I showed it the truth about Vivian

I had no illusions that I would be found innocent by the Protectorate At the very least, I’d broken enough rules to get expelled frouilty of conspiring with the Reapers, hauled off to prison, and eventually executed So that was a real possibility with one of the Protectorate uise Either the snake would turn, bite er the poison in my veins that would kill uilty and chopic on the asp was the only ed me into, so I focused on all the memories I had of her, both as herself and when she’d been hiding behind a rubber es I had of that night at the Gare pulsed throughwith the memories, but I forced myself to be cold, calm, and keep es, all the s, firmly fixed in my mind, I concentrated on the asp wrapped around ainstle one

I felt the asp tense, as the s that weren’t its own It wasn’t as easy as it had been with Nott, probably because the wolf had trusted me and this creature didn’t It was harder to show the iht it would be, and I was soon sweating fro to shove ot to the final iht sky on a Black roc with Loki strapped in a harness behind her Me helpless to stop the froer

Co the truth, not her We both know it So do your job, and bite herbite her alreadybite her right now!