Page 6 of A Dose of Agony
“Jarron isn’t actually forcing me to stay,” I say. “I’m just being a good girl for now.” I shrug, clearly disappointed.
Manuela nods. “Well, maybe you need a strategy session. Is it Jarron’s war that you want to help? Or all that other stuff.” She wiggles her fingers, sharp nails glinting in the rising sunlight.
My lips part. It’s fairly common knowledge now that the Akrasia Games are actively running, and rumors that my sister is involved have begun to surface, but even if not, Manuela is in the know for most of it.
All those rumors about the games and my sister are another reason I shouldn’t leave Elite Hall. Jarron’s threat and our allies are enough to keep most of the Elite in line but not the entire school.
The Akrasia Games are a tense topic.
“Definitely other stuff,” I answer. “I mean, it’s all interconnected anyway, but my sister is a priority.”
“And how do you help her?”
I sigh and plop down in one of the empty chairs. Everyone scoots in a bit closer.
My revenge mission here has quickly become a rescue mission. A rescue mission I am woefully underprepared for. “The only way I know to free her”—I lean in and say it quietly because as much as I’m not the bad guy, this might sound less than ideal to people I don’t trust—“is for a new set of games to take place.”
Lucille’s brow pinches in concern“You mean, you want to help run the Akrasia Games?”
“No,” I say quickly. “Certainly not. I don’t want any other innocent people to die. It’s just the only way I currently known that will free Liz from their control. Once the next set of games are completed, the winner becomes the jinn, which will free Liz.” She’ll have some kind of magical gag that stops her from sharing information about the games, but she’ll be able to seperate herself from the council and that’s the important part.
By winning, my sister has gained power, but not freedom. Not yet. There must always be a jinn to continue the games. So, she’s bound to the council until a new jinn takes her place.
“And the information on the games is guarded so well,” I continue, “it’s really hard to learn more about the magic surrounding it.”
“Killing Mr. Vandozer won’t help?” Manuela asks.
I tilt my head. “I mean, it can’t hurt.”
Laithe chuckles.
“But, no. He’s not the only one she’s bound to. It’s the whole council, and who knows if death would sever that bond? Maybe it would automatically pass to someone else? I don’t know.”
“Okay.” Manuela scoots in. “Here’s an idea. You have a new set of games, except instead of low-level beings, you trick the most corrupt dickwads in existence into signing the contract and watch as they kill each other.” Her savage grin exposes sharp canines.
Sick joy spreads across my chest. “Sounds great but complicated.”
Obviously, it’s a better solution than letting a bunch of innocent kids enter, but there are complications.
“I don’t exactly relish the idea of choosing who will die. If I could get the council to fall into that trap, that would be wonderful. I just don’t think they’d do it.”
Manuela chuckles. “True and true.” She leans back in her chair, arms slung over the armrests, studying me like I’m a puzzle she’s working on. “What you really need is information. You need an inside source.”
“Do you have a suggestion?” Laithe asks calmly. So calm, I get the feeling there’s more to those words.
A threat.
I swallow. Does Laithe think Manuela knows something she shouldn’t?
Manuela’s grin turns vicious, and my stomach clenches.
I look over her comfortable posture. She’s a powerful witch with dryad blood. If it weren’t for Jarron, she’d be the exact kind of person I’d steer clear of. I only trust her now because Jarron does.
If Manuela does have insider information, why didn’t she come out with it before when Jarron was seeking out Mr. Vandozer as a suspect?
“Or you could just let the bad guys do their thing.” Manuela tilts her head slightly. “Let the real games happen and your sister will eventually be free.”
“Manuela,” Lucille reprimands.
