“No,” she replied and I couldn’t help but glance up at that. It wasn’t the answer I’d been expecting.
“I thought you two were–”
“Whatever did or did not exist between us is done now. Not that he knows that. I let him think he could win me back by talking to the Bexleys and figuring out which side they’re on.”
I hesitated, considering what she’d said. That was cold, even for Olympia. I had a difficult time believing the woman who’d cared enough about this guy to let me in on something she’d never want to share for any reason at all just to give their relationship a better shot at working out in the end was the same one taking advantage of his affections. But I didn’t press. Olympia had her own way of doing things and, though I rarely understood or agreed with them, I knew enough to know that prying only made it worse.
“You’ll tell me what you find out?” I asked, raising a brow instead.
“I will.”
I nodded, satisfied.
“If that’s all, I need to get back to finding a better way into Viper. Nascha wants–”
“That isn’t all,” I said and she fell silent, waiting. “Jude has put an official end to our research alliance. We’ve lost access to the archives of the House of Harlowe. That includes our ancestor’s journal.”
Olympia frowned.
“I can’t lose access to that journal, Olympia,” I told her, lowering my tone and leaning forward on my desk.
She watched me for a moment before flipping her hair over her shoulder and crossing her arms.
“Don’t you think we have more important matters to deal with than a dead man’s weird diary?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
“Yes,” I confessed, “and I can’t explain it, you wouldn’t believe me if I did, but I’m starting to think grandmother isn’t as crazy as we think. I think she might actually be onto something withthis and I can’t help but think it might make a difference in the power balance of this city.”
Olympia just stared at me for a moment, blinking in disbelief.
“Spell it out for me, Milo,” she said after a moment. “Because I want to be absolutely sure I have permission to do what I think you’re asking me to do.”
“Get into Harlowe during their lockdown and get that journal,” I commanded.
The air hung heavy between us for a few heartbeats as Olympia processed what I’d ordered her to do. There was no surprise in her expression, no evidence that she hadn’t expected this directive to come, just grim acceptance as she responded with one simple nod.
“Isthatall?” she asked after a moment.
I hesitated but nodded. Then my cousin turned and left my study without another word. I watched her go, wondering what I’d just done. I knew Olympia was good at remaining unseen. I was almost certain she was the one who’d started the fire on the Second Ring though I hadn’t found any evidence to support my hunch. I knew she’d been in and out of Raghnall’s study and nearly into Cosmo’s own House. She came and went from the lower rings without drawing a hint of suspicion and returned with more information than I could have ever hoped she would gather through simple observation alone. If anyone could do what I’d asked, it would be Olympia. So I needed to be sure that what I asked her to do was something I truly wanted done.
This was theft. This was sneaking into the most well-guarded, paranoid minor house’s legendary library and stealing a book from right under their noses. They would notice it was gone and, when they did, they’d know exactly who took it. I was risking losing a potential ally, risking fighting a war on two fronts, risking upsetting the balance of Sanctuary so badly it couldn’t be righted again, but I knew it was worth it.
I couldn’t get that voice out of my head.
Let this god come out to play. I can help you see the Light.
Maybe I was going mad just as Eximius had or, more likely, maybe I’d finally discovered the source of Eximius’ madness. Perhaps he’d heard the voice as well and that’s what had been speaking to him, driving him mad. Perhaps it was coming from the necklace as it had whenever I’d touched it, but that didn’t make any sense. Nascha had had the necklace for decades, had worn it at night to feel closer to her mother, had held it when she’d handed it to me, and she’d never mentioned the voices. Given the task she’d assigned me of finding out what drove Simi mad, it seemed like something she certainly wouldn’t hide from me. I hadn’t had the chance to speak with her about it yet given the trial and everything that had happened after but I was planning to today. I just needed to know. Isla hadn’t heard the voices. If Nascha didn’t either, but Simi and I had, that seemed to confirm my suspicions that the voice didn’t speak to women.
Blinking out of my reverie, I realized I was late to the temple. Tossing the papers I’d been rifling through back on my desk, I made my way out of my study, down the stairs, and through the front door where I headed down the path out of House Avus grounds toward the temple.
The priests outside all greeted me enthusiastically as I approached, smiling broadly and pretending they weren’t memorizing every word of our conversation to report to Cosmo later. I grinned back and shook their hands, feigning excitement for a morning spent listening to them opine about their absent gods, then I found Isla and Nascha in a row toward the front.
The women had their heads bowed in what appeared to be prayer but I realized they were speaking to one another in low tones as I approached. They each glanced up once before Nascha scooted aside and let me squeeze in between them.
“You’re late,” Isla noted.
“A personal flaw I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to, my dear,” I said and then placed a kiss at her temple.
Her cheeks flushed as red as her hair and she muttered a curse over the reaction before turning away from me. I couldn’t help but grin even as I turned to Nascha who was glaring at one of the high priests speaking to an acolyte on the other side of the temple.
