Page 135 of Kingmakers, Year Three

I stay silent, waiting to hear what else he knows. And more importantly, what evidence they have.

“If you were not involved in Rocco’s death, now is the time to speak,” the Chancellor tells me, his coal-black eyes boring into mine. “This is your only chance for clemency. Tell me everything you know, and you may be absolved.”

He wants me to throw Cat under the bus. He brought me here first, without her. He’s trying to get me to crack. Which means . . . he doesn’t have enough evidence without my testimony. Whatever Lola told him or showed him, it’s not quite enough.

That doesn’t mean we’re not in a fuck of a lot of trouble.

It only indicates that I might have a chance to take the heat off Cat.

I take a deep breath, hoping I know what I’m doing.

“Yes,” I say boldly.

The Chancellor quirks one black eyebrow.

“Yes, what?” he demands.

“Yes, I know who killed Rocco Prince.”

Professor Penmark leans forward with a hungry expression on his hollow face.

“Well?” the Chancellor says, impatiently. “Are you going to tell us?”

“No,” I say.

This next silence is like the vibration after the ringing of a bell. A bell that can’t be un-rung.

“Dean,” the Chancellor says ominously. “Choose your next words very carefully. Are you telling me that you did indeed witness the murder, but you refuse to confirm if the perpetrator was Cat Romero?”

“That’s right,” I say. “I know. And I won’t tell.”

Professor Penmark lets slip a horrible smile of anticipation.

The Chancellor clenches his jaw, disappointed, but resolute.

“We’ll see about that,” he says.

Brenner strides forward and seizes one of my arms, Penmark the other. They force me down on my knees and raise my arms on either side of me, in the shape of a pall.

Penmark pulls the chains down from the ceiling, closing the manacles around my wrists and wrenching them into position so the chains are taut and I can’t move.

Lola stares at me, fixated. She looks like a child who flipped a switch, and now stands in awe of what she’s put into motion.

Strangely, I’m not afraid.

Whatever happens next, I know I won’t break.

I’m the only thing left standing between Cat and certain destruction.

Once I’m fixed in place, the Chancellor nods to Brenner.

“Go get her,” he says.

29

CAT

The moment I see that Dean is not waiting for me outside Chemistry class as promised, I know something’s wrong. Dean wouldn’t forget. He wouldn’t be late.

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