CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

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A flicker of hot anger ignites in me again, burning through my fear

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A flicker of hot anger ignites in me again, burning through my fear.

"The siren tried to freakin' eat me," I say through gritted teeth. I raise my chin. "Look at my neck! That's from her fangs. And if there was anyone else around to witness it, they sure as hell didn't lift a finger to try to help me."

"Ah, Ma'am," Chloe pipes up. "Ethan and I filed a full report detailing what happened. This was Lyric's first time accessing magick. The siren was hunting her... If she hadn't responded, she'd be dead. It was self-defense."

"I read your report." The chancellor sounds annoyed. "But the situation has changed since you submitted it. According to this warrant, Cerberus has a witness claiming it was murder, and she saw it happen."

"Who is this witness?" I blurt out.

Chloe darts a warning glance at me. "This incident is now under Guardian jurisdiction, so... Ethan and I will continue to look into it. If there's a witness, we will investigate that. But I assure you, this case is cut and dry. Lyric used magick in self-defense."

"It sounds like it's Lyric's word against this witness's." The chancellor brushes an invisible speck of dust from her dress. "Cerberus is already handling the investigation, so perhaps we should let them complete it. I'm not sure Atlantis Academy is the right place for Miss Hart at this time."

This is bad. So bad!

Who is this supposed witness? My chest has gotten so tight, I can hardly breathe. I look to Chloe for help.

She's as flustered as I am. "What are you...? With all due respect, ma'am, this is the best place for Lyric right now. She's a Legacy. We need to train her. I don't under—"

"Did you visit the Archives as I asked?"

"Yes, ma'am." Chloe licks her lips. "The Archivists triple-verified Lyric's DNA—she's Atlantean, even though they haven't been able to trace her lineage yet."

"But did you read the historical summary about Undocumented Legacies?"

Chloe's nose twitches. "I did."

"Then you understand what likely awaits Miss Hart if she remains here." The chancellor looks at me with a flat expression. "Every single Undocumented Legacy in the past five hundred years has failed the Entrance Trials. Undocumenteds are more human than Atlantean... and without fail, they prove to be far too weak to master magick."

A hot flash hits me, and I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Did Chloe know this before today?

Her cheeks are bright pink as she pulls her tablet from her bag. "I just completed my forensic analysis on the magick Lyric used. Let me show you..."

She hands the chancellor the tablet and begins rattling off numbers, explaining whatever's on the screen.

I can hardly hear her. How is there a witness saying I murdered Amanda? How? No one was there!

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