Page 122 of Alchemy of Souls

The skin tightens around Akari’s eyes as Grayson starts pressing buttons.

But a second later there’s ading,and Grayson’s smiling as the air shimmers between us. It also shimmers next to Maggie and Akari in the hallway. The video pops into existence like a small hologram, just like it will in every house for every person in our magical world. Tears spring to my eyes. No matter what happens now, people will know. They’ll know the Chancellor’s been killing them; Laborers will know their children have been held back on purpose; people will realize the Lawless aren’t the ones to blame. Things will change. They have to.

Akari watches the recording, eyebrows raised. The noise from the video stirs the Chancellor, who groans. It takes a minute before his eyes fully open and another before he comprehends what he’s seeing. Watching the horror dawn in his expression is satisfying.

The Chancellor immediately pushes against his restraints, probably reaching for his inaccessible magic.

“Akari, untie me this moment andkill them,” the Chancellor demands, and Grayson looks from his uncle to Akari, readying for a fight.

“You know as well as I do that I have no jurisdiction in the Archive Room and neither do you,” Akari says, and now it’s me who’s thrown.

Even Grayson looks shocked.

“In that case,” Maggie says, trying to step forward, but Akari blocks her.

“You’ll stay exactly where you are, O’Donnell,” Akari says, and Maggie swallows.

“I have jurisdictioneverywhere,” the Chancellor says coldly. “You work for me, Akari. If you’d like it to stay that way, you’ll heed my orders!”

My eyes flit to Akari, who hasn’t moved. She remains just outside the Archive Room.

Which is also when the holographic video broadcasts the Chancellor saying: “First, when I order Akari to kill her uncle. And then when I kill her and blame it on the Lawless.”

A muscle twitches in Akari’s jaw. “Seems like a hollow offer, Chancellor, considering your plan was to kill me.”

Grayson smirks and the Chancellor’s expression sours.

“You bitch,” the Chancellor seethes. “I gave you everything. I dragged you out of the gutter—”

“Too late for that, Chancellor,” Akari says with a calm that almost frightens me. “Your secrets are no longer your own.”

Grayson

Emotions tumble over me like sand in a wave, gritty and powerful as I hear my uncle admit to killing my brother. It’s done, the thing Ialways hoped for—and more than that, there’s justice for the Lawless.

“Bring me the Chancellor,” Akari says to us with her no-nonsense command.

“Yes, get me out of this godforsaken room,” my uncle echoes.

Eloise answers before I can. “If he crosses the threshold and gets his magic back—”

“I am well aware of his magical ability, Belrose,” Akari says briskly.

Eloise and I share a look.

“Now, first-years,” Akari says.

As much as I hate it, we have no choice but to let Akari take it from here. So I nod, and Eloise and I each grab an arm of the chair.

“I’m giving you one last chance, Grayson,” my uncle says. “Untie me now, and I’ll let you live.”

“Like you let Liam live?” I ask, looking him dead in the eyes as I push him the last inch to Akari.

“What are you going to do, Akari?” my uncle chides. “That video may have incriminated me but it also incriminated Grayson. He stole from the Academy.”

Akari’s eyebrows rise. “Grayson Stone, did you personally raid the greenhouse?”

I could smile. “I did not personally raid the greenhouse,” I reply, telling the absolute truth. I lifted no plants.