Assuming that logic was correct, it gave me one very obvious suspect. And if they were a traitor . . .

I looked at Vihaela’s body. Wait a second. Could that be it?

The others were still arguing. I crossed the room and knelt; Trask gave me a glance, then rose and stepped away. Vihaela was lying on her front, head turned towards me, eyes closed in death. Her face was drawn and still. I blanked my mind, put all thoughts of who Vihaela was out of my head, and simply looked at her.

She looked young. I’ve seen a lot of Dark mages, male and female, and Vihaela didn’t really fit. It’s hard to say exactly what it is, but there’s something about a Dark mage’s looks that marks them. Maybe an apprentice . . . no, I wouldn’t even have pegged her as an apprentice. Not enough force. She looked like someone who’d had things done to her, instead of the other way around.

I thought back, remembering what I’d seen of the fight. In the few seconds I’d seen Vihaela alive, how had she looked? She’d looked afraid. Startled and frightened.

But looked at another way . . .

Yes. I couldn’t prove it, not yet, but I was sure I was right. I looked up. Slate was still arguing with Haken, something about giving the report to Rain. Cerulean and Lizbeth had been watching me; Cerulean glanced away, Lizbeth didn’t. I was pretty sure I knew who was working for White Rose, and I knew how they’d staged this. What was I going to do about it?

Accusing them openly . . . bad idea. I didn’t have enough status here, and I didn’t have any hard evidence. I could report what I knew up the chain of command. That was the dutiful thing to do, and what I was getting paid for.

Problem with that: I didn’t know who the people above me were working for either.

So let’s find out.

“It wasn’t Slate,” I said.

Slate frowned. Haken turned to look at me. “Say that again?”

I rose to my feet. “I know who killed her,” I said. “It wasn’t Slate.”

Slate gave me a suspicious look. This obviously hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. “Okay,” Haken said. “Then who?”

I glanced around the room, letting my eyes pass very briefly over everyone in turn. “You might want to hear this in private.”

Haken wasn’t stupid. His eyes narrowed as he realised what I was saying. “So who?” Lizbeth said.

I didn’t answer. “Rest of you, clear the room,” Haken said. “Wrap up downstairs.”

“Seriously?” Lizbeth said.

Haken looked at her. Lizbeth gave us both a disgusted look, turned on her heel, and walked out. Cerulean, Slate, Trask, and Abeyance followed. Abeyance lingered, looking curious, but when Haken waited pointedly, she shut the door behind her.

I listened to the footsteps going downstairs. Haken put a hand into his pocket and red light glowed. A shroud focus, possibly more . . . so that was why I’d had so much trouble eavesdropping on him. “This had better be good,” Haken said.