Amber, her head down and fingers raked deep into her hair, said, "I can't figure out why Holly would kill Lehana."

That was such a «duh» statement, surprise and confusion must've shown on my face.

Maria clarified, "As in why her and not one of you two." She pointed at Hunter and me.

"Me or Hunter?"

"We all know you're the top two contenders." Amber's voice was shaky. "It would make more sense to take out one or both of you than any of the rest of us." She put her head back down, resuming a pose of misery.

She had a point, even if it was oddly flattering and disconcerting at the same time.

I wondered if I should voice my thoughts about how Holly might be eliminating contenders for political reasons.

"The vinculum Lehana had would trump any contender's efforts," Hunter said.

"What is that?" Maria asked.

"It's a small object, like a stone or a ring, that's bespelled to link to another person. They're highly dangerous to create but, if successful, anyone could use the item to see into the other's mind and gain answers. Handy in social settings and tests."

"How do you even know about a thing like that?" Amber asked.

"In my hometown, a local politician got busted with one a few years back."

Hunter stared off toward the door; Amber's line of reasoning regarding Holly's motive clearly bothered her. "Holly is probably hiding somewhere in the Covenstead," she whispered.

Though we were locked in with a guard outside the door, I wanted to search for her. And stop her.

"Could she have convinced herself she'd win and then realized she wouldn't and decided to retaliate by… doing this?" Maria stood, tossed her braid back over her shoulder, paced a bit before realizing that walking made her candle shine too unsteadily. She sat again. "She can't actually think she can win this way."

"They wouldn't give it to her now," Hunter said.

People willing to take a life usually aren't thinking clearly, but I couldn't judge too harshly. I'd been willing to take a life, albeit the life of a murderer. I considered myself a rational person, with the added perk of being willing to make tough decisions. I decided to tell them what I was thinking. I couldn't risk silence and let anyone else die. "I talked to Holly only a little, but it seemed very clear in that small amount of conversation that she was highly concerned about WEC politics. Remember, Suzanne said, 'We must be vigilant for our cause, before she was killed?" That elicited nods. "And we've now learned that Lehana had a tool that insinuated she was planted by someone of power." I thought of Holly's suspicion of Hunter. "Can you fight? Can you protect yourself, Hunter?" I asked.

"From a knife in the dark? Hardly."

Why didn't I feel as threatened?

It hadn't occurred to me to feel that threatened. I knew I could fight. Even Johnny would admit—

No, couldn't think of him.

"Then we just stay together," I said. "Until this is over."

We heard the door bolt slide open. Lydia entered carrying a candle. She moved wearily, making her way over to join us and sit on an empty cot. "I must tell you the truth. Only two police officers now remain in the building. The rest have taken their equipment and left."

That seemed highly inappropriate for a place with a murderer on the loose.

"Two?" Amber asked. Her voice was thin as a thread.

Lydia nodded. "When Officer Moore called for backup he was told the electrical failure was due to a power station outage. The whole damn county seems to be out." She shook her head. "All other officers are needed to deal with the emergency. They will get back to the Covenstead eventually, but Officer Moore and Officer Detrick are on their own for the time being."

"Are the doors still secure?" I asked.

"Yes. If Holly had tried to flee up any of the staircases, the Elders and the vampires would have detected her. We believe Holly is still somewhere inside." She added ominously, "But she's not getting out."

"Good," I said.

"Good?" Amber nearly shrieked. "How is that good? We're in here!"

"It means she won't get away with what she's done. She can't hide forever. Why don't we search for her?" I pressed. "Use the vampires and their keen senses—"

"Bah!" Lydia smacked her hand on her thigh. "They would never deign to be our bloodhounds. They think this is all very funny, watching us scramble on account of one young woman. Nor do we want them feeling we owe them for anything. Besides, we need them for the next test, which will take time—night time—and that's something we're running out of fast." She hesitated, then continued. "Here is the plan. We will go upstairs to the Great Hall and continue the Eximium. The officers remaining are moving furniture to block access to the hallway on either side of the office area. On this level, we are to confine ourselves to that area and use only the stairway near it. The elevator has been shut down."

Considering the Elders intended to get through this no matter what, and if the vampires were running out of night, that was as reasonable a solution as we could get. We'd likely be safe anyway as Holly must still be hiding in the lower levels.

If any of us had questions, we didn't ask them. We simply filed out of the room, candles in hand, following Lydia.

The Elders sat on their thrones, and the three vampires stood to the left of the dais. I tried my best to ignore Menessos, but his presence undeniably beckoned to my awareness and shaped my perception of the moment. Even without being visually focused on him, my body knew where he was, knew when he turned or shifted his weight. My aura prickled with every blink of his eyes, discerning even the finite movement of air his lashes created.

Nana had to find something in the Codex to minimize this. Or I had to develop a shield or something. I wasn't willing to believe that I had to deal with this supercharged awareness permanently. There had to be a way around it.

To the right of the dais sat several dozen bread box-sized chests. They were all different, from wood to metal to cardboard, some decorated or carved, some plain. I hoped there were no scorpions inside.

"Since Holly is missing and Lehana is dead, there are only four of you to compete," the Eldrenne said. "Despite this, in order that we may maintain the testing schedule, only one of you will be eliminated this round, and three will proceed to the next round." She gestured to her right. "Desdemona."

Pointing a gnarled finger down our short row, Desdemona spoke in that slow, squeaky voice that made me think of the Wicked Witch of the West. So long as she didn't call us "my pretties," I'd be okay.

"A room, a scene, a situation—

Further details closely rationed,

Motives mixed among the undead,

You'll be misguided and misled.

Do not falter, fail, or mis-think

Or, no doubt, your blood they'll drink.

You'll not see us, though we'll be there,

To judge persuasion, poise, conviction—and compare."

The last she said very slowly, straightening. "The lottery, embark…" She gestured to the cauldron. "You," she pointed at Maria, "with the eyes, dark."

Approaching the cauldron, Maria peered inside and gave a sigh of relief. Readily she reached in and came up with a skeleton key. Hunter, then Amber, then me. There were a handful of brassy slender keys left in the cauldron.

"Find the number upon the key.

Match to the chests, there will be three.

Of them, just one may you select,

As one, you open and collect."

The four of us inspected the keys; mine had a number one. I located three chests bearing the number one on them. First, a wooden chest: old and worn wood with many nicks and scrapes, leathery straps rounding it with buckles to reinforce the stability, tarnished hinges and lock. It had character, but it wasn't that big. Perhaps a foot long, eight inches high, eight wide. Round topped. Not heavy. Reminded me of a pirate chest. I could detect nothing moving inside, which was good. I didn't want to find a critter inside.