A Crystal of Time (The School for Good and Evil The Camelot Years #2) - Soman Chainani Page 0,83

of Good is that it defends, not attacks.”

Rhian raised a brow. “Really?”

He thrust a glowing fingertip at the doors, which swung open, and a sparrow, a hawk, and an eagle flew in, each wearing the royal collar of a kingdom messenger and carrying a scroll in their talons or beaks. The birds dropped their messages to their patron leaders.

“A break-in at my castle,” the King of Foxwood blurted, reading his scroll.

“Fairy nests set on fire in Gillikin,” gasped the Fairy Queen, reading hers.

“My son has been wounded,” said the Ice Giant of Frostplains, looking up from his scroll. “He says he escaped. They were masked men in black. Like the Snake.”

“The Snake is dead,” Rhian retorted. “But those who conspired with him are not. This is the work of Agatha and her school. She will do anything to dampen support for the real king, including disrupting the wedding and sabotaging your realms while you are all gathered here. Are you willing to see your kingdoms ripped apart again? After I put them back together?”

The gall of his lies made Sophie gasp. These were Japeth’s attacks. She’d seen him ride off with his men. He’d attacked the Woods to help his brother win the throne and now he was attacking the Woods again to keep him there. And the sheer lunacy of the idea that it was her best friend behind it—

“Agatha? Attacking Gillikin? Attacking Foxwood? Two Ever kingdoms?” said the Ooty Queen, as if reading Sophie’s thoughts.

“Except Agatha was spotted causing chaos in my kingdom just days ago,” the Fairy Queen of Gillikin countered. “If fairy nests were burned tonight, it could very well be her doing.”

“And I saw young boys in black masks at the church,” added the Ice Giant of Frostplains. “The ones that set off the bombs. They could have been students from the school.”

“Princess Agatha protects kingdoms; she doesn’t hurt them,” the Princess of Altazarra pooh-poohed. “All of us know her fairy tale!”

“The Storian’s version,” the King of Foxwood piped in.

“The only version! The true version!” the Duke of Hamelin spouted.

“Sophie is Agatha’s best friend,” the Sultan of Shazabah cut in. “We need to hear from Camelot’s future queen!”

“Hear! Hear!” piped the other leaders at his table.

This is my chance, Sophie thought, about to throttle in and expose Rhian—to scream the truth and save herself and her friends—

But then the King of Foxwood stood up. “My castle is being attacked! And all of you are worried about hearing from a Reader instead of trusting the king who saved your kingdoms!” He turned to Rhian. “You need to stop these terrorists at once!”

“Like you did the Snake!” the Fairy Queen pleaded.

“The rebels are moving east, my hawk tells me,” said the Ice Giant of Frostplains, the bird perched on his shoulder. “They’ll attack the Four Point kingdoms next. Then . . . who knows?”

The room went quiet.

No one was defending Agatha anymore.

Like a school of fish, Sophie thought. How quickly they turned.

“I’ll commit my royal guard,” the Queen of Mahadeva announced. “They’ll find these rebels.”

“My men will join yours,” said the Minister of the Murmuring Mountains.

“I don’t trust Never guards in my kingdom,” said the King of Foxwood.

“Or mine,” said the Fairy Queen of Gillikin. “And by the time you send word to your guards, the rebels will have sacked a dozen more realms. They know we’re all here for the wedding. Our kingdoms are vulnerable and they’re moving too fast for us to send alerts or mount a defense. We need King Rhian and his men to ride out at once.”

Ripples of assent swept across the room, until all eyes were on the king.

“You want me to stop Agatha’s attacks?” he said, reclining in his throne. “You want me to risk my life and my knights? Well, then, I expect you to show me loyalty in return.”

His fingertip glowed and a small blue fire appeared in front of each leader’s face, flickering in midair.

Rhian’s eyes smoldered with the reflection of a hundred flames. “Burn your rings,” he commanded. “Burn your rings and pledge your faith to me over Agatha and her school. To me over the Storian. Then I’ll help you.”

The leaders froze, their eyes wide.

Rhian’s gaze deepened. “All those who want my protection . . . burn them now.”

Sophie’s heart stopped.

The rulers scanned the room.

For a moment, none of them moved.

Then the King of Foxwood slipped off his silver ring and put it into the blue flame.

The ring melted—crackle! whish! pop!—and burst into a puff