A Crystal of Time (The School for Good and Evil The Camelot Years #2) - Soman Chainani Page 0,84

of white-silver smoke.

The Fairy Queen of Gillikin and the Frostplains King both glanced at each other. Neither took off their ring.

But the Queen of Jaunt Jolie did.

She slipped it into her fire.

Crackle! Whish! Pop!

Then a plume of white.

No one else followed.

The flames cooled and vanished.

“Two rings,” Rhian said, toying with each word.

He turned to his guards. “Send men to protect Foxwood and Jaunt Jolie from further attacks,” he said, before looking back at the Council. “The rest of you are on your own.”

Relieved, Sophie leaned against the door, thankful most of the rulers had resisted the king . . . only to see Rhian staring right at her, as if he’d known she was there all along. He swished his lit finger and the doors swept open before she could move back. She tumbled forward and crashed into the ballroom, landing hard on the marble floor.

Slowly she raised her eyes to the entirety of the Kingdom Council peering down at her.

“My love,” Rhian cooed.

Sophie rose to her feet, the white dress burning at her skin more than ever.

“The Council has a few questions for you before today’s execution,” said the king. “Perhaps you can help them come to their senses.”

Two guards subtly moved in behind Sophie. Beeba and Thiago. She could see their hands on their swords. A threat.

Sophie turned to the leaders, cool and composed.

“At your service,” she said.

The Fairy Queen of Gillikin stood up. “Is Agatha our enemy?”

“Is the school behind these attacks?” asked the Ice Giant of Frostplains, rising too.

“Must Tedros die?” asked the Ooty Queen, standing on her cushions.

Sophie could see the fear in their faces. In all the leaders’ faces. The tension in the room was so thick it squeezed at her throat, sealing her voice in.

All she had to say was one word.

No.

The pirates would kill her, but it would be too late. The Woods would know the monster that was on the throne. Tedros and her friends would be saved. Rhian would be thrown to the wolves.

Sophie took in the dead green glass of the king’s eyes, the sneer of his lips. It was the same way Japeth had looked at her when he told her his brother would no longer play nice. Not after she’d used Lionsmane’s messages to reach Agatha. But even so, Rhian still needed her. Her reassurance would make the rest of these leaders dance to his tune. Bringing her here was a risk, of course. But Rhian was betting on the fact that Sophie always did what was best for herself. That she’d stand behind him to stay alive. That her own life was more valuable to her than telling the truth.

Sophie glared back at him.

He’d miscalculated.

Rhian realized what she was about to do.

He launched to his feet, his face turning the color of Japeth’s. Sophie opened her mouth to answer the Council—

Then she saw something.

At a table in the back, near the window. A man, dressed in a brown coat and hood, his face in shadow. He was playing with the silver ring on his hand, reflecting the moonlight, so it would catch Sophie’s attention.

She saw the name on his placard.

Sophie’s heart blasted like a cannon shot.

The hooded man gave her a sharp move of his head, telling her in no uncertain terms how to answer the leaders’ questions.

Sophie searched the whites of his eyes, gleaming through the darkness under his hood.

She turned back to her questioners.

“Yes,” she said. “Agatha is your enemy. The school is behind these attacks. Tedros must die.”

The crowd thrummed like a shaken beehive.

Rhian gaped at Sophie from the throne.

Suddenly Aran accosted him, clutching a large scroll of parchment—

Sophie didn’t wait to see what it was about. With Rhian distracted, she rushed into the room, heading straight for where she’d glimpsed the hooded man. But she couldn’t see him anymore with the leaders crowded around tables, frantically conversing and pointing at their rings, their voices rising. Behind her, Rhian and Aran argued over a map—the Snake’s Quest Map—except from this angle, it looked like all the figurines on it were . . . gone?

I must be seeing it wrong, Sophie thought.

But then she caught Rhian looking up, searching for her—

Sophie ducked along the rims of the tables in a squat, scooting towards the back of the room. She could see leaders streaming out the doors, asking maids to call their transports, while others remained in heated debate. She spotted the Ice Giant of Frostplains and the Queen of Gillikin together in the corner,