One True Queen (School for Good and Evil Book 2)

Chapter 33

"HELP ME! HELP!"

I burst through the doors to Rhian's bedroom, finger blazing, eyes flashing, just in time to see Sophie and Agatha disappear back into a portal of blue light.

A portal that could only be made by one thing.

A crystal ball.

"Y/n."

My eyes shot to Rhian.

"They know."

"What?" I crossed to his bedside. "That's impossible. They can't."

Rhian closed his eyes in defeat. "They know who our mother is, Y/n. Sophie had a letter from Grisella."

I stared at him, brow creased, before I exhaled in an effort to calm myself. "They can't do anything with that information. You're still Arthur's son. You're still an heir to the throne."

"But—"

I shook my head, all business again. "Where's Japeth? He needs to double his efforts in the search—"

"Not necessary."

I turned to see Japeth leaning against the doorframe.

"They're at the old Flowerground passage," the Snake said. "With Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottigham who, by the way, helped Robin sneak into the Council meeting undetected so that he could leave a message for our little Sophie."

Japeth held up his eel-covered hand, the scims pulling apart over his milky skin like ants fleeing a nest, revealing a blank card in his palm. Japeth bit hard into his own lip, drawing blood. Then he dipped the tip of his finger in the blood and streaked it across the parchment, the blood countering the magic, making words visible.

"Make them think you're on their side."

I spun to Rhian. "I knew it. I knew Sophie was up to something—"

"There's nothing to worry about." Rhian coughed. "Only three rulers still wear their rings. Three out of a hundred. And when tonight's attacks on two of those kingdoms are over, those three will be down to one."

"Sherwood Forest," I said knowingly.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Japeth said, pulling something out of his pocket.

A silver ring.

"Killed the Sheriff easily," Japeth said. "All we need now is his successor, which just happens to be Bertie, his jail attendant, who is now basking at a new estate here in Camelot. Which means Bertie will gladly burn the ring at our insistence."

I nodded. "Japeth, send your scims out again. Find and kill Sophie—"

"No."

I swiveled to Rhian. "No?"

Rhian shook his head. "There was something else. On the letter she showed me."

I scowled. "What could be so important that it saves her from death?"

"It said 'Rescue me. Old Gnomeland. Sunrise.' They're holding Sophie hostage, Y/n."

"And how are we supposed to trust her? You saw the note that Robin left Sophie at the meeting."

"Then why would Sophie give away their location?" Japeth asked. "Why would she ask to be picked up and taken back here?" Japeth stroked his chin, as if the idea was almost entertaining. "I think we should believe her. Or, let her back in at least. See what exactly she has to say."

I spotted a flash of white in the corner of my eye and turned.

Rafal was standing there.

"She may have information that can help us, darling," he said. "Information that can help you in your quest to bring me back. Bring me back to you."

I swallowed.

"Okay," I finally said, whirling back to Japeth. "Send Kei to pick her up."

***

A blue-and-gold carriage approached, carved with Camelot's crest, bathing Sophie in flamelight as the driver slowed the horses.

Through the window, Sophie spotted a boy inside the carriage, his face shadowed.

The door opened.

Using her pink glow to light her steps, Sophie climbed in next to the boy and shut the door.

He turned towards Sophie, his square jaw and thin eyes sculpted in silhouette.

"Rhian saw your message," said Kei.

He held up a familiar piece of parchment. The letter from Arthur to Lady Gremlaine.

The letter with her secret message on it, written in blood.

Right now, losing her friends' trust was the price she had to pay.

Because this had nothing to do with Evelyn Sader.

This had to do with what Sophie had seen in a crystal.

Not the blood crystal.

Another crystal. A crystal she'd found on her own.

The crystal Agatha had caught her staring at before she'd pretended it was junk and slipped it into her pocket.

But it wasn't junk. That crystal was the reason she was abandoning her friends in the middle of the night. And this is what she'd seen inside . . .

Her own self.

Cowering in the corner of the king's bedroom, her cheek gashed, her white, ruffled dress soaked with blood.

Rhian was across the room, in his blue-and-gold king's suit. So was Japeth, in his gold-and-blue liege's suit. And Y/n was there, her dress torn and tattered.

They were fighting. More than fighting.

The Lion, the Snake, and the Witch, going for the kill.

Hands clawed at eyes and hair. Teeth sank into skin. Punches landed, spewing blood from mouths, their faces mangled to crimson pulps. They battled onto the bed, each straining to get to Excalibur—

Rhian got there first. The blade swung through the air, the edge catching the light like a sunflare—

It impaled Japeth's chest.

Clean through the heart.

Rhian drew the sword out and his brother fell.

Then somehow Y/n grigot ahold of the sword and sunk it into Rhian's chest. He collapsed and didn't move again.

Slowly, Y/n kneeled over Rhian's body, watching him take his last breath. The witch bowed her head, holding her friend's corpse.

Excalibur lay abandoned behind her, where Y/n had dropped it.

Y/n didn't see Sophie move from the corner.

The fear was gone from her face. Replaced with intent. She raised the sword over Y/n's back—

The crystal went dark.

Sophie had watched this scene play out silently in the glass droplet, again and again and again.

Rhian kills Japeth.

Y/n kills Rhian.

Sophie kills Y/n.

That's how this fairy tale ended.

Sophie looked up at Kei. "He knows I'm on his side, doesn't he? The king?"

The captain didn't answer. He faced forward as the driver whipped the horses and the carriage veered on its wheel, back towards Camelot.