King of Cups (Stormcloud Academy 2)

Soglio put his hand on Schmidt’s arm. Surely he understood that these accusations put both Stormcloud and the Wachsbrunnen police in an uncomfortable spot. If they were going to make these charges against me, wouldn’t they have to arrest me?

“Look,” Soglio said with his sleepy, put-upon tone, “it’s all rather . . . how would you say? Peculiar.”

“You can’t lock me up for ‘peculiar.’”

“I can, though,” Schmidt shot back. “I was a fool to let you off-campus after what went on last year. You’re under house arrest, Biba. I don’t want you leaving the building except if you have classes in one of the annex properties. Is that clear?”

I nodded curtly and turned to leave them. Then Soglio called to me.

“One more thing, Miss Quinn. All of dis could be, you know, quite easily remedied if you were villing to speak candidly vith us. How did you come to be in Miss Amelia’s office last night? Vhat were you discussing and vhy?”

I thought about it for a moment. Maybe it was time to start cooperating. Then I thought about Zeph and Arvo and their crusade against anyone collaborating with the Academy leadership. It was too dangerous. I couldn’t talk.

At least not alone.

“Counteroffer,” I said. “Theo Brant and I will testify together. And only if you provide the questions in writing, in advance.”

Soglio sighed. “Not possible.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because your partner in crime,” Schmidt advised me, “has disappeared. Theo Brant fled campus last night.”

It was like the pressure dropped in the room. I felt light-headed.

“You’re holding the bag here,” Schmidt went on. “If I were you, I’d cut a deal right quickly.”

“I’ll be quite honest,” Soglio said. “I do not think you are zee culprit here. But I believe you know who is, and you are hiding it. You’d do vell to come clean.”

For what felt like an eternity, my eyes darted back and forth. The situation was untenable. For all I knew, Zephyr would be suspicious of me just for taking this meeting with Schmidt. Theo was gone. Amelia was dead. Who knew what Arvo was up to. . . .

“Thank you for your counsel,” I told them. “I will remain on campus.”

I turned on my heel and left Schmidt’s office.

My mind was spinning like a pinwheel. I needed someone to help me figure this out. But who was there? Who would have my safety in mind?

I ducked into one of the little nooks that Stormcloud Academy was full of. I took my phone from my pocket, drew a breath, and called the Cornwall number. It was pretty early where the Monforts lived, and I didn’t know if they’d even be awake yet. But on the fifth ring, Mary answered.

“That you, Biba?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Goodness me, love. You sound like you seen a ghost.”

“You aren’t too far off.”

“Now, you stay put. I’m putting you on the speaker, so Tommy can hear. You still there?”

Thomas’s voice came in. “Hello there, Biba. What’s going on? Are you safe, love?”

At that moment, hearing the genuine, warm concern in their voices, I broke down in tears. Half-babbling, I told them everything: the Stamoses and their plot to kill me, Amelia and her prior life as Simone, her affair with the King Scamarcio and their child together, the broken Kings and their sudden reemergence at Stormcloud.

I thought of how close Gail and I had gotten to uncovering the truth; then she’d died. Then Theo and I’d gotten even closer with Amelia’s help, and then Amelia had died.

And Theo had fled. And what if Zephyr found out about any of this?

“I just . . . I feel like I’m caught in this big dangerous game of warring factions, and I don’t know what my place is in it. It’s like I’m supposed to carry on the work that my dad and your brother did—trying to make this a better place and stand up for the people who can’t defend themselves—but I don’t even know where to begin.”