Agatha plucked him off the pillow and hugged him tight. Reaper scowled: “When in the presence of my subjects, I’d prefer a more distant approach.”
“When in the presence of my cat, I know nothing but love,” said Agatha, squeezing him harder. “I thought you could only talk to humans if you were under a spell.”
“Turns out learning man’s language isn’t difficult,” said Reaper, “given its dim-witted constructions and lack of finesse.”
Brone poked his doughy head in from the back room: “If anyone wants real food, Merlin’s hat is cooking!”
All at once, students ganged towards him, the gnomes content with their candy, while Reaper took advantage of the hubbub to hop from Agatha’s arms and scamper away.
“Might as well be well-fed when the Snake comes,” Sophie said, dragging Agatha ahead.
Agatha pinched her arm playfully. “I really do like this new Sophie who eats honeycake, is the queen of candy, and makes feasting a priority while in the throes of danger.”
“You know how one day you woke up and discovered boys aren’t the toxic poison you thought they were? Well, boys and cake have a lot in common, it turns out,” Sophie said with a wink.
Agatha let go of her hand. “Sophie . . . is everything okay? When I saw you in the fireflies, you looked . . .”
Her best friend’s smile evaporated. She avoided Agatha’s eyes and whistled at Tedros: “Teddy, sweetie, what are you waiting for? When have you ever turned down a meal?”
But the prince stayed in place, fluttering his hand back as if to say he’d be along soon, before he was cornered by first-year girls, Valentina and Laralisa and Priyanka, asking obsequious questions about his time at school (“Which bed was yours in Honor 52?” “What was your favorite thing to do in the Groom Room?”).
Agatha gave Sophie a look. “We should wait for him.”
“There will always be someone chasing after him, darling. He’s Tedros, for goodness’ sakes. But he’ll always love you,” Sophie said, pulling her into the living room. “Speaking of chasing, who’s that?” She ogled a tall, stylish boy laying out a banquet of plates on a wooden table.
“That’s Merlin,” said Agatha.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” Sophie sighed.
The living room was a hive of activity, bodies packed around snuggly calico chairs and shuffling along the fluffy red-brown rug towards a colorful spread—kale pakoras, spice-baked root vegetables, crispy-fried mushrooms with garlic chutney, pasta Provençale, beet-glazed radishes, squash and okra curry, fava beans with sungold tomatoes, cinnamon-coconut rice, and chocolate-dipped churros—as if Merlin’s hat was determined to make its young ward and all his fellow teenagers eat their vegetables.
Meanwhile, between bites of churros, Ravan and Vex were comparing iron pokers from the sooty fireplace, looking for the best weapon to ambush the Snake. So, too, were Bossam and Devan and other first-year boys searching the kitchen for knives that might work as daggers. Near the boys, Agatha spotted Beatrix, Kiko, and Reena in Knights of Eleven armor, boiling up a big pot of oil—
“You’re here!” Agatha said, racing in.
“After Shazabah, Maid Marian took some of us to Sherwood Forest,” said Beatrix, accelerating the boil with her fingerglow. “Met this witch doctor, who had a crystal ball.”
“Showed us you were headed this way, so we came as fast as we could,” said Reena.
“Got here last night,” Kiko added, giving Agatha a sleepless frown. “The beds are made for dwarves.”
Agatha stood straighter. “Wait, if you went with Maid Marian, then that means you were with—”
“Hello, dears,” a voice chimed.
Everyone turned to see Dot swanning down a small staircase, a round-faced, young teenager once more, munching on a plate full of vegetables turned to chocolate.
“Think I’m going to be a witch doctor when I grow up,” Dot beamed.
Near Agatha, Hester growled: “Just when I was getting used to hausfrau Dot.”
“At least that one moped instead of talked,” Anadil agreed.
But Dot was already hugging and kissing them both, her two witch friends squirming and gagging, but doing nothing to free themselves.
“Marian’s still with you?” Hester asked.
“She and Nicola went to help Queen Jacinda in Jaunt Jolie,” said Dot. “The old knights turned against Jacinda after we replaced them. Staged a coup and tried to take over the castle. So much for being loyal to their queen! Never seen Marian so determined to put men in their place. Perhaps she wants history to remember her as more than the damsel of thieves and sheriffs.” Dot winked. “Her daughter too.”
Hester and Agatha gaped at each other.
“Oh, don’t give her too much credit for figuring it out,” Anadil moaned. “Wasn’t like she solved the riddle of the sphinx.”
“Means I’m half-Ever, though,” Dot said, looking tense. “Not exactly a witch.” She eyed Hester and Anadil nervously, as if she might be expelled from the coven.
“Well . . . ,” said Hester. “Nobody’s perfect.”
Willam came up behind the witches: “Want to stake out upstairs with us? We can dive-bomb the Snake once he comes in.”
“My idea that Will’s taking credit for,” Bogden chirped.
Agatha smiled, watching the witches and boys go upstairs, so much love amongst them that Agatha nearly forgot her own true love’s head was at risk and his enemy on the way here. She turned to look for Tedros—
Sophie intercepted her, nibbling on churros. “You know how Merlin always smelled a little like an old sweater left in a trunk too long? The younger Merlin doesn’t smell like that at all. Not that he seemed thrilled to see me. But you know I love a challenge. Grrr. Agatha, are you really not eating? Do I have to make a plate for you?”
There was something in her tone, manic and forced, that bothered Agatha. It reminded her of the old Sophie. The performer. The actress. That’s when it dawned on her. “Sophie?” said Agatha, looking at her friend. “Where’s Hort?”
The facade cracked. Pain spilled through, tears rushing to Sophie’s eyes. Agatha lost her breath, her hand flying to her mouth—
Two horns clashed outside, urgent and badly played.
“That’s the signal!” Sophie gasped, forcing composure. She spun on her heel. “Places, everyone! He’s coming! Snake’s coming!”
Everyone sprung into motion like guests at a demented surprise party, toting makeshift weapons: chairs and cutlery and porcelain dinner plates. Quickly, Agatha peeked through the window shutters. In front of the rock-candy gates, she glimpsed Bodhi and Laithan tooting gnome-sized trumpets as a crowd of thousands swarmed towards Chateau Sugar East: soldiers from other kingdoms, citizens from Foxwood chanting “Lion! Lion!,” along with a phalanx of gold-shielded Camelot soldiers, and at the fore of them all, a boy in blue and gold, atop a white horse. Agatha snapped the shutters and whirled around, scanning for Tedros. But Sophie shoved her down behind a couch, the Sugar Queen morphing back into her red veil, directing her own army through the house.
“Everyone hide! Out of sight! And complete silence from here on out!” she commanded. “Once he knocks, I’ll let the bastard in. Then attack!”