I let the rest of the biscuit in my hand drop to the floor.
‘Why didn’t you say something?’ Atlas says.
Serena shakes her head. ‘I didn’t think she would actually use it—’
She freezes and I follow her gaze. Gideon has one hand on the door handle and the other on a gun. And he’s pointing it at me.
‘Put it down, Gideon,’ Atlas says.
I stare at Gideon, at his twisted, angry face and his shaking hands. It’s a small revolver, the kind some Guardians carry in their belts. I don’t dare move, don’t dare make him more panicked than he already seems.
‘You can get out of here tonight, mate,’ Marquis says slowly. ‘No one else needs to die—’
‘Sophie’s right,’ Gideon says in a high voice. He nods towards me. ‘We can’t trust her. For all we know, she’s already cracked the code and given it to Wyvernmire.’
‘I haven’t,’ I say quickly. ‘Gideon, echolocation is made up of dialects, which is why—’
BANG.
Gideon’s bullet skitters off the side of the mantelpiece and shoots through the wall, missing me by a mile. Atlas charges at him, but Gideon raises the gun again.
‘Atlas, no!’ I scream.
Atlas stops as Owen bursts into the room, his own gun raised. Gideon turns round, fumbles with the gun, then fires. The second bullet hits Owen in the chest and he falls backwards, a stunned look on his face.
‘Owen!’ I gasp, falling down beside him as Gideon flees the room.
‘Get up,’ Marquis says, pulling me by the arm. ‘He’s dead.’
I stare at the blood spilling from Owen’s mouth.
‘We have to—’
‘I know,’ I say, cutting Marquis off. I look for Sophie, who seems to be hyperventilating. ‘Gideon will come back for us. We have to hide.’
Serena darts forward, grabs Owen’s gun and runs down the corridor without looking back. I feel a surge of horror.
‘Come on,’ Atlas says, pulling me out into the hallway. ‘Before more Guardians turn up.’
We run up the stairs to the top floor and I scan the hallway, searching for a room.
‘The library!’
The five of us flood through the door as Guardian shouts sound below, and I turn the key in the lock. Karim leans against a bookcase, gasping for breath, and Sophie swears. We all stand in the dark, listening to the sound of each other’s breathing. Sophie rummages around by one of the tables, then strikes a match and lifts it to a lamp. Light fills the room as I urge myself to tell them what I know. Atlas has his ear pressed up against the door, listening.
I take a deep breath. ‘The Bulgarian dragons will invade Britannia in less than three days’ time.’
His eyes lock on to mine and he steps away from the door.
‘Say that again?’ Marquis says.
I tell them about Wyvernmire’s alliance with Bulgaria. That she plans to betray Queen Ignacia. That the Bulgariandragons will land at Bletchley if I don’t give her a way to understand echolocation. Atlas sinks into a chair and Sophie turns towards me.
‘Was Gideon right?’ she says. ‘Have you cracked the code?’
I look from her to Marquis, then close my eyes.
‘Oh my God,’ she whispers. ‘You have.’
