Tara Duncan and the Forbidden Book by HRH Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian

schemes?”
    Cal didn’t like Angelica, and the feeling was completely mutual. “What do you know?” he said. “The animal in the cage next to mine can speak! I thought she could only scream.”
    â€œCan it!” snarled Angelica. “I’ll scream if I feel like it. And that stupid ghost is going to pay for getting us locked up.”
    â€œReally? What you plan to do, kill him?”
    â€œThat’s a point for Cal,” remarked Robin.
    â€œA hit, a very palpable hit!” said Sparrow, grinning.
    â€œThat’s enough out of you, Angelica!” said Tara angrily. “It’s your fault we’re all here. You’re responsible for that boy’s death, and the death of your familiar. So spare us the comments and mind your own business.”
    Angelica glared at her. If looks could kill, Tara would’ve died on the spot. The tall girl turned on her heel and went to sit on her bed, muttering insults under her breath.
    Tara turned to Cal and whispered, “Is it safe for us to talk? If it is, explain why you look so pleased with yourself.”
    â€œI don’t think there are any microphones,” said Cal in a low voice, “but let’s be careful anyway. I have two reasons to feel happy. The first is that this is going to be part of my final exam next year!”
    â€œYour what?”
    â€œMy licensed thief final examination. I have to pass a whole bunch of tests to get my license. So, when my mother saw I was being put in prison, she went to the school dean and suggested I be graded on my escape.”
    Fabrice was dumbfounded. “And that’s all you could think of? You’re in jail, in a place where you can’t perform magic, because you’ve been trapped by Magister, who attracted us here so that he could get hold of the Forbidden Book, and all you can say is, ‘Cool, I’ll be graded on this’? Those guards must’ve bonked you on the head when they arrested you, because you’ve completely lost your marbles!”
    â€œI think I must’ve missed an episode somewhere,” said a perplexed Cal. “Magister did what?”
    When they explained, the little thief looked thoughtful.
    â€œThat’s incredible,” he said. “And it’s kind of a far-fetched plan if all he wants is to get the Forbidden Book. To do that he could just spy on Master Chem and steal the book when he’s away from Lancovit. After all, he travels a lot. But we can clear that up when I get out of here. The second reason I’m happy is that my mom came to visit, and she knows how to prove I’m innocent!”
    â€œHey, that’s fantastic!” exclaimed Fabrice. “So we’re saved. Let’s go see the empress right away! The gorgeous, magnificent eighteenth letter of the alphabet + what we do to pants = m + pants = empress.”
    â€œEr, there’s just one catch,” said Cal.
    â€œI should have known it was too good to be true,” said Fabrice with a sigh. “Go on.”
    â€œAccording to my mother, there’s a very particular entity embodied in a statue called the Judge of Souls. The entity was created by the demons in order to tell truth from lies. Everybody tells lies in the demon kingdoms, so this is the only way the rulers can exercise any control over their subjects, since the Truth Tellers refuse to go to Demon Limbo. Once we’re in front of the Judge, we can recall Brandis a second time, which is normally impossible, and convince him that someone other than me caused his death. We’ll record the whole proceeding with a taludi and turn it over to the imperial court. It’s practically impossible to fool a taludi, so that should be enough to get me declared innocent.”
    Tara’s eyes widened. “You want us to go to Limbo ? To talk with demons ? Fabrice was right. The guards must’ve hit you on the head. And what the heck is a