Magpie chewed her lip and said slowly, “He’s not going to just offer to help us. I got to convince him, and I want to know as much as I can know first. I got a feeling this thing the Blackbringer’s after is important.”

“All right, ‘Pie.” Calypso sighed. “But I want ye to wait here and have a rest whilst we search.”

Magpie rolled her eyes. “Feather—”

“Feather, nothing,” he said sternly. “Rest.” He turned to Talon. “Lad, ye’ll see to it?”

Talon looked back and forth between the stubborn faerie and stern crow. He shrugged helplessly.

“Good lad,” said Calypso, spreading open his wings. “We’ll have a look around. Come on, blackbirds!” The crows burst squawking from the trees.

As soon as they were gone, Magpie said to Talon, “Let’s go.”

“Go? Calypso said—”

“Ach, you think I’m going to sit here? There’s something else you should know. This imp? He was there when your folk met his master.”

Talon was still, his face frozen, staring back at Magpie. “Indeed . . . ,” he said quietly. Suddenly he stood. “What’s he look like, this creature?”

“Like a scorched rat with a great big nose, wears diamonds on his tail.”

“Think I’ll join in the search,” he said, and dove from the branch. He caught another with one hand and whipped himself around, jackknifing and shooting out past the bramble, where he dropped from Magpie’s sight.

Talon had never set foot beyond the hedge. He’d peered through it on the northern border of Dreamdark, where the land without was as wild as the forest within and no humans ever wandered. A few days ago he’d never have dreamed of venturing out into the world, even with a gang of cousins, and now he was leaping into it alone. What a change a few days could make, he thought, stalking through the grass.

But he wasn’t alone. “This way,” Magpie hissed, skimming up beside him. Together they darted into the shadow of the hulking school, Magpie flying low to the ground and Talon running, leaping. When he grabbed hold of a trellis post and swung himself wildly airborne, stretching headfirst and landing in a somersault to keep right on going, Magpie found herself grinning. She’d never known scamperers could move like that. She couldn’t help watching him and had to remind herself to keep her eyes peeled for imps and roaming mannies.

“There’s a kitchen garden past that fence,” Magpie said. “Let’s try there.”

Talon reached the fence first, and when Magpie landed at his side he slapped the back of her neck and said, “Slap the slowpoke!”

“Eh!”

“I’d smack you harder but you’re a lass,” he said with a wicked twinkle in his blue eyes.