“Yes. It was probably just a coincidence. It must’ve felt nice to have a day that went right for once, though. You deserve it.”

“It did. It felt great.” Thisbe pressed her shoulders against the tunnel wall, then stretched, feeling the ache after a hard day of slinging bones and cauldrons around. “But now things are going to get complicated. The others are at various levels of broth saturation. We don’t know how close they are to snapping out of the mind control. Do you see the slaves in the hallways regularly? Can you keep an eye out for them?”

“Yes. I know more or less where they are all stationed. I’ve already been altering my travel routes to make sure I see each of them every day. And you’re with Dev, so you can monitor him.”

“Right.”

“And then?” Rohan asked. “What happens once the others are back in their right minds?”

Thisbe tapped her lips thoughtfully. “We’re going to have to move fast.”

“How exactly?”

“I’m not sure yet. All I know is that we have to convince the other slaves to help us get out of here once their connections to the Revinir are broken. And we’ll have to do it before the Revinir figures out what’s going on. Before she has a chance to get a good look at any of us.”

“I expect that’ll have to happen very soon, Thisbe.”

Thisbe glanced up and saw him gazing earnestly at her.

He touched her fingers. “It’s not just two of us this time. We’ve got others whose lives we’re endangering by doing this.”

Thisbe pressed her lips together. “I know. I don’t think she’ll try to hurt us.”

“I think she will,” said Rohan.

“You do?”

“While we’re under her control she won’t—we’re very useful to her. But if she realizes you duped her, well . . . I’m afraid of what she’ll do to you.”

“You duped her too.”

“Yes, but you’re the one making the antidote to her dragon-bone broth right under her nose. She’s going to feel very angry about that, and I doubt she’ll spare your life after something like that. Or mine, if she figures out what I’ve done.”

Thisbe grew silent. After a minute she nodded. “Again you’re right.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about this,” Rohan said, almost apologetically. “My day was a lot calmer and quieter than yours.”

Thoughts swirled around in Thisbe’s mind. Things were happening faster than she’d expected. How were they going to get everyone out of here safely?