“She’s expecting you to leave immediately, and you’re traveling by dragon. She’ll figure out soon that something’s up. If we can’t get out of here before then, it’ll ruin our chance of ever helping everyone escape. And then . . . she might kill us. Some of us, anyway. Like me. All of this is on me and Rohan.”

Dev sighed and started pacing. “What if . . . ,” he began. “What if I drink more dragon-bone broth so that I really am back under her control? Then I wouldn’t have to fake it.”

Thisbe considered that for a moment, then shook her head. “You wouldn’t remember to escape. And you’d come back here and be stuck down here all alone.”

Dev stirred the broth. “This stinks.”

Thisbe wasn’t sure what to do. “Please, Dev,” she said. “We need you to do this. You’re saving eight black-eyed slaves from the Revinir’s tyranny. You’ll be an even bigger hero than you already are.”

Dev stopped stirring. “You don’t think I’m a hero. You’re just saying that to get me to go.”

“That’s not true,” Thisbe insisted. “I know you, Dev. And I heard all about what you did when you were with my sister and the rescue team. You knew to save the king, which stalled the Revinir’s takeover.”

“Fat lot of good that did,” said Dev. “Does anybody know if the king is dead?”

“We don’t know,” Thisbe admitted. She studied her friend. “But I do know you can do this, Dev. I believe in you. And we’ll be waiting for you by Alex’s grave. You can do this. We’ll all be together by morning, and we have a safe place to hide out.”

Dev grimaced. He stirred a few more times around the pot, staring into the cloudy broth.

“Please,” Thisbe said again.

With a deep sigh, Dev pulled the wooden spoon out and set it beside the fire. “All right,” he said. He wrinkled his face, trying to get the blank look happening, then turned and stared past Thisbe’s shoulder, crossing his eyes slightly to blur the spot and letting his mouth relax. “How’s this?” he said in a monotone voice.

Thisbe brought her arms across her chest and pressed her lips together, pleased. “It’s perfect. You’ve got it exactly right.”

With a final sigh and a slight shake of his head, Dev moved to the doorway.

“Go straight to the grave when you’re done with her. And if we’re not there yet, wait there until someone finds you,” Thisbe whispered. “We’ll be starting our escape within hours, so we should get there before you.” She ran to the throne room and grabbed a vial of ancestor broth, then returned and handed it to Dev. “Take this if you need it to help you be even stronger against the Revinir’s roar.”