The head mage swallowed hard. Holding on to Pan’s neck, he crawled along the dragon’s back and beckoned to his team to follow. “Let’s go with Drock,” he said. “Back home. Before it’s too late.”

A Tinge of Gray

By the time Fifer and Thisbe Stowe and the others in their party were exploding out of the volcano into the dingy gray light of a strange world, it was far too late to turn back. They burst up and flew wildly in all directions, then slammed hard into the murky water surrounding the volcano.

Fifer hung on to Thisbe for all she was worth, knowing that her sister was currently stuck in the throes of one of the Revinir-roar episodes that rendered her nearly paralyzed. Left alone, Thisbe would certainly drown. Once Fifer could catch her breath and wipe the slime from her face, she called out to Simber.

Simber, who’d stayed in the air upon his emergence into this world, shot over to the twins and plucked them out of the water, then brought them to the edge of the volcano. He went back for Kaylee, Samheed, and Lani while Talon collected Seth and Crow. Some of Fifer’s birds managed to untangle well enough to go after Carina and pull her ashore.

Once everyone had been collected and brought back to the volcano, all of them in varying degrees of pain from the violent expulsion, they sat stunned and dripping dirty water. They tried to clean off, taking in their surroundings as they did so.

Fifer, the acting leader of the team since Alex had died, looked to Simber to see if he wanted to discuss what to do next, but anger was etched in the cheetah statue’s face. Clearly he needed a moment, so Fifer stayed near Thisbe instead and tried to hold in her own frustration about the mistakes that had led them here. Thisbe’s reaction to the Revinir’s call had definitely cost them. Fifer glanced at her sister, who was still knocked out from it.