Fifer set her spoon on the table. “Well, sure, I remember, but I thought we said we weren’t going to.”

Thisbe looked down and said carefully, “Yes, but we were pretty young then. Now, after everything we’ve been through . . . I mean, I love being your roommate, but there’s extra space in the mansion, so why not split up? We’ve never tried that before.” Her gaze flitted up to her twin’s face. “And it seems like maybe it’s time.”

Fifer’s expression was unreadable. “What about when the Revinir roars and you get paralyzed? Don’t you need me to help you?”

“I’ll manage,” Thisbe said. “She doesn’t do it very often anymore—I think all the dragons must be there by now. Maybe she’s forgotten about Drock and me.” She noticed Fifer’s eyes glistening and tilted her head, confused. “Are you upset?”

“I’m fine,” Fifer said, her voice pitching slightly upward. “Yeah, whatever you want to do is . . . fine.” She hurriedly glanced around, as if she wanted Thisbe to stop looking at her, and pretended to spot someone. “I should go. Let’s talk about it later.”

Thisbe shrugged. “We don’t have to do it,” she said. “It was just a thought.” She could tell Fifer was angry, but she seemed more upset than Thisbe would have imagined over getting some privacy and extra space to spread out. Plus, Fifer had seemed so annoyed to be awakened the other night, so Thisbe had thought Fifer would like the idea. “Maybe there’s a way Aaron could extend the hallway and slip a room in right next door, so we wouldn’t be far apart?”

Fifer’s eyes shone, and she got up quickly; then she made her tray of mostly uneaten oatmeal disappear. “Maybe,” she said lightly. She pushed her chair in and grabbed her rucksack. “Bye.”

“Wait!” Thisbe said. “Do you want to help come up with new spell components today to fight the Revinir? Clementi and Ibra—” She stopped abruptly as Fifer fled the room.

Thisbe didn’t know what to think. Fifer was very upset, and Thisbe wasn’t exactly sure why. Was it what she’d said, or the way she’d said it? She went outside to meet Florence, replaying the scene in her mind and realizing with regret that she hadn’t been sensitive about suggesting the split to Fifer. After all, they hadn’t discussed it in a long time, so maybe it felt like the idea had come out of nowhere. Clearly, they weren’t thinking along the same lines like they used to.