“We tried,” said Thisbe. “We had ideas, but we didn’t have enough time. You can keep thinking of ways to stop her if you want, but this will actually save Artimé, I think. She wants me back with her. She’s furious that I escaped, and she’ll be relentless until she has me back. And she wants Drock, too—she wants all the dragons. Every last one of them. She’s greedy. Perhaps . . . perhaps that’s her weakness.” Thisbe stopped and thought about that for a moment. “Yes, maybe that’s it. Keep thinking about that while I’m gone, Aaron. And I will too. Ask Sky about what else might get to her. Maybe there’s something left at Warbler that can help give us a clue.”

“You think I can just let you go and turn yourself in to the Revinir? I can’t, Thisbe. You know that.”

“She won’t kill me. I promise. I know her. I’ll be okay. I’m a well-trained actor, remember? I know what to do.”

Aaron was quiet.

“And I took the extra ancestor broth. It’s helping me be stronger against her roar. She just sent out a roar a few minutes ago, and look at me—I’m fine. Pretty good, anyway. Just a little fuzzy.”

“Thisbe.”

“I’m dead serious, Aaron.”

“Then I shall come with you.”

This time Thisbe was quiet as she contemplated it. Her heart longed for his company. She didn’t relish being alone with the Revinir again. Would she ever see her friends and family again? At least she knew how to get back through the volcano system now. But how could she ask Aaron to come along? Why put his life in danger when it didn’t need to be? He had Kaylee and Daniel and Fifer here. She frowned. And if he did go with her, what would the Revinir think? She wasn’t calling to him—his presence might make her suspicious.

Aaron saw her hesitation. “Seriously, Thiz. My schedule is pretty open now that I’m not the head mage anymore.”

Thisbe smiled ruefully. “Well, there is that.” She thought a bit more, then shook her head. “I don’t feel good about it. It seems like it’ll complicate things and make the Revinir suspicious. I want you to stay and make sure Artimé is safe. I know how to get back here. And I’m actually relatively safe with Drock. As long as he can keep resisting the call, we can go along with the Revinir and maybe fake her out a little. You know? Pretend that we are actually heeding the call, and infiltrate that way. Then, once I figure out what I need to do in Grimere, I’ll send a single seek spell to Florence to let her know to send a team to help me. Okay?”