Astrid poked her head through the doorway at the bottom of the stairwell and called up to him. “I’m still here. It’s a shame everything is destroyed.”

Dev breathed out in relief. He’d had a split second of panic, thinking Astrid had abandoned him or gotten captured or something. Not that he didn’t like this place—he loved it. He just didn’t like being alone. “Oh, Astrid, you’re wrong!” he said. “Not everything is destroyed.” He moved swiftly back to the hole in the floor and looked down over the railing at the stairs, barely detecting her face at the bottom. “This tower is an enormous library. The furniture is falling apart, but there are a lot of books here, and a fireplace with wood, and musical instruments. And no wild animals that I’ve noticed so far, though there are bound to be bats. It’s actually… quite nice, I think. In a run-down sort of way. Better than no home at all, that’s for sure.” He noticed how suddenly chatty he’d become, which was unusual for him. He’d just never been excited about a place before. Or been given the opportunity to gush.

“Speaking of home,” Astrid said, sounding mildly anxious, “I’m sensing we should head back. Something feels off here. And it’s getting late.”

“Oh? What feels off? You mean with the smell of whoever was here before?”

“Maybe,” she said, but she didn’t sound sure at all. “I can’t quite detect it. But it’s there.” She pulled her head out of the turret entrance and disappeared.

Dev stayed in place, hovering over the trapdoor a moment longer in case Astrid was going to say something more. But she didn’t. He took a moment and tried to sense danger on his own, but nothing felt off to him. Everything here felt exactly right. Reluctantly Dev glanced over his shoulder at the library and at the instruments. His scales were flat on his arms and legs. No images were pounding his vision. The Revinir didn’t seem to be very angry or active at present. In fact, he realized with a start that he hadn’t heard a single roar from the Revinir since right before she threw him out the window and left him for dead. It made him wonder briefly what she was up to. But just as swiftly the thought left him. He gave one last longing look, then slowly went down the staircase to the ground to join Astrid.

She’d nodded off, and when Dev woke her, she seemed surprised to see him, but in her usual, forgetful way. Dev must have spent a little too much time out of her sight. “Hello!” she said, “And… what… exactly…? Hmm.” She looked around, confused.

“I’m Dev.” He smiled and gently explained, “You brought me here, and a short time ago we were talking and you said you wanted to go home. Back to… the cavelands.” His face fell when he pictured the terrain. The cavelands were so boring. But Dev needed to stay out of Grimere. He’d promised Drock he would, and Drock was someone Dev didn’t want to let down—not after what the dragon had said to him. He also wanted to be there in case Drock returned, looking for him. In case there was news from… anyone.