Thisbe grimaced. Her feelings about Alex began churning again.

“What is it?” Florence asked. “Did I say something wrong? Would you rather I didn’t mention Alex anymore?”

Thisbe tried to smile. “It’s not that,” she said quietly. She almost confided in Florence, but she felt too much shame and guilt to admit to the warrior that she thought she wasn’t grieving properly because she just hadn’t felt much love for her brother. Especially when she knew how much Florence had loved him. “It’s just… I’m just dealing with some stuff. About… that.” She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t really want to talk about it. Okay?”

“Okay,” said Florence. “I’m here if you ever change your mind.”

“Thanks.” Thisbe was quiet for a moment. “Fifer’s perfect for this role. She’s the right person.”

“She’s going to do just fine as head mage,” agreed Florence. “I know things are a little stressful right now. But if anyone can overcome adversity and turn people’s scorn into admiration, it’s Fifer. I look forward to a long and prosperous reign.”

Thisbe nodded, but her expression remained troubled. There was something ominous about Florence’s words. A long and prosperous reign. Thisbe didn’t like to tempt fate—not after what had happened with Alex. And with everything the Stowes had been through, Thisbe of all people knew there were no guarantees of anyone surviving the enormously tough job of head mage of Artimé… with the added duty of being ally to the black-eyed people of the land of the dragons.

Solitude and Peace

Dev recovered and his strength returned as many uneventful days passed. The palace began to feel more and more like it belonged to him and him alone. He started fixing little things here and there, caring for the place. He honored the way it had once been but knew it would never return to that glamour—not with him the only one working on it, anyway. But that was okay. Dev didn’t need things to be fancy. He cleaned up the library, dusting everything, straightening the books, and sweeping the carpets with an old broken-handled broom he’d found in a storage closet in the courtyard’s open-air kitchen.

He’d found some other things by now as well that no one else over the years had deemed valuable enough to steal. Some random pieces of clothing that he’d discovered wadded up in a laundry room were a bit big for him, but a welcome addition to his limited and deteriorating wardrobe. Shoes, too, that appeared to be in a style Shanti might have worn. Dev didn’t care what they looked like as long as they protected his feet and stayed on without giving him blisters.

His best clothing prize was a long, brown woolen skirt with a useful gold pin in it to adjust the fit. The skirt was warm and soft and very comfortable. He wasn’t sure if the pin was real gold or just gold-coated, but it was definitely his most valuable find so far, and he was pleased that the looters had overlooked it. He took pride in wearing the pin at his hip and made sure to flash it to the family of foxes whenever he went by. It was a great relief to replace his old rags, which weren’t going to last much longer.